It was meant to be a day of revelry and high jinks for Jews, but Jerusalem's Purim parade Monday struck a more sombre note, with some relatives of hostages held in Gaza even trying to stop it.

Sharon Kalderon, whose brother-in-law Ofer Kalderon,53, was kidnapped from the Nir Oz kibbutz community near Gaza during the October 7 attack by Hamas, first opposed the celebrations.

But then she and other relatives of the hostages agreed to lead it.

"We tried to cancel it, it didn't succeed. So we are here for them, reminding them we are in the front," she told AFP.

Iraq, fighting a booming currency black market, has considerably increased overseas dollar transactions through the official global SWIFT system, the Central Bank vice governor said on Monday.

With dollars dominating the country's economy, Baghdad has imposed a series of restrictions on the use of American greenbacks domestically.

At the end of 2022 the country's bankings sector also adopted the international financial messaging system known as SWIFT as part of the reforms, to help tackle money laundering and ensure respect for international sanctions.

A decade before it hosts football's World Cup, the size of the task facing Saudi Arabia is becoming apparent, including building stadiums, hotels and transport links.

As the only bidder, Saudi Arabia was anointed host of the 2034 World Cup last October by FIFA.

Infrastructure is the initial concern for the oil-rich kingdom, which is snapping up high-profile sports events in an attempt to sweep away its conservative image and entice foreign investment.

After more than five months of war, the UN Security Council for the first time Monday demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after the United States, Israel's ally which vetoed previous drafts, abstained.

Drawing applause in the normally staid Security Council, all 14 other members voted in favor of the resolution which "demands an immediate ceasefire" for the ongoing Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

After more than five months of war, the UN Security Council for the first time Monday demanded an immediate ceasefire after the United States, Israel's ally which vetoed previous drafts, abstained.

Drawing unusual applause in the often staid Security Council, all 14 other members voted in favor of the resolution which "demands an immediate ceasefire" for the ongoing Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The resolution calls for the truce to lead to a "lasting, sustainable ceasefire" and demands that Hamas and other militants free hostages seized on October 7.

Israel reacted angrily on Monday to the first UN Security Council vote to demand an "immediate ceasefire" in the Gaza war, after its closest ally the United States abstained, while fighting raged in the Palestinian territory.

After the vote, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres led calls for the resolution to be implemented.

"Failure would be unforgivable," he wrote on social media platform X.

The UN Security Council will vote Monday on a new draft resolution on an "immediate" ceasefire in Gaza, after Russia and China vetoed an earlier text proposed by the United States.

The Council has been divided over the Israel-Hamas war since the October 7 attacks, approving only two of eight resolutions, with both dealing mainly with humanitarian aid to the devastated Gaza Strip.

Permanent Council member and key Israel backer the United States has unequivocally supported Israel's right to defend itself following Hamas's unprecedented attacks.

The faithful walked slowly in a procession past the stone facade of Gaza's only Catholic church on Palm Sunday, gathering to pray for peace as war raged around them.

Holy Family Church's tranquil courtyard, filled with dozens of children and older people, belied the humanitarian crisis happening beyond its gates in Gaza City.

Inside the church, worshippers in their dress clothes lined the wooden pews decorated with palm fronds for the service marking the start of Easter week.

Fatih Macoglu, the popular "Communist Mayor" of a city in eastern Turkey, is now vying for control of a vibrant and hip Istanbul district along the Asian banks of the Bosphorus.

In 2019, he was elected mayor of Tunceli, a majority Kurdish Alevi city in eastern Anatolia known for being extremely secular and left-leaning.

During his five-year term, he won plaudits for knocking down the doors of his office as a form of transparency.

After four years of drought, Iraqi farmer Mohammed Sami was about to abandon his father's parched land, but then a water-saving irrigation system revived his crops and his hopes.

He is among hundreds of farmers in the country battered by heatwaves, scarce rain and depleted rivers to benefit from new water management systems brought by the UN World Food Programme.

The systems use automated sprinklers and drip irrigation to ensure scarce water is used in the most efficient way and is not lost as run-off or evaporated under the blazing sun.