Category: 2. World

Evacuation notice issued for part of Deir al-Balah for first time in warpublished at 12:47 British Summer Time

12:47 BST

Benedict Garman
BBC Verify senior journalist

On Sunday an evacuation notice was issued by the Israeli military for parts of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. This is the first time in the 21-month war these neighbourhoods have been told to evacuate.

This latest notice means that more than 301sq km (about 84%) of Gaza is now affected by evacuation orders since the ceasefire ended in March. This includes the entirety of North Gaza and the Rafah region in the south.

The notice affecting Deir al-Balah, external separates nearby al-Mawasi from the rest of the Gaza Strip, reverting this area to a small isolated section much like the original designated ‘humanitarian zone’ that existed prior to May last year.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in the evacuation area at the time the order was issued. Within hours, the IDF launched a ground and air assault.

The BBC’s Gaza correspondent Rushdi Abualouf writes that there are growing fears among local residents that the latest military push could be part of an effort to carve out a new corridor that would isolate Deir al-Balah from the surrounding central Gaza region.

Throughout the war, the Israeli military has issued evacuation notices advising people living there to leave areas where military activity is imminent.

We’ve been logging and mapping these orders to track which areas of Gaza are deemed particularly high risk danger zones.

An Air India Airbus A320 flight veered off the runway as it landed during heavy rain at the Mumbai International Airport on Monday, briefly shutting the runway and damaging the underside of one of the plane’s engines.

All passengers and crew members have since disembarked, Air India said, without saying whether anyone was injured. Air India flight AI2744 had flown from Kochi in southern Kerala state to Mumbai.

The Mumbai airport said in a statement there were “minor damages reported to the airport’s primary runway” due to what it described as a “runway excursion”, and a secondary runway had been activated to ensure operational continuity.

The aircraft has been grounded for checks, Air India added.

A Times of India report, citing sources, said three tyres had burst on the aircraft after the landing. TV footage from NDTV and India Today showed the outer casing of the engine damaged, with some apparent cracks.

Read: Air India probe into Boeing 787 fuel control switches finds no issues

Air India has come under intense scrutiny after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in the Indian city of Ahmedabad last month, killing 260 people.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said earlier this month it plans to investigate its budget airline, Air India Express, after Reuters reported the carrier did not follow a directive to change engine parts of an Airbus A320 in a timely manner and falsified records to show compliance.

Tehran on Monday accused Britain, France and Germany of failing to respect the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, after they threatened to reimpose sanctions over its atomic programme.

The 2015 deal, reached between Iran and the UN Security Council’s permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — plus Germany imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

But it unravelled when the United States in 2018, during Donald Trump’s first term as president, unilaterally withdrew from the accord and reimposed sweeping sanctions.

The Europeans had pledged continued support for the deal, but the mechanism intended to offset US sanctions never materialised effectively, and many Western firms were forced to exit Iran, which has since faced a deepening economic crisis.

“The European parties have been at fault and negligent in implementing” the nuclear agreement, said Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei.

The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed country currently enriching uranium to 60 per cent — far beyond the 3.67pc cap set by the 2015 accord.

That is a short step from the 90pc required for a nuclear weapon.

In recent weeks, France, Britain, and Germany have threatened to trigger the UN snapback mechanism to reimpose sanctions on Tehran, accusing Iran of breaching its nuclear commitments.

Using this clause “is meaningless, unjustifiable and immoral”, Baqaei told a news conference, arguing that Iran only began distancing itself from the agreement in response to Western non-compliance.

“Iran’s reduction of its commitments was carried out in accordance with the provisions outlined in the agreement,” the foreign ministry spokesman added.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minster of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday issued a new law focused on resolving disputes related to the execution of citizen housing building contracts in the emirate.

The move is aimed at strengthening social stability and improving citizens’ well-being.

Set to take effect on January 1, 2026, the law introduces a dedicated legal framework to swiftly and efficiently handle disagreements, without disrupting the progress of housing development projects.

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Key objectives of the new law

The law is designed to:

• Developing an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system for construction contracts, protecting the rights of all involved parties.

• Promoting amicable and consensual solutions, encouraging the continuation of contractual relationships.

• Providing a swift and more efficient mechanism for resolving disputes, to streamline dispute resolution in citizen housing projects.

• Ensure that construction progress remains uninterrupted, even during contractual disagreements.

Considering and adjudicating disputes:

To implement the new law, the Centre for Amicable Settlement of Disputes will form a specialised branch to manage disputes specifically related to citizen housing construction contracts.

Under the new system disputes will first undergo mediation, to be concluded within 20 days, with a possible extension of another 20 days if both parties agree.

If mediation fails, the case will be referred to a dedicated committee comprising one judge and two industry specialists. This committee must issue a decision within 30 days, extendable once by the same period.

Parties have the right to appeal the committee’s ruling to the Court of First Instance within 30 days of the decision.

Streamlining contractual relationships

Engineer Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said, “The law for settling citizen house building contract disputes relating to contract execution, represents a significant step towards strengthening Dubai’s housing sector.”

Bin Ghalita explained that the law streamlines the contractual relationships between citizens, contractors, and consultants, serving as a vital tool for ensuring the sustainability of housing projects and mitigating potential repercussions arising from construction disputes. He noted that this system will ultimately enhance citizen satisfaction and promote greater comfort and stability for families.

Valuable addition

Prof Abdullah Saif Al Sabousi, Secretary-General of the Dubai Judicial Council, affirmed that the law marks a valuable addition to Dubai’s judicial system, as it reflects the strategic focus on strengthening alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, ensuring swift and efficient justice.

Al Sabousi added: “The mechanism stipulated in the law, to be implemented through the establishment of a specialised branch for the Centre for Amicable Settlement of Disputes, represents an advanced model for resolving disputes amicably and effectively without resorting directly to litigation. Highly qualified specialised personnel will be available to ensure the speed and quality of procedures, serving the public interest and fulfilling citizens’ aspirations for a secure and stable housing environment.”

Getty Images

Getty Images

Syria’s armed Bedouin clans have announced their withdrawal from the Druze-majority city of Suwayda after weeklong clashes and a United States-brokered ceasefire.

Fighting between Druze fighters and Sunni Muslim clans killed more than 250 people and threatened to unravel Syria’s already fragile post-war transition.

Israel also launched dozens of air strikes in the southern province of Suwayda, targeting government forces, who had in effect sided with the Bedouins.

The fighting also led to a series of sectarian attacks against the Druze community, followed by revenge attacks against the Bedouins.

Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has been perceived as more sympathetic to the Bedouins, tried to appeal to the Druze community while remaining critical of its fighters. He later urged the Bedouins to leave the city, saying they “cannot replace the role of the state in handling the country’s affairs and restoring security”.

Dozens of armed Bedouins alongside other clans from around the country who came to support them remained on the outskirts of Suwayda as government security forces and military police were deployed on Sunday to oversee their exit from the entire province. The Bedouin fighters blamed the clashes on Druze factions loyal to spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri and accused them of harming Bedouin families.

The Syrian government on Monday began evacuating Bedouin families trapped inside Suwayda.

Syrian state media said on Sunday that the government had coordinated with some officials in Suwayda to bring in coaches to evacuate about 1,500 Bedouins from the city. Interior Minister Ahmad al-Dalati told the SANA news agency that the initiative would also allow displaced civilians from Suwayda to return because the fighting has largely stopped and efforts for a complete ceasefire are ongoing.

Syrian authorities did not give further details about the evacuation or how it ties into the broader agreement after failed talks for a captive exchange deal.

LONDON: White House officials have expressed frustration over Israel’s bombing of Syria, The Times reported.

Israel carried out a series of attacks on government targets in the Syrian Arab Republic last week, including a strike on a tank convoy and the shelling of the Defense Ministry in Damascus.

US diplomats warned Israel to cease its intervention, which it claimed to be conducting in support of Syria’s Druze minority.

Clashes between local Bedouin and Druze forces had broken out in Syria’s southern province of Sweida, with the country’s government sending troops to quell the violence.

One White House official told Axios that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “acted like a madman. He bombs everything all the time. This could undermine what (US President Donald) Trump is trying to do.”

Trump lifted sanctions on Syria earlier this year after meeting President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who has pledged to unite his country and bring an end to more than a decade of violence.

The US brokered a ceasefire last week that appeared to stop the clashes in Sweida, where more than 1,000 people were killed over seven days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The violence was reportedly sparked by a series of kidnappings targeting members of various faiths, clans and tribal groups in the province.

Before launching strikes, Israel claimed that Syrian government forces were involved in targeting the Druze.

Israel has its own community of Druze, numbering about 130,000, and some Syrian members of the faith traveled to meet family members there to escape the violence in Sweida.

After the overthrow of Bashar Assad’s regime last year, Israel sent forces into Sweida to establish a buffer zone. The province borders Syria’s Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since 1967.

Another US official told Axios: “Netanyahu is sometimes like a child who just won’t behave.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday urged Al-Sharaa to halt the violence in his country, which he described as “horrifying and dangerous.”

The “rape and slaughter of innocent people, which has and is still occurring, must end,” Rubio said on X, adding that Syrian authorities “must hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks.”

White House officials also described growing consternation over Israel’s war on Gaza, especially after the shelling of the Palestinian enclave’s only Catholic church last week. The attack killed three Palestinians.

A senior American official told Axios after the church strike: “The feeling is that every day there is something new … what the f***?”

Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, also delivered surprise public criticism in the wake of an arson attack on a Byzantine-era church in the occupied West Bank over the weekend.

“To commit an act of sacrilege by desecrating a place that is supposed to be a place of worship, it is an act of terror, and it is a crime,” he said. “There should be consequences.”

He also demanded “accountability” from Israel after a Palestinian American was killed in the West Bank last week.

CNN
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A boy survived the sinking of a tourist boat in Vietnam which killed dozens of people by sheltering in an air pocket of the overturned vessel, it has emerged.

The 10-year-old had been traveling with his family in Vietnam’s famed Ha Long Bay when the vessel they were sailing on became caught in a sudden storm. Trapped in the boat as it capsized, the boy found refuge in an underwater air pocket, where he stayed and waited for help.

He was eventually found by rescue teams relatively unharmed, although he was suffering from mental distress. He was warmed up and transferred to a nearby hospital, local outlet VietnamNet reported.

“Everything happened so fast,” the boy said. “I tried to get out, and then the soldiers rescued me.”

Search and rescue efforts are continuing for missing passengers and crew after sightseeing ship the Wonder Sea capsized in a squall on Saturday but have been hampered by bad weather.

At least 36 people are confirmed dead from the sinking, state media reported on Monday. Vietnam News Agency said there were 53 passengers and crew on board and 10 people had been rescued. Three people remain missing.

On Monday, rescue teams recovered the body of a six-year-old boy who had been traveling with his family, according to the state-run Vietnam News Agency. The child’s body was found close to a nearby island, VNA reported, citing local officials.

Another survivor, a 36-year-old Vietnamese man, described escaping the overturned boat by dumping his life jacket and swimming through an underwater window.

Fire extinguisher salesman Dang Anh Tuan described the moment the vessel suddenly capsized during bad weather, leaving little time for those on board to react.

“It rained for about 15 minutes, and then the boat started to shake vigorously, tables and chairs were jostled around and seconds later the boat overturned,” Tuan told the Associated Press.

He said that the boat quickly filled with water and he lost all orientation.

“I tried to breathe. But more water came in. I took a deep breath, got rid of my life vest and dove down. I saw a streak of light and followed it to swim out, escaping the boat, and then I climbed on the overturned boat to look for help,” he said.

Tuan, along with several others who had been on board, clung onto the overturned boat and waited for another two hours in pouring rain until emergency crews arrived.

He’d been holidaying in Vietnam’s popular tourist bay with 11 university friends. Only three of their group survived.

VN Express reported that the Wonder Sea was caught in a storm around 1.30 p.m. local time (2.30 a.m. ET), which caused it to capsize.

Most of the passengers were from the Vietnamese capital Hanoi and traveling as families, according to VN Express, which reported the eldest passenger as 53 years old and the youngest as just 3. Over 20 children were on board, VNExpress said.

The capsize reportedly happened near the Dau Go Cave – one of the largest in the bay.

Halong Bay is a popular tourist hotspot and a UNESCO world heritage site comprising about 1,600 limestone islands and islets.