Trump holds fresh talks with Netanyahu to end Gaza ‘tragedy’
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu met for the second time in 24 hours Tuesday as the US president intensified the...
Geostrategy
Five IDF soldiers killed, 14 injured in roadside bombing in Northern Gaza
Five Israeli soldiers were killed and 14 others injured late Monday night when a roadside bomb exploded during an ongoing...
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Iran will have ‘no choice’ but to acquire nuclear weapons if attacked, Khamenei adviser to UNSC
The message was sent to the UN Security Council in a letter by Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani which...
- Trump said on Saturday "there will be bombing" if Iran did not agree a nuclear deal, and also threatened to punish Tehran with what he called "secondary tariffs".
- Despite the sharpening of Trump's comments, it was not clear if he was threatening a US bombing or an operation coordinated with another country
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Le Pen’s French presidency bid in jeopardy after election ban
A French court on Monday threw into severe doubt far-right leader Marine Le Pen's 2027 bid for president, handing her...
- She was convicted over a scheme to take advantage of European Parliament expenses to employ assistants who were actually working for her far-right party in France
- Le Pen as well as the other officials were banned from running for office, with the judge specifying that the sanction should come into force with immediate effect
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Le Pen’s French presidency bid in jeopardy after election ban
Paris, France -- A French court on Monday threw into severe doubt far-right leader Marine Le Pen's 2027 bid for...
- A French court on Monday handed her a five-year ban on running for office after convicting her over a fake jobs scheme.
- She was also given a four-year prison term by the Paris court but will not go to jail, with two years of the term suspended and the other two to be served outside jail.
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Trump says ‘there will be bombing’ if Iran fails to make ‘peace deal’
Trump's language represented a sharpening of his comment a few days earlier that if Tehran refused to negotiate a new...
- It was not clear whether Trump was threatening bombing by US planes alone or perhaps in an operation coordinated with Israel
- Trump in 2018 pulled the United States out of an agreement to relieve sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program
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Trump says ‘very angry, pissed off’ with Putin over Ukraine
"If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think...
- NBC's Kristen Welker said Trump had called her to express his fury over Putin questioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's future as a leader
- Putin rejected a joint US-Ukrainian plan for a 30-day ceasefire, and on Friday suggested Zelensky be removed from office as part of the peace process
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Netanyahu offers Hamas leaders Gaza exit but demands group disarm amid strikes on the Palestinian territory
A senior Hamas official stated on Saturday that the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators...
- Gaza's civil defence agency said an Israeli air strike on a house and tent sheltering displaced Palestinians killed at least eight people, including five children
- The strike in Khan Yunis came in the morning on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan
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Turkey opposition pushes for early polls as Swedish reporter jailed
Istanbul, Turkey -- The Turkish opposition on Sunday worked to keep up the momentum of the protest movement triggered by...
- With Turkey entering several days of public holiday marking the end of the Ramadan, the opposition has vowed to keep up the protest movement while switching to focused events.
- Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Thursday 1,879 people had been detained in connection with the protests since March 19, with 260 of them remanded in custody pending trial.
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‘Day of funerals,’ Gazans mark grim Eid under Israeli strikes
At dawn, many Gazans gathered across different parts of the territory to offer traditional morning Eid prayers, an AFP correspondent...
- Many prayed beside makeshift tents sheltering tens of thousands of displaced Gazans, living in dire humanitarian conditions.
- At the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, several residents visited the graves of loved ones killed in the war.
Geostrategy
First orbital rocket launched from Europe crashes seconds after blast-off
Oslo, Norway -- The first orbital rocket launched from continental Europe crashed seconds after blast-off Sunday, in a closely watched...
- Isar Aerospace, which had said it did not expect to reach orbit with the launch, said the two-stage rocket fell into the sea, adding that "the launch pad seems to be intact".
- The 28-metre (92-foot) tall, two-meter diameter rocket has a one-ton carrying capacity, but was unloaded for the test flight.
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Hamas says agrees to new Gaza truce proposal received from mediators but warns its weapons a ‘red line’
The talks in Doha started a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to seize parts of Gaza if...
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed it had also received a proposal from the mediators and had submitted a counter-proposal in response
- The fragile truce that had brought weeks of relative calm to the Gaza Strip ended on March 18 when Israel resumed its bombing campaign across the territory
Trump holds fresh talks with Netanyahu to end Gaza ‘tragedy’
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu met for the second time in 24 hours Tuesday as the US president intensified the...
Geostrategy
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MENA Brief | June 19: GCC central banks hold interest rates steady, Diriyah House launched in London
As most currencies in the region are pegged to the US dollar, monetary policy follows the decisions taken in Washington,...
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Almost 3,000 Australians seek to flee Israel-Iran conflict
Australia has started evacuating almost 3,000 citizens caught up in the rapidly spiralling conflict between Israel and Iran, Foreign Minister...
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Syrians watch Iran-Israel crossfire as government stays silent
For days, Syrians have watched as Iranian missiles and Israeli interceptors light up the skies over their territory, but the...
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Khamenei vows Iran will never surrender, warns US of ‘irreparable damage’
Khamenei's speech came six days into the conflict, with US president Donald Trump saying he may or may not intervene...
- Khamenei, in power since 1989 and the final arbiter of all matters of state in Iran, had earlier vowed the country would show "no mercy" towards Israel's leaders.
- Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said air force jets had destroyed Iran's internal security headquarters after the army announced it was striking military targets in Tehran.
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Gulf states on Iran’s doorstep scramble for end of war
Doha, Qatar -- As Iran and Israel trade strikes and the US weighs joining in, wealthy Gulf states on the...
- Peace and stability have been central to the rise of Gulf powers including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who are pivoting their economies towards business and tourism.
- Hoping to avert the crisis, Saudi Arabia has been talking to Iran and the United States since "day one", Ali Shihabi, an analyst close to the royal court.
Geostrategy
MENA Brief | June 18: Oil calms after Trump’s threat rattles markets; UAE-Iran calls, Riyadh Air signs big Rolls-Royce deal
Oil prices steadied Wednesday after Trump’s demand for Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ roiled markets and revived supply fears, as regional diplomacy...
- Oil surged over 4% Tuesday amid fears of US strikes on Iran after Trump’s comments but stabilised slightly Wednesday
- Analysts warn Iran could block the vital shipping lane if tensions escalate further; US refuelling jets reportedly en route to the region