The United Nations on Friday officially declared a famine in Gaza, the first time it has done so in the Middle East, with experts warning 500,000 people face "catastrophic" hunger.

"It is a famine: the Gaza famine," said Tom Fletcher, the UN's emergency relief coordinator, as the IPC panel found famine was now present in and around Gaza City.

He blamed Israel, accusing it of "systematic obstruction" of aid deliveries to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

BERLIN (Reuters) -A German government spokesman said on Friday that Berlin has current no plans to recognise a Palestinian state because that would undermine any efforts to reach a negotiated two-state solution with Israel.

"A negotiated two-state solution remains our goal, even if it seems a long way off today. ... The recognition of Palestine is more likely to come at the end of such a process and such decisions would now be rather counterproductive," the spokesperson said during a press conference.

By Mikhail Flores

MANILA (Reuters) -The Philippines and Australia are working towards a new defence agreement to be signed next year, their defence ministers said on Friday, as both nations seek to step up military cooperation to deal with shared security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the enhanced defence cooperation pact will pave the way for more frequent joint military drills aimed at boosting combined operational capability and strengthening regional deterrence.

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Famine has struck an area of Gaza and will likely spread over the next month, a global hunger monitor determined on Friday, an assessment that will escalate pressure on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system said 514,000 people - nearly a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza - are experiencing famine and that was due to rise to 641,000 by the end of September.

By Alasdair Pal

SYDNEY -Australia’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state came after the government sensed a major shift in the domestic mood over the war in Gaza, and showed that Canberra was unafraid of upsetting Israel, historically one of its staunchest allies.

The August 11 announcement came days after tens of thousands of people marched across Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge, calling for peace and aid deliveries to Gaza, where Israel began an offensive nearly two years ago after the Hamas militant group launched a deadly cross-border attack.

The United Nations officially declared a famine in Gaza on Friday, blaming "systematic obstruction" of aid by Israel during more than 22 months of war, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly dismissing the findings.

Palestinian militant group Hamas urged the United Nations to "stop the war and lift the siege", calling for unrestricted access for food, medicine, water and fuel.

Netanyahu, whose defence minister meanwhile threatened an even more intense offensive, rejected the UN-backed report as "an outright lie".

By Olivia Le Poidevin and Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA CITY/GENEVA/CAIRO (Reuters) -The hunger crisis in Gaza is at a tipping point, with critically low supplies of fortified milk and special nutritious pastes exacerbating food shortages and pushing greater numbers of children into starvation, according to aid agencies, malnutrition experts and the United Nations.

DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will have a joint phone call with his French, British and German counterparts on Friday to discuss nuclear talks and sanctions, state news agency IRNA reported.

The three European powers have threatened to activate United Nations sanctions on Iran under a "snapback" mechanism if Iran does not return to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme. The countries, along with the United States, contend Iran is using the nuclear programme to potentially develop weapons, which Iran denies.

Rich people are flocking to Dubai in record numbers, drawn to the desert city by its zero income tax policy and easy luxury lifestyle that has become harder to maintain elsewhere.

The United Arab Emirates and particularly Dubai have long welcomed wealthy people from nearby countries, and people helping millionaires to move there told AFP it is seeing more Westerners joining the fray.

Advisory firm Henley & Partners estimates that the UAE will attract an unprecedented 9,800 millionaires this year -- more than anywhere else in the world.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration on Thursday issued more Iran-related sanctions, targeting 13 entities based in Hong Kong, China, the United Arab Emirates and the Marshall Islands, as well as eight vessels, the U.S. Treasury Department said.

The measures cover Greek national Antonios Margaritis and his network of companies and vessels that Treasury said was involved in transporting Iranian oil exports in violation of sanctions.