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People in Guam and the Northern Marianas readied themselves Saturday as the second "super typhoon" since April drew closer to the US territories, bringing the equivalent of category-5 hurricane winds.Bavi was moving westward with sustained winds of 269 kilometres per hour (167 miles per hour) and gusts of 324kph (201mph), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) said in an update at 7:00pm local time (0900 GMT).The eye of the storm was expected to pass Monday very close to the small island of Rota between Guam and Saipan, the main island of the Northern Marianas, with winds set to strengthen to 278kph, the JTWC forecast."My girls were saying to me it's scary. But it will be okay. My house is concrete so the worst that can happen is a window could blow in," local Arabella Paulino, 48, told AFP on a Guam beach as the sky darkened and rain fell intermittently."Typhoon Sinkalu in April wasn't as bad as Mawar in 2023. That brought my whole house down," said her friend Derma Soaladaob, 51. "I stay up north, but I'm going to a hotel. I have a concrete house but with the noise and the wind, it's scary."Guam was set to go into "Condition of Readiness 2" — meaning a typhoon was expected in 24 hours — from 10:00pm, with emergency shelters due to open Sunday from 7:00am, the governor's office said.Residents were told to bring to the shelters "enough food and water to last seven days for each family member" as well as medicines, bedding and personal hygiene products. Pets were not allowed.Any plans for celebrating the United States's 250th anniversary on Saturday — also Liberation Day for Saipan — have been quickly overtaken by storm preparations, with both Guam and the Northern Marianas declaring a state of emergency.Many of the islands' roughly 200,000 inhabitants have queued at petrol stations in recent days and thronged hardware stores to buy plywood to board up their windows while also stocking up on food, water and other essentials.Jeff Garcia, 48, who lives in Kagman Village in the Northern Marianas, told AFP that safety was the top priority, adding that they had "weathered super typhoons before.""We bought basic needs like water, candles, batteries, and canned goods... As a community, our greatest defence is our unity, our preparation and our discipline," he said.Still recoveringThe Northern Marianas archipelago is home to around 40,000 people, and nearby Guam — a separate US territory — around 170,000. Major battles were fought in the area in World War II.Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which hit in mid-April, knocked out power for tens of thousands of people, uprooted trees, overturned cars and ripped metal roofs off buildings.A cargo ship, the MV Mariana, suffered engine failure and overturned in the storm. The body of one crew member was recovered and five others were missing, presumed dead.The American Red Cross warned that some locals were still in temporary shelters or under makeshift roofs, even as it deployed disaster teams and supplies ahead of Bavi's arrival.Em Marilla, 42, who lives in As Lito village on Saipan, told AFP the thought of "going through it all again without electricity and water is really sad.""Furthermore, the application process for assistance takes far too long, and having to keep spending out of pocket for our daily needs is truly draining," she said.Lherie Galvan, 50, an accountant in San Antonio village, said: "I'm tired of preparing, planning and fixing our roof.""It's another anxiety to recover from. We need more psychiatrists on the island and financial assistance."Children already have trauma but at a young age they know how to prepare — pack their things for emergencies."Warming oceans The world's oceans experienced their hottest June on record and could set fresh highs in the months ahead, the European Union's Copernicus Marine Service said on Wednesday.Warmer oceans help tropical storms to intensify and add more moisture, which can fall as heavy rain.The World Meteorological Organisation warned on Friday that El Nino, which typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts nine to 12 months, has already begun in the tropical Pacific and is likely to be strong.The natural climate phenomenon warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns. 

His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani met Sunday with Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Co-operation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty.They discussed co-operation between the two countries, along with ways to support and strengthen it. Also discussed were mediation efforts between the US and Iran, in addition to the developments in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and the occupied Palestinian territories.The meeting also addressed coordinating efforts to support mediation aimed at reducing escalation, which contributes to strengthening security and stability in the region.The prime minister voiced the need for all parties to respond to the ongoing mediation efforts, which would open the way for addressing the root causes of the crisis through peaceful means and dialogue, and lead to reaching a sustainable agreement that prevents renewed escalation. 

An organisation representing international media in Israel and the Palestinian territories Monday condemned attacks by Israeli settlers on journalists in the occupied West Bank, urging Israeli authorities to halt the "violence immediately".The Foreign Press Association (FPA), which represents hundreds of foreign journalists, said it was "appalled" by the recent attacks, especially during this year's olive harvest."Journalists, both local and foreign, have proven to be a clear target as they document an unprecedented level of unchecked violence against Palestinians during this year's olive harvest," the association said, citing two incidents involving journalists from international media outlets.The FPA said that on Saturday two employees of Reuters wearing clearly marked press vests and helmets were assaulted by masked Israeli civilians armed with clubs and rocks near the Palestinian village of Beita."A mob of dozens of settlers beat one of the employees, a female reporter, while she was already on the ground, resulting in severe injuries," the FPA said."They also attacked those who tried to help her. A Reuters security person was hit, and two Palestinian freelance journalists were injured while being chased." On October 10, settlers beat a veteran AFP photographer with sticks when filming the olive harvest in the same area.His car, along with a handful of others parked at a safe distance from the field, was stoned and then set on fire by the assailants."The photographer, who testified it was one of the worst attacks in his 30-year career, reported that Israeli forces at the scene refused to intervene, instead firing rubber bullets and tear gas at olive pickers and activists accompanying them," the FPA said.Several such incidents have occurred in the last few weeks, the FPA added."Israeli forces routinely harass and intimidate journalists, in some cases detaining them and threatening them with deportation," the FPA said."This is all part of a deepening climate of hostility toward the media by Israeli authorities," it added, urging the authorities to investigate the incidents and hold the perpetrators accountable."In particular, we urge central command head Major General Avi Bluth and police commander Moshe Pinchi to uphold their duties to ensure that journalists can work freely and safely," the association said."There cannot be press freedom in an environment in which journalists are threatened and harmed with complete impunity." When contacted by AFP, the Israeli military did not give an immediate response.An AFP journalist serves on the FPA's board of directors.Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and Israeli settlements there are expanding. Some 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the Palestinian territory and some of them have also attacked farmers trying to access their olive trees almost every day this year since the season began in mid-October, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.Almost none of the perpetrators have been held to account by the Israeli authorities. Violence in the West Bank has soared since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met Monday with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to discuss the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and bilateral relations between Palestine and the United Kingdom. During the meeting, Abbas outlined key Palestinian priorities, including an immediate and lasting ceasefire, unrestricted access for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the release of hostages and detainees, the withdrawal of occupying forces, and the launch of early recovery and reconstruction efforts. He reiterated that Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine and affirmed that the Palestinian government will assume full responsibility for the territory, with support from Arab and international partners.