‘Nothing left’: Israelis grapple with damage from Iran strike
Bat Yam, Israel -- A shocked Julia Zilbergoltz said she had never experienced anything like the Iranian missile strike that...
Geostrategy
Russia to build Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant
Almaty, Kazakhstan - Russian nuclear energy giant Rosatom will lead the construction of the first atomic power plant in Kazakhstan,...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Israel endorses plan to extend Gaza truce as first phase draws to close, Hamas wants permanent peace
The first phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas was set to expire over the...
- Negotiations have so far been inconclusive, with the fate of hostages still held in Gaza and the lives of more than two million Palestinians hanging in the balance.
- A senior Hamas official told AFP the Palestinian militant group was prepared to release all remaining hostages in a single swap during the second phase
Geostrategy
Two lunar landings in a week for NASA’s private Moon fleet
Washington, United States -- More than fifty years passed between the last Apollo mission and the United States' return to...
- First up is Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1, nicknamed "Ghost Riders in the Sky."
- Blue Ghost's arrival will be followed on March 6 by Intuitive Machines' IM-2 mission, featuring its lander, Athena.
Geostrategy
Europe backs Zelensky after White House showdown with Trump
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the "unspeakable" row "underlined that a new age of infamy has begun". Friedrich Merz,...
- Russia backed Trump, who openly berated Zelensky on Friday and accused him of having "disrespected" the United States.
- European Union chiefs Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen assured Zelensky in a joint statement that he was "never alone".
Geostrategy
Trump and Zelensky clash in heated Oval Office meeting over Ukraine peace deal
During a tense meeting at the White House, Trump and Zelensky argued over the war with Russia, with Trump accusing...
- Zelensky was at the White House to sign a deal on sharing Ukraine's mineral riches and discuss a peace deal with Russia, despite the US president recently branding him a dictator
- Tempers frayed after Vice President JD Vance said that "diplomacy" was needed to end the war. Zelensky asked "what kind of diplomacy" and Vance accused him of being disrespectful
Geostrategy
Mediators hope for end to conflict as next phase of Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo begins
Mediator Egypt say Israeli, Qatari and US delegations were already in Cairo for "intensive" talks on the next stage of...
- A hostage-Palestinian detainees swap early Thursday was the final one under the initial stage of the truce that took effect on January 19.
- Over the past several weeks, Hamas freed in stages 25 living Israeli and dual-national hostages and returned the bodies of eight others.
Geostrategy
Hamas, Israel prisoner swap advances as talks for ceasefire’s next phase loom
Israeli authorities received four hostage bodies from Hamas, while Palestinian prisoners were welcomed in Ramallah, as ceasefire negotiations involving Egypt,...
- The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed they had received the coffins of "four fallen hostages", and a process to formally identify them had started in Israel
- The ceasefire has largely halted the war sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, and seen 25 hostages released alive so far in exchange for more than 1,100 prisoners
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Clip of Gaza as seaside resort posted on Trump social media accounts
The video, which racked up more than 15 million views on Instagram and was shared thousands of times on Trump's...
- The 33-second clip remained on Trump's accounts without denial or retraction hours after the initial posting.
- Trump has floated the idea of a US takeover of Gaza under which its Palestinian population would be relocated -- a proposal met with global condemnation.
Geostrategy
Deal restored: Hamas, Israel finalize exchange of Palestinian prisoners for bodies of Israeli hostages
Mediators have revived a deal for Israel to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the bodies of four Israeli hostages,...
- Palestinian militant group Hamas confirmed the agreement, under Egyptian supervision, saying it was part of the first phase of its ceasefire deal with Israel
- On Sunday, Hamas accused Israel of endangering the five-week-old Gaza truce by delaying the release of 600 Palestinian prisoners
Geostrategy
UN warns of last chance for two-state Israeli-Palestinian solution
Sigrid Kaag, the UN envoy for the peace process in the region, also warned against calls for Israel to annex...
- "The people of the region can emerge from this period with peace, security, and dignity. However, this may be our last chance to achieve the two-state solution," said Kaag.
- Kaag called on Hamas and Israel to agree on the second phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza war and avoid a resumption of fighting.
Geostrategy
US, Russia to appoint negotiators for Ukraine talks; Kyiv protests exclusion, Europe awaits role
Washington noted European nations would have to have a seat at the negotiating table "at some point", following the first...
- Some European leaders, alarmed by President Donald Trump's overhaul of US policy on Russia, fear Washington will make serious concessions to Moscow
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky slammed his nation's exclusion from the Riyadh gathering, which lasted for more than four hours, saying talks should involve European nations
‘Nothing left’: Israelis grapple with damage from Iran strike
Bat Yam, Israel -- A shocked Julia Zilbergoltz said she had never experienced anything like the Iranian missile strike that...
Geostrategy
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Iraq’s water reserves lowest in 80 years after a dry rainy season
Baghdad, Iraq -- Iraq's water reserves are at their lowest in 80 years after a dry rainy season, a government...
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22 killed in Israeli air strikes across Gaza
The Israeli military has stepped up its Gaza offensive in recent days in what it has described as a renewed...
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Syria revamps interior ministry to reassure West
The interior ministry restructure includes reforms and creating "a modern civil security institution that adopts transparency and respects international human...
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Syria hails US lifting of Assad-era sanctions
The move was formalised Friday after being announced by Trump on a Gulf tour this month during which he shook...
- Keen to reboot and rebuild after 14 years of devastating civil war, the new authorities in Damascus have hailed Washington's lifting of US sanctions
- The move was formalised Friday after being announced by Trump on a Gulf tour this month during which he shook hands with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa
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Iran-US nuclear talks: key points of contention hampering progress
Tehran, Iran - Long-time adversaries Iran and the United States held a fifth round of Oman-mediated nuclear talks on Friday...
- The United States and Western countries suspect Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, but Iran denies having such ambitions
- American officials including Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who has led Washington's delegation at the talks, have spoken out against Iran's enrichment programme
Geostrategy
Syrian leader meets Turkish president in Istanbul
Syria's interim leader met with Turkey's president in Istanbul on Saturday, in an unannounced visit amid efforts by the new...
- Ankara is a firm supporter of Syria's new Islamist authorities, who toppled longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad in December
- The Syrian delegation included its foreign and defence ministers and would "discuss a number of common issues" with the Turkish side