US energy secretary says will control Venezuelan oil sales ‘indefinitely’
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday that Washington will control sales of Venezuelan oil "indefinitely," a day after President...
Geostrategy
Venezuela’s interim leader names commission to handle Maduro’s release
Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez on Sunday created a commission to seek the release of president Nicolas Maduro and his...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Gaza confirms Israel returned 47 exhumed bodies of Palestinians
Palestinian Territories - Gaza's Hamas-run government media office said on Thursday that Israel had returned dozens of bodies that had been...
- Israeli forces have on several occasions taken bodies from Gaza to Israel for examinations as they look for hostages seized during Hamas's October 7 attack.
- AFP journalists have previously witnessed the reburial of bodies which Gaza officials said had been exhumed by Israeli forces.
Geostrategy
Indian man fighting for Russia against Ukraine killed in action
New Delhi, India - India's embassy in Moscow has confirmed the death of a citizen recruited by the Russian army, days...
- The embassy did not state the circumstances behind Mohammed Asfan's death but said it was in touch with his family and Russian authorities.
- Asfan is the first death confirmed by Indian authorities among its citizens serving with the Russian army and the second confirmed overall.
Geostrategy
‘UAE leads humanitarian efforts in Gaza, seeks truce’
“Following the outbreak of the crisis between Palestinians and Israelis, the UAE initiated extensive diplomatic efforts at all levels to...
- UAE rejects Israel's collective punishment policies against Palestinians.
- The Gulf country calls for a truce and establishment of a Palestinian state.
Geostrategy
US vows to hold Houthis ‘accountable’ for deadly strike
The Houthi rebels have been defiantly hitting ships in vital commercial waters in professed solidarity with the Palestinians as Israel...
- Houthi ship strikes "have not just disrupted international commerce but now tragically killed a number of them," State Department spokesman said
- Matthew Miller said that US was also encouraging other countries to make clear to the Houthis that "these attacks are irresponsible"
Geostrategy
China top diplomat terms war in Gaza a ‘disgrace for civilisation’
The foreign minister said that the catastrophe in Gaza once again reminded the world that "the fact that the Palestinian...
- Wang Yi said that no reason can justify the continuation of the conflict
- He also said China supports "full" UN membership for a Palestinian state
Geostrategy
Envoys push for Gaza truce before Ramadan begins next week
While negotiators in Cairo tried to surmount tough stumbling blocks, fighting again raged in Gaza where the UN warns famine...
- US President Joe Biden called on Hamas to accept the truce plan
- Hamas has insisted on a complete halt to the fighting in Gaza
Geostrategy
Bulk carrier hit by missile from Yemen, crew says three dead
An anti-ship ballistic missile struck the Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned M/V True Confidence, after which its crew reported "three fatalities, at least...
- The Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting merchant vessels transiting the vital Red Sea trade route for months and have previously hit ships in the area
- Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on social media that the True Confidence was targeted with multiple missiles "after the ship's crew rejected warning messages."
Geostrategy
Israel to start building 3,500 settler homes in occupied West Bank
The administrative step forward comes after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich last month vowed to expand settlements, in response to Palestinian...
- Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said there were 3,426 homes advanced through a planning committee, across Maale Adumim and Kedar, east of Jerusalem, and Efrat.
- Despite opposition abroad, Israel has in recent decades build dozens of settlements across the West Bank, which are illegal under international law.
Geostrategy
18 killed in suspected IS attack on Syria truffle hunters: Monitor
Beirut, Lebanon - Gunmen thought to be linked to the Islamic State group in Syria killed 18 people searching for truffles...
- The gunmen attacked the group with machine guns, said the Britain-based monitoring group with a network of sources inside Syria
- More than 50 people remained missing after the attack that saw heavy clashes with pro-government forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said
Geostrategy
2023 deadliest year in a decade for migrants, says United Nations
"The 2023 death toll represents a tragic increase of 20 percent compared to 2022, highlighting the urgent need for action...
- The IOM said that because safe and regular migration pathways remain limited, hundreds of thousands of people attempt to migrate via irregular routes in unsafe conditions.
- The Mediterranean ocean crossing continues to be the deadliest route for migrants, with at least 3,129 deaths and disappearances registered last year.
Most Read
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
US energy secretary says will control Venezuelan oil sales ‘indefinitely’
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday that Washington will control sales of Venezuelan oil "indefinitely," a day after President...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Expectations high as Trump, Putin set to meet at Alaska: What each side wants
In a draft peace plan published in June, Russia called on Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the Kherson, Lugansk,...
Geostrategy
Foreign NGOs say new Israeli rules keep them from delivering Gaza aid
According to the joint letter, whose signatories include Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), at least 60 requests to bring...
Geostrategy
‘Putin has only one chance:’ Trump warns of make-or-break chance with Russian leader
Putin and Trump will meet Friday at an air base in the far-northern US state, the first time the Russian...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Geostrategy
Israel military says approved plan for new Gaza offensive
The approval for the expanded offensive comes days after Israel's security cabinet called for the seizure of Gaza's largest city,...
- Ismail Al-Thawabta, director general of the Hamas government media office in Gaza, told AFP on Wednesday that "the Israeli forces continue to carry out aggressive incursions."
- AFP footage from Gaza City on Tuesday showed Palestinians fleeing Israeli strikes on the Zeitoun and Asqoola using overladen carts, vans and bikes.
Business
Gulf tourists say Polish mountain town is a cool place
Zakopane, Poland -- Saudi photographer Fahad Alayyash gazed over the Alpine-like panorama of the Tatras, Poland's highest mountain range --...
- Up to seven flights fly daily from the Gulf region at nearby Krakow Airport.
- Arab customers constitute up to 30 percent of all summer guests at his five-star hotel in Zakopane.
Geostrategy
Palestinian mother ‘destroyed’ after image used to deny Gaza starvation
Montreal, Canada - Palestinian-Canadian Faiza Najjar was able to leave Gaza last year, but could not bring her four adult...