WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Israel does not intend to "reoccupy" Gaza or control it for a long time, a senior Israeli official said in Washington, as Israeli forces pressed their offensive against Hamas militants in the Palestinian coastal enclave.

"We assess that our current operations are effective and successful, and we'll continue to push," the Israeli official told reporters late on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It's not unlimited or forever," the official added, without giving a specific timeframe.

BAKU, November 8. /TASS/: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that his country does not need a new war with Armenia.

"We do not need a new war. We have achieved what we were striving for, we have restored international law, we have restored historical justice, we have restored our national dignity, we have shown the enemy his place," he said at a military parade in the town of Khankendi in Nagorno-Karabakh on the occasion of the third anniversary of Azerbaijan's victory in the Second Karabakh War.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel faced pressure from some of its closest allies Wednesday over the plight of civilians in Gaza, where thousands streamed on foot out of the enclave’s north because of dwindling food and water and increased fighting in urban areas.

Over 70% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have already left their homes, but the number making their way south has quickened recently as Israeli troops battle Hamas militants inside Gaza City and the humanitarian situation grows increasingly dire.

NAIROBI, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- The production of fossil fuels including coal, oil and gas is expected to soar this decade, hence undermining efforts to tame the escalating climate emergencies globally, according to a joint report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and research partners launched on Wednesday.

According to the 2023 Production Gap Report, world governments plan to produce 110 percent more fossil fuels in 2030, a move that will place hurdles in efforts to limit atmospheric warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia received positive news on Wednesday about their quests to join the European Union, but countries in the volatile Balkans region that have waited years longer to become members of the world’s biggest trading bloc appeared to slip back in the queue.

In a series of reports on countries wanting to join the bloc’s ranks, the EU’s executive branch recommended that war-ravaged Ukraine should be permitted to open membership talks, once it’s addressed some shortfalls.

NEW DELHI, Nov 8 (Reuters) - New Delhi plans for the first time to make rain to try improve air quality in the city, which is the world's most polluted capital and has been gripped by smog for a week.

The city has already shut all schools, stopped construction activities, and said it will impose restrictions on vehicle use.

Depending on legal approval and weather conditions, the local environment minister said authorities would try to induce rain from around Nov. 20.

SPATA, Greece (AP) — In an olive grove on the outskirts of Athens, grower Konstantinos Markou pushes aside the shoots of new growth to reveal the stump of a tree — a roughly 150-year-old specimen, he said, that was among 15 cut down on his neighbor’s land by thieves eager to turn it into money.

TASHKENT, Nov 08 (APP): Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Wednesday reiterated the resolve to finalize the Strategic Partnership Agreement at the earliest to promote regional economic integration.

The bilateral ties were discussed in a bilateral meeting between Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on the sidelines of the 16th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) being held here.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to play an active role for the regional connectivity.

NOVO-OGARYOVO, November 8. /TASS/: NATO aspires to expand its geographical boundaries, including into Asia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"We are watching certain countries’ attempts to expand their zone of influence. What is more, the North Atlantic Alliance, strangely enough, is attempting to go beyond the geographical boundaries of its operation, in breach of its own doctrinal documents," the Russian president said at a meeting with Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC).

WASHINGTON, Nov 08 (APP): Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S., Masood Khan, has urged Pakistani-American Tech entrepreneurs to invest in promoting Pakistan’s tourism and digitalization of its industry.

“With digitalization of necessary information, including bookings, lodging, transportation and availability of accurate information, the tourism sector of Pakistan will witness a transformative change,” he said at a special session of the Annual Open Silicon Valley Forum 2023 in San Francisco, a city in the US state of California.

SHEPHERD, TEXAS (AP) — Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for Texas residents within a one-mile radius of a chemical plant fire Wednesday.

A large plume of smoke could be seen in video captured by residents as the plant caught fire in Shepherd, Texas.

San Jacinto County Office of Emergency Management said in a statement that a private school in the area had been evacuated and that Highway 59 was closed due to the fire.

Shepherd is a mainly rural area about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Houston.

DAMASCUS, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian military on Wednesday thwarted rebel drone attacks in the rural areas of two northern provinces, said the Syrian defense ministry.

In a statement carried by the state news agency SANA, the ministry said the army intercepted more than ten drones launched by "terrorist groups" toward civilian zones and military locations in Aleppo and Idlib.

Over the past month, Syrian and Russian forces have intensified targeted offenses against rebel groups in northern Syria, in retaliation of the latter's drone attacks on government areas.