The launch of the second phase of a stabilisation plan for Gaza could represent a potential turning point for the war‑ravaged territory, a senior United Nations (UN) official told the Security Council on Wednesday, while cautioning that the risk of renewed violence remains high and conditions in the occupied West Bank continue to deteriorate.

A new strategic partnership between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the United States (US) is unlikely to bring stability to the country’s conflict-hit eastern regions.