US to deploy more warships, fighter jets to Mideast
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has also ordered additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers to the Middle East and areas...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
Several Gulf countries renew weather advisories after heavy rains
Authorities in several Gulf countries renewed weather warnings on Sunday as several days of heavy rains batter the usually arid...In Sharjah, pedestrians and vehicles were caught up in brown-colored water.
The Saudi civil defense warned that moderate to heavy rain was expected to continue in several regions.
UAE bans travel for unvaccinated citizens from Jan 10
Travel is permitted for non-vaccinated citizens, if the cases include medical exemption from taking the vaccine, humanitarian cases, and individuals...The announcement follows the UAE’s vision in the recovery phase of the pandemic and enhancing national efforts in all sectors
This is being done to ensure that health and safety are prioritized by the leadership and the country's proactive efforts to confront COVID-19
Grave violations surge against children in conflict: Unicef
Unicef Director Henrietta Fore said “parties to conflict” have continued to “demonstrate a dreadful disregard for the rights and wellbeing...In October, Unicef said around 10,000 children had been killed or maimed in Yemen since fighting escalated in March 2015
Meanwhile, the Middle East and North Africa, in the first 6 months of 2021, saw the highest number of verified attacks on schools and hospitals
Thousands rally in Iraq to mark 2020 killing of Iran general
Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Hashed commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed in a US drone strike outside Baghdad airport...Iraq marks the second anniversary of General and his Iraqi lieutenant death in a US drone strike, rallied against US
Former US president Donald Trump ordered the strike that killed Soleimani, saying it was for attacks on US interests in Iraq
Turkish-Armenian writer to be deported after arrest in Greece
The writer was jailed in Turkey in 2014 on charges of illegal construction, which he claims were punishment for his...A prominent Turkish-Armenian writer living with temporary permit in Greece after fleeing a Turkish prison faces deportation
The blogger had been convicted in Turkey of blasphemy over a 2012 blog defending an anti-Islam film
Russia, Iran eye trade and economic collaboration
Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi in Moscow for discussion over expanding strategic cooperation.A treaty on mutual relations and principles of cooperation between Iran and Russia turned 20 on March 12, 2021
The diplomatic apparatus of Russia and Iran described the treaty as a turning point in both countries’ relationship
US pledges $99 million to cash-strapped UNRWA
Last week, a top UNRWA official said long-running budget shortfalls had forced the agency to introduce austerity measures.The UN agency is suffering an unprecedented financial shortfall
It has already called on donors for long-term funding to continue working
UN asks Yemen govt to add new equipment to Sanaa airport
Flights into the rebel-held capital Sanaa have been largely halted by a blockade since August 2016, but there have been...Yemen has been wracked by civil war since 2014, with the government supported by the Saudi-led coalition
On the other side are the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control much of the north, and reopened the airport on December 27
Gaza rockets fall into sea off Tel Aviv: Israel army
It was unclear who fired the projectiles as Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that controls Gaza, did not claim responsiblity.It was unclear who fired the projectiles as Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that controls Gaza, did not claim responsiblity
No sirens were sounded and Israel's Iron Dome rocket interception system did not deploy, the army added.
UAE sets several records as world ushers in 2022
Hope remains for a better new year amidst scaled-back celebrations due to new restrictions aimed at slowing soaring Covid cases.Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba has set three Guinness World Records with a dazzling fireworks display that lasted for 40 minutes to welcome 2022
From Seoul to San Francisco, celebrations were again cancelled or curtailed in the face of the surge in infections
