By Yadnom Awu/Asaba
Afghanistan
20 Die As Earthquake Hits Afghanistan Again
More than 20 persons have died in a fresh earthquake in northern Afghanistan.
Dozens of others were also hurt in the quake, according to preliminary findings.
The quake, the ripples of which were felt in the capital, Kabul, happened in the Hindu Kush Region.
The city of Marash.-El Sheriff is the epicentre, and witnesses said the 6.3 magnitude quake caused extensive damage to both public and private property in the area.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing.
The quake is the fourth major one in the country in the past three years.
The country is susceptible to earthquakes because of its location in a region defined by an unstable seismic plate.
Israel
Israel Confirms Identified of Returned Hostages’ Bodies
Israel has confirmed that the bodies it received from Hamas are those of three of the hostages it had been expecting from the Palestinian group.
The bodies were received on Sunday night , and had to be taken to a forensic facility in central Israel which confirmed their identities.
Israel said the bodies were those of three Israeli soldiers killed in the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas which also took them as hostages.
The successful return of the three leaves Hamas with eight more bodies to hand over to Israel, under the ceasefire deal brokered by mediators.
Israel had accused Hamas of playing games with the handover of the hostages’ bodies, but the Palestinian group had said that it was facing grave difficulties retrieving the bodies from the huge pile of rubble of destroyed homes,
offices and equipment destroyed by Israel in the course of the two- year old war.
Turkiye Hosts Gaza Reconstruction Meeting
Turkiye is today holding a meeting of Arab and mainly Muslim.nations on the future of Gaza and Palestine.
The meeting is attracting.many major stakeholders in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt.
Both Qatar and Egypt are at the frontline of the global efforts to stabilize the Middle East , especially Palestine
The meeting is a follow up in the string of events meant to end the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict, and put Palestinian statehood on the front burner.
Syria
Interim.President To Visit US
The Interim President oif Syria, Ahmed Al- Rahawi, is to visit America later this month.
No firm.dates have been agreed ,but the visit would be second by the former rebel leader, following his September appearance at the United Nations (UN,) in New York, which is in America.
It would also be a third diplomatic victory for the interim.leader following the UN appearance, the first by the country in more than 50 years, and the lifting of the regime of embargo placed on the country by Western powers.
The visit is expected to include a meeting with President Donald Trump.
Both leaders are expected to discuss America’n and Western support for the reconstruction of Syria, internal security issues in the country and America’s controversial support for the Syrian Democratic Forces(SDF) a militia group that has control of roughly 20 per cent of the country and its huge oil and gas reserves.
The talks are equally likely to focus on growing Israeli military presence in the country and its incessant attacks on parts of the country.
Israel has struck up its Druze militia in the country and set up posts in parts of Syria since the fall of former President Ahmed Assad.
Palestine
Again, Israel Hits Gaza, Despite Ceasefire
Israel, this morning launched an attack on Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
The specific target had yet to be ascertained at press time, but the dawn strike is one of the many that the Jewish state has launched since the ongoing ceasefire began on October 10 this year.
Israel has killed more than 200 Palestinians and wounded many more since the ceasefire took effect.
