Iraq announces complete withdrawal of US-led coalition from federal territory
Iraq said on Sunday US-led coalition forces had finished withdrawing from bases within the country's federal territory, which excludes the...
Geostrategy
Starlink services disrupted in Iran amid expanding protests and broader measures affecting internet access
Widespread jamming of the Starlink satellite internet service used by some Iranian opposition members is a likely first in peacetime but...
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Gaza health ministry says Israel kills 9 people waiting for aid
Palestinian Territories - The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Israeli fire on Saturday killed nine people and wounded dozens...
- "At least nine martyrs and dozens injured by Israeli occupation army tank fire and shells," said Gaza's health ministry.
- Just over a week ago Gaza's health ministry blamed Israeli fire for the death of 20 people seeking aid at the Kuwait roundabout.
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Israeli minister calls UN ‘anti-Israeli’ as Guterres visits Gaza border
JERUSALEM - Israel's foreign minister said on Saturday the United Nations had become an "anti-Israeli body" under Antonio Guterres, after...
- "Under his (Guterres's) leadership, the UN has become an anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli body that shelters and emboldens terror," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said.
- Katz's government has accused staff at the UN agency for Palestinian refugees of involvement in Hamas's October 7 attack that triggered the war.
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Putin vows retribution on Moscow concert hall attacks, as toll rises
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to punish those behind a "barbaric terrorist attack" on a Moscow concert hall that killed...
- It is the deadliest attack on Russia in almost two decades and the deadliest in Europe to have been claimed by the Islamic State.
- Russian officials expect the death toll to rise further, with more than 100 injured in hospital.
Geostrategy
OPEC Fund provides US$50m loan to support agriculture in quake-hit Türkiye
VIENNA, AUSTRIA – The OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund) is extending a US$50 million loan to Türkiye to...
- The Development and Investment Bank of Türkiye (TKYB) will on-lend the funds to small and medium-sized enterprises.
- This will help efforts to overcome the calamity’s impact and to promote a more resilient and sustainable agriculture sector.
US military says struck 3 Houthi underground storage sites in Yemen
The Houthis began attacking ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea in November, a campaign they say...
- US forces "conducted self-defense strikes against three Houthi underground storage facilities in Iranian-backed Houthi controlled areas of Yemen," CENTCOM said
- US forces had also "successfully engaged and destroyed four unmanned aerial vehicles" in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen throughout Friday
UN Security Council vote on new Gaza ceasefire text postponed to Monday
Eight of the council's 10 non-permanent members have been working on the draft, which also calls for the "immediate and...
- The new, tougher draft resolution, seen by AFP, "demands an immediate ceasefire" for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan that leads "to a permanent sustainable ceasefire"
- Eight of the council's 10 non-permanent members have been working on the draft, which also calls for the "immediate and unconditional" release of hostages seized by Hamas
UN chief to visit Gaza border as Israel vows to go ahead with Rafah attack
On Saturday, UN chief Guterres plans to meet with aid workers on the Egyptian side of Rafah, just across the...
- During his visit, Guterres plans to reiterate his call for ceasefire, though international pressure has so far failed to dissuade Israel from the planned ground offensive in Rafah
- Despite warnings that such an invasion would cause mass civilian casualties and worsen the humanitarian crisis, Netanyahu said he must press ahead with the attack
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UN official urges $4bn humanitarian aid for cash-strapped Syria
Beirut, Lebanon - A UN official on Friday appealed for about $4 billion in humanitarian assistance for Syria, warning funding was...
- "In 2024, we are appealing for $4.07 billion to provide lifesaving aid to 10.8 million Syrians, out of 16.7 million people assessed to be in need of assistance," he said
- Abdelmoula also noted "Syria's vulnerability to climate shocks", exacerbated by conflict, warning of water scarcity and "heatwaves impacting agriculture and livestock"
Geostrategy
Iraqi PM to visit Washington for troop talks
Washington, US – President Joe Biden will welcome Iraq's prime minister on April 15 for talks on the US troop presence,...
- The visit will mark the first trip to Washington by Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, who took office in October 2022.
- Sudani in the past has called for an exit of US forces, redeployed nearly 10 years ago as part of a campaign to defeat the Islamic State
Geostrategy
EU to tell big tech firms to curb election risks or face fines
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – The EU will put more pressure on the most popular online platforms, like X and TikTok, to tackle...
- The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, is expected to adopt new guidelines.
- They will come under the EU's mammoth content moderation law, the Digital Services Act.
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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
Iraq announces complete withdrawal of US-led coalition from federal territory
Iraq said on Sunday US-led coalition forces had finished withdrawing from bases within the country's federal territory, which excludes the...
Geostrategy
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Over 12,000 Wi-Fi breaches recorded in UAE since start of year
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC) has warned of the serious risks posed by using open...
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Iran’s Khamenei says will not bow down to US
The remarks, delivered at a mosque in the capital Tehran, come two months since fighting halted between Iran and its...
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Musk’s megarocket faces crucial new test after failures
Washington, United States -- Elon Musk's SpaceX is gearing up for the next test of its Starship megarocket on Sunday,...
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Syria postpones selection of lawmakers from Druze, Kurdish-held areas
A Syrian official said Saturday that the selection process planned for a transitional parliament next month will be postponed in...
- Syria's new authorities, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, have dissolved the Assad-era parliament and adopted a temporary constitution for a five-year transition
- The interim charter has been criticised for concentrating power in Sharaa's hands after decades of autocracy under Assad and for failing to reflect Syria's ethnic diversity
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‘Far too late’: Clutching pots and buckets, Palestinians despair after UN declares famine in Gaza
"We have no home left, no food, no income... so we are forced to turn to charity kitchens, but they...
- AFP footage from Gaza's largest city showed women and young children among the chaotic jostle of dozens clamouring and shouting for for food
- The UN officially declared a famine in Gaza on Friday, blaming the "systematic obstruction" of aid by Israel during more than 22 months of war
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Hamas demands opening of Gaza crossings after UN famine declaration
Hamas called on Friday for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the lifting of the Israeli siege...
- In a statement published online, the group called for "immediate action by the UN and the security council to stop the war and lift the siege."
- The group went on to say that the declaration by the United Nations confirmed the "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza and accused Israel of using starvation as a "tool of war".