CAIRO, Nov. 19 — Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a phone conversation on Tuesday, during which they emphasized the urgent need to build upon the recent UN Security Council resolution concerning the Gaza Strip.

The leaders stressed that this follow-up is essential to solidify the existing ceasefire and achieve further de-escalation in Gaza, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.

On Monday, the UN Security Council adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution endorsing the creation of an international stabilization force (ISF) in Gaza.

The resolution authorizes UN member states and the Board of Peace, a transitional administration in Gaza that will coordinate reconstruction efforts, to establish a temporary ISF in Gaza to carry out its mandate consistent with international law.

Countries will contribute personnel to the force “in close consultation and cooperation” with Egypt and Israel. In their talks, Sisi and Starmer underscored the significance of building upon the Sharm El-Sheikh summit, held in Egypt in October, to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and the swift beginning of the reconstruction process.

For his part, Starmer reiterated the need to deliver sufficient quantities of humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip and to take all necessary measures in this regard, including encouraging more international humanitarian relief organizations to work toward achieving this goal.

Meanwhile, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said on Tuesday that the recent UN Security Council resolution on the Gaza Strip represents the “beginning of the road, not its end.”

In a statement, Aboul-Gheit emphasized that substantial work across all levels is required in the immediate future to translate the resolution’s provisions into tangible actions that will positively impact the lives of the Palestinian people.

The Arab League chief also highlighted the resolution’s fundamental reference to a reliable path that leads directly to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. (Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 18 — Nearly half of the global population of 8.2 billion live in cities across the world today, according to a UN report released Tuesday.

The World Urbanization Prospects 2025: Summary of Results showed that the world has become increasingly urban, with the number of people living in cities having more than doubled to 45 percent since 1950, when only 20 percent of the world’s 2.5 billion people lived in cities.

The number of megacities, urban areas with 10 million or more inhabitants, has quadrupled from eight in 1975 to 33 in 2025, with 19 of them located in Asia.

The report, released by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, showed that Indonesia’s Jakarta is currently the world’s most populous city with nearly 42 million residents. The number of megacities is expected to rise to 37 by 2050.

Despite the prominence of megacities, the report finds that small and medium-sized cities are home to more people than megacities and are growing at a faster pace, particularly in Africa and Asia. Of the 12,000 cities analyzed, 96 percent have fewer than 1 million inhabitants, and 81 percent have fewer than 250,000.

The total number of cities worldwide more than doubled between 1975 and 2025, and projections indicate that by 2050, the number of cities worldwide could exceed 15,000, with most having populations below 250,000.

Meanwhile, the share of the global population living in towns declined gradually from 40 percent in 1950 to 36 percent in 2025, and rural communities are home to just 19 percent of the global population, said the report.

Towns, defined as population clusters of at least 5,000 inhabitants and a density of at least 300 people per square kilometer, are the most common settlement type in 71 countries, while rural areas remain the most common settlement type in 62 countries today, down from 116 in 1975.

“As governments convene at COP30 to advance global climate commitments, the United Nations underscores the pivotal role of urbanization in driving sustainable development and climate resilience across all settlement types,” said UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua.

“Urbanization is a defining force of our time. When managed inclusively and strategically, it can unlock transformative pathways for climate action, economic growth, and social equity.

To achieve balanced territorial development, countries must adopt integrated national policies that align housing, land use, mobility, and public services across urban and rural areas,” Li said. (Xinhua)

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Nov. 18 — At least 13 people were killed and several others injured on Tuesday evening in an Israeli airstrike on the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported.

According to local TV channel al-Manar, the Israeli airstrike targeted a highly populated area in Ain al-Hilweh. The channel reported that ambulances were transporting casualties to hospitals, while Israeli warplanes continued to fly at low altitude over the camp.

For its part, the Israeli military said in a statement that the strike targeted militants “operating in a Hamas training compound” in the Ain al-Hilweh area, adding that the site had been used to plan and conduct attacks against Israeli troops.

“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is operating against Hamas’ presence in Lebanon and will continue to act against Hamas terrorists wherever they operate,” the statement said. (Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 18 — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for regional unity to fight terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel.

The security situation in West Africa and the Sahel is growing more critical by the day, he told a Security Council meeting on peace consolidation in West Africa.

This regional crisis demands a regional response, one that is unified, coherent and consensus based, Guterres said, adding that now is the time for dialogue and collaboration among all countries to strengthen the security and political cooperation architecture in the region.

Guterres also warned of the lack of dedicated financial resources to coordinate an appropriate regional response to terrorism, as well as the lack of strong financial support for humanitarian response plans in the region.

There is also a need for a coherent development strategy to address the root causes of terrorism, he said. Terrorists thrive where the social contract is broken, Guterres said, adding that when families are trapped in poverty and young people have no access to education or work, extremism gains ground.

When governance fails, where development stalls, where public services break down, where human rights are violated, where communities are marginalized, where citizens no longer have faith in their institutions, terrorists are finding ways to exploit people’s grievances, he noted.

“Repairing these fractures, investing in broad-based development, and transforming despair into opportunity is our strongest defense against radicalization,” he said. (Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 18 — UN humanitarians said Tuesday they are fast-tracking aid funds for Gaza following recent torrential rains and ahead of the approaching winter.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that Ramiz Alakbarov, humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, has released 18 million U.S. dollars from a fund to support critical relief operations across Gaza.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said Monday during a visit to Sudan that Palestinians across Gaza are cold and soaked following the recent rains, adding that frustration is growing as floods rise and what little people have is destroyed.

Fletcher reiterated that the United Nations and its partners are mobilizing to help, but much more is needed, adding that the remaining access restrictions in Gaza must be lifted to secure more aid urgently.

OCHA said that UN and its aid partners remain committed to providing life-saving support, including shelter, as humanitarian actors in the UN-coordinated aid system continue to distribute tents, tarpaulins and other essential items to affected families, and assess people’s needs to guide the response.

The funds released by Alakbarov allow partners to move ahead with more than 30 planned projects covering everything from food and nutrition to water, health, shelter, protection and other essential support, the office said.

As of Sunday, OCHA said that the number of operational health service points in Gaza had risen to 219, up from fewer than 200 in October.

The 22 new service points are 12 primary health care centers, six medical points, and four hospitals in the northern governorates.

The office said that more than 7,000 children under the age of 3 have been vaccinated during the first five days of the vaccination campaign launched on Nov. 9.

Partners providing food assistance reported that on Saturday, more than 1.3 million meals were distributed by more than two dozen partners through 195 kitchens, said OCHA. (Xinhua)

LONDON, Nov. 18 — The British Home Office on Monday unveiled a sweeping overhaul of the country’s asylum system, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood warning that the current framework is in “crisis.”

Under the new policy paper, people granted asylum will be required to wait 20 years before becoming eligible to apply for permanent settlement in the United Kingdom (UK).

Earlier applications may be permitted for those who arrive through “safe and legal routes” and can demonstrate verified contributions to British society.

The Home Office also plans to impose visa penalties on countries that fail to cooperate with the UK on returning rejected asylum seekers.

In her statement to the House of Commons, Mahmood singled out Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, urging them to “comply with international rules and norms.”

The department said it would move ahead with domestic reforms to the application of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, aiming to close what it described as “loopholes” that allow “failed asylum seekers to make unlimited and free Article 8 claims to slow down their impending removal.”

Refugees’ access to benefits will be prioritised for those who make economic contributions, and they will receive 30 months’ leave to remain, which will only be renewed if they are still deemed to require protection, according to the department.

According to Home Office figures, between June 2024 and June 2025, a total of 58,000 asylum claims were refused, while fewer than 11,000 people were removed from the country. (Xinhua)