OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

lousubcap

Friday Middle East update:

"Negotiations over a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal will resume in Qatar in the coming days, Israeli, U.S., and Qatari officials said yesterday. It is not clear whether Hamas agreed to participate in the meeting, which the heads of the CIA and Mossad are set to attend. Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation met with Egyptian intelligence officials late yesterday to discuss the situation in Gaza. Tom Bennett reports for BBC News; Michael Crowley, Raja Abdulrahim, and Thomas Fuller report for the New York Times.

Israel’s most senior military commander said yesterday there was the possibility of a “sharp conclusion” to the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, adding that Israel has “thoroughly dismantled Hezbollah’s senior chain of command.” Dana Karni reports for CNN.

At a conference in Paris yesterday, world powers pledged $1bn to alleviate Lebanon’s humanitarian crisis and bolster its army. Some 70 government delegations and 15 international organizations attended, although a limited U.S. presence dimmed hopes for a swift end to hostilities. John Irish and Maya Gebeily report for Reuters.

Iran is preparing for war with Israel but hoping to avert it, having witnessed the decimation of its allies in Lebanon and Gaza, four Iranian officials said. Iran’s supreme leader has ordered the military to develop various response strategies to a potential Israeli assault, the scope of which will largely depend on the severity of Israel’s attacks, the officials said. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.

Russia provided Yemen’s Houthis with targeting data as they attacked Western ships in the Red Sea earlier this year, sources say. Moscow’s assistance, which reportedly passed through members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, shows how the Kremlin is seeking to tie up the United States in the Middle East. Benoit Faucon and Thomas Grove report for the Wall Street Journal.

The United States will send an extra $135mn in aid for Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank, and the broader region, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced yesterday. The Washington Post reports."

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"North Korean forces have been spotted in the Ukraine-Russia combat zone, Kyiv’s intelligence services said yesterday. Separately, Ukrainian prosecutors today said they are investigating Pyongyang’s support for the Russian war effort as a possible crime of aggression. Elen Mitchell reports for The Hill; Anthony Deutsch and Tom Balmforth report for Reuters.

Questioned by foreign journalists yesterday, Putin did not deny the North Korean presence in Russia, in what could be an oblique acknowledgement of their involvement. Francesca Ebel reports for the Washington Post.

European diplomats are preparing to underpin and reinforce Russia sanctions for fear of a possible Trump overhaul, sources say. Julia Payne and John O’Donnell report for Reuters.

Russian forces launched drone attacks overnight at the Ukrainian capital, the 15th air attack on Kyiv this month, city officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Ukraine’s military intelligence service said the first North Korean units trained in Russia had been deployed in Kursk, a Russian border region where Ukrainian forces staged a surprise incursion in August."