UN confirms famine in Gaza, warns of catastrophic spread

More than half a million people in Gaza are facing famine conditions marked by starvation and preventable deaths, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released on Friday.

The assessment, conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), said famine in Gaza City is now spreading southward to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.

By the end of September, over 640,000 people are projected to face catastrophic food insecurity, with an additional 1.14 million at emergency levels and nearly 400,000 in crisis conditions.

Israel warns of Gaza City's destruction if Hamas doesn't disarm

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday warned that Gaza's largest city would be destroyed if Hamas does not yield to Israel's terms.

He said in a statement that "the gates of hell" would soon open on Hamas unless it accepted Israel's conditions to end the war, chiefly the release of all hostages and disarmament.

"If they do not agree, Gaza, the capital of Hamas, will become Rafah and Beit Hanoun," referring to the two cities that the Israeli army has inflicted heavy destruction in the current war.

Zelensky, NATO chief meet on security guarantees for Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that he discussed security guarantees for Ukraine during a meeting with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte in Kiev.

Following the talks, Zelensky said that Ukraine aims to secure "Article 5-like" guarantees, similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

"The outcome we must achieve: a crystal-clear architecture of which countries assist us on the ground, which are responsible for the security of our skies, which guarantee security at sea and support Ukraine," Zelensky said in a statement on his official website.

Iran, European powers to resume nuclear talks before sanctions deadline

Iran and European powers will resume talks on Tehran's nuclear program and sanctions relief on Tuesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry said, days before a deadline set by France, Britain and Germany to trigger a "snapback" sanctions mechanism.

The decision followed a joint phone call on Friday between Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Britain -- Jean-Noel Barrot, Johann Wadephul and David Lammy -- and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, the ministry said. The meeting will be held at the deputy foreign minister level.

Cambodia, Thailand reaffirm ceasefire commitments

Chiefs of Cambodian and Thai military regions on Friday reaffirmed their strong commitments to implementing a ceasefire reached by both countries recently, the Cambodian Defense Ministry said in a press release.

The reaffirmation was made during an extraordinary meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand Regional Border Committee (RBC) between Cambodia's fifth Military Region and Thailand's first Military Region in Thailand's Sa Kaeo province, the press release said.

M23 confirms delegation in Doha for limited talks with DR Congo gov't

The rebel group March 23 Movement (M23) confirmed Friday that it has dispatched a delegation to Doha, Qatar's capital, for talks with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Speaking at a press conference in Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, which has been under M23 control since late January, M23 political leader Bertrand Bisimwa stressed that the two-member team was tasked "only with discussing the mechanisms for a ceasefire and the release of prisoners."

Putin, Zelensky meeting not planned: Russian FM

There is no meeting planned between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday.

"Putin is ready to meet with Zelensky when the agenda would be ready for a summit, and this agenda is not ready at all," Lavrov told U.S. news outlet NBC.

Lavrov said Russia has agreed to show flexibility on several issues raised by U.S. President Donald Trump during his meeting with Putin in Alaska last week, but suggested Ukraine had hindered the meeting agenda.■