Fire at Iraqi oil refinery injures 13
"More than 10 people were injured, mainly men from the Arbil civil defense," said the Iraqi civil defense in a...Geostrategy
Blinken in Israel to push ceasefire plan for Gaza
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold talks with key Israeli opposition figures on Tuesday, a day after he...Geostrategy
Participants in Middle East conflict commit war crimes: UN official
Geneva, Switzerland - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has described hostage-taking by Palestinian armed groups and Israel's...The collective punishment by Israel of Palestinian civilians amounts also to a war crime, as does the forcible evacuation of civilians, Turk said
The high commissioner stressed that "even in the context of a 56-year-old occupation, the current situation is the most dangerous in decades
No evacuation from Gaza into Egypt: Hamas official
According to the official, the Rafah crossing point remained closed because Israel refused to approve the list of wounded who...A large crowd of people hoping to cross into Egypt during the day were seen at the crossing
Egypt has offered to help evacuate around 7,000 foreigners through the Rafah crossing
Crisis escalates in Gaza as medical supplies dwindle
The humanitarian situation in Gaza reaches a critical point as medical supplies run low and the Al-Awda Hospital faces closure...The humanitarian situation in Gaza reaches a critical point as medical supplies run low and the Al-Awda Hospital faces closure due to a severe fuel shortage.
With the international community's eyes upon them, urgent calls for aid and intervention are being made amidst the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israeli destruction of Gaza housing a war crime: UN expert
A month of Israeli strikes on targets within the Gaza Strip have destroyed or damaged 45 percent of all housing...The UN official said bombardment of housing, civilian objects and infrastructure are strictly prohibited under international law.
"Apartment buildings are not military objects. Hospitals and ambulances are not military objects. Refugee camps are not military objects," he said.
Higher global temperatures culprit El Nino could stay till Apr 2024
Geneva, Switzerland - The El Nino weather phenomenon, which triggers higher global temperatures, is expected to last until at least April...El Nino is a naturally occurring climate pattern typically associated with increased heat worldwide, as well as drought in some parts of the world and heavy rains elsewhere
The UN's World Meteorological Organization said the current El Nino, which developed rapidly during July-August this year, was likely to peak between now and January
Israel not to attend Macron’s humanitarian event for Gaza in France
Macron had spoken on Tuesday to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the pair will talk again once the aid...Thursday's aid conference has been put together in a hurry on the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum on November 10-11, an annual event launched by Macron
Recent weeks have seen growing calls for humanitarian "pauses" or a full ceasefire to allow aid to enter Gaza and keep hopes alive of freeing the hostages
EU expansion: who’s in and who wants to join?
Founded in 1957, the European Economic Community (later renamed the EU) started out with six members Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West...In 1973, Britain, Denmark and Ireland joined, followed by Greece, Portugal and Spain in the 1980s.
In 1995, the bloc began expanding eastwards, admitting Austria, Finland and Sweden in a leap that gave it a shared border with Russia for the first time.
G7 supports ‘pause’ in Gaza war but stops short of calling for ceasefire
"We stress the need for urgent action to address the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza... we support humanitarian pauses and...Israeli PM Netanyahu said Monday there would be no fuel delivered to Gaza and no ceasefire unless more than 240 hostages seized by Hamas were freed
He also said Israel would assume "overall security" in Gaza after the war ended, while allowing for possible "tactical pauses" before then to free captives
Ahead of likely Xi-Biden summit, China says ready to improve ties with US
Both sides appear willing to patch things up, with Washington sending a number of top officials to Beijing this year...Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said recent high-level meetings between Beijing and Washington were sending "positive signals" that relations were improving
Relations between Washington and Beijing sunk to some of their deepest lows in recent years over a host of issues including export controls, human rights and national security
Blinken says Israel should not ‘reoccupy’ Gaza
"The United States believes key elements should include: no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, not now, not after the...Speaking to reporters after G7 foreign ministers held talks in Japan, Blinken listed what he said were "key elements" in order to create "durable peace and security."
The United States believes key elements should include: no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, not now, not after the war, Blinken added