Updates: Israel targets key military sites in Iran amid escalating tensions in Middle East
Explosions sounded across Tehran after Israel’s airstrikes on Iranian military sites, raising fears of a broader conflict in the Middle...Geostrategy
Wealthy Israelis offer rewards for release of Gaza hostages
Jerusalem, Undefined - Frustrated with the dwindling prospect of reaching a ceasefire deal in the year-long Gaza war, some Israeli entrepreneurs...Geostrategy
UN says Gaza on cusp of famine due to Hamas-Israel war
The Israel-Hamas war is pushing Gaza towards famine, the United Nations warned ahead of an expected Security Council vote on...The entire population of Gaza faces "an imminent risk of famine", according to a UN-backed global hunger monitoring system.
With homes destroyed, they are living in crowded shelters and struggling to find food, fuel, water and medical supplies
Lebanon to adopt UN border resolution if Israel complies
Lebanon is ready to implement a UN resolution that would help end Hizbollah's cross-border attacks on Israel if Israel also...The solution to the current cross-border hostilities "is the implementation of international resolutions", including Resolution 1701, Lebanese PM said.
The Lebanese PM was referring to territory claimed by Lebanon that remains occupied following Israel's withdrawal from the country's south in 2000.
More than 20 countries join coalition to protect Red Sea shipping
The Iran-backed Houthis have repeatedly targeted vessels in the vital shipping lane with strikes they say are in support of...Pentagon spokesman said the Houthis are "attacking the economic wellbeing and prosperity of nations around the world," effectively becoming "bandits along the international highway
Coalition forces will serve as a highway patrol of sorts, patrolling Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to respond to commercial vessels that are transiting this international waterway
UN Security Council to vote on Gaza aid as famine fears mount
Separate diplomatic efforts were also under way for a fresh pause in the worst-ever Gaza war, which was triggered by...The latest UN draft set to face a vote Friday, calls for "urgent steps to immediately allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access
The entire population of Gaza faces "an imminent risk of famine", according to a UN-backed global hunger monitoring system on Thursday
Lebanon economy to plunge into recession due to Gaza war
The impact of the conflict had reversed a slight recovery for Lebanon, which has battled a deep economic crisis for...Lebanon's economy collapsed in late 2019, plunging most of the population into poverty, according to the United Nations.
Real gross domestic product is expected to decline "to between minus 0.6 percent to minus 0.9 percent depending on the extent of the tourism shock," the World Bank said.
Turkmenistan worried as Caspian Sea continues to shrink
Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan - On the Caspian Sea coast in Turkmenistan, Batyr Yusupov can no longer ferry his passengers between two ports....It is still not entirely clear why that is happening, but scientists say it is down to naturally occurring processes exacerbated by climate change
Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic, is one of five countries on the Caspian Sea together with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran and Russia
UN adopts Qatar-sponsored resolution on human rights training center
New York, USA - The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution by 185 votes on 'The UN Human Rights...Qatar sponsored and facilitated negotiations every two years since its establishment in 2008, with its headquarters in Doha
In its resolution, the General Assembly reaffirms the role of regional cooperation in promoting and protecting human rights
Greece to join US-led naval coalition against Houthi rebels
The task force announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday initially included Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the...A Greek navy frigate will join the task force on orders from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said Defense Minister Nikos Dendias
As a foremost shipping nation, Greece had a "fundamental interest" in addressing a "massive threat" to global maritime transport, he said
Rights group slams Meta for silencing pro-Palestinian voices
"Meta's censorship of content in support of Palestine adds insult to injury at a time of unspeakable atrocities and repression...HRW pointed to "systemic online censorship", reporting more than 1,050 "takedowns and other suppression of content" on Instagram and Facebook from over 60 countries in Oct and Nov.
Of the 1,050 cases reviewed, 1,049 involved "peaceful content in support of Palestine that was censored or suppressed, while one case involved removal of pro-Israel content.
Sudan’s displaced forced to flee again as safe zones shrink
Over half a million people had sought shelter in Al-Jazirah state before the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began advancing on...UNFP said the spread of fighting southwards had forced it to suspend food assistance in parts of Al-Jazirah, calling it a "major setback"
By early December, the war between the army and the RSF had killed 12,190 people, according to a conservative estimate by the Armed Conflict Locations
