November 1, 2023

*) Rafah crossing to Egypt opens for the first time since war began Scores of foreign passport holders trapped in Gaza started leaving the war-torn territory as the Rafah crossing to Egypt opened for the first time since the Israeli war on Gaza began on October 7, AFP correspondents reported. Convoys of desperately needed aid have passed between Egypt and Gaza but no people have been allowed to cross. Some 400 foreigners and dual nationals along with some 90 sick and wounded were expected to leave. *) One year on: Despite peace holding on, many Tigrayans struggle to find their feet One year after Ethiopia signed a peace deal with the Tigray People's Liberation Front, ending a brutal conflict that killed hundreds of thousands by some estimates, life in the northern region is slowly limping back to normal. But many Tigrayans say that they were struggling to find their feet after the November 2022 peace agreement, some losing their homes and livelihoods to the war, others grieving family members killed in the conflict. A million people remain displaced across the region, according to the International Organization for Migration, with around 234,000 in Tigray's capital Mekele. *) Bolivia severs ties with Israel as Colombia, Chile recall envoys over Gaza Bolivia has said it had broken diplomatic ties with Israel because of its attacks on Gaza, while neighbours Colombia and Chile recalled their ambassadors to the Middle Eastern country for consultations. The three countries called for a ceasefire, with Bolivia and Chile pushing for the passage of humanitarian aid into the zone and accusing Israel of violating international law. In response, Israel slammed Bolivia's decision to cut diplomatic ties over its war in Gaza after a deadly Hamas attack as a capitulation to "terror". Other Latin American countries, such as Mexico and Brazil, have also called for a ceasefire. *) Live blog: Ukraine reports most extensive Russian shelling this year Ukraine has said that Russia had shelled more than 100 settlements ov