Postcards: Jewish refugees from Israel find comfort and companionship in a countryside camp in Hungary
JUSTIN SPIKE, of the Associated Press, reports from Balatonoszod…
Worsening sand, dust storms driving global land loss, says UN
Singapore Reuters The world is losing almost a million square kilometres of productive land a year to sand and dust storms made worse by human activities, the United Nations body in charge of fighting desertification warned on Wednesday. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) said an estimated two billion tons of sand and […]
Ukrainian group says more than 30,000 troops have died in Russia’s invasion
Kyiv, UkraineReuters A Ukrainian civic group said it has confirmed the deaths of nearly 25,000 Ukrainian soldiers since Russia’s February, 2022, invasion by using open sources, and puts the total toll at more than 30,000. Ukrainian servicemen fire a Partyzan small multiple rocket launch system toward Russian troops near a front line, amid Russia’s attack […]
Pope urges faithful to pray every day for peace in Ukraine, MidEast; Vatican confirms Freemason ban
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis on Wednesday called on the faithful to pray regularly for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan and all other war-torn places. “Let us pray, brothers and sisters, for peace, in a special way for martyred Ukraine, it is suffering a lot. And then the Holy Land, Palestine and Israel, and let’s […]
Biden, Xi meet amid disputes over military and economic issues
Woodside, California Reuters US President Joe Biden met Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the first time in a year on Wednesday for talks that may ease friction between the two superpowers over military conflicts, drug-trafficking and artificial intelligence. Biden welcomed the Chinese leader at the Filoli estate, a country house and gardens about 48 kilometres […]
UK’s Sunak vows emergency law after top court rules Rwanda migrant scheme unlawful
London, UKReuters Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would pass an emergency law and warned Britain could quit the European human rights’ convention after the UK’s top judges dealt him a major blow by ruling his scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful. After the UK Supreme Court said his flagship immigration policy […]
UN Security Council calls for pauses in Gaza fighting for aid
United NationsReuters The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday called for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in fighting between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip for a “sufficient number of days” to allow humanitarian aid access. The 15-member council overcame an impasse, which saw four unsuccessful attempts to take action last month, […]
Qatar seeking Israel-Hamas deal to free 50 hostages and three day truce – sources
Doha, Qatar/Cairo, EgyptReuters Qatari mediators on Wednesday sought to negotiate a deal between Hamas and Israel that included the release of around 50 civilian hostages from Gaza in exchange for a three-day ceasefire, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters. The deal, under discussion and coordinated with the US, would also see Israel release […]
Israeli military says it uncovers Hamas command centre, weapons at Gaza hospital
Gaza Reuters Israeli troops found an operational command centre and assets belonging to Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza’s biggest hospital, Israel’s military said on Wednesday, during a campaign that has stoked global alarm over the fate of civilians inside. Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City has become the main target of the incursion into the […]
Australia says hacks surging, state-sponsored groups targeting critical infrastructure
Sydney, AustraliaReuters State-sponsored cyber groups and hackers have increased assaults on Australia’s critical infrastructure, businesses and homes, a government report said, adding that its new defence agreement with Britain and the US had likely made it more of a target. Reports of cybercrime surged 23 per cent to more than 94,000 in the financial year […]