Trump eyes summit with Xi-Putin, shaking up world order, Macron warns against ‘capitulation’
US president's remarks on Russia and China mark a seismic shift after more than a decade of US policy which...
Geostrategy
Trump warns ‘all hell’ will break loose if Gaza hostages not returned after Hamas delays exchanges
The January 19 truce halted 15 months of Gaza fighting, freeing Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but tensions...
Geostrategy
Pressure piles on Israel’s Netanyahu over Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting international and domestic pressure after the killing in Gaza of six captives, with...
- Britain said Monday it would suspend some arms exports to Israel
- A strike a by the Histadrut trade union seeking a hostage deal brought parts of Israel to a standstill
Geostrategy
Two ships hit off rebel-held Yemeni region: maritime agencies
The Houthis said in a statement they had targeted the Blue Lagoon with "missiles and drones, and it was directly...
- One attack was claimed by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have targeted ships they say are linked to Israel
- The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said the first vessel, identified as Panama-flagged tanker Blue Lagoon I, was hit by two ballistic missiles
Israel set for general strike after Gaza hostages found dead
A nationwide strike aimed at ramping up pressure on Israel's government to secure the release of the remaining hostages in...
- Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, 97 remain captive
- At least 637 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli troops
Geostrategy
Yemen’s Houthis blew up stranded oil tanker: video
Rebel chief Abdul Malik al-Houthi on Thursday said his forces had "stormed" the tanker earlier this week. He added in...
- The group's leader said the operation took place earlier this week. Since then, the rebels have agreed to allow rescue teams to access the ship
- A video shared on the rebels' media outlets showed masked men planting explosives on the vessel and then detonating them, causing several fires on board
Geostrategy
Yemen’s Houthis agree to temporary truce to secure stranded oil tanker
The vessel had departed from Iraq and was destined for a port near Athens, carrying 150,000 metric tons of crude...
- The Greek-owned Sounion was hit by the Tehran-backed group off the coast of Hodeida last week, sparking fires and the evacuation of its crew
- In a statement, the Houthis previously said the Sounion "belongs to a company that has ties with the Israeli enemy" and was "accurately and directly hit" with drones and missiles
Geostrategy
Turkey, Azerbaijan hope for ‘lasting peace’ in South Caucasus
Years of diplomacy between the Caucasus rivals Azerbaijan and Armenia had failed to reach a breakthrough, but negotiations have resumed...
- Top diplomats from Turkey and Azerbaijan held talks in the capital Ankara on several sticking issues including ongoing peace negotiations between Baku and Yerevan
- The Caucasus rivals fought two wars -- in the 1990s and in 2020 -- over control of Nagorno-Karabakh, which had been predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians
Iran former top diplomat Zarif returns to VP post
"After the follow-ups and consultations conducted by the president and with his written order, I will continue to exercise my...
- Pezeshkian named Zarif as his vice president for strategic affairs on August 1, but the former top diplomat resigned less than two weeks later
- Conservatives in Iran have criticised Pezeshkian for choosing Zarif, who became known for his vital role in negotiating the landmark 2015 nuclear deal
Geostrategy
Egypt says will not accept Israeli force on its Gaza border: state-linked media
Cairo, a key mediator in efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, "reiterated to all parties...
- A key sticking point in the ceasefire talks have been calls for Israel to withdraw its forces from the border area, including the Rafah crossing
- Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing in early May, a move that has cut off a crucial aid route and drawn repeated condemnation from Egypt
Israel strikes Lebanon, says thwarted large-scale Hizbollah attack
The result was perhaps the biggest exchange of fire in 10 months of a war which began with a Hamas...
- Hizbollah, the powerful Iran-backed Lebanese armed group, denied that thousands of launchers had been destroyed or that Israel had thwarted a larger attack
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet the strikes were "not the final word" in the campaign against Hizbollah
Israeli defence minister declares 48-hour state of emergency
"The declaration on the state of emergency enables the IDF (Israeli military) to issue instructions to the citizens of Israel,...
- "I hereby declare a special situation on the home front in other areas of the country. The situation is valid for 48 hours starting at 6:00 am," Gallant said
- In a separate statement, the defence ministry said Gallant briefed US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on the overall situation
Trump eyes summit with Xi-Putin, shaking up world order, Macron warns against ‘capitulation’
US president's remarks on Russia and China mark a seismic shift after more than a decade of US policy which...
Geostrategy
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Syria since Assad’s overthrow: latest developments
HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani said that all rebel factions in Syria would "be disbanded and the fighters trained to...
Jolani vows to disband rebel factions, integrate fighters into Syria’s Defence Ministry for unity
Jolani emphasized unity in Syria, advocating a social contract among religions for justice, while urging diplomats to lift sanctions to...
Nations step up outreach to Syria’s post-Assad rulers
Governments worldwide are stepping up efforts to engage with Syria's new interim rulers, just over a week after Islamist-led rebels...
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Geostrategy
US contacts Syria’s HTS, Turkey reopens embassy, as Assad allies Iran and Russia face setbacks
The United States said Saturday it had made contact with Syria's victorious Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels, despite previously designating the...
- US Secretary of State Blinken's comment on "direct contact" with the HTS rebels came despite the US having designated the group as terrorists
- While Blinken and other diplomats held talks on Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus
G7 meeting to address Syria’s challenges following Assad’s ouster
Damascus, Syria - G7 leaders will meet virtually Friday to discuss the momentous changes underway in Syria, where the interim government...
- Assad fled Syria after a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies
- The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said Thursday that 1.1 million people, mostly women and children, had been displaced since the rebels took over
UNRWA warns of ‘apocalyptic’ conditions as Israeli airstrikes target aid, refugee camps, kill 58
The latest bloodshed came despite growing optimism that negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal might finally succeed, with...
- The UN and aid agencies have repeatedly warned about the acute humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip, exacerbated by the war that has persisted for over 14 months
- Families of the 96 hostages still in Gaza since the Hamas attack that triggered the war, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead, are pressing for their release