Officials have indicated that negotiators for the US and Iran have agreed a framework of a deal that would extend their ceasefire for 60 days and launch negotiations on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme. The agreement is yet to be approved by Donald Trump or Iranian leadership.

This announcement follows weeks of conflicting reports from both sides over the progress of negotiations and any potential agreement.

BBC’s Sarah Smith explains why the prospects of a possible peace deal in the US-Iran war could feel like deja vu.

Briefing journalists in Geneva on Friday, Eva Hinds, the UN child agency’s Chief of Communications, described a humanitarian response that is fragile, painstaking and essential, following her return from a 10-day mission to Darfur.

For nearly three years, rival militaries who were former allies have been battling for control of the shattered country, engaged in a brutal civil conflict that has destablised multiple countries bordering Sudan. 

“In Darfur today, reaching a single child can take days of negotiation, security clearances, and travel across sand roads under shifting frontlines,” she said. “Nothing about this crisis is simple: every movement is hard-won, every delivery fragile.”

City built from fear

Ms. Hinds had just returned from Tawila, in North Darfur, where she witnessed what she described as an entire city rebuilt from desperation. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled violence and erected makeshift shelters from sticks, hay and plastic sheeting.

“Over 500,000 to 600,000 people are sheltering there,” she reported. “But standing inside that vast expanse of makeshift shelters was overwhelming. It felt like an entire city uprooted and rebuilt out of necessity and fear.”

Despite the insecurity and logistical hurdles, UNICEF and its partners are still reaching children.

Effective aid operation

In just two weeks, more than 140,000 children were vaccinated, thousands treated for illness and malnutrition, safe water restored to tens of thousands, and temporary classrooms opened.

“It is painstaking, precarious work – delivered one convoy, one clinic, one classroom at a time – but for children in Darfur, it is the thin line between being abandoned and being reached,” Ms Hinds said.

She described meeting Doha, a teenage girl newly arrived from Al Fasher, who dreams of returning to school and one day teaching English. “Her name refers to the soft light just after sunrise,” Ms Hinds said. “She embodies that image – hopeful and determined.”

‘The children are freezing’

At a nutrition site, she met Fatima, a young girl being treated for malnutrition after losing her mother to the conflict.

At a centre for women and girls, mothers spoke of having no food, blankets or warm clothes for their children. “The children are freezing,” one mother told her. “We have nothing to cover them with.”

“These personal stories reflect only a small part of a much wider situation,” Ms Hinds said, stressing that Sudan is now the world’s largest humanitarian emergency, yet one of the least visible.

“What I witnessed is a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding on a massive scale,” she warned.

“Sudan’s children urgently need international attention and decisive action. Without it, the horrors facing the country’s youngest and most vulnerable will only deepen.”

Israeli security forces raided the organisation’s offices in Ramallah and Hebron on 1 December, vandalising property and detaining staff. 

According to OHCHR, people present in the buildings were blindfolded, handcuffed and made to kneel or lie on the floor for several hours. Eight men were detained.

The union (UAWC) is licensed under Palestinian law and has supported farmers and rural communities for decades – particularly those facing settler violence or the threat of forced displacement. 

The group is one of six Palestinian NGOs labelled “terrorist” by Israeli authorities in 2021 under legislation the UN says is overly broad and allows for sweeping, unjustified restrictions on civil society. The rights office stressed that Israel has not presented evidence to back up the allegations.

Most violent olive harvest on record

The raid followed several weeks of harassment and public incitement by Israeli settlers and settler leaders who targeted UAWC during the peak of the olive harvest. This year’s harvest has been the most violent on record: by mid-November, OHCHR had documented 167 settler attacks affecting 87 Palestinian communities.

Violence has increasingly extended beyond farmers themselves. Since 1 October, the UN office has recorded 81 violations by settlers and Israeli security forces against human rights defenders, volunteers providing protective presence, and NGOs supporting communities targeted by settler violence or threatened by settlement expansion. These include 48 arrests or detentions, and 22 physical assaults.

OHCHR said unnecessary or disproportionate force, arbitrary detention, and ill-treatment remain common features of Israeli security operations in the West Bank. 

‘Unlawful annexation’

The cumulative effect, it warned, is a rapid shrinking of both physical and civic space for Palestinians, as settlement expansion and what the UN describes as Israel’s “unlawful annexation” of the territory continue.

Ajith Sunghay, head of OHCHR in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said the international legal position is unequivocal: “Israel must end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and remove all settlers in accordance with the conclusions of the International Court of Justice.”

“As an occupying power, Israel has clear duties under international law,” he added, including respecting and protecting Palestinians’ rights to earn a living and to exercise freedom of expression and association. 

EPA

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is rapidly transforming into a regional technology hub, drawing comparisons to Silicon Valley, thanks to a wave of strategic investments and high-profile initiatives, experts have told Arab News.  

At the heart of this transformation is Project Transcendence, a groundbreaking $100 billion initiative launched in 2024.   

Spearheaded by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund in partnership with Google, the project aims to build a comprehensive artificial intelligence ecosystem within Saudi Arabia.  

The initiative is set to bolster the growth of local tech startups, generate employment opportunities, and foster collaborations with global technology firms — positioning the Kingdom at the forefront of regional innovation.  

Complementing these efforts is the annual LEAP technology conference, which continues to gain international attention. The 2025 edition of the event attracted over 170,000 visitors and secured investments exceeding $14.9 billion, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s growing appeal as a technology and innovation destination.  

These developments are central to the Kingdom’s broader economic reform strategy under Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and reduce its longstanding reliance on oil revenues.  

With strategic initiatives and strong global partnerships, Saudi Arabia is cementing its place as a key player in the global tech landscape.  

Speaking to Arab News, Noor Al-Nahhas, co-founder and CEO of UAE-based software company nybl, said: “Saudi Arabia is rapidly transforming into a global technology hub, driven by Vision 2030’s ambitious agenda. The Kingdom is creating a robust ecosystem for tech startups to thrive while accelerating investments in AI and deep tech — technologies that are critical to furthering the progress of the sector.”   

He added: “With the emerging developments we are seeing in the Kingdom, obstacles are few — this is the Silicon Valley of the Middle East and a rising force in the global tech landscape.”   

Mamdouh Al-Doubayan, managing director of Globant for the Middle East and North Africa region, also echoed similar views. He said that Saudi Arabia’s investments in the digital infrastructure should be supported with key partnerships to achieve the desired results.  

“The Kingdom is making substantial investments in digital infrastructure while fostering an ecosystem that nurtures innovation and entrepreneurship. Key partnerships are pivotal to driving this vision forward,” said Al-Doubayan.   

The crucial SME factor  

Vikas Panchal, general manager, Middle East, for Indian multinational technology company Tally Solutions, told Arab News that small and medium enterprises in Saudi Arabia have a huge role to play as the Kingdom continues its technological evolution journey.   

“Saudi Arabia is rapidly advancing in its digital transformation journey, with SMEs playing a pivotal role in this evolution. The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 has placed technology and digitalization at the forefront of economic diversification, fostering a pro-business environment where SMEs are seen to continuously succeed in,” said Panchal.   

He added that government-backed programs like Monsha’at’s SME support initiatives as well as investments in AI, fintech and e-commerce are equipping businesses with scalable digital tools, thus allowing them to compete on a global scale.   

“With streamlined business regulations and a growing interest in pursuing tech-driven efficiencies, Saudi Arabia is on track to becoming a global tech hub,” Panchal added.  

Homegrown innovation   

Amid these advancements, experts also highlighted potential challenges that Saudi Arabia may encounter as it strives to establish itself as a global tech destination.  

Al-Doubayan noted that while the Kingdom is making significant progress in digital transformation, addressing certain challenges will be crucial to ensuring sustainable growth.  

He pointed out that one of the key obstacles Saudi Arabia may face is building a robust talent pipeline to support the burgeoning tech sector.  

“While the Kingdom invests in education and training, attracting and retaining skilled professionals in a competitive global landscape remains critical,” said Al-Doubayan, adding: “Additionally, navigating regulatory frameworks and ensuring a supportive environment for innovation can be complex, especially as the country seeks to balance rapid technological advancement with traditional practices.”  

Panchal said that some of the challenges faced by the Kingdom include costs for digital transformation, especially among SMEs in the Kingdom.  

 “While large corporations are quickly embracing AI and automation, many SMEs still face challenges in transitioning from traditional to digital operations. The lack of expertise in adopting cloud-based financial management, tax automation, and real-time accounting can slow down their competitiveness,” said Panchal.   

He added: “For some SMEs, the initial cost of transitioning to fully digital operations can be a challenging feat. By empowering SMEs with affordable, easy-to-use technology solutions, Saudi Arabia can overcome these hurdles and accelerate toward its goal of achieving a truly tech-driven economy.”   

Al-Doubayan also expressed similar views and said that some companies are facing the risk of infrastructural limitations, as developing the necessary digital and physical infrastructure to support ambitious projects can be both time-consuming and costly.  

Al-Nahhas said that Saudi Arabia should strengthen its AI capabilities to truly achieve its tech ambitions in the future.   

“One critical factor to consider is the speed at which the global AI race is evolving. This will be a vital aspect to remain cognizant of as Saudi Arabia pushes forward in pursuit of meeting its Vision 2030 goals,” said the nybl CEO.  

He added that Saudi Arabia should try to develop its local ecosystem for technological innovation rather than importing it from other nations.   

“A striking example is DeepSeek, which in a short span has developed an AI model capable of rivalling those from Silicon Valley and disrupts the sector in unprecedented ways,” said Al-Nahhas.   

DeepSeek, a chatbot developed by China, uses advanced large language models and was first launched on Jan. 10.   

Upon its release, it quickly outpaced ChatGPT, becoming the most downloaded freeware app on the iOS App Store in the US.   

The impressive performance of DeepSeek, coupled with its relatively low cost, has made waves globally, challenging the dominance of US-based AI models.   

Thanks to its Natural Language Processing technologies, DeepSeek is able to understand, interpret, and generate human language more effectively, resulting in a 60 percent reduction in irrelevant search results compared to traditional search engines.  

Al-Nahhas added: “This highlights the sheer speed of innovation in the tech sector, but also raises a fundamental question: ‘Why should we import tech when we have the resources and vision to create it in the Kingdom?’ To truly lead, Saudi Arabia must double down on homegrown innovation — over-reliance on external solutions risks dependency and could slow progress.”  

During the recent LEAP conference, held in Riyadh from Feb. 9 to Feb. 12, Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha also talked about DeepSeek and said that it is beating all AI models.   

“We have to celebrate the ChatGPT moment of 2022, but we also have to appreciate the DeepSeek moment. The world does not need polarization in the intelligent age. We need to work collectively to celebrate these advancements, where DeepSeek so far is beating all AI models,” the minister said.   

Al-Nahhas added that Saudi Arabia has a massive opportunity to set global benchmarks by developing AI and deep tech in-house, and can ensure that technology is not just made for the Kingdom, but can be exported worldwide, contributing to the growth of the country’s economy.   

“Competing on the global stage requires a mindset shift: Saudi Arabia is not just a consumer of technology, we are creators, driving the next wave of innovation from the Kingdom to the world,” said Al-Nahhas.   

Dhruv Verma, founder and CEO of Thriwe, a tech-driven benefits as a platform company which expanded its presence to Saudi Arabia in 2023, said that stringent data protection laws may pose hurdles for foreign tech companies, making long-term private sector engagement vital for sustainable growth.   

“As digitalization accelerates, the risk of cyber threats and data breaches increases, emphasizing the need for robust cybersecurity measures and cross-border collaborations,” said Verma.   

Arun Bruce, CEO of Dubai-based management consultancy firm TransformationX, told Arab News that Saudi Arabia should strengthen its startup ecosystem to ensure that the technology sector will thrive long term.   

He also echoed the views of Al-Nahhas that the Kingdom should avoid over-dependence on international technologies, and should develop advanced innovations locally.   

“The tech startup scene in KSA is certainly strengthening  — with multiple accelerators and government initiatives — but still has some way to go as it competes with global and regional startup hubs,” said Bruce.   

He added: “As Saudi Arabia seeks to grow, localizing its tech inputs becomes important. Companies like PIF-backed ALAT are certainly taking the Kingdom in the right direction.” 

An update from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said that in the last two days alone, “six attempts to deliver life-saving assistance to besieged areas in North Gaza governorate were blocked”.

The missions on Tuesday and Wednesday had aimed to bring food and water to Jabalia, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, along with protection and psychosocial support for children deeply traumatized by 13 months of bombardment.

“People are trapped in residential buildings, they are hiding from the ongoing military operations around them, they are running out of food,” said Louise Wateridge, senior emergency officer with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

In comments to the media, Ms. Wateridge relayed testimonies from staff and people in the north who described seeing dead bodies in the streets, and a near total absence of emergency healthcare provision which had forced people to use donkey carts to reach barely functioning hospitals.

Almost all of Gaza forced to move

According to OCHA, approximately 79 per cent of the Gaza Strip remains under active evacuation orders. “Palestinians continue to be directed to areas in and around Al Mawasi, in southern Gaza, that lack basic infrastructure and essential services,” the UN aid agency said.

Latest data from the Gazan health authorities indicated that at least 43,736 people have been killed and 103,370 wounded in Israeli military attacks since 7 October 2023, with 24 Palestinians killed and 112 wounded in the last 24 hours.

Equivalent to two nuclear bombs

The development came as a UN General Assembly special panel condemned the Israeli military’s tactics in Gaza since war erupted, following the “horrific” Hamas-led terror attacks on 7 October on multiple Israeli targets that killed some 1,250 people and left more than 250 taken hostage.

Covering the period from October 2023 to July this year, a report from the panel maintained that Gaza had been hit by some 25,000 tonnes of explosives – equivalent to two nuclear bombs – by early 2024.

The massive destruction that has been the result – along with the collapse of water and sanitation systems, agricultural devastation and toxic pollution – are “consistent with the characteristics of genocide” and will have an impact on the health of Gazans for generations, insisted the report’s authors.

“The Israeli military’s use of AI-assisted targeting, with minimal human oversight, combined with heavy bombs, underscores Israel’s disregard of its obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants and take adequate safeguards to prevent civilian deaths,” said the UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories.

‘Starvation as a method of war’

“Through its siege over Gaza, obstruction of humanitarian aid, alongside targeted attacks and killing of civilians and aid workers, despite repeated UN appeals, binding orders from the International Court of Justice and resolutions of the Security Council, Israel is intentionally causing death, starvation and serious injury, using starvation as a method of war and inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian population,” the Committee maintained.

Palestinian women mocked and shamed

On the ground in Gaza, Israeli soldiers were also found to have engaged in “dehumanising, cruel and humiliating behaviour towards Palestinians, including women and children”, the committee said, alleging that troops had shared photos on social media of Palestinian women “aimed at mocking, shaming and humiliating them”.

The panel was established by the UN General Assembly in December 1968 to examine the human rights situation in the occupied Syrian Golan, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

The Committee’s Member States – Malaysia, Senegal and Sri Lanka – called on Israel and Palestinian armed groups “to urgently agree to a lasting ceasefire, release all hostages as well as detainees held arbitrarily”. provide unfettered ICRC access to those in detention and open all border crossings to allow life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza at scale.

End ‘smear campaign’ against UNRWA

The panel also condemned the “ongoing smear campaign” against the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and expressed concern at the “deliberate silencing of reporting” on the conflict in Gaza. It said that “escalating media censorship” by Israel and the “suppression of dissent and targeting of journalists” were “deliberate efforts to block global access to information”.

The Committee also insisted that social media companies had “disproportionately removed ‘pro-Palestinian content’, in comparison with posts inciting violence against Palestinians”. Its report will be presented to the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly on 18 November 2024.

Rich in oil resources, the Abyei area straddles the border between Sudan and South Sudan and is claimed by both sides.

“The war in the Sudan continues to have a profound impact on the security, economic and humanitarian situations in both the Sudan and South Sudan, including in the Abyei box,” Martha Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa at the UN Department of Peace Operations, told ambassadors on the Security Council.

Since the brutal power struggle between rival militaries in Sudan began last April, Abyei and its neighbours have grappled with disruptions in oil production and surging refugee arrivals.

These setbacks have left already stretched resources in South Sudan under greater strain, with thousands of refugees enduring extreme shortages of clean water, food, and healthcare services.

The Security Council first authorized a peacekeeping force there in June 2011, a few weeks before South Sudan became the world’s youngest independent nation.

Proliferation of weapons

Ms. Pobee also highlighted continued proliferation of arms and heightened tensions, as observed with the recent incursion of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) combatants into Abyei’s Aman-Aguak and Mijak counties, with reports of looting.

“The movement of armed groups is also compounding the fragile security situation in South Sudan and Abyei, particularly in relation to the pre-existing tensions between the Twic Mayardit and Ngok Dinka communities across Warrap state and Abyei,” she said.

Extreme weather has added to the woes. In September and October alone, heavy rains displaced over 18,000 people in Abyei, destroying homes, crops, and vital infrastructure while exacerbating the region’s public health risks.

Communal tensions

The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has continued its efforts to foster intercommunal dialogue and resolve tensions, notably through facilitating pre and post-migration conferences in Noong in central Abyei in December 2023 and May 2024 while ensuring the inclusion of key groups including women and young people.

In addition, with reports that leaders of the Arab Misseriya group have declared support for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which is battling the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Sudan, UNISFA is monitoring the situation and its potential implications for Abyei, Ms. Pobee said.

Tensions between Ngok Dinka and Twic Dinka communities also remained high, with sporadic violence only mitigated by mobility challenges posed by the rainy season.

The continued presence of South Sudanese security personnel within Abyei, which violates a 2011 agreement between Sudan and South Sudan, has also strained relations and led to restrictions on UNISFA’s movement.

Meanwhile, UNISFA continues to facilitate the delivery of aid with UN agencies providing critical services such as health, nutrition and livelihood skills to Abyei residents – efforts that are integral to establishing long-term peace and stability in the region.

Stalled talks

As political uncertainty persists, dialogue between Sudan and South Sudan regarding Abyei’s final status and border issues remains stalled.

UNISFA’s efforts to convene the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee and the Joint Political and Security Mechanism – crucial forums for advancing peace in the region – have made little progress, with their last meetings held in 2017 and January 2023, respectively.

To bolster Abyei’s security in the absence of the agreed Abyei Police Service, Ms. Pobee underscored the need for the full deployment of UN police forces.

“At a time of increased need for such support, the deployment of the full 148 individual police officers and three formed police units as mandated by the Security Council is dearly needed,” Ms. Pobee said.

“We ask you, the Security Council members, to reiterate your support by echoing UNISFA’s ongoing calls to the host countries to enable the fully mandated UN police deployment.”