Iran Revolutionary Guards strike Israel’s spy nerve centre in Iraq as Tehran vows more revenge
The strikes come amid concerns about the escalation of a conflict that has spread through the Middle East since the war between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas began on October 7, with Iran’s allies also entering the fray from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
South Africa’s case at UN’s top court accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza captivates Palestinians
Israel has vehemently denied the genocide allegations and has chosen to defend itself, in person, for the first time, attesting to the case’s symbolic importance. South Africa is seeking binding preliminary orders to compel Israel to stop its current military campaign in Gaza.
China calls for Gaza peace conference as Hamas promises to disclose fate of Israeli hostages
Israel also says more than 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’ October 7 assault. The Gaza health ministry has said almost 24,000 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive that followed with more than 60,000 wounded.
Fear spreads Hamas plans to kill Israeli hostages as it airs a video of captives it promised to disclose their fate
Of some 240 people seized by Hamas in an October 7 cross-border killing spree that sparked the war, around half were released in a November truce. Israel says 132 remain in Gaza and that 25 of them have died in captivity.
Two Navy SEALs are missing after a night mission off the coast of Somalia
Besides the defence of ships from launched drones and missiles shot from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, the US military has also come to the aid of commercial ships that have been the targets of piracy.
Nelson Mandela’s support for Palestinians endures with South Africa’s genocide case against Israel
Nelson Mandela regularly raised the plight of the Palestinians. Three years after apartheid and white minority rule was dismantled in South Africa and Mandela was elected president in historic all-race elections in 1994, he thanked the international community for its help. He added: “But we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
Pentagon: Hospitalised US Defence Secretary Austin ordered retaliatory strikes on Yemen-based Houthi militants
Austin’s hospital room setup is not unlike when he is on the road, where full security and communications teams accompany him with all of the secure, classified equipment needed to keep him connected. Austin’s aides and support staff have been with him all week at Walter Reed as well.
As US, Britain are sucked into Gaza war, container rates soar on concerns of prolonged Red Sea disruption, inflation
Rates on the Shanghai-Europe route rose 8.1 per cent to $3,103 per 20-foot container on Friday from a week earlier, while the rate for containers to the unaffected US West Coast soared 43.2 per cent to $3,974 per 40-foot containers week on week, leading ship broker Clarksons said on Friday.
Israel rejects genocide accusations file by South Africa at World Court, terms them grossly distorted
Israel launched its all-out war in Gaza after a cross-border rampage on October 7 by militants from Hamas, which is sworn to Israel’s destruction. Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians and 240 taken hostage back to Gaza.
Gaza war: Displaced children in Gaza have access to less than two litres of water per day
The lack of clean water is another major challenge for displaced people throughout Gaza, including al-Mawasi. While some local residents and charities are doing what they can to help, most people who have taken shelter in the area are forced to walk long distances and wait in queues to carry back litres of water
