Trump sends Witkoff to Moscow in hopes of finalizing Ukraine deal
An initial US plan which was heavily weighted in Russia's favor has been replaced by one taking in more of...
Geostrategy
Trump pushes Ukraine to accept his plan for ending the war ahead of Nov 27 deadline
"He'll have to like it, and if he doesn't like it, then you know, they should just keep fighting," Trump...
Geostrategy
UN Security Council to vote on Gaza aid as famine fears mount
Separate diplomatic efforts were also under way for a fresh pause in the worst-ever Gaza war, which was triggered by...
- The latest UN draft set to face a vote Friday, calls for "urgent steps to immediately allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access
- The entire population of Gaza faces "an imminent risk of famine", according to a UN-backed global hunger monitoring system on Thursday
Economy
Lebanon economy to plunge into recession due to Gaza war
The impact of the conflict had reversed a slight recovery for Lebanon, which has battled a deep economic crisis for...
- Lebanon's economy collapsed in late 2019, plunging most of the population into poverty, according to the United Nations.
- Real gross domestic product is expected to decline "to between minus 0.6 percent to minus 0.9 percent depending on the extent of the tourism shock," the World Bank said.
Geostrategy
Turkmenistan worried as Caspian Sea continues to shrink
Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan - On the Caspian Sea coast in Turkmenistan, Batyr Yusupov can no longer ferry his passengers between two ports....
- It is still not entirely clear why that is happening, but scientists say it is down to naturally occurring processes exacerbated by climate change
- Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic, is one of five countries on the Caspian Sea together with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran and Russia
Geostrategy
UN adopts Qatar-sponsored resolution on human rights training center
New York, USA - The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution by 185 votes on 'The UN Human Rights...
- Qatar sponsored and facilitated negotiations every two years since its establishment in 2008, with its headquarters in Doha
- In its resolution, the General Assembly reaffirms the role of regional cooperation in promoting and protecting human rights
Geostrategy
Greece to join US-led naval coalition against Houthi rebels
The task force announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday initially included Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the...
- A Greek navy frigate will join the task force on orders from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said Defense Minister Nikos Dendias
- As a foremost shipping nation, Greece had a "fundamental interest" in addressing a "massive threat" to global maritime transport, he said
Geostrategy
Rights group slams Meta for silencing pro-Palestinian voices
"Meta's censorship of content in support of Palestine adds insult to injury at a time of unspeakable atrocities and repression...
- HRW pointed to "systemic online censorship", reporting more than 1,050 "takedowns and other suppression of content" on Instagram and Facebook from over 60 countries in Oct and Nov.
- Of the 1,050 cases reviewed, 1,049 involved "peaceful content in support of Palestine that was censored or suppressed, while one case involved removal of pro-Israel content.
Sudan’s displaced forced to flee again as safe zones shrink
Over half a million people had sought shelter in Al-Jazirah state before the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began advancing on...
- UNFP said the spread of fighting southwards had forced it to suspend food assistance in parts of Al-Jazirah, calling it a "major setback"
- By early December, the war between the army and the RSF had killed 12,190 people, according to a conservative estimate by the Armed Conflict Locations
Macron says fighting terror does not mean ‘to flatten Gaza’
President Emmanuel Macron told the France 5 broadcaster, "We cannot let the idea take root that an efficient fight against...
- Macron called on Israel "to stop this response because it is not appropriate, because all lives are worth the same and we defend them"
- The bloodiest-ever Israel's invasion of Gaza which began on October 7 has killed over 20,000 civilians, mainly women and children
Israel orders more evacuations of Gaza’s main southern city: UN
The Israeli army said Wednesday that "ground, aerial and naval operations were carried out on dozens of terrorists and terrorist...
- UN said Israel had released maps showing new areas covering about 20 percent of the Khan Yunis city that had been marked for evacuation
- The area includes 32 shelters that housed more than 140,000 internally displaced persons, the vast majority of whom were previously displaced
Geostrategy
West Bank crisis escalates while focus stays on Gaza
With the world's eyes on the Gaza Strip, the escalating violence in the West Bank represents an underreported yet critical...
- With the world's eyes on the Gaza Strip, the escalating violence in the West Bank represents an underreported yet critical dimension of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- Since the Oct 7 Hamas attack, the region has seen a sharp rise in settler violence, military operations, and Palestinian radicalization, a further setback in the quest for peace.
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Trump sends Witkoff to Moscow in hopes of finalizing Ukraine deal
An initial US plan which was heavily weighted in Russia's favor has been replaced by one taking in more of...
Geostrategy
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Iran strikes damage hard to assess under Israeli military censorship
Such regulations are nothing new in Israel, where any written or visual publication deemed potentially harmful to the loosely defined...
Geostrategy
US hits back at accounts Iran moved enriched uranium before bombing
Trump, seeking credit for ordering military action and then quickly announcing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, has lashed out...
Geostrategy
Israeli commandos operated in Iran during 12-day war: military
The war erupted on June 13 when Israel launched a surprise bombing campaign that it said aimed to stop Iran...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Iran lawmakers back suspending cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog
Tehran, Iran -- Iranian lawmakers voted Wednesday in favor of suspending cooperation with the United Nations' atomic energy watchdog, state...
- The decision still requires the approval of the Guardian Council, a body empowered to vet legislation.
- Should it be ratified, Ghalibaf said "the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will suspend its cooperation with the IAEA until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed".
Geostrategy
Trump sees ‘progress’ on Gaza, raising hopes for ceasefire
"I think great progress is being made on Gaza," Trump said, adding that his special envoy Steve Witkoff had told...
- Key mediator Qatar announced Tuesday that it would launch a new push for a ceasefire, with Hamas on Wednesday saying talks had stepped up.
- Gaza's civil defense agency, meanwhile, said Wednesday that Israeli fire killed another 35 people, including six who were waiting for aid.
Geostrategy
What does NATO’s 5% spending deal really mean?
The Hague, Netherlands - NATO leaders are set to sign off Wednesday at their Hague summit on a defence spending...
- Trump has insisted NATO countries hit the five-percent bar -- well beyond the current two percent baseline level currently required by the alliance
- Only a handful of allies -- such as Poland and the Baltic states -- are coming close to five percent at the moment, with the United States itself under 3.4 percent in 2024