UN says hundreds killed in recent weeks while seeking aid in Gaza
There are frequent reports of Israeli forces firing on people seeking aid, with Gaza's civil defence agency saying 10 Palestinians...
Geostrategy
Rebooted and ‘vulnerable’: Superman is back on screens
Paris, France - A rebooted Superman is flying into cinemas around the world this week, with critics mostly positive about...
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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.
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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
Business
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
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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
Geostrategy
Iran’s Khamenei: US plan to displace Gazans ‘will go nowhere’
Tehran, Iran - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday dismissed a proposal by the United States to displace Palestinians...
- Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, leader of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad
- US President Donald Trump this month proposed a plan for a US takeover of the war-battered Gaza Strip and its Palestinian inhabitants to be relocated elsewhere
Geostrategy
More than one million Syrians return to their homes: United Nations
Geneva, Switzerland -- More than one million people have returned to their homes in Syria after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad,...
- The returnees include 280,000 Syrian refugees and more than 800,000 people displaced inside the country.
- Syria's war has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions from their homes.
UN says hundreds killed in recent weeks while seeking aid in Gaza
There are frequent reports of Israeli forces firing on people seeking aid, with Gaza's civil defence agency saying 10 Palestinians...
Geostrategy
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Israeli army kills 53 Palestinians and injures 200 others near Gaza aid site
"Israeli drones fired at the citizens. Some minutes later, Israeli tanks fired several shells at the citizens, which led to...
Geostrategy
Trump says wants ‘real end’ to Israel-Iran conflict, not ceasefire
Trump said that he wanted a "complete give-up" by Iran in return for peace, without elaborating on the outcome he...
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MENA brief Jun 17: ADNOC Drilling appoints new CEO, Riyadh up in startup ranking
The DMCC Crypto Centre welcomed Bitcoin.com, which is setting up its first MENA office in Dubai. The Arab Coordination Group...
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Israel, Iran trade missile fire as Trump warns Tehran to ‘evacuate’
The United States and Iran had engaged in several rounds of indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear programme in recent weeks,...
- Despite growing calls for the longtime foes to end hostilities, neither Israel nor Iran showed any signs of cutting short the missile blitz kicked off Friday
- The Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv warned its citizens to leave the country immediately, as the United States said it was deploying "additional capabilities" to the Middle East
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G7 urges Iran de-escalation as Trump makes hasty summit exit as ally Israel pounds Iran
The G7 statement said that Israel "has a right to defend itself" and stressed "the importance of the protection of...
- After a day of statements backing diplomacy, Trump ominously took to social media to sound a warning to the people of the Iranian capital Tehran
- But after hesitating at backing a joint statement on the crisis, Trump relented during a dinner at the forested lodge under the snow-capped mountains in Kananaskis
Geostrategy
Day 4: Tehran residents flee Israeli attacks as casualties mount
Images verified by AFP, shot by a social media user from an overpass, showed near immobile traffic on a Tehran...
- Iran's health ministry says at least 224 people have been killed and more than 1,200 wounded.
- Iran foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called the strike on state TV a "war crime".