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....
Geostrategy
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...
Gaza medics say Israeli forces raid Khan Yunis hospital
Hospitals are granted special protection under the laws of war, but they have been repeatedly hit in Gaza over the...
- PRCS said Israeli forces had arrested eight of its team members at Al-Amal hospital, including "four doctors, as well as four wounded individuals and five patients' companions
- The medical organization has in recent days made repeated pleas for supplies and protection, reporting severe shortages of oxygen, medicines and fuel to power the hospital
NATO chief calls on Europe to ramp up arms production
Ahead of a key meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels and the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war, Jens...
- Stoltenberg's comments came amidst growing pleas for shells, ammunition and other military aide from Ukraine as it battles Russian forces into a third year
- NATO defense ministers will meet in Brussels on February 15, one week ahead of the second anniversary of Russia's offensive in Ukraine
Planned Israeli offensive in Rafah ‘alarming’: EU’s Borrell
Rafah is the southernmost city in the Palestinian enclave that has been hit by a fierce Israeli offensive since the...
- Netanyahu said this week he had ordered troops to prepare to move into Rafah, and that "total victory" against the fighters would come in months
- Israeli air strikes and a ground offensive in response of October 7 attacks have killed at least 27,947 people in Gaza, mostly women and children
Geostrategy
Palestinian group says Israeli troops raid Gaza hospital
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the army to prepare to "evacuate" hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza's...
- "The occupation (Israeli) forces stormed Al-Amal hospital and started searching it. We're finding it difficult to communicate with our crews inside the hospital," the group said
- Al-Amal has been caught in fierce fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters, with the Red Crescent reporting "intense artillery shelling and heavy gunfire"
Geostrategy
Law, politics hamper UK museum return of artifacts
LONDON, UK - British museums, like others across Europe, are under pressure to return artworks taken during the colonial era, including...
- Politicians have little appetite to change the legal framework that is currently blocking full restitutions by national museums, campaigners say.
- British laws dating from the 1960s and 1980s prevent national museums, such as the British Museum and the V&A, from making returning artifacts.
Geostrategy
Crippling Israeli restrictions throw West Bank life in disarray
The number of checkpoints and barriers in the Palestinian territory has greatly increased since October 7, adding hours to already...
- Recently, an AFP team left Jerusalem at 8 am for the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem -- normally a trip of just two hours -- and arrived there at 1:30 pm.
- Israel first erected military checkpoints in the West Bank following the first Palestinian uprising or intifada in 1987, but the number increased after the second intifada.
Geostrategy
Saudi hosts Arab diplomats for Gaza talks after Blinken tour
Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites in Islam, has never recognised Israel, though officials were considering doing so before...
- The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, as well as a senior Palestinian official
- Two diplomats briefed on preparations for the meeting told AFP it was intended to promote a unified Arab position on the war, now in its fifth month
Geostrategy
Saudi foreign minister meets UNRWA chief in Riyadh, promises support
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan received Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the...
- Prince Faisal reaffirmed the Kingdom's backing for the agency and called on all UNRWA donors to contribute to humanitarian efforts for the Palestinians
- 16 donor countries, including major contributors like the US and Germany, have suspended their funding amid allegations of misconduct within the UNRWA
Geostrategy
Russia cannot be defeated in Ukraine: Putin
During a two-hour long interview with the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Russia's President Vladimir Putin defended his decision...
- It was the first interview of Putin by a Western journalist since 2019
- Putin said a deal "can be reached" on imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter
Geostrategy
Biden’s age under renewed scrutiny following damning revelations in documents investigation
Even before the special counsel report the White House was already on the back foot, facing repeated questions at a...
- The report, released on Thursday, described Biden's memory as "hazy," "fuzzy," "faulty," "poor," and with "significant limitations."
- It highlighted instances where Biden couldn't recall defining milestones in his own life, including the end and beginning of his vice-presidential term
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....
Geostrategy
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Killing of the Palestinian movement’s chief Ismail Haniyeh “will not go unanswered”- Hamas
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Wednesday the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was a "cowardly act" and urged Palestinians...
Geostrategy
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh killed in Tehran: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards
"The residence of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political office of Hamas Islamic Resistance, was hit in Tehran, and as...
Geostrategy
Israel says ‘eliminated’ Hizbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut strike
"Fuad Shukr was the commander responsible for the Majdal Shams massacre, in which 12 children were murdered after Hizbollah fired...
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Hamas says Netanyahu ‘stalling’ ceasefire deal with new terms
A source with knowledge of the talks said last week that Israel's return with extra demands was "a recurring theme"...
- The statement came after Egyptian, Qatari and US mediators met with Israeli negotiators in Rome on Sunday as international pressure for a ceasefire grows
- US President Joe Biden outlined in late May what he called an Israeli initiative for a truce and hostage release deal, and this has become the basis for subsequent talks
Geostrategy
Iran’s Khamenei formally grants Pezeshkian presidential powers
In a message read by the director of Khamenei's office, he said: "I endorse the vote (for) the wise, honest,...
- The endorsement ceremony was held in the capital Tehran in the presence of senior Iranian officials and foreign diplomats, and broadcast on state TV
- Following the event, acting president Mohammad Mokhber handed over official responsibilities to 69-year-old Pezeshkian
Geostrategy
Israel vows retaliation after rocket kills 12 youths in occupied Golan Heights area
Israel's security cabinet on Sunday authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to decide on the "manner and timing" of a...
- Israel's military said Hezbollah fired the rocket from Lebanon, hitting a football pitch in the Druze town of Majdal Shams and killing the youngsters, between 10 and 20 years
- Hezbollah strongly denies involvement while the US and Israel pinned blame on Hezbollah. EU is pitching for an independent investigation into the incident