KAKAMMPI News

PARIS, France — Climate change is already shaving billions off the world's economy, with developing countries hardest hit, according to a new report published Tuesday ahead of COP28 climate negotiations. The report by the University of Delaware estimated that impacts from human-caused climate change cut 6.3 percent from global economic output last year, when weighted across populations. The figures reflect both direct consequences of climate change -- such as disruptions to agriculture and manufacturing, and reduced productivity from high heat -- as well as spill-over impacts on global trade and investments. "The world is trillions of dollars poorer because of climate change and most of that burden has fallen on poor countries," said lead author James Rising of the University of Delaware. "I hope that this information can clarify the challenges that many countries already face today and the support they urgently need to address them," he added. When calcu

EL-ARISH, Egypt — Injured by Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, ten-year-old Mira can no longer speak or walk, a condition her sister hopes will improve with advanced treatment in a UAE hospital. Suffering from a brain hemorrhage and a fractured skull after a shell landed near her Gaza home last month, Mira on Sunday was stretchered aboard an Emirati evacuation plane. She is one of 80 patients and their relatives who were airlifted to the United Arab Emirates from Egypt's El-Arish airport, near the Rafah border crossing from Gaza. "Doctors say she needs care," said Mira's sister, Nahil, 35, who joined her on the plane. Sunday's evacuations marked the third batch of Palestinians transferred to the UAE since an unprecedented October 7 attack by Gaza-based Hamas militants on Israel killed around 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials. In reprisal, Israel vowed to destroy the militants and has hit back with a relentless air and ground offensive that

AFP / Mandel Ngan JERUSALEM, Undefined — Israeli President Isaac Herzog will meet Elon Musk on Monday and emphasise "the need to act to combat rising anti-Semitism online," the politician's office said Sunday. Musk, owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, has come under fire over what critics say is a proliferation of hate speech on the social media site since his takeover. He has also been accused by the White House of "abhorrent promotion" of anti-Semitism after endorsing a conspiracy theory seen as accusing Jews of trying to weaken white majorities. Herzog's office said the meeting would be joined by "representatives of families of hostages held by Hamas, who will speak about the horrors of the Hamas terror attack on October 7, and of the ongoing pain and uncertainty for those held captive". "In their meeting, the President will emphasise the need to act to combat rising antisemitism online," Herzog's office said. In September,

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES — Hamas released a third group of hostages including a four-year-old American girl Sunday, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners on day three of a truce which a source close to the militants said they were willing to prolong. The transfers under a four-day truce that started Friday have been the first relief for captives' families since the militant group attacked Israel on October 7, prompting devastating Israeli bombardments of the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials said 17 hostages were back on Israeli territory after the latest release. One, in her 80s, was admitted to hospital which said her life was in danger. US President Joe Biden announced that among those freed is a four-year-old American girl. "She's been through a terrible trauma," Biden said of Abigail, whose parents were murdered by Hamas during the unprecedented attacks. The 17 hostages, including three Thai nationals, were released outside the terms of the truce. Hamas said a R

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES — A Hamas source said Wednesday, hours before a truce in fighting with Israel in the Gaza Strip was set to expire, that the Palestinian militant group was not satisfied with Israel's proposals for another extension. "What is being proposed in the discussions to extend the truce is not the best," the source told AFP. The comments came amid negotiations led by Qatari and Egyptian mediators for a second extension to the truce, which has so far seen 60 of the hostages seized in the Hamas attacks of October 7, all of them women and children, released in exchange for 180 Palestinian prisoners and aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip. The current agreement is due to expire at 7am local time (0500GMT) on Thursday. The talks were focused on an extension of "two days or more" in the pause, the Hamas source told AFP. The Palestinian movements were demanding the withdrawal of Israeli tanks and military equipment from the Gaza Strip, the source tol

MANILA, Philippines — Two committees of the House of Representatives have approved and consolidated resolutions that encourage President Marcos to allow the Philippines to cooperate in the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s probe into the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, meanwhile, said he did not think Marcos intended to have the country rejoin the ICC anytime soon. Senators including Ronald dela Rosa, the main enforcer of the war on drugs when he was police chief, had a “casual dinner” with the President and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos at Malacañang on Tuesday. It was unclear if the ICC issue was among the main topics discussed. Through an overwhelming voice vote, officials and members of the joint committee on justice and human rights adopted House Resolution 1477 of Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Gutierrez, and consolidated House Resolution 1482 of Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagma

MANILA, Philippines — Resolutions urging the Marcos administration to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s investigation have been approved by a House joint committee, with its proponents insisting that respect for the rule of law trumps relations with the former president’s defenders. The House joint panels on human rights and justice approved three resolutions on Wednesday calling on the current government to work with the ICC’s ongoing probe of the alleged crimes against humanity committed during the Duterte administration’s drug war. The committees also approved a motion by Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay, 1st District) to combine the House resolutions with their counterpart in the Senate, which was filed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, as a concurrent resolution of both chambers. These resolutions — which are meant to express a chamber’s position but do not have the force of law — are gaining ground in both chambers of Congress even as former President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies

MANILA, Philippines — A group that keeps its own record of sexual harassment incidents in schools said that there is “no way” that just 70 sexual abuse incidents have taken place on Philippine campuses since 2022. Enough is Enough on Tuesday urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to look into the potential underreporting of sexual harassment among students, saying that the 70 complaints reported to DepEd’s student safety hotline are “lacking.” “There is no way that there were only 70 cases of sexual abuse of students in the past year,” said Sophia Reyes of Enough is Enough, a group formed by sexual harassment victims in schools. “DepEd has not been making the necessary efforts to foster an environment where victim-survivors in schools are encouraged to report incidents, so 70 is definitely an understatement,” Reyes said. According to the DepEd’s Learner Rights and Protection Office on Monday, its direct hotline for student safety concerns has received 70 complaints related to se

In audio intercepts from the front lines in Ukraine, Russian soldiers speak in shorthand of 200s to mean dead, 300s to mean wounded. The urge to flee has become common enough that they also talk of 500s — people who refuse to fight. As the war grinds into its second winter, a growing number of Russian soldiers want out, as suggested in secret recordings obtained by The Associated Press of Russian soldiers calling home from the battlefields of the Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions in Ukraine. The calls offer a rare glimpse of the war as it looked through Russian eyes — a point of view that seldom makes its way into Western media, largely because Russia has made it a crime to speak honestly about the conflict in Ukraine. They also show clearly how the war has progressed, from the professional soldiers who initially powered Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion to men from all walks of life compelled to serve in grueling conditions. “There’s no f—— ‘dying the death of the brave’ here

WASHINGTON — The US-Canada border crossing at Niagara Falls that was the scene of a deadly car explosion reopened Thursday, officials said. The day before, a car traveling at high speed crashed into a checkpoint barrier at Rainbow Bridge and exploded into flames -- triggering border closures and sparking a massive security alert on the eve of a major holiday. The regional FBI field office concluded the blast, which occurred about 640 kilometers northwest of New York City, was not linked to terrorism. "Normal operations have now resumed for traveler traffic at the Niagara Falls Rainbow Bridge port of entry, which recently experienced a service disruption," the Canada Border Services Agency said. The incident came on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest US travel days, when millions of Americans take to the roads and skies. Rainbow Bridge -- among the most heavily trafficked crossings between Canada and the United States -- has 16 vehicle lanes and is no

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday (November 22) officially requested China for details on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children, which its China office on Thursday (November 23) called a "routine" check. BEIJING, China - China has reported no 'unusual or novel pathogens' in respiratory illnesses spreading in the north of the country, the World Health Organization said Thursday. Northern China has recorded an increase in "influenza-like illness" since mid-October when compared to the same period in the previous three years, said the WHO, which had requested more information on the situation. The WHO said Thursday that Chinese authorities had responded, advising "that there has been no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens or unusual clinical presentations, including in Beijing and Liaoning." It was a matter, the authorities said, of the "aforementioned general increase in re

Ten of the 26 Filipinos who are still in Gaza are set to cross the border to Egypt amid the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Friday. “There are 26 left as per [Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos]...they are coordinating with us. And 10 are set to cross,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in an ANC interview. De Vega expressed optimism that the Filipinos will be able to exit Gaza via Rafah Border Crossing with their Palestinian spouses. So far, 111 Pinoys already left Gaza but only 108 of them were repatriated to the Philippines because three decided to reside in Cairo, Egypt. The total number of Pinoys who were repatriated to the Philippines is 109 including a baby who was born in Cairo 12 days ago. On October 15, the Philippines placed Gaza under Alert Level 4 amid the strikes by Israel. It means evacuation for Filipinos is mandatory. Hamas on October 7 burst across the border fence by Is

The 17 Filipino seafarers who are among the hostages in the ship seized by Yemen's rebel group Houthi in the Red Sea are fine, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday. In a television interview, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said Houthi members have been consistent in indicating that they will not hurt the hostages. “The good news is that we do know that our seafarers are fine and that the Houthi rebels have been indicating consistently that they do not intend to harm them,” De Vega said in an ANC interview. While he cannot predict when the Pinoy hostages will be released, De Vega pointed out that there have been instances before that Filipino seafarers were taken in Yemen and all of them were eventually released. “The government is still doing what it can. We're on top of the situation…We'll get them out,” De Vega said. According to him, some of the Filipino seafarers were able to contact their families. De Vega said the Houthi rebels wer

Some of the around 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who lost their jobs due to the oil crisis have already received cheques for their unpaid wages in Saudi Arabia after more than a year of waiting. However, Philippine banks are not accepting the cheques because they are from Saudi Arabian banks and in Saudi riyal, according to Sandra Aguinaldo's report on Unang Balita on Friday. Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said the Philippine government will address the concerns of the OFWs. “There will be an appropriate announcement in one or two days about the manner in which we will help,” Cacdac said. Some of the OFWs are requesting for a master list of the claimants from Saudi Arabia so that the DMW will have time to work on the inclusion of those who are not on the list. Some of the around 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who lost their jobs due to the oil crisis have already received cheques for their unpaid wages in Saudi Arabia a

Five Filipinos have successfully crossed West Bank to Jordan amid the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas, the Philippine Embassy in Jordan said. "The Philippine Embassy provided transportation to the five Filipinos, who were fetched at their respective residences in the West Bank and brought to the Allenby border crossing on the Israeli side, where they were met and assisted by Amman PE officers and personnel who facilitated their entry to Jordan through the King Hussein bridge crossing," the embassy said on Facebook. The five Filipinos, who crossed the border on Wednesday, are bound to return to the Philippines on Thursday, it added. Embassy officials, led by Ambassador Jordan Wilfredo Santos, met with King Hussein Border Authority Head Col. Rafat Al Maietah to discuss the possible crossing of more Filipinos from the West Bank when the situation in the area further escalates. The first batch of Filipino repatriates from West Bank arrived

MANILA, Philippines — Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee has reached one million followers on Instagram after her Top 10 Miss Universe 2023 finish. Michelle's series of posts on Instagram about her Miss Universe journey helped her reach the one million mark. One of her recent posts is a tribute to Apo Whang Od, the inspiration behind her finals evening gown designed by Mark Bumgarner. "Never doubt that we Filipinos can always move mountains and make history together - in more ways than one," she captioned the post. "I can’t wait to see you all back home. Home sick na ako," she added. Michelle reached 600 thousand followers days before her Miss Universe stint. "HAPPY 600k," she captioned the post with #MMDVERSE and #BAYANIHAN hashtags. Michelle's Top 10 finish marks the Philippines' return to the semifinals after her predecessor Celeste Cortesi ended the country's 12-year streak of progressing in the initial round. Dee

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is just exercising its rights within its territorial waters, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said yesterday as it expressed belief that the ongoing joint naval and aerial patrols with the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) should not offend any party, including China. AFP spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said the three-day maritime cooperative activity (MCA) scheduled from Nov. 21 to 23 is a peaceful patrol mission aimed at promoting a rules-based international order in the West Philippine Sea. “It is not meant to escalate the tension, and all our actions and intentions are in accordance with international laws and conventions (UNCLOS, COLREGS, CUES),” Aguilar told reporters yesterday, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, respectively. “It is a show of our firm resolve to assert our sovereign righ

MANILA, Philippines — Miss Universe El Salvador apologized for their mistake after posting a wrong art card of the Top 5 on Instagram. Filipino social media users called out the organization after Michelle was seen in the Top 5 of the art card, which was replaced with Miss Thailand minutes after. "Our mistake!" Miss Universe El Salvador wrote. "In the rush to get our posts up during Saturday’s live broadcast, we accidentally mixed up the names of two finalists," it added. The organization then apologized to both candidates. "This was a simple error of moving too fast - we heard the same results live at the same time that you all did, no special access over here! We’re sorry to both finalists," it said. Miss Universe 2023 judge Iris Mittenaere said on Instagram that she doesn't know the wrong post as she said that Michelle was in her Top 5. "I have no idea about a deleted post or something... As judges, everything was fair and legal.

BEIJING, China — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday the world must "act urgently" to calm the Israel-Hamas war as he hosted diplomats from Arab and Muslim-majority nations in Beijing. A delegation of foreign ministers of the Palestinian Authority, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan are in Beijing this week for talks aimed at a "de-escalation" of the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict. "Let us work together to quickly cool down the situation in Gaza and restore peace in the Middle East as soon as possible," Wang told ministers at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in the Chinese capital. "A humanitarian disaster is unfolding in Gaza," Wang told the delegates, including the secretary-general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. "The situation in Gaza affects all countries around the world, questioning the human sense of right and wrong and humanity's bottom line," he said. "The international community

WASHINGTON, United States — Joe Biden joked about his age as he turned 81 on Monday, but the issue is no laughing matter for many voters who are worried he is too old for reelection next year. "By the way it's my birthday today... It's difficult turning 60," the president said with a chuckle at the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardoning ceremony at the White House. In front of an audience including schoolchildren, he then quipped: "This is the 76th anniversary of this event -- and I want you to know I wasn't there for the first one." But a moment in which he mixed up US singers Taylor Swift and Britney Spears soon baffled his guests -- and renewed focus on his age. The Democrat is the oldest president in American history, and if he wins a second term next year he will be 86 by the time he leaves. Poll after poll shows that a majority of voters think he is too old to be commander-in-chief. Incidents in which he has tripped, including on the stairs of

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES — Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day truce that would see the Palestinian group release dozens of hostages taken on October 7, both sides announced Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet approved the accord after a near-all-night meeting, in which he told reticent ministers this was a "difficult decision but it's a right decision." A government spokesman told AFP that under the agreement at least 50 Israeli and foreign hostages would be released -- women and children -- in return for a four-day "lull" in military operations. For every 10 additional hostages released, there would be an extra day of truce. Hamas released a statement welcoming the "humanitarian truce", which it said would also see 150 Palestinians released from Israeli jails. The truce offers Gaza residents the prospect of a desperately desired, if brief, pause after nearly seven weeks of total war. Sources from Hamas and Islam

JERUSALEM, unidentified — Israel said a four-day Gaza truce and hostage release will not start until at least Friday, stalling a breakthrough deal to pause the brutal and bloody seven-week-old war. Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi indicated the release of at least 50 Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas was on track, but would not happen until Friday at the earliest. "The contacts on the release of our hostages are advancing and continuing constantly," he said in a statement. "The start of the release will take place according to the original agreement between the sides, and not before Friday." A second Israeli official said that a halt in fighting would also not take place on Thursday, as had been expected. The delay is a hammer blow to families desperate to see their loved ones return home, and to two million-plus Gazans praying for an end to 47 days of war and destruction. The complex and carefully choreographed deal saw Israel and

GENEVE, Switzerland — The World Health Organization on Wednesday urged people in China to "follow measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness" and asked authorities for more information about a reported spike in cases among children. Northern areas of the country have reported an increase in "influenza-like illness" since mid-October when compared to the same period in the previous three years, the WHO said. "WHO has made an official request to China for detailed information on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children," the UN health body said in a statement posted on social media and confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson. Chinese authorities told reporters on November 13 that the respiratory illness spike was due to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the circulation of known pathogens, including influenza and common bacterial infections that affect children. On November 21, media and public disease

LAMEZIA TERME, Italy — Hundreds of alleged mobsters will be sentenced Monday by an Italian court, the culmination of a historic, nearly three-year trial against Calabria's notorious 'Ndrangheta mafia. Prosecutors are asking for guilty verdicts against 322 accused mafia members and their white-collar collaborators in what could mark the most significant blow to date against one of the world's most powerful organised crime syndicates, which enjoys a near-monopoly on the European cocaine trade. The sentencing will cap Italy's largest mafia trial in decades, a "maxi-trial" in which vast numbers of defendants accused of being part of the same mafia criminal conspiracy face justice. The court of Vibo Valentia -- a province in the poor southern region of Calabria that is the birthplace of the 'Ndrangheta -- has heard thousands of hours of testimony since the trial began in January 2021, including from more than 50 former mafia operatives turned state's wi

TOKYO, Japan — North Korea has issued formal notice of a satellite launch as early as Wednesday, Japan said, defying warnings from South Korea and multiple UN resolutions banning Pyongyang from using ballistic missile technology. The launch would be the third attempt by North Korea this year after two earlier failures to put a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit, most recently in August. The Japanese coast guard posted a notification on its website on Tuesday of a launch window between November 22 and December 1. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters he had instructed government ministries and agencies "to make utmost efforts in collecting information and providing it to the Japanese people, to demand cancellation of the launch in cooperation with relevant countries, and to make utmost efforts in preparing for unpredictable situations." He added that any use of ballistic missile technology would represent a breach of UN resolutions and that Japan w

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has dismissed charges of falsification of public document filed against Filipino-Indian billionaire Rajiv Chandiramani, his mother Pushpa and five others over a dispute involving properties worth more than P1 billion. In a 20-page resolution, the DOJ said there is a lack of probable cause to warrant the filing of the case. Rajiv was sued by his estranged brother, Amith, for supposedly falsifying the signature of their deceased father in several sale and mortgage documents in July 2022. The other respondents Amith named were Rajiv’s business associates Janet de Luna Cardinal, Maria Anita Turqueza, Rommel Olayber, Christina Gutierrez and Angelito Manuel. Amith accused the respondents of conspiring to effect the illegal transfer to Rajiv of several properties and business interests worth billions of pesos that were lawfully willed to him by their father Prem before he died in December 2011. Amith said the alleged illegal transfer

MANILA, Philippines — The European Union and the European Council is supportive of a four-year extension on the eligibility of the Philippines in the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (EU GSP+) trade mechanism, Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual said on Wednesday. Pascual said that the EU Parliament has expressed their support for the proposal of the European Commission to extend the trading scheme eligibility of the country until the year 2027. "The report I got yesterday was that the proposal of the European Commission for the rollover of the existing GSP+ for another four years has been supported by the EU parliament and the European Council," Pascual said during the "2023 Pilipinas Conference" hosted by think-tank Startbase ADR Institute on Wednesday. "That's good news for us, we have at least four more years. Very important for our tuna exporters and producers of certain manufactured products," he added. This was also

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy's two new fast attack interdiction craft (FAIC) vessels arrived on Saturday. The arrival of the Israel-made FAIC vessels brought the number of the country's gunboats to six, adding to the Philippine Navy's growing arsenal. The gunboats will be docked and brought to Commodore East Posadas Wharf in Cavite for enhancement, maintenance and training, according to Philippine Fleet spokesperson Lt. Giovanni Badidles The first pair of gunboats, namely BRP Nestor Acero and BRP Lolinato To-Ong, arrived in the country in September 2022 and were officially put into service in November 2022. In April 2023, the third and fourth FAICs, BRP Gener Tinangag and BRP Domingo Deluana, were put into service in May 2023. The vessels weigh 95 tons, can hit speeds of 40 knots, and travel up to 1,000 nautical miles. It can be utilized for interdiction operations, patrol and surveillance, protection of territorial waters, and as a support craft for spe

MANILA, Philippines — State weather bureau PAGASA said Wednesday that the shear line will continue to bring significant amounts of rain in the eastern parts of southern Luzon and Visayas, and warned that heavy rainfall may trigger floods and landslides. Residents of Visayas, Bicol region, MIMAROPA, Quezon province, and Zamboanga Peninsula will experience scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the shear line—a weather system formed when cold and warm winds converge. PAGASA said that floods and rain-induced landslides are expected in areas that are susceptible to such hazards. According to weather forecaster Obet Badrina, rain from the shear line may decrease in the coming days due to the weakening of the northeast monsoon or amihan. Northern Samar has been placed under a state of calamity due to heavy rainfall and widespread flooding. The declaration allows the provincial government to use quick response funds and control prices of basic goods. Catarman town in Northern S

MANILA, Philippines — A group of seven witnesses have expressed their intent to retract their testimonies in the final pending drug case against former senator Leila de Lima. The incarcerated witnesses—Germa Agojo, Tomas Doniña, Jaime Patcho, Wu Tuan Yuan (known as Peter Co), Engelberto Durano, Jerry Pepino, and Hans Anton Tan—jointly penned a letter to the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206, citing they had "faced unimaginable threats", and indicating their desire to retract their testimonies. "At this point, we would like to state that our participation as witnesses in the drug cases against former DOJ (Department of Justice) Secretary De Lima was vitiated by undue compulsion and influence, and thus, any judicial statement made by us, is void of lack of consent," the witnesses said in a signed letter dated Nov. 17, 2023. "We no longer desire to live our lives with the knowledge that we allowed ourselves to become pawns or instruments of injustice.

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:40 p.m.) — Seventeen Filipino seafarers were among the individuals taken hostage after Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Red Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday. Houthi rebels captured the cargo vessel Galaxy Leader and held hostage its 25 international crew, including 17 Filipinos, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in an interview with GMA News. De Vega said the government is concerned because the incident is connected to Israel's war against Hamas. The Iran-backed Houthi fighters said the capture was in retaliation for the Israel-Hamas war. The Bahamas-flagged, British-owned Galaxy Leader is operated by a Japanese firm but has links to Israeli businessman Abraham "Rami" Ungar. “What reached us is that no harm will be done to the foreign crew members,” De Vega said in Filipino, adding the agency will hold a meeting with government agencies such as the Department of Mig

China said Monday its military has always operated in accordance with international law, after Australia said sonar pulses emitted by a Chinese warship "likely" injured navy divers. Canberra accused Beijing over the weekend of "unsafe and unprofessional" conduct at sea around the HMAS Toowoomba, a long-range frigate that had been supporting United Nations sanctions enforcement efforts within Japan's exclusive economic zone. Australia's defense minister Richard Marles said divers were clearing fishing nets from the ship's propeller when the vessel was approached by a Chinese destroyer that "likely" injured a number of servicemen with its hull-mounted sonar. But Beijing's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Monday said "the Chinese military has strict discipline and has always conducted professional operations in accordance with international law and international practices". "It is hoped that relevant parties will sto

The father of a young Irish-Israeli girl who was kidnapped by Hamas militants during the incursion into Israel on Oct. 7, and has spent her ninth birthday in captivity, said on Monday (November 20) that his reason for living was to get his daughter back. Speaking at a press conference in London, England, for the family members of hostages believed to be held in Gaza by the Hamas militants, Thomas Hand, the father of Emily Hand, said that his daughter was going to be, "very broken, both mentally and physically," when she got home. Emily had been on a sleepover at a friend's house in Be'eri, one of a ring of kibbutzes around the Gaza Strip targeted by Hamas who went on a bloody rampage on Oct. 7, ending with 1,400 people killed and about 240 taken hostage by Israel's count in the deadliest day of its 75-year-old history. Emily turned nine on Friday (November 17).

Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day truce that would see the Palestinian group release dozens of hostages taken on October 7, both sides announced Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet approved the accord after a near-all-night meeting, in which he told reticent ministers this was a "difficult decision but it's a right decision." A government spokesman told AFP that under the agreement at least 50 Israeli and foreign hostages would be released -- women and children -- in return for a four-day "lull" in military operations. For every 10 additional hostages released, there would be an extra day of truce. Hamas released a statement welcoming the "humanitarian truce", which it said would also see 150 Palestinians released from Israeli jails. The truce offers Gaza residents the prospect of a desperately desired, if brief, pause after nearly seven weeks of total war. Sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another militant