Lebanon ceasefire begins, violations test fragile truce
The truce, brokered by the United States, is intended to halt cross-border fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. Scenes of...
Geostrategy
Millions join ‘No Kings’ protests across US
More than 3,000 rallies were held across all 50 states, with participation estimates ranging from several million to as many...
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Israel confirms remains returned are officer Goldin killed in 2014 Gaza war
Jerusalem, Undefined - Israel said the remains it received on Sunday from Hamas were those of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, an...
- Goldin was the 24th deceased hostage whose remains have been returned by Hamas since the start of the ceasefire on October 10 that has halted the latest war in Gaza
- "Today, we are united in having finally brought him back to his parents and his family to be laid to rest in Israel," Netanyahu said in a video statement posted on X
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Palestinians recount ‘black hole’ of Israeli detention
Jerusalem, Undefined -- Denied contact with his lawyer for months, now freed Palestinian prisoner Shady Abu Sedo said he lost...
- Several rights groups have denounced what they say is a form of incommunicado detention for Palestinian prisoners, hampering the legal defense of detainees.
- The rights group says that 18 doctors and dozens of other health professionals from Gaza are still languishing without charge in Israeli prisons.
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Ukraine scrambles for energy with power generation at ‘zero’
Kyiv, Ukraine -- Ukraine was scrambling to turn lights and heating back on Sunday after Russian attacks targeting energy infrastructure...
- launched hundreds of drones at energy facilities across the country overnight into Saturday.
- The attacks interrupted electricity, heat and water supplies in several cities, with state power firm Centerenergo warning generating capacity "is down to zero".
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Tunisian opponents go on collective hunger strike to support jailed figure
Tunis, Tunisia - Prominent Tunisian opposition figures including Rached Ghannouchi said Friday they would go on hunger strike in solidarity...
- Jawhar Ben Mbarek, co-founder of the National Salvation Front, Tunisia's main opposition alliance, launched a hunger strike last week to protest his detention since February 2023
- In April, he was sentenced to 18 years behind bars on charges of "conspiracy against state security" and "belonging to a terrorist group" in a mass trial criticised by rights group
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Turkey issues genocide arrest warrant against Netanyahu, senior officials in his govt
The announcement was met with a firm rebuttal from Israel. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel "firmly rejects, with contempt"...
- The Istanbul prosecutor's office said in a statement that a total of 37 suspects were targeted by the arrest warrants, without providing a full list
- The announcement was met with a firm rebuttal from Israel. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel "firmly rejects, with contempt" the charges
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Chinese ship scouts deep-ocean floor in South Pacific
Beijing, China -- A Chinese research vessel docked in the Cook Islands Saturday as it probed the Pacific nation's deep-sea...
- Huge areas of seabed around the Cook Islands are carpeted in polymetallic nodules, lumpy rocks studded with rare earths and critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel and manganese.
- Fringed by sparkling lagoons, South Pacific nation the Cook Islands has opened its vast ocean territory for deep-sea mining exploration.
Geostrategy
At COP30, nations target the jet set with luxury flight tax
Rooted in the idea that a small elite of premium flyers should pay more for their outsized contribution to global...
- Diplomats from the coalition of more than 10 countries are pushing for more to come aboard.
- Countries that do not yet have such a tax would commit to imposing levies on business and first-class tickets as well as private jets.
Geostrategy
Kazakhstan to join Abraham Accords as Trump pushes Mideast peace
Washington, United States - Kazakhstan said Thursday it will join the Abraham Accords between Israel and mainly Muslim nations, in...
- The central Asian republic has had diplomatic ties with Israel for decades, unlike the four Arab states that normalized relations with Israel under Abraham accords
- But with Trump aiming to shore up his fragile Gaza ceasefire deal, Washington is pushing to get as much support as possible behind a wider peace initiative
Geostrategy
Embracing heritage, Mamdani marks watershed for South Asian Americans
Washington, United States - In a victory speech capping his meteoric rise, New York's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani quoted at length...
- As he left the stage to a cheering cross-section of the metropolis, the song on the speaker was not one of the many well-worn tunes about New York but the beats from Bollywood
- Mamdani, winning a mandate with a left-wing agenda focused on making New York more affordable, has made history as the first South Asian to lead America's largest city
Geostrategy
Gaza hospital says received 15 Palestinian bodies under ceasefire exchange deal
They were returned in exchange for the latest hostage body handed back from Gaza on Tuesday, that of Israeli-American soldier...
- At the start of the truce, Hamas held 48 hostages in Gaza -- 20 alive and 28 deceased.
- Hamas have since released all the surviving captives, as well as 21 of the deceased's remains.
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Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
Lebanon ceasefire begins, violations test fragile truce
The truce, brokered by the United States, is intended to halt cross-border fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. Scenes of...
Geostrategy
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US deploys aircraft carrier as Iran warns against attack, says ready to hit back
A US naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier has deployed to Middle Eastern waters, the United States said Monday,...
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Netanyahu, US envoys discuss opening Rafah crossing: Israeli media
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and...
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Next round of Russia, Ukraine talks to begin in Abu Dhabi on February 1: US official
A next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US to halt the war will continue in Abu Dhabi...
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Saudi Arabia, Qatar, six others accept Trump ‘Board of Peace’ invite: statement
Saudi Arabia and seven Muslim-majority countries including Gaza mediators Qatar and Turkey have agreed to join US President Donald Trump's "Board...
- Invites were sent to dozens of world leaders with a request for one billion dollars for a permanent seat on the board
- Although originally meant to oversee Gaza's rebuilding, the board's charter does not seem to limit its role to the Strip
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European leaders vow ‘unflinching’ response to Trump’s plans to annex Greenland
The US president, who will address the annual gathering of global elites on Wednesday, has put the transatlantic alliance to...
- Leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) closed ranks against Trump's increasingly aggressive America First agenda
- Trump has pressed on with his Greenland campaign on Truth Social, writing that he had a "very good" call with NATO secretary-general
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Putin invited to Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ aimed at resolving conflicts globally: Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" aimed at resolving conflicts...
- "President Putin also received an invitation to join this Board of Peace," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, including AFP
- Russia was seeking to "clarify all the nuances" of the offer with Washington, he said, without adding if Putin was inclined to join