TURKEY: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in Cairo today for talks with his Egyptian counterpart on demands that Israel halt its war on the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

President Erdogan’s visit comes as ties between Ankara and Cairo are back on track after years of tensions and frosty relations. 

Turkey has long been a backer of the pan-Islamic Muslim Brotherhood group, which has been outlawed as a terrorist organisation in Egypt.

JAPAN: Activists and LGBT community members handed out colourful chocolate candy for Valentine’s Day in Tokyo today, marking the fifth anniversary of the launch of a legal battle to achieve marriage equality for same-sex couples.

Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven nations that still excludes same-sex couples from the right to legally marry and receive spousal benefits. 

UNITED NATIONS: Unicef called on the parties in conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to respect the lives of civilians, particularly children, Radio Okapi reported today.

The message from the UN body came after insurgents from the March 23 Movement launched a bomb on Monday that killed three children and wounded 14 in a camp for displaced people in the town of Zaine where intense fighting has been taking place.

UNITED STATES: The Republican leader of the US House of Representatives on Tuesday blocked military aid for Ukraine, ignoring President Joe Biden’s plea that passing the Bill was vital for standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters he has no intention even of allowing a vote on the Bill.