The Israeli army killed 69 more Palestinians in attacks on the Gaza Strip, taking the total death toll to 40,334 since October of last year, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Saturday. A ministry statement said 93,356 Palestinians have been injured as a result of the extensive bombardment of Gaza since Oct.7, 2023. “Israeli forces killed 69 people and injured 212 others in five ‘massacres’ against families in the last 48 hours,” the ministry said. “Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added. Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire. An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins. Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.

Egypt’s Minister of Defense and Military Production, General Abdel Meguid Sakr, and Chief of Staff General Ahmed Khalifa held talks Thursday in Cairo with the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, General Dimitrios Choupis. According to a statement by the Egyptian military, Saqr met with Choupis and his accompanying delegation, who are currently visiting Egypt. However, the visit’s duration and agenda were not specified. The discussions focused on “military cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries across various fields, supporting efforts to enhance security and stability in the region.” In a separate meeting, the Chiefs of Staff of the Egyptian and Greek armies discussed “several issues of mutual interest, in light of strengthening military relations between the Egyptian and Greek armed forces,” the statement added. Khalifa expressed his appreciation for the deep partnership between the Egyptian and Greek armed forces, highlighting the importance of coordinating efforts and exchanging expertise between the two nations’ militaries. According to the Egyptian statement, Choupis emphasized Greece’s commitment to deepening military ties with Egypt, expressing his hope for increased cooperation in the future. .The meetings were attended by several senior military officials from both countries, the statement added.

Egypt, along with the United States and Qatar, has played a central role in the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire

Body of Mike Lynch, who owned vessel that capsized off Italian coast on Monday, recovered while his 18-year-old daughter remains missing, according to reports

Azerbaijan has officially applied to join the BRICS bloc of emerging economies, following the recent expansion of the group.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chaired the previous cabinet session on Aug. 13

The Philippines on Tuesday warned it may file a case against China with the UN over an alleged incident in which two of its Coast Guard ships were damaged in separate collisions with Chinese vessels a day earlier. National Maritime Council spokesman Alexander Lopez said Manila is considering filing the case and accused Beijing of violating international law, according to the Manila Times. “We are looking at that, especially the part of the Coast Guard, because they know more,” Lopez said. He urged China to refrain from aggressive actions and adhere to international law. On Monday, the Philippines reported that two of its Coast Guard ships were damaged in separate collisions with Chinese vessels that were conducting “unlawful and aggressive maneuvers” near a disputed South China Sea reef. Last week, Manila lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing over what it called “dangerous maneuvers” over the disputed South China Sea. Manila said Chinese military planes dropped flares in the path of Philippine Air Force aircraft flying over the Scarborough Shoal. However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian later urged Manila to stop “infringement activities and provocations” at Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal) “at once.”

 The Israeli army killed 34 more Palestinians in attacks in the Gaza Strip, taking the overall death toll to 40,173 since last Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Tuesday. A ministry statement added that some 92,857 others have been injured in the ongoing assault. “Israeli forces killed 34 people and injured 114 others in three ‘massacres’ against families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry also said. “Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added. Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian group Hamas. Over 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

The explosion occurred near a synagogue, killing the man who carried the bomb and injuring a passerby

Zelenskyy details Kursk incursion’s goal to establish a defensive buffer zone against Russian aggression and impact Moscow’s logistics.

The South China Sea is once again in the spotlight as China and the Philippines exchange accusations over a collision near Sabina Shoal, with Beijing blaming Manila for the incident.

Hamas says mediators’ truce offer aligns with Israeli demands hindering progress toward peace.

The Israeli army issued fresh evacuation orders on Saturday for residents in several areas of the central Gaza Strip. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee announced that residents of Blocks 2232-2240 in the Maghazi area and the neighborhoods of Salah El-Din, El-Farouk and El-Amal in central Gaza Strip are required to evacuate. The army claims that these areas are “dangerous combat zones” due to alleged “Hamas operations.” On Friday, the Israeli army issued new evacuation orders for residents in several areas of central and southern Gaza Strip, which have been previously designated as “humanitarian safe zones.” Previously, some of these areas, such as Al-Mawasi, had been designated as “humanitarian safe zones” for displaced Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli offensive on Gaza. According to the international humanitarian organization Oxfam, over 1.7 million displaced Palestinians are currently residing in the Al-Mawasi area and its surroundings, which constitutes less than one-fifth of Gaza’s territory. On Tuesday, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) reported that approximately 84% of Gaza’s territory has been under evacuation orders since Oct. 7. Israel’s continued onslaught on Gaza has drawn international condemnation for violating a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire. The ongoing war has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths and has left vast areas of Gaza in ruins, exacerbated by a severe blockade of food, clean water, and medicine. Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

Egypt calls for an urgent de-escalation and a cease-fire in the region to prevent a full-scale war after cross-border clashes and targeted assassinations heighten tensions.

Israeli forces provided protection to illegal settlers, prevented Palestinian civil defense vehicles from entering town of Jit, witnesses tell media

French authorities in New Caledonia extended a curfew until Aug. 26 as the death toll from recent riots rose to 11. The High Commissioner of New Caledonia said in a statement that it has eased restrictions on the sale of alcohol, allowing take-away purchases under strict limits from Aug. 19 to Sept. 8. However, the delivery of alcohol remains banned and a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. is in place until Aug. 26. Restrictions on firearms and the transportation of fuel in portable containers have also been extended until Aug. 26, with exemptions for municipal services and certain professionals. The statement also said there have been a total of 2,459 arrests across the territory to date, with 1,331 occurring in police jurisdictions and 1,128 in gendarmerie zones. The High Commissioner condemned an arson attempt at a church in Poindimie and attacks on motorists in Poya. The Pacific archipelago has been engulfed in unrest since mid-May, triggered by a proposed bill to review electoral rules. The changes would have allowed French nationals who have lived on the island for at least 10 years to vote in local elections. But local residents, particularly the indigenous Kanak population, feared that the changes would dilute their voting power. In response to the escalating violence, France declared a state of emergency and deployed additional forces to assist local authorities in restoring order. On June 12, French President Emmanuel Macron suspended the controversial electoral reform plan.

The lawsuit, filed by three graduate students—Margaret Czerwienski, Lilia Kilburn, and Amulya Mandava—was voluntarily dismissed on Wednesday following mediation

 Climate crisis activists disrupted air traffic at Germany’s major airports on Thursday morning by gluing themselves to the tarmac. Activists from the Last Generation group gained access to the tarmacs of Berlin, Cologne-Bonn, Nuremberg and Stuttgart airports, forcing authorities to temporarily suspend flight operations for several hours for safety reasons. The group shared photos and videos of the action on X, showing several activists in orange safety vests sitting on the tarmac with banners saying “Oil kills” and “Sign the treaty.” The protests were part of the global “Oil kills” campaign. “Together with allied protest movements, including in the US and Canada, the Last Generation is calling for the signing of a fossil fuel phase-out treaty,” the group said in a statement. “The German government should commit to international negotiations with the aim of signing an intergovernmental treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030,” the statement said.

In the first half of 2024, at least 131 children were killed or injured, often due to stray bullets or reprisals, with actual numbers likely higher, according to Save the Children

The Biden administration approved the sale of more than $20 billion in new military assistance for Israel on Tuesday amid its ongoing war on the devastated Gaza Strip. The sales, which consist of multiple packages, include jet fighters, air-to-air missiles, tank ammunition, tactical vehicles and mortar cartridges. All of the packages have been signed off on by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Specifically, they include up to 50 F-15IA, and as many as 25 F-15I fighter jets, as well as associated equipment, 30 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and 32,739 120mm tank cartridges, M1147 High Explosive Multi-Purpose with Tracer (HEMP-T) cartridges and or 120mm M830A1 High Explosive Multi-Purpose Anti-Tank (MPAT) with Tracer cartridges. About 50,000 M933A1 120mm High Explosive (HE) mortar cartridges with M783 fuses are also included, as are modified M1148A1P2 Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles and related equipment. The jets comprise the bulk of the cost, constituting $18.82 billion of the $20.34 billion package. The announcement sets off a congressional notification period, though it is unlikely lawmakers will block the packages.

A cruise ship carrying more than 3,000 people caught fire in South Korea on Wednesday. The Mediterranea, which had anchored at the southern port of Jeju in the Korea Strait, was reported to be ablaze after flames were spotted emerging from the vessel, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News. The South Korean Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the fire, which has injured three crew members. The ship had 2,430 passengers and 736 crew members on board. It had departed from Tianjin, China, and was heading to Fukuoka, Japan. However, its forward journey may be delayed until the investigation is completed.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced significant progress in mediating the dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia over Somaliland.

The rescued individuals were primarily Syrian nationals and were later transported to Lampedusa by the Italian Coast Guard

 The 2024 Paris Olympics, which began on July 26 with around 10,500 athletes representing 205 delegations, ended Sunday but will be remembered for several controversial decisions and developments. They include a ban on Russian athletes competing under their flag not being applied to Israel, a ban on headscarves for French Olympic athletes, the expulsion of homeless people from the capital, the opening ceremony, which was criticized as being blasphemous, and swimmers having to compete in a polluted Seine River. – Controversial opening ceremony The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on July 26 at the Seine River has been criticized by religious authorities and the international community for offending Christianity. The performance of a “drag queen” (a man wearing women’s clothes and make-up) at the ceremony, which was a “first” in that it was held outside the stadium, was met with negative reactions on the grounds that it depicted Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper” about Jesus Christ and disrespected religious beliefs. The Catholic Church in France, several Christian unions including the Middle East Council of Churches and the Vatican strongly criticized the opening. Following the international outcry, Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the event, said in a statement that the controversial reenactment scene did not depict Jesus Christ but Dionysus, the god of wine in Greek mythology, and “a pagan festival.” – Homeless pushed out of Paris due to Olympics In preparation for the Olympics, France evicted homeless people and irregular migrants, including children, from their homes in and around the capital. They were bused to cities such as Strasbourg and Orleans. According to a report by an umbrella organization of associations helping irregular migrants, 12,545 people were affected by the evictions from April 2023 to May 2024. – Hijab ban at Olympics French authorities barred women athletes competing for the host country from wearing the hijab, or Muslim headscarf, during the Games. In September, then-French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said French athletes would be prohibited from wearing the hijab during the Olympics. French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla, who was a competitor in the 4×400 meters relay, was banned from taking part in the opening ceremony on Friday with her hijab on. But following a backlash from some athletes and social media users, Oudea-Castera said in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that “the issue is solved,” and Sylla was allowed to participate by wearing a cap to cover her hair. – Calls to ban Israeli athletes Many argued that Israeli athletes should be banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from participating in the 2024 Olympics because of their country’s ongoing offensive against Gaza, similar to the procedure applied to Russian athletes over the Ukraine war. More than 80 associations organized a protest against Israel’s participation. – Pollution of Seine Since 2015, the French government has reportedly spent around €1.4 billion ($1.53 billion) to clean up the Seine River, in which people have been banned from swimming since 1923 due to pollution and dangers from ship traffic. The announcement that the swimming and triathlon races at the Olympics would be held in the Seine had raised concerns about health and hygiene conditions. The Belgian team withdrew from the triathlon mixed team finals after Belgian athlete Claire Michel contracted E. Coli bacteria after her individual races in the Seine. Similarly, Portuguese triathlete Vasco Vilaca suffered symptoms consistent with a gastrointestinal infection after the race, while German swimmer Leonie Beck announced that she was ill after her race. In addition, swimming training in the Seine was canceled five times due to pollution.