Rescuers recovered the remains of 41 people after a ferry fire in the Philippines, authorities said on Saturday, raising the death toll to 76 and leaving 13 people unaccounted for. The fire broke out aboard the June Aster ferry at around 6.45pm local time on Wednesday in waters off the island of Coron, Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard said.Forensic teams faced the daunting task of identifying the victims. That painstaking process had already begun after 30 bodies recovered on Friday were brought to a port in Coron town, where temporary tents were set up for forensic teams to process and identify the dead.The vessel had departed from Manila and was travelling to Coron when it caught fire. The ferry's manifest of 134 people included 117 passengers and 17 crew.Firefighters entered the ferry for the first time on Friday after extinguishing the blaze more than a day after it broke out, giving authorities access to areas that had been hard to reach because of thick smoke and extreme heat. The Coast Guard said burnt remains were discovered in the ferry's economy accommodation section.Images released by the Coast Guard showed the scale of the destruction inside the vessel, with rows of steel bed frames twisted by intense heat and blanketed in ash. Some photographs appeared to show skeletal remains among the debris.Missing family membersResponders in protective suits were seen...
Read briefing Hull City maintained their impressive start since returning to the Premier League by drawing 2-2 away to big-spending Chelsea on Saturday.The Tigers went into the game having won one and drawn two matches so far, including a memorable opening day defeat of Manchester United.And it looked like Hull might have earned themselves a another major scalp when Mohamed Belloumi's first-half double cancelled out Morgan Rogers's opener, only for Joao Pedro to level with 24 minutes to go.The Tigers had to settle for a point when victory would have took them top of the table, albeit with Manchester City and Arsenal still to play this weekend. Arsenal face Sunderland away later Saturday while City travel to Old Trafford for a Manchester derby clash with United on Sunday.◉ W 0-1 vs. Coventry (A)◉ W 2-0 vs. Man Utd (H) ◉ D 0-0 vs. Aston Villa (H)◉ D 2-2 vs. Chelsea (A)Hull City, still unbeaten in the Premier League. 🐯 pic.twitter.com/3gA4yqU5no— Squawka (@Squawka) September 12, 2026Chelsea took a seventh seventh-minute lead when England attacker Rogers was given time and space on the left-hand side of the penalty area to fire a low shot inside Konstantinos Tzolakis's near post, as Hull conceded for the first time since returning to the top-flight.That maintained Rogers' flying start since his £117 million British-record move from Aston Villa , which has seen him score three goals and provide...
Read briefing Reigning Formula One world champion Lando Norris snatched pole position away from current title-race leader Kimi Antonelli in qualifying for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.It looked like Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was set for his first pole since July 2023, only for Italian sensation Antonelli to jump into the lead.But McLaren driver Norris, who has won two out of the last three races, managed to grab the front of the grid at the death, finishing 0.011 seconds ahead of Antonelli with a brilliant final lap at the new Madring circuit.Hamilton had to settle for fourth after Red Bull's Max Verstappen leapfrogged his old rival by taking third place. Hamilton's teammate Charles Leclerc was in fifth place while Mercedes' George Russell could only manage sixth.It was an impressive turnaround for Norris after the Briton struggled with a gearbox issue during practice on Friday."That might be my best one" 🙌Lando Norris clinches his third pole in four races 😮💨#F1 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/69vVPYzm6l— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2026“I am shocked and a little bit surprised to be here now but my God, it was probably one of the best laps I have done, ever in my career so very, very happy, very proud, very happy for the team,” said Norris, who secured back-to-back wins in Hungary and the Netherlands.“It was just one of those laps where everything came together. I had a good Idea of...
Read briefing The United Arab Emirates on Saturday urged the UN Security Council to extend its arms embargo across all of Sudan and to all parties to the conflict, after the council agreed to a one-month extension of the existing sanctions regime.“Such a measure would help stem the flow of weapons to the belligerents, protect civilians, and support efforts to end the conflict,” it said in a statement.“Sudan is enduring one of the world’s most devastating humanitarian crises. Urgent international action is needed to compel both warring parties and their affiliated militias to end hostilities and ensure safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access.”The UAE said the council should use the additional month to “reach agreement on meaningful measures that respond to the realities of the conflict and contribute to bringing it to an end”.The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a US-drafted resolution on Friday extending sanctions on Sudan for one month, as Washington pressed members to use the brief window to negotiate an expansion of the arms embargo.The resolution renews the sanctions regime until October 9, rather than extending it for another year, with the United States warning it would not accept a longer rollover without changes reflecting the conflict on the ground.US senior adviser Massad Boulos said Washington backed the short-term extension after consultations with allies, but warne...
Read briefing The US needs to put more diplomatic focus on Yemen, Washington's former envoy to the country said on Friday, as the Houthi rebels make major advances.Tim Lenderking, who served as special envoy for Yemen during former president Joe Biden's administration, said that interested parties need to act now to halt Houthi expansion.“They need more support politically, and at the end of the day, they're going to need more support militarily,” Mr Lenderking said during a webinar hosted by the Middle East Institute in Washington.His comments come after the Houthis took control of Yemen's entire western coast, including Mokha port and the strategically important island of Perim, giving them dominance over the Bab Al Mandeb strait.Saudi Arabia, which led a Gulf coalition against the Houthis starting in 2015, has been trading strikes with the Houthis in response to the group's expansion. Following "multiple" unattributed strikes, Riyadh announced on Friday it was shutting down its vital East-West pipeline.Mr Lenderking said that the US approach to Yemen has been decidedly laissez-faire diplomatically speaking since President Donald Trump returned to office, and that that needs to change. “This administration also came in asking the question, what can Yemen do for us? Well, Yemen can spoil our day,” he said.And the most recent Houthi advance shows just how much. The group's control over the...
Read briefing Damascus's UN ambassador on Friday condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to troops stationed in southern Syria, calling it a breach of sovereignty and international law.Mr Netanyahu entered Syrian territory on Wednesday and travelled to the summit of Mount Hermon, Ibrahim Olaibi told reporters at UN headquarters, amid what he described as Israel’s continued military presence and repeated incursions into the country.“Territorial integrity is not negotiable. It is the indispensable pillar of the international system, and the first line of defence against global instability,” Mr Olaibi said. “Undermine it, and the very framework that sustains peace and order crumbles.”Mr Olaibi, who was joined by representatives of the Arab Group and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, as well as other UN member states said the UN Charter and the 1974 disengagement agreement between Syrian and Israeli forces were “clear and must be respected”.He warned that Israeli military, political or other actions risked undermining progress made by Syria’s government at a critical stage in the country’s transition.“Syria's position has also been clear. It has consistently distanced itself from the ongoing regional escalation,” Mr Olaibi said, adding that Damascus had repeatedly stated it would not pose a threat to its neighbours.During his visit to southern Syria, Mr Netanyahu said...
Read briefing Adnoc, XRG and Masdar on Friday announced agreements with German companies covering liquefied natural gas (LNG), renewable energy, advanced materials and technology.The deals will potentially enable more than €5 billion in investment, Adnoc said in a press release, and were signed during President Sheikh Mohamed's state visit to Germany.The new agreements will strengthen the partnership between Germany and the UAE, Adnoc said. The deals follow the announcement this week of €40 billion in intended long-term UAE investments in the country.The UAE views its relationship with Germany as a long-term partnership built on more than 50 years of co-operation, trust and mutual interests, Sheikh Mohamed said on Thursday,Adnoc and Germany's RWE Supply & Trading signed a letter of intent to pursue up to two long-term LNG sales agreements, with supplies from Adnoc Gas and XRG’s growing portfolio potentially beginning in the early 2030s.The companies said the LNG could be delivered to Germany, Europe and Asian customers.Adnoc, XRG and Germany’s SEFE also agreed to explore co-operation across the natural gas and LNG supply chains, including supply, infrastructure and logistics.TA’ZIZ and chemicals company Covestro signed an agreement covering a feasibility study for a large-scale methylene diphenyl diisocyanate production chain in Ruwais.In renewables, Masdar and RWE agreed to explore joint pa...
Read briefing Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy on Friday announced that the vital East-West oil pipeline has been shut down as a precautionary measure following "multiple" attacks.The attacks on the pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions came on Thursday and resulted in a number of injuries, the ministry said in a statement on X.Officials later said drones launched from Iraq had the pipeline, but said it would not retaliate for now, following a request from Iraq’s Prime Minister.Riyadh said it reserved the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security and critical facilities, according to a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement.The full pumping capacity through the East–West pipeline amounts to approximately seven million barrels per day.It is critical in linking oil production facilities in the Eastern Province with Yanbu on the west coast, and provided flexibility to export from Saudi Arabia's east and west coasts.#Statement | East–West Pipeline shut down as a precaution following multiple attacks. pic.twitter.com/I9LWwsi53Z— وزارة الطاقة (@MoEnergy_Saudi) September 11, 2026Following Riyadh's accusation that the strikes came from Iraq, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi ordered an investigation into the incident. He issued a statement declaring Baghdad's "rejection of any aggression that threatens the Kingdom's security and stability".Th...
Read briefing Meghna Dixit spent four years freelancing as a creator and digital strategist in Dubai before founding her own company. “The biggest misconception about freelancing? People confuse self-employed with ‘free’,” she tells The National. This, she says, is why so many professionals underestimate what independence actually costs – before they have a single client, let alone a stable income.In the UAE, where the self-employment infrastructure has expanded considerably in recent years, the entry price for the necessary legal work starts at a few thousand dirhams for those already holding a valid residence visa and climbs past Dh40,000 for a first-year full set-up with a business licence. Between those two points sits a layered landscape of free zone permits, visa fees, mandatory insurance and recurring platform charges that shape the economics of going it alone.Visa and licence come firstFor professionals already on a sponsored visa, licensed set-up provider Dynamic Freelancer, for example, prices a professional services permit at Dh6,500 plus VAT. For those requiring the complete package – permit (Dh11,500), municipality fee (Dh350), unemployment insurance (Dh350) and medical insurance (Dh1,500 plus VAT) – the total comes to Dh14,888. Then, if you’re invoicing via the company, they take a 2.49 per cent processing fee on top of that.Across the broader market, options vary considerably....
Read briefing Israel's military blew up Hezbollah tunnels under the Ali Al Taher ridge on Thursday night, "completing the establishment of the security zone in southern Lebanon", according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. The explosion caused "tremors and a loud bang that resonated strongly in Nabatieh and its region", Lebanon's National News Agency said.The Israeli military said it used more than 1,000 tonnes of explosives to demolish two tunnels, which extended for more than 2km. It said last week that it had cleared the area of Hezbollah fighters, some of whom were killed while others fled.A joint statement by Mr Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Ali Al Taher ridge contained “strategic terrorist infrastructure that was built over two decades, with Iranian funding and planning”.They added that its destruction “completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali Al Taher ridge – above and below ground.”“The terror infrastructure and the command centre on the ridge were designed to serve as the staging base for the conquest of the Galilee, and had observation and fire dominance over Metula and Kiryat Shmona,” Mr Netanyahu and Mr Katz said.They said Israeli forces would continue to occupy southern Lebanon in the “security zone”.
Read briefing Russia and China on Thursday opposed a UN Security Council call for the full resumption of the committee overseeing sanctions on Iran, urging Tehran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.The push came a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors voted to refer Iran to the Security Council over its nuclear non-compliance, intensifying international pressure on Tehran over its nuclear programme.Russia rejected the effort to revive the committee, with its envoy Vasily Nebenzya stating that Moscow “won't allow sanctions on Tehran to be reimposed under any circumstances” and accusing Western powers of distorting facts surrounding Iran's nuclear programme.“The Russian Federation categorically repudiates attempts to manipulate the authority of the Security Council to settle political scores with Tehran,” Mr Nebenzya said. “Such irresponsible actions make the prospect of a negotiated solution a more far-off prospect.”The Security Council established the 1737 Sanctions Committee in 2006 to oversee sanctions imposed over Iran's nuclear programme. It became defunct following the 2015 nuclear agreement.The committee was formally restored following the reimposition of UN sanctions last year, but has remained largely paralysed by a dispute with Russia and China over the legality of the sanctions snapback. It currently has no chair and its panel...
Read briefing A report from Anthropic released on Thursday details several incidents in which people used the company's AI models "in ways that could support biological weapons development", among other things.The company's decision to release the report comes after several high-profile incidents related to AI models led to concern about whether they were becoming too powerful and a risk to public safety. The report "covers how people tried to misuse Claude – for cyber attacks, influence operations, surveillance, biology, and building weapons – and how we found and stopped them".Anthropic said it was able to disrupt every operation mentioned, and that it had made sure to keep track of lessons learnt with hopes of bolstering the company's protection. One of the examples Anthropic highlighted involved a prompt entered into the company's Claude tool that sought assistance with a grant application to research the chikungunya virus.We're publishing our most detailed threat intelligence report to date. It covers how people tried to misuse Claude—for cyberattacks, influence operations, surveillance, biology, and building weapons—and how we found and stopped them.We disrupted every operation in the report,…— Anthropic (@AnthropicAI) September 10, 2026"Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne virus that causes debilitating symptoms (such as severe pain and fever) that can last for weeks or months, and h...
Read briefing The final round of the Saudi Pro League before the first international break of 2026/27 takes place over the weekend. The league table is already taking shape, with some familiar names at the top. There are a few unfamiliar ones, too.Nassr set for Al Ain showdownAl Nassr got back to winning ways on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory over bottom club Abha.Ange Postecoglou's side suffered a setback in their previous match when they fell to the same scoreline away to Al Ittihad.That defeat left the door open for Al Hilal to take advantage and potentially open up a six-point lead over their neighbours in their game against Neom.Neom had other ideas. A hard-fought 2-0 win catapulted the futuristic city side up to fourth in the table and inflicted a first league defeat on Hilal in 47 matches.Goal number 979.. Just 21 to go ⏳ pic.twitter.com/fptSZQdq2p— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) September 9, 2026That loss put the pressure back on Nassr to get a result at home to Abha, and they duly obliged thanks to goals in either half from Cristiano Ronaldo and Abdullah Al Hamdan. The win took Nassr level on 15 points with league leaders Hilal.“The most important thing is that we won. The last match was frustrating, even though our level was good,” Postecoglou told Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.“We have won six of seven matches [across competitions], and I think we have proved ourselves. We have fac...
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Read briefing US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the war with Iran would end “immediately” after the US midterm elections, tying the end of the conflict to the November 3 vote.Mr Trump, who was travelling to Dallas, Texas, to attend a Republican midterm convention, also said energy prices would begin falling after the election.“I think the war is going to end immediately after the election,” he told reporters.He suggested that Tehran was trying to prolong the conflict as a way of keeping fuel prices high in the run-up to the election."They'd like to have it that way," Mr Trump said. "But right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward.”The comments mark a shift from his earlier statements about the expected duration of the conflict. When he launched the war alongside Israel on February 28, he said he expected it to last only a few weeks. The conflict has now continued for more than six months.Iran's ability to put a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global supply of fuel once flowed, has emerged as the major sticking point in the conflict. When asked why the war would end after the election, Mr Trump said Iran’s leaders were “desperate” to influence the results. He also said the US was no longer seeking a negotiated end to the war, although he left open the possibility that talks could take place.“Originally, I wanted to make a deal....
Read briefing US President Donald Trump will headline an unusual Republican convention on Wednesday, dubbed “Trumpapalooza”, as the party seeks to energise voters before November’s midterm elections.Unlike presidential-year conventions, the two-day gathering in Dallas, Texas will not include voting or the selection of candidates. Instead, it will function more like a Trump rally, with the President at the centre of the event.Mr Trump will speak on both nights, delivering the keynote address on Wednesday and returning to close the convention on Thursday after a speech by Vice President JD Vance.“We have the President, who’s probably the best showman that’s ever existed in politics, right here,” Republican National Committee chairman Joe Gruters told Fox News on Tuesday. “He’s going to be here, anchor both nights of this event, and we’re going to be front and centre.”Mr Gruters previously called the event “Trumpapalooza”, in a reference to the Lollapalooza music festival.The convention is designed to rally Republican voters and promote Mr Trump’s agenda before the November 3 election, when control of Congress will be at stake. It comes as Republicans confront the historical tendency of a president’s party to lose seats in midterm elections, as well as low approval ratings for Mr Trump and voter concerns over the cost of living and the war with Iran. Recent polls have put Mr Trump’s approval ra...
Read briefing The US Treasury Department announced on Wednesday it will buy back up to $6 billion of government debt as it seeks to contain long-term borrowing costs.The move, which is triple the size of its normal operations, comes as Treasury yields have been rising in recent months, making borrowing costs higher for consumers. US Treasury yields are linked closely to Gulf states, where most currencies are directly pegged to the US dollar.The Treasury Department previewed the action last month after long-term yields rose to near two-decade highs over fears of rising US government debt – which recently passed $40 trillion – and oil-driven inflation.“There was like this fever that was building,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during a Breitbart News event on Tuesday.He said the programme was aimed to calm a "fever" in the bonds market. Long-term yields have been steadily rising since the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady in July and when traders were not convinced that Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh offered a clear path to return inflation to 2 per cent.Despite Mr Bessent’s remarks, Treasury yields rose after Wednesday’s announcement. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose more than 3 basis points to 4.835 per cent, while the 30-year Treasury note was up more than 2 basis points at 5.289 per cent. The two-year Treasury, which is closely linked to Federal Reserve poli...
Read briefing Apple introduced the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone, during a keenly awaited event at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California, on Wednesday.“This is a thoughtful design that only Apple can provide,” the company's new chief executive, John Ternus said upon introducing the device. “The other products out there just look like two phones glued together side by side.”He said that iPhone Duo, with its hinge design and other details, was similar to the iPad experience. Apple said the Duo, when unfolded, was the largest-ever iPhone screen. The inside screen of iPhone Duo is 19cm, and when folded the outside screen is 13.7cm. Johny Srouji, Apple's chief hardware officer, said that iPhone Duo's screen consists of a “non-texture finish” created by Apple that beats all other foldables in terms of quality, although it's not yet clear if there's a crease visible in the display similar to other foldable smartphones. Mr Srouji also said that the Duo can be used in any orientation. One of the video clips displaying the device showed the iPhone Duo folded on a bedside table with an alarm clock visible, while another showed how the popular Slack messaging app could be used.It is available in two colours, star white and night sky. Apple said that when the device is opened, it is the thinnest iPhone ever. With the base model costing $1,999, the iPhone Duo can be bought on Oct...
Read briefing The UAE and seven other Arab and Muslim countries have welcomed the UK government’s decision to ban imports of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and impose sanctions on services linked to the settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.In response to the UK's decision, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said his country will close the UK consulate in East Jerusalem. The move is a major escalation of the diplomatic breakdown between Israel and some of its most important Western allies.In a joint statement on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia said they hoped the UK's measures would encourage other countries to take similar steps in line with international law and hold accountable organisations and individuals involved in illegal settlement activities.The ministers also welcomed a joint statement by the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK, which expressed an intention to introduce national and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods from settlements deemed illegal under international law.They urged the international community to build on these measures and adopt concrete steps to end activities that support or sustain Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.T...
Read briefing Days after taking over as Apple's chief executive, John Ternus is widely expected to introduce a foldable iPhone at the company's Surprise and Shine event on Wednesday. That is only one of many possibilities for what looks set to be an iPhone-centric event. His predecessor, Tim Cook, was responsible for launching a string of successful products and projects, and it seems the new Apple chief executive is aiming to make a splash right out of the gate. Apple detractors say the company is several years behind in releasing foldables, but supporters point out the same could have been said about smartphones before the iPhone's introduction in 2007. Here's a look at what to expect at the Apple event this week:Formidable foldableSamsung was one of the first mainstream smartphone makers to introduce a foldable phone back in 2019. The company's first foldables were the subject of controversy stemming largely from misunderstanding how the phones worked, with some users peeling what they thought was a temporary cover off the devices, only to find these were necessary to prevent the screen from breaking. Most foldable smartphones fall into one of three design areas: the clamshell that is akin to the flip phones of the pre-smartphone era; book-style foldables that open and provide more screen real-estate similar to a tablet; and tri-fold smartphones that resemble a slightly larger tablet and...
Read briefing The UAE has responded to an article in an Israeli news outlet that claimed Abu Dhabi warned Israel of an imminent Hamas attack in the weeks before October 7.Haaretz claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was personally warned by senior Emirati leadership but did not act.The news outlet released its investigation as a fevered election campaign gets under way, and Netanyahu fights for his political future.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the UAE government "does not comment on reports or speculations published in the media regarding conversations between government leaders"."Since October 7, the efforts of the United Arab Emirates have focused on de-escalation, enhancing regional stability, and limiting violence," it said."Moreover, the governmental entities in both the United Arab Emirates and Israel have maintained open and direct channels of communication since the establishment of relations between the two countries more than five years ago. When necessary, all relevant intelligence information continues to be exchanged between the concerned parties."Israeli media have previously said Egyptian officials also warned Netanyahu's government an attack was imminent. A debate has since raged in Israel about weak border security and whether its security services were briefed on such warnings. The cross-border Hamas attack on October 7 left 1,200 people dead, most of them Isra...
Read briefing A decline in maths, science and reading skills among school pupils worldwide seen after the Covid-19 pandemic has continued, according to new figures.Warnings of a “particularly concerning” fall in young people’s reading abilities, described as being particularly important in a digital world, come in a new report detailing the latest Programme for International Assessment (Pisa) test results.“Most troubling is the decline in the very skills that matter most in the AI age: evaluating information, making connections across multiple sources and thinking critically about what we read,” Andreas Schleicher, director for education and skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which runs the Pisa tests, said in the report’s forward.“In turn, the share of ‘hasty readers’ – students who rush through texts and give quick but incorrect answers – almost doubled between 2018 and 2025. In a world increasingly flooded with information, our students are less likely to think deeply and separate signal from noise.” Bucking the global downwards trend, the UAE recorded improvements across maths, science and reading skills, and sits at the top of achievement for the Arab world. However, the country continues to trail behind the average for the 38-member OECD, of which it is not part.Pisa tests, usually undertaken every three years, assess 15 year olds, with the lat...
Read briefing The UAE has delivered its fourth humanitarian flight carrying aid to Nepal, bringing total relief supplies transported by air to 186 tonnes since deadly floods and landslides struck the country.The latest aircraft landed in Kathmandu on Tuesday, carrying about 38 tonnes of relief supplies, including 500 tents and 108 relief packages. The delivery forms part of the UAE's humanitarian air bridge established in response to the disaster, which has left hundreds dead, injured or missing across several regions of Nepal.Aid from the UAE includes food, shelter and medical supplies, alongside logistical equipment designed to address urgent needs on the ground. The UAE is also procuring humanitarian supplies from the Nepalese market to accelerate the pace of aid delivery to affected communities, with efforts co-ordinated with relevant Nepalese authorities to ensure assistance is directed according to priority needs.Nepal's Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Mahabir Pun, praised the UAE's sustained relief efforts, saying the assistance had benefited large numbers of people affected by the floods and landslides, and had supported wider efforts to address conditions in the affected areas.On the ground, a Dubai Police search-and-rescue team continues to carry out field missions in affected regions, deploying specialised equipment and advanced technology for search and assess...
Read briefing Israel’s UN envoy said on Tuesday his country opposes efforts to maintain a large international force in southern Lebanon after the UN peacekeeping mission’s mandate ends, arguing the Lebanese army should assume responsibility for securing the border.“Our position is very clear. We think that the decision that was passed in the Security Council on Unifil finishing its mandate by the end of the year should be respected,” Danny Danon told reporters at UN headquarters.“We are aware of efforts by some countries to try to extend the mandate. We have seen the letter of the Lebanese President about this issue, and we do think it’s a mistake.”The UN Security Council decided last year that Unifil's mandate would end on December 31.Mr Danon said he had expected proposals for a limited international presence following Unifil’s departure but was surprised by discussions about keeping thousands of troops in Lebanon.Currently, Unifil has more than 7,400 troops from 46 nations.“When I met with [UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre] Lacroix, he told me about his ideas about the future. I was shocked because I expected him to say, 'We want more time, we want to leave some observers', but he actually told me that they want to leave more than 5,000 troops on the ground," he said. "We realised basically it's more of the same, and they want to have the flexibility to leave these forts forever.”The Isr...
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