By Ariba Shahid, Mohammad Yunus Yawar and Sayed Hassib
KARACHI/BAMBA KOT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Earthquakes that flattened villages in eastern Afghanistan this month destroyed homes and livestock, the only assets owned by most families, leaving survivors with almost nothing to rebuild as aid runs thin.
By Gram Slattery, Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Less than four months ago, President Donald Trump met withthe leader of Qatar, praising his opulent palace and signing a sweeping defense agreement with the Gulf monarchy, a key ally that hosts the biggest U.S. base in the Middle East.
Israel's surprise attack on Tuesday against Hamas leaders in Doha has jolted that relationship, angering Trump and drawing fierce condemnation from Doha and Western allies.
The pipes of a medieval organ, buried for centuries and discovered near the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, are once more filling a Jerusalem monastery with ancient melodies.
"This is a window into the past... we have the opportunity for the first time in modern history of listening to a medieval sound which is a thousand years old," said David Catalunya, a Spanish researcher who has worked for more than five years to bring the 11th-century instrument back to life.
A documentary about an Israeli ex-soldier's efforts to rescue his family from the October 7 Hamas attacks premiered under heavy police presence on Wednesday, after initially being cut from the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) lineup.
Groups supporting Israel and the Palestinians faced off outside the venue before the screening of "The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue," which charts how retired Israeli general Noam Tibon saved his family and others during the 2023 Hamas attack.
There were no reported incidents of violence during the protests.
(Reuters) -Qatar hit back at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a strongly worded statement early on Thursday, describing his remarks about the Gulf country's hosting of a Hamas office as "reckless".
The heated exchange came more than a day after Israel attempted to kill Hamas political leaders in an air strike on Qatar on Tuesday, escalating its military campaign in the Middle East and prompting a flurry of international condemnations.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his decision to target Hamas inside Qatar wasn't wise, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing senior administration officials.
Trump made the comments during what the Journal described as a heated phone call on Tuesday after the attack.
By Tarek Amara
TUNIS (Reuters) -Tunisia said on Wednesday the "assault" on a ship at Sidi Bou Said port was "orchestrated," after the Global Sumud Flotilla, preparing to deliver aid to Gaza, reported one of its boats was attacked by a drone in the second such strike in two days.
GSF is set to sail for Gaza in an effort to break Israel's naval blockade, following two nights of drone attacks on key vessels in the convoy which organisers described as deliberate attempts by Israel to disrupt the mission.
The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment.
By Anna Mehler Paperny, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo
TORONTO (Reuters) -"The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue," a documentary about one man's response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel, faced protests during its Wednesday premiereat the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was almost not shown.
Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich chronicles the story of retired Israeli Defence Forces Major-General Noam Tibon as he races from Tel Aviv to a kibbutz near the Gaza Strip to save his son and his family.
A Belgian festival said Thursday it stood by its decision to axe a leading German orchestra's performance over concerns about its Israeli conductor -- despite furious protests from Israel and Berlin.
Belgium's foreign minister distanced himself Thursday from the decision by Flanders Festival Ghent, where the Munich Philharmonic was to perform on September 18, led by its future chief conductor, Israel's Lahav Shani.
Israel's ambassador to Belgium described the move as "anti-Semitic" and accused festival organisers of "racism".
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Israeli President Isaac Herzog for a contentious meeting Wednesday, with relations strained between their countries and protests held against Herzog's London visit.
Herzog's visit came as Starmer has in recent months toughened his criticism of how Israel is waging its war in Gaza, and put the UK on the path to recognise a Palestinian state.
The pair shook hands in front of photographers and TV cameras in Downing Street, with few smiles on display, as the meeting got underway Wednesday afternoon.
