Syria postpones selection of lawmakers from Druze, Kurdish-held areas
A Syrian official said Saturday that the selection process planned for a transitional parliament next month will be postponed in...Geostrategy
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
UN peacekeeping patrol in Lebanon hit by Israeli fire
A four-day truce between Israel and Hamas began on Friday, and a source close to Hizbollah told AFP that the...The UN Interim Force in Lebanon said in a statement that a UNIFIL patrol was hit by IDF (Israeli army) gunfire" in the vicinity of Aitarun
It added that no peacekeepers were injured, "but the vehicle was damaged," and that "this incident occurred during a period of relative calm"
Thousands march in Canada for Gaza ceasefire
Carrying placards and waving Palestinian flags, thousands of protestors chanted slogans before Canada's Parliament in Ottawa, demanding a permanent ceasefire...The march came after an online petition presented to lawmakers with 286,719 signatures
A temporary truce was largely being respected as Israel and Hamas exchanged prisoners
Gaza truce: Hamas, Israel free second group of civilians
The move, part of a broader truce agreement mediated by Qatar and Egypt, saw emotional reunions as families welcomed their...The move, part of a broader truce agreement mediated by Qatar and Egypt, saw emotional reunions as families welcomed their loved ones back.
The situation remains tense, with discussions about extending the truce and the potential resumption of conflict by Israeli forces.
Latest developments in Israel-Hamas war
Jerusalem - Plans to release another group of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners suffered a setback on Saturday,...Hamas is expected to free a total of 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israel, under a deal brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the US.
About 215 hostages are still held in Gaza, the Israeli army has said, adding however that in many cases it is unknown if they are alive or dead.
Hamas postpones hostage release until Israel sticks to ‘terms of agreement’
Hamas said that it was delaying the release of a second group of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners...A video released by Hamas showed masked fighters with the green headband of the armed wing, handing hostages over to the Red Cross.
Israel released 39 Palestinian women and children from its prisons under an agreement that mandates exchanges at a ratio of three to one.
Every industry should be held accountable on climate, says COP28 president
Paris, France - The president of a pivotal UN climate summit defended on Saturday the large presence of industry representatives at..."Everyone needs to be part of this process and everyone needs to be held responsible and everyone needs to be held accountable," COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber said
"That includes all industries and in particular heavy emitting industries like aviation, transportation, aluminum, cement, steel, as well as the oil and gas industry," he added
US says Iran hit Israeli cargo ship in Indian Ocean
An Israeli-owned cargo ship was damaged in a suspected drone attack by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Indian...Maritime security company Ambrey said the ship was reportedly damaged when the unmanned aerial vehicle exploded close to it.
The reported attack comes almost a week after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized an Israel-linked cargo ship in the southern Red Sea.
9 civilians killed in Syrian army attack, says war monitor
Syrian government bombardment killed nine civilians including six children as they harvested olives in northwestern Idlib province, the country's last...Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria branch, controls swathes of Idlib province.
HTS is considered a terrorist group by Damascus, as well as by the United States and United Nations.
ADB plans to invest US$100bn to maximize climate impact
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Setting the scene for a low-carbon and climate-resilient Asia and the Pacific, the Asian Development Bank (ADB)...By 2030, more than 55 percent of the population of Asia and the Pacific will live in urban areas, driving up demand for urban-related services.
If urban areas continue along the same growth trajectory, Asian cities could contribute over half of the rise in global GHG emissions in the next 20 years.
WHO expresses concern over fate of Gaza hospital chief
The WHO said the head of the biggest hospital in Gaza was arrested on Wednesday along with five other health...The WHO urged for their legal and human rights to be "fully observed during their detention"
According to the UN agency, it has carried out three missions to Al-Shifa in the space of a week
