Britain`s Heathrow Airport said it would be closed all of Friday (21 March) after a huge fire at a nearby electrical substation wiped out power, disrupting flight schedules around the world. The London Fire Brigade said around 70 firefighters were tackling the blaze in the west of London, which caused a mass power outage at Heathrow, Europe`s busiest and the world`s fifth-busiest airport. Huge orange flames and plumes of smoke could be seen shooting into the sky. Around 150 people were evacuated from nearby buildings and thousands of properties were without power.

At least 71 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed in today`s predawn attacks by Israel in the north and south of the territory, reports Al Jazeera.The latest killings will add to the Gaza Health Ministry`s death toll of some 436 Palestinians, including 183 children, killed since Israel shattered the ceasefire on Tuesday.

The United States has welcomed the interim government’s measures to ensure safety and security for all in Bangladesh. “We condemn any instances of violence or intolerance directed toward members of minority communities in any country and have welcomed measures taken by Bangladesh’s interim government to ensure safety and security for all in Bangladesh. That’s what we’re watching. That’s what we expect. And that will be what continues,” said US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce during a regular press briefing in Washington, DC, on Wednesday. 

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza on Wednesday published a new death toll from the war with Israel, showing an additional 970 deaths in 48 hours, after Israel intensified deadly strikes on the territory. The death toll from the war in the Gaza recorded by the ministry at midday on Monday (1000 GMT) stood at 48,577. By midday on Wednesday, the figure had risen to 49,547, it said, reports AFP.