Israel, Honduras, Lebanon.
Today's three stories you should know.
Israel
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sacked his defense minister a day after he spoke out against the government’s hugely controversial judicial reforms. Yoav Gallant had called for plans to overhaul the judicial system to be scrapped and said they were an "immediate and tangible danger" to state security. Critics of the far-right government call the changes, which will boost government influence over the selection of judges and limit the power of the Supreme Court to strike down legislation, a threat to democracy. Thousands of Israelis flooded into the streets after the sacking, lighting bonfires and blocking the main highway into Tel Aviv.
More from Haaretz here.
Honduras
Honduras established diplomatic relations with China today after severing ties with Taiwan. The decision means Taiwan now only has formal ties with 13 countries, mostly developing nations in Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific. Taiwan accused Beijing of using “coercion and intimidation” to lure its allies away and said Honduras had demanded money to stay on its side. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has been stepping up pressure for the island to submit to its sovereignty. Taiwan, which is backed by the US, says it will defend its independence.
More from Reuters here.
Lebanon
Weird situation in Lebanon as it woke up this morning in two rival time zones. The government decided not to start daylight savings time during the last weekend of March as usual but to instead put clocks forward an hour on April 20. No official reason was given but it has been widely interpreted as a move to allow Muslims break their daily fast for the holy month of Ramadan at 6 pm rather than 7 pm. But the hugely influential Maronite church, the largest Christian church in the country, said it would refuse to recognize the change as there had been no consultation and no consideration of international impact. The whole thing has left Lebanon in a strange situation where some are recognizing the change and others aren’t.
More from BBC here.