War, latest news. Hamas confirms sending delegation to Cairo. "New aid and arms package for Kiev".

An Israeli delegation led by Mossad chief David Barnea will leave for Cairo on Sunday to continue negotiations on a ceasefire agreement that would free hostages held in Gaza. Haaretz writes that the summit will be attended by ChIA Director William Burns, US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. The Israeli delegation - Haaretz points out - will include Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and the head of the IDF's Missing and Prisoner Soldiers Division, Major General Nitzan Alon.

Lithuania intends to provide Ukraine with another military aid package, PM Indrida Simonyte disclosed at a press conference in Kiev after her meeting with Volodymir Zelensky and Polish President Andrzej Duda, Unian news agency reported. "Lithuania's position is simple and well-known: Ukraine must win, Russia must lose," he said. Next autumn, 5 thousand Lithuanian drones will be delivered to Ukraine. In early September, air defence systems and equipment to counter drones will arrive. Vilnius has also pledged to pay EUR 35 million to Kiev for the purchase of radar and mine-detection equipment.

(ANSA) - STOCKHOLM, AUGUST 24 - Märtha Louise, the daughter of King Harald V of Norway, will be married in a week's time to self-proclaimed US shaman Durek Verrett, but the Norwegian press is not invited. The couple, who have been the subject of numerous scandals, will marry in the small village of Geiranger, in the M're & Romsdal region, surrounded by the picturesque landscape of a Norwegian fjord about 450 km northwest of Oslo. Märtha Louise is the eldest daughter of King Harald V but is not heir to the Norwegian throne, which will instead go to her younger brother Haakon, following the tradition whereby the throne is inherited by male children.

It is not yet certain that the European Central Bank will be able to bring inflation back to its target of 2%, so a restrictive monetary policy is still needed. This was emphasised by the ECB's chief economist, Philip Lane, speaking at the Federal Reserve's annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole. "A return to target is not yet certain," Lane said, "the monetary stance will need to remain in restrictive territory for as long as necessary to guide the disinflation process towards a timely return to target.

Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has announced that he will not attend peace talks in Geneva with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (Rsf) and that he is prepared to ''fight for 100 years''. Meeting journalists in Port Sudan, the de facto leader of the African country said that ''we will not go to Geneva. We will fight for 100 years''.

 Vladimir Putin met with the Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov and the commander of the General Staff's Main Operational Directorate, Sergei Rudskoy, to be updated 'on the measures taken to destroy the enemy forces that have invaded the territory of the Kursk region and on the results of the special military operation', reports the Tass news agency, which published a video without audio of the meeting that took place at a command post of the armed forces, in particular of Gerasimov's presentation. Putin, seated next to seven white telephones, listened attentively and gave the necessary instructions, it is reported.

The patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill accused Ukraine of "persecuting" believers by banning the Moscow-bound Orthodox Church and called on the international community to act. Kirill urged other Christian religious leaders - including Pope Francis - and international organisations to "raise their voices in defence of persecuted believers" who, according to him, are in a "critical" situation in Ukraine. These words come on the day the Ukrainian president signed a law banning the Russian-linked branch of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

The French Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, and Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, arrived at the site of this morning's fire and explosion at the synagogue in La Grande-Motte, southern France. The two, who resigned but are in charge of current affairs, are accompanied by the undersecretaries Sabrina Agresti-Roubache, in charge of Citizenship and Cities, and Patricia Mirallès, in charge of ex-combatants and 'Remembrance'.

The 'Rapid Response 2024' exercise of the EU military mission Eufor kicked off today in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Scheduled to run until 16 September, the exercise aims to test rapid response capabilities in case of need, in order to preserve security and stability in all the country's kingdoms. Military personnel from 23 countries, including Italy, already present in Bosnia-Herzegovina, are scheduled to take part, and will be joined by reserve units from Austria, Hungary and Romania, together with troops from KFOR, the NATO mission in Kosovo.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky updated German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Kiev's offensive in the Russian Kursk region. This was made known by Zelensky himself, explaining that during the conversation he emphasised the need to strengthen Kiev's air defence.

Hamas confirms that it has sent a delegation to Cairo, where a new round of negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza is underway, attended by high-level delegations from the United States, Israel, Egypt and Qatar, confirmed the group Izzat al-Rishq in a statement. The Palestinian Islamic movement, however, excludes taking part directly in the talks. It is only in Cairo to be updated on the progress of the negotiations, writes the Guardian.

Mountains of bouquets of flowers in front of the gates of Alain Delon's home in Douchy to pay their last respects to the legend of world cinema, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 88. Some of the fans, who have been passing by the estate for days to say goodbye, drove for hours to leave a handmade painting dedicated to the actor: a collage of photos of Alain Delon's dog, Loubo, who in the end will not be put down, as his owner wished.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (Iachr) condemned the "systematic persecution of dissident voices" and the "arbitrary" arrest of journalists in Venezuela as part of the crackdown on the social protests that erupted in the country after the disputed 28 July presidential elections. In a statement, the Office for Freedom of Expression (Rele) denounced the detention of more than 1,505 people including at least 10 journalists who 'face terrorism charges just for covering anti-government demonstrations. "These practices of institutional violence and state terrorism establish a climate of generalised fear and intimidation with the aim of keeping the authoritarian government in power" of Nicolas Maduro. Particularly worrying according to the Organisation of American States (OAS) body is the authorities' increased 'use of surveillance technology to prosecute and censor citizens who express criticism through social networks'. According to the Iachr, at least 107 websites have been blocked in this context to 'restrict access to content critical of the government'.

''On Ukraine's Independence Day we unite to celebrate the shared values that the Ukrainian people courageously defend every single day: independence, sovereignty and freedom''. This was written on 'X' by US Vice President and Democratic candidate in the November elections Kamala Harris. ''We will continue to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom against Russia's aggression,'' she added.

Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) destroyed a 500-metre-long tunnel manufactured by Islamic Jihad on the outskirts of Deir al-Balah in the centre of the Gaza Strip. This was announced by Israeli soldiers, explaining that the tunnel was destroyed by the Yahalom engineering unit.

Noa Argamani, the 26-year-old Israeli kidnapped on 7 October at the Nova Music Festival by Hamas and freed on 8 June by the IDF in a blitz in Gaza, attended a party in Israel, entitled 'Dance with Noa', with family and friends. "It is not ideal that we are having this party while there is still a war going on and there are still 109 hostages in Gaza, including my partner, Avinatan Or, who we miss terribly but at the same time I am happy to celebrate life itself with all of you," said Noa, who danced with her father Yaakov.

"Some say of the buffer zone" created by the offensive in Kursk "that we will play it as a card for dialogue. What dialogue? I'll tell you who says it: it's Putin. We are not playing any cards." This was said by Volodymyr Zelensky quoted by Ukrinform. "There are several results of this operation, but I cannot talk about all of them," Zelensky said. "Firstly, the exchange fund" of POWs "is something we can talk about openly and it is being replenished". The second result "is the interruption of the Russian operation in the north with a pre-emptive strike. We have fulfilled this task'.

Numerous Israeli air strikes have killed at least thirty Palestinians in the south of the Gaza Strip. Among the dead are 11 members of a family, including two children. The airstrike hit their home in Khan Younis, according to the Nasser Hospital, which received a total of 33 bodies after the three attacks in and around the town that did not spare tuk-tuks and passers-by. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said it received three lifeless bodies after another attack.

The Kiev Armed Forces have used a new drone-missile, the Ukrainian-made Palianytsia, in combat for the first time. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Independence Day, without indicating where the new weapon was used. "Today there was the first successful combat use of our new weapon. It is a completely new weapon class: a Ukrainian drone-missile called Palianytsia," Zelensky said. The new weapon is named after a type of Ukrainian baked bread.

The Biden administration is debating whether or not to support the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region amid fears about the real effectiveness of Kiev's strategy and, above all, those of a possible escalation between the US and Russia following the Ukraine's dependence on American weapons. According to reports in the Washington Post, the Pentagon has asked Kiev what it needs to make its bet successful, but no concrete decision has been made on supporting Ukrainian efforts. So far, the administration has no clear idea of Ukraine's objectives in Russia, whether or not it intends to expand its occupation of territory. "They probably have a plan, but they are not sharing it with us," an administration official said.

Performance la festival musicale militare 'Spasskaya Tower', Piazza rossa 23 agosto 2024 Mosca (Epa/Yuri Kochetkov)

Security has been tightened around Jewish places of worship in France following the fire that broke out in front of the synagogue in La Grande-Motte, in the French department of Herault. This was announced by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who sent a telegram to all the prefects of France asking them to "immediately reinforce police presence in front of Jewish places of worship''. He also reinforced the presence of agents ''at the entrance and exit of students in front of Jewish educational establishments''.

Ukraine will not allow its territory to be turned into a buffer zone. Whoever wants to do so must be careful that it is not his own country that is turned into a 'buffer federation', said President Volodymir Zelensky on Ukraine's Independence Day, in a speech recorded in the Sumy area of north-eastern Ukraine, the base of the Kiev forces' incursion into the Kursk region. We will repel the aggressor with interest, he added. 'The Red Square madman who keeps threatening us with his red button does not dictate red lines to us,' he stressed.

Primo anniversario della morte di Yevgeny Prigozhin, comandante della Wagner, a san Pietroburgo il 24 agosto 2024 (Reuters/Anastasia Barashkova)

The private funeral of Alain Delon, who died on Sunday at the age of 88, scheduled to take place today at the French actor's large Douchy estate, will be attended by some 50 people, close friends of the family. Among the guests - as reported by the French media - are expected to be Rosalie van Breemen, former wife of the actor and mother of Anouchka and Alain-Fabien, actresses Muriel Robin and Géraldine Danon, who is also the goddaughter of the deceased. The 86-year-old actress Claudia Cardinale declined to be present at the funeral 'due to too much grief', she let it be known via her agent. The legend of film history will be buried, as he wished, at his home around 5pm, next to his 50 or so dogs, an exceptional procedure that required prefectural authorisation.

"Iran condemns any foreign interference in Venezuela's internal affairs." Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said this after the United States and other European and Latin American countries rejected the decision of Venezuela's Supreme Court to confirm the presidential re-election of Nicolas Maduro. Speaking on the phone with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil Pinto, Araghchi added that Venezuela holds a special place in Iranian foreign policy and that the administration of new President Masoud Pezeshkian will maintain its strategic approach to that country. According to Irna, Pinto said Caracas is determined to further promote ties with Tehran.

The US military's Joint Chief of Staff, General Charles Brown, made a surprise arrival in the Middle East today, while US diplomacy is working on an agreement on a truce in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages, and the threat of attacks by Hezbollah and Iran that would trigger a wider war in the region rises. Ynet reports. Brown began his visit to Jordan and informed that he will also visit Egypt and Israel.

"In the consultations I had with the foreign ministers of Germany, France and the UK, the issue of the Zionist regime's terrorist act was raised. In these talks, I stressed that the Zionist regime's action in violating Iran's security and sovereignty will not go unanswered and the Islamic Republic of Iran will give its response in a precise, calculated and controlled manner, taking into account all necessary dimensions." Thus the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, regarding the killing of the political head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran on 31 July. "This revenge will happen at the right time and in the right way," said Araqchi, quoted by the Iranian Mehr news agency.

Funerale palestinese nella Striscia di Gaza 22 agosto 2024. (Ap Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana / LaPresse)

The Ministry of Health in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said that at least 40,334 people have been killed in the war between Israel and Palestinian militiamen, now in its 11th month. The toll includes 69 dead in the past 48 hours, according to the ministry's figures, which also report 93,356 wounded in the Strip since the conflict began.

'Everything is being done to find the author of this terrorist act and protect places of worship'. This was assured on social X by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, referring to the fire that broke out in front of the synagogue in La Grande-Motte, in the French department of Herault. "My thoughts are with the faithful of the La Grande-Motte synagogue and all the Jews of our country," he a

A man caught on video surveillance cameras at the synagogue in La Grande-Motte, southern France, the target of an attack this morning, was carrying a Palestinian flag. A source close to the investigation told the French media.

"In Gaza, 80 per cent of the houses are destroyed. The infrastructure no longer exists. There is no water and the sewage system has been blown up by bombs. Imagine life in these conditions and in an ever-changing war scenario of which there is no end in sight'. This is the dramatic testimony of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Card. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, during his visit to Basilicata. The war in Gaza has also brought repercussions in the rest of the Holy Land. "Everything is at a standstill," Pizzaballa observed, as reported by Sir, "especially in the construction field. Before 7 October, 200,000 Palestinians worked in companies in Israel. Since the outbreak of the war, they no longer do so with repercussions that can easily be imagined. It is difficult to talk about trust, hope and the future in such a situation'. For this reason, he added, 'dialogue will have to resume from the communities. There is a reaction from some sectors of civil society. Small signs linked to the territory that make us think that there is still hope. There is a small remainder on which the Church can and must start again'.

One hundred and fifteen Russian soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces during their offensive in the Kursk border region have been exchanged for an equal number of Ukrainian soldiers held in Russia, the Moscow Defence Ministry announced today. "At the end of the negotiation process, 115 Russian servicemen captured in the Kursk region were returned from the territory controlled by the Kiev regime. In return, 115 prisoners of war of the Ukrainian armed forces were handed over,' a statement read.

A new evacuation notice was issued by the IDF for Palestinians in the eastern area of Deir al-Balah and Maghazi in central Gaza. The population in the area was asked to move to the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone, which currently covers about 42 square kilometres. Evacuation warnings usually precede Israeli army raids against Hamas targets.

The death toll from a landslide caused by heavy rain that hit the Thai island of Phuket in the early hours of yesterday has risen to 10, the government announced today, adding that three more people are missing and 19 were injured. Among the dead are a Russian tourist couple, some Burmese citizens and some Thais. The landslide hit a residential area of the island where many hotels and flats rented to tourists are located. Additional funds have been allocated to help the families of the victims, the injured and a team has been set up to investigate the causes of the landslide, the government said. Thailand experiences monsoon rains every year, but climate change tends to intensify the phenomenon and increase the likelihood of destructive floods. The country is currently suffering from particularly heavy monsoon rains that cause flooding, especially on the southern coast and in the north. In 2011, gigantic floods killed more than 500 people and destroyed thousands of homes across Thailand.

A Ukrainian drone hit an ammunition depot in the Voronezh region, near the settlement of Ostrogoshk, about a hundred kilometres south of Voronezh, the Astra portal reported. The region's governor, Aleksandr Gusev, ordered a state of emergency at three different locations and the displacement of 200 people, citing 'the consequences of a fire and the detonation of explosives'. Two women, he added, were injured. Two other people were injured in a second drone attack in the neighbouring Belgorod region. While the Defence Ministry in Moscow reported the downing of seven drones, five in the Voronezh region, and one each in Belgorod and Bryansk. On the other hand, Kiev reported a massive Russian missile attack against Snake Island (Zmiinyi Island), a target considered to be of strategic importance for the control of the western Black Sea, some fifty kilometres from the Ukrainian coast, close to the maritime border with Romania, of which Kiev regained control back in June 2022, after its initial conquest by Moscow forces. According to Kiev, Russian bombs also hit the Kherson region.

According to the Arab media, Hamas deputy leader in Gaza, Khalil al Hayya, leads the Palestinian delegation that will be in Cairo today to meet with Egyptian officials on the latest round of talks on the Gaza ceasefire agreement and hostage release. Although Hamas has said it will not take part in the indirect negotiations. Hayya, who lives in Doha, led the Hamas negotiating team under the supervision of political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh until his assassination in Tehran last month. He also led reconciliation talks with Palestinian rival Fatah in past years. Hamas insists that Israel withdraw its forces from all of Gaza, including the border area with Egypt, the Philadelphia Corridor.

"Today we celebrate Ukraine's 33rd Independence Day and what the enemy brought to our land has now returned to its home. And those who wanted to turn our land into a buffer zone must now think about how to ensure that their country does not become a buffer federation." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this on social media on the 33rd anniversary of Ukraine's Independence Day, as quoted by Ukrainska Pravda.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today promulgated a law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is linked to Moscow, the official text of which was published on the parliament website. The law, condemned in recent days by Russia, was enacted on the 33rd anniversary of the country's declaration of independence.

A suspected Hamas operative involved in arms production, Taha Abu Nada, was killed tonight in an air raid on the Gaza Strip. This was reported by the IDF, according to the Times of Israel.

A policeman was injured this morning after an explosion in front of a synagogue in the south of France, in La Grande-Motte, official sources announced. The resigning Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, denounced on X a 'manifestly criminal' act. The minister will travel to La Grande-Motte this afternoon, his entourage announced.

"Today we celebrate Ukraine's 33rd Independence Day and what the enemy brought to our land has now returned to its home. And those who wanted to turn our land into a buffer zone must now think about how to ensure that their country does not become a buffer federation." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this on social media on the 33rd anniversary of Ukraine's Independence Day, as quoted by Ukrainska Pravda.

A bomb explosion in southwestern Pakistan killed two children and injured 16 people on Saturday, police officials said.

Seven policemen were injured when the remote-controlled bomb, attached to a motorbike, exploded near the police headquarters in Pishin, the city's chief superintendent of police, Manzoor Buledi, told Reuters.

"The explosive was placed in a motorbike that was parked in the area," said police officer Mujeeb-Ur-Rehman, adding that the two children killed were passing through the area when the explosion occurred.

Russian air defences shot down three Ukrainian missiles over the territory of the Kursk region last night: this was announced on Telegram by the region's acting governor, Alexey Smirnov, as reported by Tass. "Three Ukrainian missiles were destroyed in the skies over the Kursk region late yesterday evening," the message read. "Thanks to the air defence fighters and border protectors!

Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia in the south-east of the country yesterday with 132 drones, at least four missiles and more than 160 artillery strikes, the head of the regional military administration, Ivan Fedorov, announced on Telegram. 'During the day, the occupiers struck nine settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region 306 times,' the message read. Russian troops carried out six air strikes on Orikhov, Novoandriivka, Malia Tokmachka and Levadny'. In addition, '132 drones of various types attacked Bilenka, Gulyaipole, Novoandriivka, Robotyna, Mala Tokmachka, Levadna and Malynyvka. Four anti-aircraft missile attacks targeted Gulyaipole and Robotyne and 164 artillery rounds were fired at the territories of Bilenkoy, Gulyaipol, Orikhov, Preobrazhenka, Novoandriivka, Robotyny, Mala Tokmachka, Malynyvka and Levadny'. Overall, 17 residential buildings and infrastructure were damaged, but no injuries or casualties were reported.

Meta investigators linked the activity to the same network accused of the attempted hacking of the Trump campaign and Biden-Harris.

Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon will face trial in New York on criminal fraud charges related to the 'We Build the Wall' fundraising campaign for the anti-immigrant wall along the US-Mexico border. This was ruled by Judge Justice April Newbauer, who rejected Bannon's request to dismiss the charges, paving the way for his trial to begin on 9 December, just six weeks after he was scheduled to be released from prison. Bannon is serving a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress. In September 2022, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Bannon with money laundering and conspiracy to defraud donors who had contributed over $15 million to the campaign.

Although Bannon has pleaded not guilty, Bragg's office alleges that Bannon diverted funds to the campaign's executive director, Brian Kolfage, despite Kolfage's promise not to receive a salary.

"The United States is sending a new package of urgently needed weapons and equipment to support Ukraine's military forces in defending against Russia's ongoing attacks. This support will help Ukraine protect its troops, its people, and strengthen its capabilities on the front lines." This was stated by the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

The Russian authorities declared a state of emergency this morning in a district of the Voronezh region, which was targeted by Ukrainian drones during the night: this was announced by the governor of the region, Alexander Gusev, adding that about 200 people were evacuated following a fire. According to media reports, an ammunition depot was hit. Tass reported that. "The state of emergency has been introduced in the territory of three settlements in response to the consequences of fires and detonations of explosive objects in the Ostrogozhsky district," reads a statement posted on Telegram. A village and a gardeners' association were evacuated, a total of about 200 people. An emergency shelter was opened, but almost all people were accommodated by relatives'.

Gusev explained that debris from a drone hit by Russian air defences 'caused a fire that led to the detonation of explosive objects. No other casualties or damage to civilian structures have been reported'. The governor did not specify what the drone debris hit, but according to Russian Telegram channels it was an ammunition depot. The Russian Defence Ministry reported that five Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight on the territory of the Voronezh region.

At least nine Palestinians, including two children and a woman, were killed at dawn during Israeli shelling inside Gaza's Khan Younis and in the Al-Nuseirat camp area. This was reported by the official Palestinian National Authority news agency Wafa, quoted by Al Arabiya. At least 15 other people were injured.

The White House sees glimmers of dialogue in the outcome of the talks on Gaza in Cairo, speaks of "first signs", "constructive" talks and "progress", but, it specifies, "it is necessary for the parties to work together" on the implementation of an agreement on a ceasefire and an exchange of prisoners and hostages. After the talks in Egypt, Biden consulted the Emir of Qatar and Egyptian President Al Sisi on the phone. CIA chief William Burns is already in Cairo ahead of Sunday's summit. Among the hypotheses, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphia corridor under UN supervision and EU and Palestinian Authority forces on that side of the Rafah crossing. Meanwhile, the US sends new aid to Ukraine. -