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Gore says 'absurd' to hold UN climate talks in petrostates

US vice president Al Gore told AFP Friday it was "absurd" for petrostates such as Azerbaijan to host UN climate talks, saying the selection process should be overhauled.Mukhtar Babayev, a former oil executive who now serves as Azerbaijan's ecology minister, chairs COP29 in Baku while the country's leader, Ilham Aliyev, caused a stir this week by calling fossil fuels a "gift of the God". It comes after last year's climate talks in the oil-dependent United Arab Emirates -- presided over by the head of its state oil company -- also raised hackles among activists.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Gore says 'absurd' to hold UN climate talks in petrostates

Hamas says 'ready for ceasefire' as Israel presses Gaza campaign

A senior Hamas official on Friday said the group is "ready for a ceasefire" in Gaza, urging US President-elect Donald Trump to "pressure" Israel as it continued to pound the Palestinian territory.It comes nearly a week after Qatar, which hosts much of the Palestinian group's political bureau, announced it was suspending its role as a mediator in the war and urging all parties to show "seriousness".
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Hamas says 'ready for ceasefire' as Israel presses Gaza campaign

Top Iran adviser in Beirut to show support for Lebanon, Hezbollah

A senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met Lebanese officials in Beirut Friday, the third high-profile Iranian solidarity visit since the Israel-Hezbollah war began in September.Speaking after meeting Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament speaker Nabih Berri -- a Hezbollah ally at the forefront of ceasefire negotiations -- Ali Larijani said he "hopes for a swift solution to the suffering of the Lebanese people".
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Top Iran adviser in Beirut to show support for Lebanon, Hezbollah