Biden-brokered truce deal halts Israel-Hezbollah war; Netanyahu plans to go full force against Gaza and Iran
Under US-brokered terms, Lebanon's army regains border control, curbing Hezbollah activity, while Israel vows to maintain security operations if threats...Geostrategy
Hezbollah says Israel ‘cannot impose conditions’ for truce
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein announced "additional progress" in Lebanon-Israel ceasefire talks, heading to Israel to finalize an agreement amidst escalating...Geostrategy
QatarEnergy says Red Sea attacks ‘may impact’ gas shipments
The state-owned giant confirmed in a statement that "Qatar's LNG production continues uninterrupted, and our commitment to ensuring the reliable...Earlier this month, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said LNG shipments would be affected, like other merchant shipping, by the Houthi strikes.
His intervention came amid reports of at least five LNG vessels operated by Qatar stopping en route to the Red Sea.
Two Tunisian teenage migrants die in shipping container
Last week, the national guard announced the disappearance at sea of about 40 Tunisians who left from Sfax province, on...The two minors were part of a group of four young people trying to migrate irregularly, spending around eight hours in the cold container
The two surviving members of the group were hospitalized and are "in a stable condition", according to the director of civil protection for the Tunis region
Two dead in US strikes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq
The US strikes come against an already explosive regional backdrop, fueled by the war in Gaza between Washington's ally Israel...The strikes came just days after US troops in western Iraq were targeted with ballistic missiles and rockets in an attack the Pentagon blamed on militants supported by Tehran
According to Iraqi sources, US strikes targeted Ketaeb Hizbollah in the Jurf al-Sakhr area south of the capital Baghdad, as well as in the Al-Qaim region on the border with Syria
Iran’s Raisi flies to Turkey for delayed Gaza talks
Planned talks in Ankara in early January were called off when twin blasts claimed by IS group jihadists killed 89...Raisi's visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan comes with the war in Gaza starting to enflame tensions and escalate fighting across the Middle East
The Turkish presidency said the two leaders would appear at a press conference after holdings talks and chairing a meeting of their top ministers during the one-day visit
US strikes two Houthi missiles in Yemen: military
US and Britain have carried out two rounds of joint strikes aimed at reducing the Houthis' ability to target shipping,...CENTCOM said the missiles were aimed into the Southern Red Sea and ready to be fired
Houthis began striking Red Sea shipping in November in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza
Trump closes in on Biden rematch after New Hampshire win
Despite now adding New Hampshire to his previous easy victory in Iowa, Trump kept to his hard-right messaging, with no...With votes around 60 percent counted, Trump's winning margin hovered at around 11 percentage points, but his sole remaining challenger Nikki Haley vowed to fight on
In a rambling victory speech Trump, 77, attacked Haley and said that when the primary contest reaches her home state of South Carolina, "we're going to win easily."
UN chief terms Israeli rejection of two-state solution ‘unacceptable’
In a speech to the Security Council, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanded that "Israel's occupation must end." Guterres warned...Guterres warned that it would exacerbate polarization and embolden extremists everywhere
He called for the recognition of the "right of the Palestinian people" to build their own state
Houthis order all US, British UN staff to leave Yemen within a month
The expulsion followed joint strikes by the United States and Britain against the Houthis aimed at ending the group's attacks...Last week, Washington redesignated the Houthis a "global terrorist group", having lifted it in 2021 to ease aid delivery to the impoverished country.
The Houthis have fought a nearly decade-long civil war against government forces, who are backed by Saudi Arabia.
Iranian President Raisi to discuss Gaza war during Turkey visit
Raisi will meet Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the capital Ankara, making a visit that was postponed twice --...Raisi will meet Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, making a visit that was postponed twice -- once in November and once earlier this month
The visit comes amid growing fears about the regional repercussion of the war in Gaza, which Israel launched in reprisal for October 7 attacks
NATO to buy ammunitions worth $1.2 billion amid Ukraine war
The latest deals -- signed with French firm Nexter and Germany's Junghans Microtec -- are estimated by officials to cover...The ammunition stocks of NATO have drained after sending large-scale shipments to Ukraine as it battles Russia
"It is important that our allies refill their own stocks as we continue to support Ukraine," NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said
