Israel expands Gaza campaign ahead of Netanyahu’s US visit
The intensified operations came after days of mounting calls for a ceasefire, with US President Donald Trump -- whom Netanyahu...Geostrategy
Iran decries ‘destructive’ conduct by IAEA chief
"The action taken by parliament members... is a natural response to the unjustified, unconstructive, and destructive conduct of the Director...Geostrategy
Red Cross warns death toll may surge as 10,000 missing in Libya floods
The death toll from freak floods in eastern Libya is expected to soar dramatically, with 10,000 people reported missing, the...World Health Organization spokeswoman Margaret Harris meanwhile described the situation in Libya as "a calamity of epic proportions".
In eastern Libya, the storm hit the coastal town of Jabal al-Akhdar especially hard, as well as Benghazi, where a curfew was declared.
WTO says era of de-globalization is closer than it appears
Geneva, Switzerland - The de-globalization of international trade is far from being a reality, but "the first signs of fragmentation" are...After this phase of slowing globalization, the question is "whether we are moving towards a phase of deglobalization", said WTO official Ralph Ossa.
"We're quite far away from deglobalizing, but at the same time, you start seeing... the first cracks in the system," the WTO official said.
Iraq asks Sweden to extradite accused in Quran burning incident
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - Baghdad has asked Sweden to extradite Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, who stoked international outrage by desecrating the Quran,...The Swedish government has condemned the desecrations of the Quran but upheld the country's laws regarding freedom of speech and assembly.
The accused in the Quran burning incident said that Iraq was seeking his extradition to try him according to Islamic law.
Normalization of Israeli-Saudi ties hit Palestine, security barriers
Despite Israel's strong determination and increasing US mediation efforts, the establishment of diplomatic relations between Tel Aviv-Riyadh still face serious...The Chinese-mediated restoration of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran served as a catalyst for US efforts to advance Tel Aviv-Riyadh ties.
For Israel, the normalization of relations with Arab countries has remained an important strategic goal for years.
A third of the global population still without internet: UN study
Around 100 million more people are able to access the internet since last year's census by the International Telecommunication Union...That means 67 percent of the world's population, or 5.4 billion people, are now online. However, the other 2.6 billion people are still without access.
With the developed world already online, the biggest growth areas for connectivity are in low-income countries.
WFP warns fund cuts could push 24m people to brink of starvation
Geneva, Switzerland - The World Food Program said Tuesday that shrinking funding was forcing it to drastically slash rations in many...WFP said it had been struggling to meet growing global needs for food assistance while facing a funding shortfall of over 60 percent this year.
WFP estimates that 345 million people worldwide are facing acute food insecurity, at level three or higher on the UN's five-scale food insecurity classification.
Building less, repurposing more key to low construction sector emissions
The industry is responsible for 37 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions and growing urbanization is spurring the construction of...Mushrooming urban environments -- which add new buildings in an area equivalent in size to Paris every five days -- damage life-sustaining ecosystems.
Building less and repurposing existing structures generates 50-75 percent fewer emissions than new constructions, a report said.
Red Cross seeks over $100m aid for quake-hit Morocco
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The Red Cross appealed on Tuesday for more than $100 million to provide desperately needed assistance in Morocco,...The Red Cross said the funds were needed for "health, water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter relief items and basic needs".
Search and rescue teams from Morocco and abroad continued to dig through the rubble of homes, hoping for signs of life.
Oslo Accords promise turned into ‘destroyed dreams’ in Gaza
Oslo Accords were meant to lead to a free Palestine, but years of stalled negotiations and violence have left any...Unemployment is rife with about 70 percent of young people without a job in Gaza, where residents regularly suffer power cuts and inadequate access to clean water
Daily struggles in the impoverished territory have been exacerbated by a crippling Israeli-led blockade since Hamas Islamists took control in 2007, two years after Israel withdrew
Israel top court hears petitions against divisive judicial reform
Jerusalem, Undefined - Israel's Supreme Court convened Tuesday to hear petitions to strike down a key plank of the hard-right government's...A full 15-judge panel of the top court began hearing pleas against the amendment of the so-called "reasonableness clause"
The amendment limits the powers of the top court to review and sometimes overturn government decisions
