Syria reconstruction conference, Lebanon’s new President gets to work, Gaza peace talks, and North Korean troops captured in Ukraine. Plus flooding in Mayotte and fires continue in Los Angeles.
Andrew Sheves Good morning, and Happy Monday. Some weekend headlines to prepare you for the week ahead.
🇸🇾 Saudi Arabia hosted regional and European diplomats at a conference to discuss the rebuilding of Syria and the country’s rehabilitation into the global community. Saudi diplomats stressed that easing sanctions and delisting members of the new regime from terrorist suspect lists are key steps to allowing Syria to recover after the 50-year reign of the Assad regime. [More - Politico]
🌀 A month after being devastated by Cyclone Chido, the French island of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean was hit with heavy rains causing landslides and flooding. [More - BBC]
🇺🇦 Two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian troops on Friday and are being questioned in the hope that they will be able to shed light on the Russian’s use of North Korean troops. [More - Washington Post]
🇮🇱 🇵🇸 US President Biden and Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke on Sunday as ceasefire negotiations to end the war in Gaza continued in Doha. The official line is that a deal is close, but social media reports from the region indicate that Israel will not agree to a timetable for a final cessation of hostilities which is a key demand of Hamas. [More - Axios]
🔥 Firefighters around Los Angeles continue to battle the Palisades and Eaton fires. In an interview with CBS News, Governor Gavin Newsom said that he believed that this would be the most costly natural disaster in US history.
Image - CalFire (fire.ca.gov)
🇱🇧 Lebanon’s new President, former General Joseph Aoun, has begun consultations to choose a Prime Minister following his election last week to fill the post that has been vacant for two years. [More - Al Jazeera
Carpe tomorrow!