By Yadnom Awu/Asaba
America
Trump Grants Hungary One Year Exemption On Russian Purchases Sanctions
The President of America , Donald Trump, has granted a year- long exemption from his sanction on the purchase of Russian oil.
The announcement was made last night during the Washington meeting of the Prime Minister of Hungary , Victor Orban and Trump.
The meeting of the two pals held yesterday, also featured talks on business deals between their countries.
Hungary depends on Russia for 80 percent of its energy needs , and although it is part of the 27- member European Union (EU), it has remained a strong ally in a region in which Russia, holder of the single largest stock of nuclear weapons in the world, has very few allies..
Palestine
Reconstruction of Gaza To Cost $70billion
The United Nations (UN) has said that the full reconstruction of the Palestinian enclave of Gaza would cost around $70billion.
It said in a recent report that virtually everything in the enclave had to be reconstructed from the scratch, and that full reconstruction could take years to accomplish.
It is estimated that Israel hauled more than 200, 000 tonnes of bombs on Gaza and caused unprecedented destruction that generated 60million tonnes rubble.
The report came as the UN said that the Israeli government had turned down more than 100 applications for permission to roll humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
By the terms of the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Jewish state was obliged to let in 600 trucks of supplies per day , but humanitarian organizations and other sources in the strip said only an average of 178 trucks were being allowed in daily.
Hamas has consistently said that the failure of Israel to allow in the agreed number of trucks constituted a breach of the ceasefire as were its constant military strikes on Gaza and its refusal to reopen the Rafah Corridor to Egypt.
Sudan
RSF Pounds Khartoum, Despite Truce Pledge
The rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Sudan has pounded the capital of the country, Khartoum, despite its public pledge to keep faith with a truce proposal .
The proposal was put forward by the quartet of America, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ( UAE), and includes a three- month ceasefire , political negotiations and a political transition that would cap in a general election after nine months of transition.
The RSF , earlier this week, publicly announced its acceptance of the proposal and called for its prompt implementation.
The Sudanese Army , however, has yet to formally respond to the proposal, though the Chief of Staff of the Sudanese Army, General Abdullahi Burhan, had said that the Army would continue fighting the RSF,which is accused of mounting drone attacks in and around the international airport in Khartoum and other parts of the city.
The RSF is equally accused of attacking the positions of the Army in Kodorfan Region where the RSF had made serious inroads.
The RSF fully captured the Darfur Region two weeks ago when the last remaining Army base in Al- Fasher, its capital, collapsed after a 17- month long siege.
Since the fall of the city, some 81,000 civilians have fled it, but local and the United Nations (UN) say some 200,000 others remain trapped in the embattled settlement.
Humanitarian groups in Sudan have accused the RSF of mass executions, rape and extortion.
America
Trump Hints Of Early Deployment Of IDF in Gaza.
American President, Donald Trump, has hinted at the imminence of the deployment of the International Stabilization Force (IDF) in Gaza.
Fielding questions from newsmen in Washington on Friday, he said that preparations for the deployment of the troops had gone far.
He said that several countries had agreed to send troops to be part of the ISF, which, he said, would be “strong”.
Details of the mandate of force and its leadership have yet to be determined , according to diplomats who confirmed that Israel had strongly objected to the presence of Turkish troops in the force.
Israel views Turkiye , a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as a political and ideological foe because of its support for the Palestinian cause.
Palestine
Hamas Hands Over Body Of Another Israeli Hostage
The Palestinian group, Hamas, has handed over the body of another hostage to the Red Cross for delivery to Israel.
It is the 23rd body to be handed over to Israel under the aegis of the ceasefire deal between it and Hamas.
The body would be taken to a forensic facility in Tel- Aviv, for analysis.
If it matches, it would be the 23td body successfully handed over to Israel.
The confirmation by Israel would mean that Hamas has five more bodies to hand over to Israel
