The Top Story

Clashes continue across the Gaza Strip, as mediators speed up talks on a possible ceasefire. The Ukrainian president confirms the death of 31-thousand soldiers for the first time since the conflict started. The UN Environment Assembly is meeting in Nairobi to discuss some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges.

Some of Israel's far-right ministers call for heavier restrictions on Palestinians, following a deadly shooting in the occupied West Bank. G20 foreign ministers wrap up their two-day meeting in Brazil. Spain says goodbye to a beloved panda family.

Israel intensifies bombardment of southern Gaza as it pushes for a hostage release deal. G20 foreign ministers meeting in Brazil warn about weakening multilateralism in the face of geopolitical conflict. The UK High Court is yet to announce a verdict, after WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeals against his extradition to the US.

The US again blocks a Gaza ceasefire resolution at the UN Security Council. The WHO evacuates patients from a besieged hospital in Gaza as disease threatens over a million displaced Palestinians. South Korea faces a growing crisis in its health sector as nearly 8,000 trainee-doctors stage a walkout.

The US calls for a temporary Gaza ceasefire, as Israel vows to move forward with a Rafah ground assault if hostages are not freed. Palestinian representatives address the UN's top court to accuse Israel of discrimination and apartheid. Millions in California are on a flood watch amid back-to-back storms.

Israel indicates a March deadline for a ground offensive in Rafah. The Gaza conflict and the European Union's future top discussions on the final day of the Munich Security Conference. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in Spain to enhance friendship and promote cooperation.

The trial for the first criminal case against former US President Donald Trump will begin on March 25th in New York. Ecuadorian president has approved free trade agreement with China. Global leaders are set to address security priorities in Munich meeting.

Police in the U.S. say one person was killed in a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade. The 60th Munich Security Conference opens on Friday. Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto declares victory in the presidential race.

Polls have closed in Indonesia, bringing one of the world's largest single-day elections to an end. Some displaced Palestinians sheltering in Rafah risk returning to central Gaza due to Israel's continuous strikes. The US House votes to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Political parties in Pakistan are trying to form a coalition government after general elections last week. The United Nations is concerned over killings of Palestinians in Rafah. Thailand is among the top destinations for Chinese travelers this New Year holiday.

More than 100 are dead in Rafah as Israel pounds the southern Gaza city from the air, land and sea. Former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb has won the presidential election. And we look at Chinese New Year celebrations in China and elsewhere.

A Hamas delegation has visited Cairo for ceasefire negotiations with mediators from Egypt and Qatar. Justices at the U.S. Supreme Court have met to debate whether Donald Trump should be disqualified from the 2024 presidential election. Singapore and China commence mutual visa-free exchanges.

Hopes for a truce to halt over four months of fighting in Gaza remain alive. UN chief warns that world is "in an age of chaos." U.S. Federal deficit expected to soar in the coming decade.

It's been four months since fighting between Israel and Hamas broke out and the diplomatic push is intensifying on a ceasefire plan for Gaza. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies before the House Financial Services Committee. The China-U.S. economic working group holds its third meeting.

Israel plans to extend its Gaza operation to the southernmost city of Rafah on the border with Egypt. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in his latest Middle East trip. Wild fires in Chile claim over 120 lives as search continues for the missing.

The US says strikes on what it claims are Iran-backed militants in the Middle East will continue, after hits on targets in Iraq, Syria and Yemen over the weekend. Preliminary results in El Salvador's presidential election give Nayib Bukele a second term. China unveils its No. 1 central document for 2024, outlining the main priorities to promote rural revitalization.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects an executive order by U.S. President Joe Biden sanctioning Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. The UN's Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, says it may be forced to shut down operations by end of February. EU summit agrees on fresh aid to Ukraine, overcoming objections by Hungary.

Israel has carried out air strikes on Gaza City while Hamas is reportedly studying a new truce agreement that could see weeks of ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages. The UN's top court dismisses much of Kyiv's case against Moscow. Heads of Meta, TikTok, Snap, Discord and X testify at Capitol Hill in Washington about online child abuse.

Hamas has received and is studying a new proposal of a three-stage truce. U.S. House Republicans move closer to impeaching the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets the UN General Assembly president in Beijing.

Qatar is preparing a plan to halt fighting in Gaza and release hostages, as Israel continues its deadly assault on the Palestinian enclave. Iran and Pakistan's top diplomats meet in a bid to mend ties after tit-for-tat missile strikes. China and the United States are discussing ways to curb fentanyl abuse.

The UN urges countries not to cut funding for its relief agency, after Israel accused several UNRWA workers of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attacks. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the shooting at a church in Istanbul that left one person dead. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin in Bangkok.

20 Palestinians queuing for food in Gaza City are killed by an Israeli strike. Moscow and Kyiv trade blame for the downing of a Russian military transport jet in the Belgorod region. The world's largest annual human migration gets underway in China as the Spring Festival travel rush begins.

The UN says an Israeli tank strike caused mass casualties at a UN compound in Gaza. Russia accuses Ukraine of downing a plane transporting captured Ukrainian soldiers. China and Uzbekistan upgrade bilateral ties.

The UN chief says a lasting end to the Israel-Palestine conflict can only come through a two-state solution. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has won the New Hampshire Republican primary. China and Nauru have re-established diplomatic relations.

Israel has proposed a multi-phase peace deal to Hamas in exchange for the release of all hostages held in Gaza. European foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to secure peace in the Middle East. Severe winter storms have killed over 90 people across the United States.