13 killed in Gaza as Hamas says Israel devising pretexts to resume attacks
Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, reaffirmed the group's commitment to the ceasefire and said Israel "continues to...
Geostrategy
US envoy Witkoff felt ‘betrayed’ by Israeli attack on Hamas in Qatar
Washington, United States - US envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's chief negotiator on the Middle East, has said that...
Geostrategy
Economy
UN COP29 host Azerbaijan sees a big boom in gas production
Despite the last COP in the United Arab Emirates ending with an unprecedented call to "transition" away from fossil fuels,...
- Patrick Galey, of Global Witness, said that Azerbaijan is ramping up its gas production when the world urgently "needs to kick its fossil fuel habit"
- According to Eurostat, Europe, to replace Russian gas, turned to Azerbaijan, whose share of imports grew from 2 percent in 2021 to 4 percent in 2023
Business
Toyota’s Daihatsu resumes domestic production
It will make the Probox van and Mazda-branded Familia van.
- The Toyota-owned firm's factory in Kyoto resumed manufacturing of the Probox van and Mazda-branded Familia van, a Daihatsu spokesman told AFP
- Daihatsu will resume production of 10 other models on February 26, after the transport ministry confirmed they met safety regulations, it said last week
Vessel reports missile attack off Yemen’s coast: security firms
Another security firm, Ambrey, said the Marshall Islands-flagged, Greece-owned bulk carrier "was targeted by missiles in two separate incidents" within...
- The incident occurred before 0400 local time (0100 GMT) in an area where Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted Red Sea shipping in recent months, UKMTO said
- Houthis' attacks prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade
Israeli military says 2 hostages rescued in overnight Gaza operation
The military said in a statement that "during a joint IDF (military), ISA (Shin Bet security agency), and Israel Police...
- During the October 7 attacks, Palestinian fighters seized about 250 hostages, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel says around 130 are still in Gaza
- Dozens of captives taken on October 7 were released during a one-week truce in November that also saw the release of more than 200 Palestinian captives held in Israeli jails
Geostrategy
Iraq resumes talks with US on coalition forces exit
According to the military spokesman for Iraq's prime minister, the discussions aim to schedule a timeline for a pullout of...
- The US-led military coalition was set up in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group
- Since October, US and allied troops have been targeted more than 165 times in the region
Geostrategy
Hospitalized Pentagon chief hands duties to deputy
The latest health scare came weeks after it emerged that Austin, 70, had kept previous hospital stays secret and had...
- Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks "assumed the functions and duties" just before 5:00 pm (2200 GMT), Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said
- Austin was "admitted into the critical care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for supportive care and close monitoring," the Pentagon said
Geostrategy
More than 50 people killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah
Witnesses heard an intense series of strikes and saw smoke billowing above the city, which now hosts more than half...
- Israeli military said that it had conducted a series of strikes in the Gaza Strip
- Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his army to prepare a ground offensive on Rafah
Geostrategy
India says Qatar freed eight ex-navy personnel
"The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained...
- In October, India said it was "shocked" after a Qatari court had sentenced them to death, but the sentence was reduced in December
- The Hindu newspaper reported the men were spying for a "third country", while the Times of India has said that "they were accused of spying for Israel."
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia sends $250m to bolster Yemeni government
Saudi Arabia said it had disbursed $250 million in aid to the internationally-recognized government in Yemen. The money follows an...
- The Yemeni government relocated to Aden, a port city on the southern coast, after the Iran-backed Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014.
- In 2015 Saudi Arabia mobilized an international coalition intended to oust the Houthis.
Geostrategy
Hamas warns Israeli invasion of Rafah will ‘torpedo’ hostage talks
Foreign governments, including Israel's key ally the United States, and aid groups have voiced deep concern over Israeli Prime Minister...
- The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) were some of the latest to raise the alarm over the plan for Rafah.
- German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on social media platform X that "the people in Gaza cannot disappear into thin air".
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13 killed in Gaza as Hamas says Israel devising pretexts to resume attacks
Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, reaffirmed the group's commitment to the ceasefire and said Israel "continues to...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Israeli forces kill 69 Palestinians in Gaza, including those sheltering in a school
They included 38 people waiting for humanitarian aid at three separate locations in central and southern Gaza and a child...
Geostrategy
Possible interstellar object zooming through Solar System: ESA
Excited astronomers are still refining their calculations, but the object appears to be zooming at a speed up to 60...
Science
Syria state media says talk of peace deal with Israel ‘premature’
Syrian state media reported Wednesday that statements on signing a peace deal with Israel were "premature", days after Israel said...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Netanyahu vows to uproot Hamas as ceasefire proposals are discussed
The Israeli leader had yet to comment on US President Donald Trump's claim that Israel had backed a plan for...
- The Israeli leader had yet to comment on Trump's claim that Israel had backed a plan for a 60-day truce in its offensive against Hamas in the war-ravaged territory
- Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations
Geostrategy
Hamas says discussing Gaza ceasefire proposals from mediators
It said it sought "to reach an agreement that guarantees ending the aggression, achieving the withdrawal (of Israel from Gaza)...
- Qatar and Egypt have been mediating efforts to end the conflict that erupted in October 2023, when a deadly Hamas attack on Israel prompted a devastating Israeli offensive.
- The new proposal "includes a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release half of the (22) living Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip.
Business
Microsoft laying off several thousand employees
San Francisco, United States -- Microsoft on Wednesday said it was slashing a little less than four percent of its...
- The cloud computing tech giant did not disclose the total amount of lost jobs but as of June 2024 it employed 228,000 people, bringing the latest layoffs to about 9,000 people.
- The job cuts follow a round in May that saw about 6,000 positions culled from its global workforce.