Syria's foreign minister held a rare meeting with an Israeli delegation in Paris, report says
BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's foreign minister held a rare meeting with an Israeli delegation in Paris on Tuesday, the Syrian state-run news agency reported. The talks were brokered by the United States, which has been pushing for Syria and Israel to normalize relations, the report said.
The SANA news agency said Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met with Israeli officials to discuss de-escalating tensions and restoring a 1974 ceasefire agreement.
Syrian officials have acknowledged holding indirect talks with Israel to defuse tensions. There was no immediate confirmation of such a meeting from Israel.
Tensions have soared between the two neighboring countries following the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad in December. Israeli forces seized control of a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in Syria shortly after Assad's overthrow and carried out airstrikes on military sites in what officials said was aimed at creating a demilitarized zone south of Damascus.
Israel has said it will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves along the frontier, as Iranian-backed groups did during Assad's rule. It distrusts Syria's new government, which is led by former Islamist insurgents.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaida commander who severed ties with the militant group years ago, has pledged to build a new country that respects the rights of minorities, but sectarian violence has erupted on a number of occasions, raising concerns about the country's fragile transition.
Israel stepped up its intervention when violence erupted in Syria's Sweida province last month between Bedouin clans and government forces on one side and armed groups from the Druze religious minority on the other.
The conflict then prompted airstrikes against Syrian forces by Israel in defense of the Druze before a truce — mediated by the U.S., Turkey and Arab countries — halted most of the fighting.
Israel said it was acting to protect t he Druze, who are seen as a loyal minority in Israel and often serve in the military. Israel launched dozens of airstrikes on convoys of Syrian forces around Sweida and struck the headquarters of the Syrian Ministry of Defense in the heart of Damascus, Syria's capital.
Israels seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed the strategic plateau in a move that has only been recognized by the United States. The rest of the international community views the Golan as occupied Syrian territory.
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Best known for his secret relationship with Gladys Berejiklian while she was NSW premier, Maguire was sentenced to a non-parole period of five months on Wednesday. The former NSW MP was found guilty of giving misleading evidence at an Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry into a Sydney council in 2018. But Maguire was granted bail about an hour after being taken into custody on Wednesday. An appeal has been launched against his conviction and the sentence imposed. Read more from AAP here. Former MP Daryl Maguire was earlier sentenced for misleading a corruption probe about potential profits from a major property deal, but has now been released on bail about an hour later. Best known for his secret relationship with Gladys Berejiklian while she was NSW premier, Maguire was sentenced to a non-parole period of five months on Wednesday. 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Someone should turn a light on.'" The lights were already on," he told the BBC. Calum, like other survivors, is now pushing for increased awareness about methanol poisoning, which can occur when corners are cut in the production of spirits. One of the survivors of the mass methanol poisoning in Laos last year that claimed the lives of two Australian teens has revealed he's blind The tragedy in November 2024 left six people dead and made headlines around the world. Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, two best friends from Melbourne, were among those who lost their lives. Brit Calum Macdonald was one of the hostel guests to drink free shots in the party town of Vang Vieng. A day later arriving in Vietnam, he knew something was seriously wrong. "We were sitting in the hotel room, my friends and I, and I said to them: 'Why are we sitting in the dark? Someone should turn a light on.'" The lights were already on," he told the BBC. 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The Queensland government is weighing up changes to how young people in the state obtain their driver's licence, saying the 100-hour supervised driving rule is leaving some at a disadvantage. "Many young people are disadvantaged because they don't have access to be able to do those 100 hours. We're looking at that piece of work at the moment," Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg said, the ABC reported. Drivers under 25 are required to complete 100 hours of supervised driving before they obtain their provisional licence. With fulfilling the requirement reliant on someone's access to a vehicle, Mickelberg said the government was keen to ensure everyone who wants a licence had a viable path to do so. Daryl Maguire jailed over misleading evidence at inquiry Disgraced ex-MP Daryl Maguire has been jailed after he was found guilty of giving misleading evidence to ICAC. 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'The community is entitled to expect that those who hold power will conduct themselves with integrity,' she said. Read more from NewsWire here. Disgraced ex-MP Daryl Maguire has been jailed after he was found guilty of giving misleading evidence to ICAC. Maguire, 66, appeared at Sydney Central District Court on Wednesday after he was in June found guilty by a magistrate of one count of giving false or misleading evidence at a public inquiry. The former Wagga Wagga MP had pleaded not guilty to the charge, which related to his evidence before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in July 2018. On Wednesday, Magistrate Clare Farnan sentenced him to a 10-month jail term. He was soon put in handcuffs and taken into custody. He will be eligible for parole in January. In sentencing, Ms Farnan told the court the misleading evidence given by Maguire concerned his dealings with a multimillion-dollar property development. 'The evidence there was nothing in it for him was misleading … and he was to receive a commission if the property was to be sold,' she said. Ms Farnan said Maguire was 'clearly trying to protect his reputation among other things'. 'The community is entitled to expect that those who hold power will conduct themselves with integrity,' she said. Read more from NewsWire here. WA Police defends attempts to catch criminals by leaving e-scooters around WA Police has defended placing e-scooters at shopping centres as part of an operation to catch thieves. A police spokesperson told the ABC the e-scooters were previously seized or forfeited, and that the tactic in Perth was "lawful". "WA Police use a range of lawful tactics to deter and detect crime through covert and overt means aimed at reducing theft and keeping the community safe," they said. But human rights law expert Dr Hannah McGlade said the operation was "very questionable policing practice". "Why would the police be trying to encourage people to actually commit an offence of stealing?" she asked when speaking with the public broadcaster. WA Police has defended placing e-scooters at shopping centres as part of an operation to catch thieves. A police spokesperson told the ABC the e-scooters were previously seized or forfeited, and that the tactic in Perth was "lawful". "WA Police use a range of lawful tactics to deter and detect crime through covert and overt means aimed at reducing theft and keeping the community safe," they said. But human rights law expert Dr Hannah McGlade said the operation was "very questionable policing practice". "Why would the police be trying to encourage people to actually commit an offence of stealing?" she asked when speaking with the public broadcaster. Australia hits back at scathing Netanyahu attack Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke has unleashed on Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli leader called Anthony Albanese a 'weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews'. Burke, who is at the centre of the diplomatic stoush, was one of the first senior government officials to front media on Wednesday. He said that Netanyahu's definition of 'weak' was off. 'Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry,' Burke told the ABC. 'Strength is much better measured by exactly what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has done, which is when there's a decision that we know Israel won't like, he goes straight to Benjamin Netanyahu. 'He has the conversation.' The 'conversation' Mr Burke referred to was a phone call the Prime Minister had with his Israeli counterpart before announcing he would recognise Palestinian statehood. The call did little to soften the blow, with the Israeli government saying the decision 'rewarded' Hamas — the Palestinian Islamist group that runs Gaza. - NewsWire Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke has unleashed on Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli leader called Anthony Albanese a 'weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews'. Burke, who is at the centre of the diplomatic stoush, was one of the first senior government officials to front media on Wednesday. He said that Netanyahu's definition of 'weak' was off. 'Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry,' Burke told the ABC. 'Strength is much better measured by exactly what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has done, which is when there's a decision that we know Israel won't like, he goes straight to Benjamin Netanyahu. 'He has the conversation.' The 'conversation' Mr Burke referred to was a phone call the Prime Minister had with his Israeli counterpart before announcing he would recognise Palestinian statehood. The call did little to soften the blow, with the Israeli government saying the decision 'rewarded' Hamas — the Palestinian Islamist group that runs Gaza. - NewsWire Fans' one big question as Lynne McGranger farewelled Home and Away bid farewell to one of its most beloved characters in Tuesday night's episode as Irene Roberts, played by Lynne McGranger, left Summer Bay for good. But after 33 years on the show, some viewers were left feeling a little underwhelmed, suggesting more big names should have turned up in the final episode. 'Is it just me, or are others disappointed in who was there to say goodbye. I thought a lot more of the cast would have been included. Lot of strange faces but not a lot of Irene's friends,' one person wrote. Read more from Yahoo's Lachlan Guertin here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ada Nicodemou (@adanicodemou) Home and Away bid farewell to one of its most beloved characters in Tuesday night's episode as Irene Roberts, played by Lynne McGranger, left Summer Bay for good. But after 33 years on the show, some viewers were left feeling a little underwhelmed, suggesting more big names should have turned up in the final episode. 'Is it just me, or are others disappointed in who was there to say goodbye. I thought a lot more of the cast would have been included. Lot of strange faces but not a lot of Irene's friends,' one person wrote. Read more from Yahoo's Lachlan Guertin here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ada Nicodemou (@adanicodemou) BoM 'concerned' by amount of rain Well its another wet morning for millions across Australia's east coast. And the Bureau of Meteorology says its "concerned" by the sheer amount of rain falling in some parts. Senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said increasing rain across parts of NSW and Queensland would become more widespread over the coming days as weather systems combined. 'That is two to three days of rainfall in areas that are already wet and saturated,' he said. 'We can see widespread falls across much of northern NSW in that 50 to 100mm range, with isolated falls in excess of 150mm which is why we're concerned." Well its another wet morning for millions across Australia's east coast. And the Bureau of Meteorology says its "concerned" by the sheer amount of rain falling in some parts. Senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said increasing rain across parts of NSW and Queensland would become more widespread over the coming days as weather systems combined. 'That is two to three days of rainfall in areas that are already wet and saturated,' he said. 'We can see widespread falls across much of northern NSW in that 50 to 100mm range, with isolated falls in excess of 150mm which is why we're concerned." Netanyahu blasts Albanese as 'weak' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has escalated tensions with Australia by branding Anthony Albanese a "weak politician". It comes after Albanese declared Australia would recognise a Palestinian state in response to large-scale civilian suffering in Gaza which he said needed to end. "History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews," Netanyahu said in a scathing attack on the prime minister. While not the first criticism of Albanese's decision from Israel, it is a significant blow to rapidly-deteriorating ties between the two countries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has escalated tensions with Australia by branding Anthony Albanese a "weak politician". 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