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Geostrategy

Meraas awards construction contract

The $272m contract has been awarded for Bluewaters Bay.

SIB’s 2024 profit $272m

The profit surpassed AED 1 billion for the first time in bank's history.

AD Ports to invest in Kazakh port

Under the deal, AD Ports Group owns 51% stake.

PIF acquires stake in Saudi Re

The acquisition was made by way of a capital increase.

ADNOC Gas awards contracts

The $2.1bn contracts are aimed at enhancing LNG supply infrastructure.

European countries suspend Syrian asylum decisions after Assad’s fall

While Berlin and other governments said they were watching the fast-moving developments in the war-ravaged nation, Vienna signaled it would...
  • World leaders and Syrians abroad watched in disbelief at the weekend as Islamist-led rebels swept into Damascus
  • The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees had imposed a freeze on decisions for ongoing asylum decisions

Celebrations erupt across Syria to mark end of 50 years of Baath party rule

Bashar al-Assad's whereabouts not clear, but his key backer Russia said he had resigned from the presidency and left Syria....
  • Protests spread like wildfire in neighbouring provinces, with anti-government demonstrators toppling statues of late president Hafez al-Assad in the Jaramana suburb of Damascus
  • The Israeli army said Saturday that its troops were assisting UN peacekeeping forces in the Syrian-controlled part of the Golan Heights in repelling an attack "by armed individuals

Syria: Assad faces stunning setbacks as rebels seize Daraa, Hama, and Aleppo in quick succession

While Aleppo and Hama, the two other main cities taken from government control in recent days, fell to an Islamist-led...
  • Since a rebel alliance led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched its offensive on November 27, the government has lost Aleppo and subsequently Hama in central Syria
  • Syria's civil war, which began with Assad's crackdown on democracy protests, has killed more than 500,000 people and forced more than half the population to flee their homes

Turkey confirms Syria talks with Russia and Iran

A meeting was expected on the forum's sidelines between Turkey, and Damascus allies Iran and Russia.
  • Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan "will meet with the Russian and Iranian ministers"
  • The so-called Astana process involving the three countries was launched by Kazakhstan in 2017

Qatar resumes Gaza mediation: source with knowledge of talks

Doha, Qatar - Qatar has resumed its role as a mediator in efforts to secure a truce in the Israel-Hamas war...
  • The Gulf emirate, along with the US and Egypt, had been involved in months of unsuccessful negotiations for a Gaza truce and hostage release after nearly 14 months of war
  • In November, Doha announced it had put its mediation on hold, saying it would resume when Hamas and Israel showed "willingness and seriousness".

Syria: Tens of thousands of Alawites flee Homs, fearing rebel advance towards Damascus-coast strategic link

Analysts said they expected the fighters led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to push on towards the city,...
  • Khaled, who lives on the city's outskirts told AFP that "the road leading to (coastal) Tartus province was glowing... due to the lights of hundreds of cars on their way out."
  • In April 2014, at least 100 people, mostly civilians, were killed in twin attacks in Homs that targeted a majority Alawite neighbourhood

South Korean president clings to power after martial law U-turn

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was still clinging to power Thursday, with his party announcing they will oppose an...
  • South Korean police announced Thursday they were investigating Yoon for "insurrection"
  • A new poll by Realmeter showed 73.6 percent of respondents supported impeachment

Iran says ready to study any Syrian request for troops

Tehran, Iran - Iran will consider any request from its Syrian ally for troops to help tackle a sweeping rebel offensive...
  • Iran and Syria have been close allies for decades and Iran has long provided military advisors to the Syrian armed forces
  • The Iranian government has been portraying the rebel assault as a US-Israeli plot to destabilise the Middle East

Lebanon says nine killed in Israeli strikes on southern villages

Many strikes on villages in southern Lebanon on Monday, after Israel said it was taking aim at dozens of Hezbollah...
  • Israel has carried out a near-daily series of strikes in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire
  • On Monday, the Lebanese army said an Israeli drone wounded a soldier

Israel vows ‘harsh response’ to Hezbollah attack

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed a "harsh response" to a Hezbollah rocket launch targeting a military position on Monday
  • At least two people were killed on Monday in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon
  • The ceasefire came into effect on November 27 and stipulates that Israel will not carry out offensive military operations

Nations retreating inward making global cooperation harder, Dr Masood tells TRENDS at Davos

Davos, Switzerland - The world is grappling with challenges that demand collective action, but rising nationalism and geopolitical tensions are...

Latest News

Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100

Carter had been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia -- the same small town...

New Dawn over Damascus: Residents reclaim Mount Qasyun after years of curbs under Assad’s rule

Mount Qasyun, once closed due to war, reopens as a vibrant community space where Damascus residents gather to reclaim joy,...

Israeli strikes hit Yemen as Netanyahu fires warning

Israeli air strikes pummeled Sanaa's international airport and other targets in Yemen on Thursday, with Huthi rebel media reporting six...

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Ceasefire talks falter as Hamas, Israel clash over conditions, Gaza sees more destruction and deaths

Hamas accuses Israel of stalling the truce with new demands on troop withdrawal and prisoner release, while Netanyahu’s office counters,...
  • Indirect negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have taken place in Doha in recent days, rekindling hope for an agreement between the two warring parties
  • On Wednesday, both sides accused the other of throwing up roadblocks, while Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged the country's leadership to move towards a deal

Pakistan air strikes kill 46 in Afghanistan: Taliban spokesman

Kabul, Afghanistan - Pakistan air strikes in an eastern border province of Afghanistan killed 46 people, the Taliban government spokesman told...
  • Border tensions have risen since the Taliban's 2021 takeover, with Islamabad accusing Afghan-based militants of attacks
  • Islamabad has accused Kabul's Taliban government of harbouring militant fighters, allowing them to strike on Pakistani soil with impunity

Israeli army says intercepted missile from Yemen before it entered Israeli territory

Jerusalem, Undefined - The Israeli army said Wednesday it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the country from Yemen.Air raid sirens...
  • Air raid sirens sounded over a wide swathe of central Israel as a precaution against falling debris, but the army said it shot down the projectile before it entered Israeli territo
  • Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels have repeatedly launched missiles against Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians since the war in Gaza began more than a year ago