JERUSALEM (Reuters) -The families of Israeli hostages and thousands of their supporters arrived in Jerusalem on Saturday at the end of a five-day march to confront the government over the plight of those taken captive by Hamas in Gaza. An estimated 20,000 marchers, including well-wishers who joined the procession along the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, want to put pressure on the government "to do everything they can to bring the hostages back", said Noam Alon, 25, clutching a photograph of his abducted girlfriend, Inbar. Around 240 people - from babies to grandparents and including foreign nationals - are believed to be in the Gaza Strip after being taken hostage by the Islamist group during an Oct. 7 raid on southern Israeli villages and army bases in which 1,200 people were killed.
Leaders from more than a dozen African countries are heading to Germany for the G20 Compact with Africa conference, which aims to help bolster private investment in the world's poorest, but fast-growing, continent. Underscoring renewed interest in Africa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will be among those attending the summit in Berlin, hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to German government officials. Scholz, who has visited Africa several times since taking office in late 2021, will hold bilateral talks with several African countries on Sunday, before hosting a German-African investment summit at Berlin's Marriott Hotel on Monday morning.
Hostage families put pressure on Israel s government reuters.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reuters.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Hungary must say no to the current Europe model built in Brussels, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told a congress of his Fidesz party on Saturday, adding that the European Union needs to be changed rather than ditched. Orban again reiterated his government's opposition to starting talks with Ukraine about its accession to the EU. "Correcting the mistaken promise (by Brussels) to start talks (with Ukraine about EU membership) will also be our task, as Ukraine is light years away from the EU now," Orban said, adding that he would fight off attempts by the EU to settle migrants in Hungary.
Leaders from more than a dozen African countries are heading to Germany for the G20 Compact with Africa conference, which aims to help bolster private investment in the world s poorest, but. -November 18, 2023 at 01:15 pm EST
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