Russia says Ukraine peace talks with Kyiv on pause as NATO bolsters defences
Russia said Friday that peace talks with Kyiv were on "pause" as President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that his Russian counterpart...Geostrategy
UAE summons Israel envoy over ‘cowardly’ Qatar attack, condemns Netanyahu’s statements
The UAE, along with Bahrain, was the first Gulf country to normalize ties with Israel in 2020 and has been...Geostrategy
Deal reached for Gaza hostages to receive medicines
Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari told QNA "the medications and aid will leave Doha tomorrow to the city of...Netanyahu's office confirmed the deal and saying the medicines will be forwarded by Qatari representatives in the Gaza Strip to their final destination
The drugs are intended for 45 hostages, according to the French presidency, which said 83 were initially identified as needing medication in November
Pakistan says two children killed by Iran air strike
The statement did not say where the strike took place, but various Pakistani social media accounts reported blasts in Balochistan..."This violation of Pakistan's sovereignty is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Tehran and Islamabad frequently accuse each other of allowing militants to operate from the other's territory to launch attacks
Maritime firm says missile hits Greek ship off Yemen
Dubai, UAE - A missile hit a Greek-owned cargo ship off Yemen, a maritime risk management company said on Tuesday, following..."A Malta-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier was reportedly targeted and impacted with a missile while transiting the southern Red Sea northbound," said firm
The ship, which has visited Israel since the outbreak of war in Gaza and was headed to the Suez Canal, changed course and headed to port after the incident, it said
Washington seeks ‘de-escalation’ in Middle East, says top US official
Davos, Switzerland - The United States wants a "de-escalation" in the Middle East despite its strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen,..."We seek to stop the spread of conflict and to create the conditions for de-escalation," Sullivan said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Sullivan said the course of the conflict with the Iranian-backed rebels depended on "those with influence in Tehran and influence in other capitals in the Middle East".
WTO hopes to finalize fishing agreement
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The head of the World Trade Organization's fisheries talks voiced optimism on Tuesday about striking an agreement on...The 164 WTO members kicked off a month of negotiations this week at the global trade body's headquarters in Geneva.
The draft text is intended to help members reach agreement on a so-called "clean text" for submission to ministers in Abu Dhabi.
Shell halts Red Sea shipments over attack fears, say report
WASHINGTON, US - British oil giant Shell has paused transit through the key Red Sea shipping route indefinitely, over fears of...The worries of escalation grew after United States and United Kingdom strikes on scores of sites in rebel-held Yemen.
The Houthis have been targeting what they deemed Israeli-linked vessels, but after the strikes, they declared US and British interests "legitimate targets."
In Davos, Chinese premier takes aim at trade ‘barriers’
Li's remarks came as the World Economic Forum's (WEF's) 54th annual conference is preoccupied with a slew of global risks,...Li did not name any countries but Beijing has tussled with the United States and the European Union over trade in recent years, particularly on high-tech and clean energy.
US-China trade tensions soared under the presidency of Donald Trump and have continued under President Joe Biden.
Iraq recalls Iran envoy in rebuke to ally over deadly strikes
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had destroyed the "Zionist regime's spy headquarters in the Kurdistan region of Iraq." The strike...Iraq challenged Iran's claim that the strikes targeted Israel's intelligence services in response to recent Israeli assassinations of Iranian and pro-Iranian commanders
Iran defended its missile strikes in Iraq and Syria, saying they were a "targeted operation" and "just punishment" against those who breach the Islamic republic's security
Intensive phase of war in south Gaza ‘will end soon’: Gallant
Israel had four divisions operating in Gaza before Monday's announced withdrawal, though it was unclear how many soldiers were involved...The army had stepped up military operations in the Khan Yunis and Rafah in recent weeks
It said an entire division of soldiers had completed their withdrawal from Gaza on Monday
Iran Guards hit ‘terrorist’ targets in Iraq, Syria
The IRGC also hit targets in Syria with ballistic missiles, including the "gathering places of commanders and main elements related...The attacks destroyed "a spy headquarters" and a "gathering of anti-Iranian terrorist groups" in Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, IRGC said
Four people including prominent businessman Peshraw Dizayee were killed and six others wounded in the attack, according to Iraq's Kurdistan security council
