Syrian President al-Sharaa makes landmark Visa payment as country reconnects with global financial system
A restaurant payment with a Visa card in Damascus has become a symbol of Syria’s reconnection with the global financial system....
Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in Gaza on Monday near the line separating zones of Israeli control, exposing tensions in the ceasefire agreement signed on 9 October.
Palestinian medics said an Israeli drone fired a missile at a group east of Khan Younis, killing two and wounding another, while a tank shell killed one person on Gaza City’s eastern edge. The Israeli military said it targeted “terrorists” attempting to cross the so-called yellow line and approach its troops, describing the group as posing an immediate threat.
Highlighting ongoing challenges with the ceasefire, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad announced in a statement later on Monday, that it had located the body of one of the three hostages still missing in Gaza, in an area under Israeli control. The group did not provide a timeline for handover.
These escalations follow the ceasefire Hamas and Israel signed on 9 October, halting two years of devastating conflict but leaving key disputes unresolved. Under the agreement, Hamas released 20 surviving hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, while the remains of 28 hostages were swapped for 360 militants. Since the truce, both sides have accused each other of violations.
Meanwhile, support for the U.S.-backed Gaza peace plan is growing internationally. On 15 November, the United States, Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, and Türkiye issued a joint statement urging the UN Security Council to swiftly adopt a resolution endorsing President Donald Trump’s plan. The statement also referred to discussions during the UN High-Level Week, describing the initiative as a roadmap for Palestinian self-determination and eventual statehood.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who helped develop the plan and may join the proposed international board of peace, met PA deputy leader Hussein al-Sheikh on Sunday in the West Bank. Sheikh said via social media that they discussed implementing the Security Council resolution and the requirements for Palestinian self-determination.
In Cairo, a Hamas delegation led by exiled official Khalil al-Hayya held talks with Egyptian mediators on advancing the ceasefire. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem acknowledged the process was “complex” and warned Israeli violations were undermining progress.
One of the main obstacles remains the proposed international security force. Israel insists the force must disarm Hamas, while Hamas argues the force must prevent Israeli troops from approaching civilians. Highlighting uncertainty, a Palestinian official close to the Cairo talks said, “There is complete uncertainty. Without a political track, without an understanding among all Palestinian factions, any deployment of forces would only make matters more complicated.”
The UN estimates that more than 15,000 people have been displaced in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, with limited access to food, water, and medical care. Humanitarian agencies warn that ongoing violence and delays in implementing the peace plan continue to threaten civilian lives.
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Rescuers in Nepal used helicopters on Thursday to scour for hundreds still missing after a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border with China's Tibet, sending catastrophic floods through towns and valleys, killing 162 people.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remains disproportionately small compared with their population, strategic location and resources.
The inaugural Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum brought together policymakers, investors and technology companies as Central Asia looks to build a more connected financial system and compete for a bigger share of global fintech investment.
Uzbekistan's region of Karakalpakstan is developing three cryptocurrency mining facilities and three data centers with a combined investment of $5.1 billion, as the region seeks to attract larger and higher-quality investments.
A restaurant payment with a Visa card in Damascus has become a symbol of Syria’s reconnection with the global financial system.
The Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum will bring more than 6,000 policymakers, investors and technology leaders from 74 countries to Tashkent, as Central Asia seeks a bigger role in the global fintech landscape.
Kazakhstan is considering the Baku-Supsa pipeline as an alternative oil export route after Caspian Pipeline Consortium disruptions cost the country an estimated 3.5 million tonnes of oil, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said.
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