Saudi-Pakistan mutual defence pact will not include Turkey: sources
The Pakistan-Saudi pact was signed just months after Pakistan and India fought an intense four-day conflict in May that killed...
Geostrategy
US deploys aircraft carrier as Iran warns against attack, says ready to hit back
A US naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier has deployed to Middle Eastern waters, the United States said Monday,...
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Geostrategy
Yemen separatists say Saudi-backed forces to deploy in seized territories
A surprise STC offensive seizing resource-rich Hadramawt and Mahra has pushed the UAE and Saudi Arabia, officially allies in Yemen,...
- On Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen struck what it said was a shipment of Emirati weapons destined for the separatists.
- But a source close to the Saudi government told AFP on Thursday that Saudi Arabia's security needs would only be met if the STC "move out of Hadramawt and Mahra".
Geostrategy
Israel’s Mossad tells Iranian protesters ‘we are with you’
Israel's Mossad spy agency issued a direct call urging Iranians to press on with protests, saying it was supporting them...
- Protests that began on Sunday with Tehran shopkeepers rallying against Iran's worsening economy have spread to other cities
- The Iranian rial has dropped against the US dollar and other world currencies, forcing up import prices and hurting retail traders
Geostrategy
Israel to ban 37 organizations operating in Gaza, aid flow under threat
Apart from MSF, some of the 37 NGOs to be hit with the ban are the Norwegian Refugee Council, World...
- In a territory with 2.2 million inhabitants, "1.3 million people still require urgent shelter support," the ministers of Britain, Canada, Denmark and several other nations said.
- On Wednesday, the United Nations rights chief Volker Turk described Israel's decision as "outrageous", calling on states to urgently insist Israel shift course.
Geostrategy
“Hell to pay”: Trump warns Hamas after Netanyahu talks, threatens Iran with fresh strikes
US President Donald Trump warned Iran of fresh strikes and said Hamas would have "hell to pay" if it fails...
- Speaking at a news conference with Netanyahu, Trump threatened to "eradicate" any attempt by Tehran to rebuild its nuclear program
- Trump also downplayed reports of tensions with Netanyahu over the Gaza ceasefire, saying Israel had "lived up" to its commitments
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia condemns ‘dangerous’ UAE moves in Yemen after striking shipment
Riyadh also backed a demand from Yemen's presidential council for Emirati forces to withdraw from the country within 24 hours,...
- In recent weeks, separatists backed by the UAE seeking to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen have made sweeping territorial gains in a lightning offensive.
- The UAE said "the shipment in question did not contain any weapons, and the vehicles unloaded were not intended for any Yemeni party."
Geostrategy
Netanyahu to meet Trump in Florida for talks on Gaza peace plan, Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, with the US president pushing to move...
- Netanyahu is also expected to try to shift some focus onto Iran, amid reports he will call for more US strikes on the Islamic republic
- He will bring up the "danger Iran poses not only to the region of the Middle East, but the United States as well," Israeli spokeswoman said
Geostrategy
Somali president to visit Turkey after Israeli recognition of Somaliland
Somalia's president is to visit close ally Turkey on Tuesday following Israel's recognition of the breakaway territory of Somaliland, Turkey's...
- Turkey denounced Israel's recognition of Somaliland, a self-proclaimed republic, calling it "overt interference in Somalia's domestic affairs"
- Ankara, a close ally of Somalia, provides military and economic assistance to the country that has been devastated by civil war
Geostrategy
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland ‘threat’ to regional stability: Somali president
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has for decades pushed for international recognition. A self-proclaimed republic, it enjoys...
- But it has been diplomatically isolated since its unilateral declaration of independence.
- Egypt, Turkey, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation all condemned the decision.
Geostrategy
A saint, a monk, a rock: Bulgaria’s euro coin designs
Sofia, Bulgaria -- Ancient rock art, a patron saint and a monk will be emblazoned on euro coins from Thursday,...
- Bulgaria will become the 21st country to adopt the euro on Thursday.
- The single currency first rolled out in 12 countries on January 1, 2002, and has since regularly extended its influence, with Croatia the last country to join in 2023.
Geostrategy
Iraqis cover soil with clay to curb sandstorms
Samawah, Iraq -- Deep in Iraq’s southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as...
- Iraq has long suffered from sand and dust storms, but in recent years they have become more frequent and intense as the country falls prey to the effects of climate change.
- Iraqi authorities have warned that these suffocating storms will intensify further, adding urgency to efforts to address the root of the problem.
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Saudi-Pakistan mutual defence pact will not include Turkey: sources
The Pakistan-Saudi pact was signed just months after Pakistan and India fought an intense four-day conflict in May that killed...
Geostrategy
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Starlink services disrupted in Iran amid expanding protests and broader measures affecting internet access
Widespread jamming of the Starlink satellite internet service used by some Iranian opposition members is a likely first in peacetime but...
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Trump reposts suggestion that Rubio become next Cuba leader
President Donald Trump reposted a social media message on Sunday suggesting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, born to Cuban...
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Palestinian VP meets diplomat expected to serve on Trump’s Gaza peace board
Palestinian vice president Hussein al-Sheikh met on Friday with former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, who is expected to...
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Defiant Khamenei insists ‘won’t back down’ in face of growing Iran protests
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday insisted the Islamic republic would "not back down" in the face of...
- The demonstrations represent one of the biggest challenges yet to the Islamic republic in its over four-and-a-half decades of existence
- But Khamenei struck a defiant tone in his first comments on the escalating protests since January 3, calling the demonstrators "vandals"
Geostrategy
Israel president meets diplomat expected to serve on Trump’s Gaza peace board
Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Thursday met with former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, whom media reports say is...
- A spokesman from Herzog's office said the president met with Mladenov on Thursday, without providing further details
- The Times of Israel reported that Mladenov was expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later on Thursday
Geostrategy
US could run Venezuela, tap its oil for years, Trump says less than a week after toppling Maduro
The United States could run Venezuela and tap into its oil reserves for years, President Donald Trump said in an...
- Venezuela's state oil firm PDVSA said it was discussing oil sales with the United States for the "sale of volumes of oil"
- Trump and his advisors are considering a plan for the US to exert control over PDVSA, the Wall Street Journal reported