Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel says opening aid routes
UN's World Food Programme said a third of the population of Gaza had not eaten for days, and 470,000 people...Geostrategy
UNRWA chief says Gaza aid airdrops will not stop ‘starvation’, solve food shortages
The humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory has gravely deteriorated in recent days, with international NGOs warning of soaring malnutrition...Geostrategy
Blazing heat spurs record energy consumption in Bahrain
Life in Bahrain largely moves indoors during the summer months, with the ever-present Arctic blast of air-conditioning systems.Manama's Electricity and Water Authority said the region "recorded its highest-ever electricity consumption rate" on Thursday at 3,798 megawatts
Beating last year's record of 3,708 MW, the latest figure came as temperatures on Thursday reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit),
Lebanon marks 3 years since catastrophic Beirut blast
The main activist group representing families of those killed has called for a protest march on Friday afternoon, converging on...On August 4, 2020, the massive blast at Beirut's port destroyed swathes of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring at least 6,500
Authorities said the disaster was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where a vast stockpile of industrial chemical ammonium nitrate had been haphazardly stored for years
US aims to deploy troops on tankers to deter seizures by Iran
The US military says Iran has either seized or attempted to take control of nearly 20 internationally flagged ships in...The US security forces would provide a further layer of protection for the tankers in addition to the warships and planes operating in the strategically vital area
Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder and National Security Council spokesman John Kirby both declined to confirm reports of the planned deployment
Lebanon hands over alleged Italian mafia member, says judicial official
BEIRUT, LEBANON - Lebanon on Thursday handed over to Italian authorities an alleged member of Italy's notorious 'Ndrangheta mafia wanted for...Lebanese authorities handed over Bartolo Bruzzaniti, 48 ... to an Italian security delegation.
Bruzzaniti was arrested in early July in a restaurant in Jounieh, north of the capital Beirut.
Saudi Arabia extends voluntary 1mbpd oil cut to September
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia will extend the voluntary 1 million barrels per day cut, announced in July, to...Saudi Press Agency, quoting an official source from the Kingdom's Ministry of Energy, said the country's production for September 2023 will be approximately 9mpbd.
This cut is in addition to the voluntary cut previously announced by the Kingdom in April 2023, which extends until the end of December 2024.
Russian oil price cap under growing scrutiny as prices rise
The mechanism, a price ceiling of $60 per barrel on Russian oil, was agreed and introduced by the European Union,...It aims to restrict Russia's revenue as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine, while making sure Moscow keeps supplying the global market.
With oil prices on the rise after months in the doldrums, the cap's impact -- and limits -- could now come into clearer focus.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait reject Iran claims to disputed gas field
Both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait renewed "their previous and repeated calls to the Islamic Republic of Iran to negotiate" the...The offshore field has long been focal point of contention between Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran
Kuwaiti and Saudi authorities said that "they alone have full sovereign rights to exploit the wealth in that area"
Extensive war crimes being committed in Sudan: Amnesty
Amnesty said scores of women and girls, some as young as 12, have been subjected to sexual violence, including rape,...Amnesty International said that the crimes committed by the warring parties included sexual violence against girls as young as 12 and the indiscriminate targeting of civilians
For its report, Amnesty said it had interviewed more than 180 people, primarily in eastern Chad where refugees from Darfur have fled, or remotely via secure calls
UAE president and Jordan’s king renew resolve to boost ties
The talks between Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and King Abdullah focused on ways to ramp up cooperation across key strategic...The meeting between the UAE president and Jordan's king took place at Basman Palace in Amman during the president's official visit to Jordan
The two leaders discussed various aspects of UAE-Jordan cooperation and opportunities to build on the deep, historic ties between both nations
Saudi Arabia detains US citizen’s relatives, says rights group
Dubai, UAE - Human rights groups have accused Saudi Arabia of detaining five relatives of a US citizen who pursued a...The five detainees appeared briefly on Monday at the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh, which was established in 2008 to try terrorism cases.
A judge read out the names of all five but did not disclose whether they had been charged with anything or set a date for a new hearing.
