United Nations declares famine in Gaza, first ever in Middle East
Tom Fletcher, the UN's emergency relief coordinator, blamed Israel, accusing it of "systematic obstruction" of aid deliveries to the war-ravaged...
Geostrategy
Israel approves major West Bank settlement project, sparks international outcry
Israel has long had ambitions to build on the roughly 12-square-kilometre parcel known as E1 just east of Jerusalem, but...
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Geostrategy
Lebanon parliament fails to elect president for the ninth time
Parliament is split between supporters of the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and its opponents, neither of whom have a clear...
- Hezbollah opponent Michel Moawad, who is seen as close to the United States, won the support of 39 MPs but fell well short of the required majority.
- Moawad's candidacy is opposed by Hezbollah, whose leader Hassan Nasrallah called last month for a president ready to stand up to Washington.
Geostrategy
WHO urges malaria funding boost as deaths stay stubbornly high
The World Health Organization called for more funds to help overcome towering challenges in the battle against malaria, which continues...
- A report highlighted significant remaining challenges, including limited donor funding.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded several challenges facing efforts to battle malaria.
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WHO member states agree to develop draft of pandemic accord in early 2023
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - Member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Thursday agreed to develop the first draft of a...
- This zero draft of the pandemic accord, rooted in the WHO Constitution, will be discussed by member states in February 2023.
- The agreement by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, comprising WHO’s 194 member states, was a milestone in the global process to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Geostrategy
Netanyahu secures parliament majority, closer to forming govt
Some Israeli political analysts had forecast that Netanyahu would move to announce a coalition days after receiving his mandate from...
- In Israel's fifth election in less than four years, held on November 1, Netanyahu's right-wing alliance triumphed with ease
- Although a final coalition agreement has not yet been signed, the agreement with Shas gives Netanyahu control over 64 of the 120 seats in the Knesset
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Two killed in Iraq clashes after activist given prison term
Riot police confronted the crowd in the central Habboubi Square with "brutal" force and "fired live ammunition", said demonstrator Mohammed...
- Haidar al-Zaidi, 20, was sentenced to three years over a tweet of disputed origin deemed insulting to a pro-Iran ex-paramilitary force
- The protesters deplored the jail term and also demanded compensation for demonstrators wounded by security forces in late 2019
Geostrategy
Nuclear tensions ‘rising’ but Moscow won’t deploy first: Putin
Russian forces have missed most of their key military goals since February, raising fears that the battlefield stalemate could see...
- Speaking more than nine months after his forces launched their military operation, Russian President warned the conflict could be "lengthy"
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared that the risk of nuclear weapons being used in the Ukraine conflict has lessened thanks to international pressure on Russia
Geostrategy
Foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Iraq hold tripartite meeting
The ministers agreed to maintain "institutional" communication to follow up on the implementation of the trilaterally agreed upon projects and...
- The ministers agreed to maintain "institutional" communication to follow up on the implementation of the trilaterally agreed upon projects and coordinate future steps
- They also agreed to hold upcoming meetings within the framework of the tripartite cooperation mechanism in preparation for the fourth summit in Egypt next year
Geostrategy
Xi visit marks 34 deals between Saudi, Chinese firms ahead of China-Arab meeting and China-GCC summit
The Chinese president's visit to Saudi Arabia aims at 'qualitative leap' in bilateral ties and the 'largest-scale diplomatic activity between...
- The Chinese president's visit to Saudi Arabia aims to enhance bilateral relations in several fields, including energy, security, transportation, infrastructure and investment
- The trip -- only Xi's third overseas since the coronavirus pandemic began -- comes after US President Joe Biden's visit in July, when he pleaded for higher oil production
Geostrategy
Xi Jinping reaches Saudi as China seeks energy cooperation
The trip -- only Xi's third overseas journey since the coronavirus pandemic began, and his first to Saudi Arabia since...
- Oil markets are expected to be a top agenda item for talks between China and Saudi, especially given the turbulence the markets have experienced since Russia invaded Ukraine.
- China is the top customer for oil from Saudi Arabia, the leading exporter of crude, and both sides appear keen to expand their relationship.
Geostrategy
Germany busts far-right ‘terror cell plotting to overthrow state’
Around 3,000 officers including elite anti-terror units took part in the early morning raids and searched more than 130 properties,...
- Suspects include alleged members of "Citizens of the Reich" movement, suspected of "having made concrete preparations to violently force their way into the German parliament.
- The Reichsbuerger movement includes neo-Nazis, conspiracy theorists and gun enthusiasts who reject the legitimacy of the modern German republic.
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United Nations declares famine in Gaza, first ever in Middle East
Tom Fletcher, the UN's emergency relief coordinator, blamed Israel, accusing it of "systematic obstruction" of aid deliveries to the war-ravaged...
Geostrategy
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Seven children killed in Syria’s as explosive device goes off
Damascus, Syria - Seven children were killed in southern Syria's Daraa province on Saturday when an "explosive device" detonated, state media...
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UN agency chief laments Gaza war as ‘betrayal of humanity’
United Nations - Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has escalated into a "betrayal of humanity", the United Nations' humanitarian...
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Hamas to stick on truce conditions amid renewed Cairo talks
"The demands ... are complete ceasefire, withdrawal of the occupation forces from Gaza, the return of the displaced to their...
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Israeli information on aid worker death ‘not sufficient,’ says Australia
US-based World Central Kitchen -- founded by Spanish-American celebrity chef Jose Andres -- said a "targeted attack" by Israeli forces...
- The aid group which were killed Gaza included 43-year-old Australian national Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom, as well as British, Palestinian, Polish and US-Canadian employees
- "Australia had made clear that we have not yet received sufficient information to satisfy our expectations" about Frankcom's death, the Foreign Minister Penny Wong said
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Biden exhorts Egypt, Qatar to press Hamas on hostage deal
US, Egypt and Qatar have been engaged in weeks of behind-the-scenes talks in a bid to secure a temporary truce...
- Biden has written letters to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar on the state of the talks
- His call with Netanyahu included discussions on "getting a hostage deal done"
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Iran’s response ‘inevitable’ after consulate strike, says Nasrallah
Monday's strike in the Syrian capital levelled the five-storey consular annex of the Iranian embassy and killed seven Iranian Revolutionary...
- Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Israel "will be punished" for the consulate strike
- Israel said Thursday it was strengthening its defenses and pausing leave for combat units following Iran's threats to retaliate