JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday ordered the return of the Israeli delegation from Doha, a senior Israeli official confirmed to Xinhua, describing it as "an impasse" in the negotiations with Hamas over a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said Israel had recalled its senior negotiation team on Tuesday for consultations after a week of indirect talks, and now the remaining working-level team still in Doha will also return. (Israel-Negotiation Team-Recall)
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KHARTOUM -- The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced on Thursday the discovery of mass graves containing the remains of 465 individuals in the Al-Salha area, south of Omdurman city, just two days after declaring Khartoum State cleared of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) presence.
"During recent clearing operations in southern Omdurman, the armed forces uncovered mass graves and also found civilians and retired members of the regular forces who had been detained by the militia and held inside a school in the Salha area, where they were used as human shields under inhumane conditions," the SAF said in a statement on its Facebook page. (Sudan-Mass Graves-Discovery)
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JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday named a senior army officer as the next head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency, drawing immediate criticism from the attorney general, who warned the appointment was tainted by a conflict of interest.
The Prime Minister's Office said Major General David Zini would succeed Ronen Bar as Shin Bet director. Zini has held a series of senior operational posts in the Israeli military, including with the elite Sayeret Matkal special forces and as head of the Commando Brigade. (Israel-Shin Bet Chief-Appointment)
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ABU DHABI -- A consortium of global technology firms launched the "Stargate Emirates" project in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, an initiative aimed at significantly boosting the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
The project brings together UAE-based G42, OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, and SoftBank Group, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM). (UAE-AI Infrastructure-U.S.) ■
