Author: France 24

Israel and Hamas dispute the details of a new hostage release deal, with Hamas saying it has approved a list of 34 hostages presented by Israel, and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office denying it has received the list. The dispute comes at the end of a weekend of intense Israeli airstrikes that have left more than 100 people dead.

Israel has confirmed the resumption of indirect talks with Hamas in Qatar aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage release deal for Gaza, where health officials say Israeli strikes killed more than 80 people over the past 24 hours. 

The Golden Globes will return on Sunday with drug thriller “Emilia Perez” leading with 10 nominations, putting it ahead of other contenders like musical smash “Wicked” and postwar epic “The Brutalist”. 

Israeli strikes killed at least 26 people, including eight children, across the Gaza Strip, Gaza’s civil defence agency said Saturday. The ongoing Israel-Hamas war, now in its second year, has resulted in the deaths of some 45,717 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave.

Alcoholic drinks should have labels warning consumers that they cause cancer, the United States’ top government doctor said on Friday. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said the connection between cancer and alcohol has been known for decades, “yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk”.

Syria has restricted entry for Lebanese citizens, two security sources from Lebanon said on Friday, after Lebanese soldiers and armed Syrians clashed over the closure of a border crossing.

The next 12 months in the French capital are set to provide a wealth of cultural highlights, from an immersive Picasso exhibit at the Atelier des Lumières to a retrospective of the works of American director Wes Anderson and even a call to the dancefloor with the Paris Philharmonic’s exploration of disco.

On his first official visit to Saudi Arabia since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shibani said he hoped to open a “new, bright page” in bilateral relations. Syria’s new leaders are focused on rebuilding their war-shattered country amid Saudi concerns over the trafficking of captagon, a narcotic produced under the Assad regime in large quantities.

Smokers in Italy’s financial and fashion capital of Milan risk being fined for lighting up on city streets or crowded public areas, after the country’s toughest ban comes into effect Wednesday. Those who defy the new prohibition in the polluted northern Italian city could be fined between 40 to 240 euros ($41 to $249), a punishment that does not sit well with all residents.

Bernard Arnault, France’s richest man and the billionaire head of luxury group LVMH, is set to take the witness stand in a Paris court in the trial of Bernard Squarcini, the former head of France’s domestic intelligence agency. Squarcini is accused of using his contacts and influence for private gain by providing confidential information to Arnault, his main client. Plus, it’s Thanksgiving Thursday but many Americans are finding it harder to host a traditional holiday dinner due to rising prices, especially of eggs.