2LT National News

Hamas says will not disarm until establishment of State of Palestine

Hamas affirmed on Saturday its refusal to disarm until the establishment of the State of Palestine, in response to statements by U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

Hamas said in a statement that, “The resistance and its weapons will not be abandoned until our full national rights are restored, foremost among which is the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state.”

During his meeting with the families of Israeli hostages at a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday, Witkoff said, “Hamas has said that they are prepared to be demilitarized.”

Ceasefire falters as deadly clashes reignite in Syria

Deadly clashes erupted in Syria’s southern province of Sweida as “outlawed” groups violated a recently brokered ceasefire, Syrian state media reported on Sunday, citing a security source.

The state-run al-Ikhbariya TV, quoting the unnamed security source, reported that “outlawed groups” — a term commonly used by the interim authorities to refer to Druze fighters in the predominantly Druze province — attacked internal security forces and shelled several villages in the Sweida countryside earlier in the day.

The attack reportedly killed one member of the security forces and injured several others. The report noted that the escalation came at a time when Syria’s interim government has been working to restore stability and basic services in the war-torn province.

Migrant boat capsizing off Yemen leaves 68 dead

The death toll from a migrant boat capsizing off Yemen’s coast has risen to 68, with 74 others still missing, as search and rescue operations continue amid rough seas, local officials said Sunday.

Rescue teams have recovered 68 bodies throughout the day along the coastline of southern Abyan province, while 12 survivors were pulled from the water earlier in the morning, according to Abdul Qader Bajamil, director of the health office in Abyan province.

The survivors were immediately transferred to Shaqra General Hospital for emergency medical treatment. Medical staff report that some of the survivors remain in critical condition due to prolonged exposure to seawater and exhaustion.

Thousands join pro-Palestine protest across Sydney Harbor Bridge

Tens of thousands of Australians marched across Sydney’s iconic Harbor Bridge on Sunday to protest the ongoing war and famine in Gaza.

The protest, organized by advocacy network the Palestine Action Group, went ahead on Sunday afternoon despite heavy rainfall.

Thousands of protesters carrying Palestinian flags walked north across the iconic bridge before being stopped by police due to safety concerns.

6.8 magnitude aftershock shakes Russia’s Kamchatka

A 6.8 magnitude aftershock struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, the regional branch of the Ministry of Emergency Situations announced on social media.

The quake, which occurred at 17:37 local time (0537 GMT), was 277 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the regional capital, at a depth of 26 km.

According to the Kamchatka Tsunami Warning and Monitoring Center, tsunami waves generated by the quake are not expected to exceed 19 cm.