Egypt closes Gaza border amid tensions with Hamas

Rafah closure linked to Cairo’s efforts to broker a long-term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Egyptian officials say. Egypt has closed its main border crossing point with the Gaza Strip amid tensions with the territory’s Hamas rulers, officials have said. It was the first time the Rafah crossing was shuttered during a workday since early

Detainee says China has secret jail in Dubai, holds Uyghurs

A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a so-called “black site” beyond its borders. The woman, 26-year-old Wu Huan, was on the run to avoid extradition

Greece wildfires: Thousands flee island of Evia as blazes continue to ravage lands

While progress was made in batting blazes near Athens, the island of Evia is still in the grips of uncontrolled fires. Thousands have fled their homes on the Greek Island of Evia as wildfires continued to rage uncontrolled on Sunday for a sixth day. While fires that had posed a risk to the northern suburbs of Athens

Let’s talk about believing things without evidence – Beau of the Fifth Column

Egypt’s Sisi opens naval base close to border with Libya

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated a large naval base on Saturday 135 km from the border with Libya, flanked by close ally Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Libya’s unity president. Egypt says the July 3 base will help it protect strategic and economic interests as well as helping guard

Four killed in Cyprus as ‘most destructive’ forest fire rages

Hundreds of firefighters and several firefighting planes deployed as fire rages for a second day in Troodos mountains. Four people have been found dead as a huge fire raged for a second day in Cyprus, razing tracts of forest in a blaze one official called the worst on record. The blaze, fanned by strong winds,

At least 43 migrants drown in shipwreck off Tunisia, Red Crescent says

At least 43 migrants drowned in a shipwreck off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy, while another 84 were rescued, the Tunisian Red Crescent told Reuters on Saturday. The boat had set off from Zuwara, on Libya’s northwest coast, carrying migrants from Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Bangladesh, the humanitarian

U.S. adds Turkey to list of countries implicated in use of child soldiers

The United States on Thursday added Turkey to a list of countries that are implicated in the use of child soldiers over the past year, placing a NATO ally for the first time in such a list, in a move that is likely to further complicate the already fraught ties between Ankara and Washington. The

WHO says nearly 200,000 Palestinians need health aid after Gaza conflict

The World Health Organization (WHO) Wednesday warned of “staggering health needs” in the occupied Palestinian Territories after last month’s conflict between Israel and Islamist group Hamas. “WHO is scaling up its response to provide health aid for almost 200,000 people in need across the occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT),” which includes the West Bank, WHO’s Eastern

Denmark passes law to relocate asylum seekers outside Europe

UN opposed bill for fear it would erode refugees’ rights and encourage other EU states to follow suit Denmark has passed a law enabling it to process asylum seekers outside Europe, drawing anger from human rights advocates, the UN and European Commission. Politicians in the wealthy Scandinavian nation, which has gained notoriety for its hardline