Hamas says Israeli-British hostage held in Gaza dead
Popplewell was kidnapped from his home during Hamas's October 7 attack along with his mother, Hanna Peri, who was released...Geostrategy
Israel destroys dozens of Bedouin homes in Negev desert
Israeli authorities destroyed around 50 homes belonging to Bedouins in the Negev desert on Wednesday, an AFP journalist reported, with...Geostrategy
Global aid pours into Morocco as quake death toll passes 2,100
The International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has warned that the next 24 to 48 hours will...Countries such as Turkey, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Poland, and Israel have also offered assistance
A team of French volunteer firefighters has arrived in Morocco as US says it is ready to provide assistance
Keen on promoting digital payments in India, UAE, says RBI
NEW DELHI, INDIA – The Chief General Manager of the Reserve Bank of India's Department of Payment and Settlement Systems,...India and UAE have signed two MoUs to strengthen the use of national currencies for bilateral trade, link payment and financial messaging systems.
The RBI official said the two countries can work together to further develop digital payments and make them more efficient and convenient.
Situation in Morocco in the aftermath of quake
PARIS, FRANCE - Rescuers in Morocco were scrambling on Sunday to reach people trapped under the rubble after a powerful earthquake...The worst destruction took place in the remote villages of the High Atlas, in the provinces of Al-Haouz and Taroudant.
Work in on to get teams with heavy-lifting equipment into the worst-hit areas including hard-to-reach mountain villages.
Riyadh to host 45th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia is hosting the extended 45th session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee from September 10...This session anticipates the participation of 3,000 individuals representing 21 member states of the World Heritage Committee.
Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan will attend the meeting.
IsDB to finance projects worth US$800m in member states
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Board of Executive Directors (BED) of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) approved to finance projects...The aid will contribute to ameliorate the socio-economic challenges faced by the people and will help in achieving significant SDG targets.
IsDB had made an emergency intervention to support the communities affected by the conflict in Sudan.
Inflation in Egypt hits record high of nearly 40 percent, says government
Annual inflation in Egypt hit 39.7 percent in August, official figures showed, an all-time high for the country as it...Food and drink prices in Egypt alone registered a 71.9 percent increase compared to August 2022, state statistics agency CAPMAS said.
Even before the current crisis, 30 percent of Egyptians were living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.
G20 summit ends with India, Brazil and Russia boasting success
G20 leaders have been deeply riven over the Ukraine war since Moscow's invasion last year, with Russian President Vladimir Putin...Facing a diplomatic embarrassment, India pressed members to agree a common statement that denounced the use of force for territorial gains but didn't criticize Russia directly.
Kyiv said the G20 had "nothing to be proud of" but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who stood in for Putin at the meeting, claimed a diplomatic victory.
Oil permits and wind crisis threaten UK net zero pledge
More bad news for the wind energy sector, which is at the heart of the UK's plan to become a...Greenpeace called the failed auction the "biggest disaster for clean energy in almost a decade", putting the net zero target "in jeopardy"
Mads Nipper, boss of Orsted warned that "offshore wind ambitions will only happen with sane auction frameworks and realistic prices"
No arrest risk for Putin at Brazil G20: Lula
Russian president Vladimir Putin has skipped recent international gatherings and sent his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to New Delhi instead....Putin skipped this year's gathering in New Delhi, avoiding possible political opprobrium
On Saturday, the G20 nations adopted a declaration that avoided condemning Moscow for Ukraine war
Gaza exports to Israel resume as crossing reopens: Palestinian official
The Kerem Shalom crossing, the only point of entry for goods between Gaza and Israel, was closed last week after...Impoverished Gaza, home to around 2.3 million Palestinians, is under a tight land, air and sea blockade imposed by Israel, whose defense ministry controls all crossings.
The closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing came amid rising violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which has seen at least 227 Palestinians killed so far this year.