Qatar to host high-stakes Gaza ceasefire talks
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told several Middle Eastern counterparts in recent days that "this ceasefire deal is of...Geostrategy
West tells Iran to ‘stand down’ Israel attack threats; Tehran says ‘no way’
With tensions soaring in the Middle East, the United States says that Iran along with its proxies might attack Israel...Business Economy Geostrategy
Houthi rebels target commercial vessel with a missile
Maritime security firm Ambrey said that a merchant ship had been targeted with a missile in southwest of Aden, Yemen....The rebels have carried out some 30 attacks on commercial shipping and naval vessels
US forces on Wednesday destroyed a missile belonging to the Houthi rebels
UN says Israel-Hamas war leaves Gaza ‘uninhabitable’
Since the relentless Israeli aerial and ground assault, triggered by Hamas's deadly October 7 attacks inside Israel, the United Nations...UNCTAD said Gaza was in a dire state before the war erupted, with a 17-year blockade and repeated military operations leaving around 80% of the population dependent on aid.
It would take seven decades for the territory to return to just its 2022 GDP level even the reconstruction was started immediately.
Norway warns of consequences over UNRWA funding cut
"We urge fellow donor countries to reflect on the wider consequences of cutting their funding to UNRWA," Norwegian Foreign Minister...Thirteen countries, including major donors such as the United States, Germany, Britain and Sweden, have suspended funding to the UN agency
The funding is suspended over accusations that 12 on its staff members were involved in the October 7 attack by Hamas members against Israel
UN court rejects most of Ukraine’s ‘terror’ case against Russia
Kyiv had accused Moscow of being a "terrorist state" whose support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine was a harbinger...But ICJ tossed out most of Ukraine's claims, ruling only that Russia was "failing to take measures to investigate facts... regarding persons who allegedly committed an offence".
This case predates Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The ICJ will decide on Friday whether it has jurisdiction to rule in a separate case over that war.
IMF says Red Sea shipping down one-third due to Houthi attacks
"Container shipping... has declined by almost 30 percent," said Jihad Azour, director of the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia...The Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 30 attacks on commercial shipping and naval vessels since November 19, the Pentagon said on Tuesday
Houthi attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a route that carries about 12 percent of global trade
Yemen’s Houthis fire missiles at US warship: rebel statement
The Houthis, part of the anti-Western, anti-Israel "axis of resistance" of Iranian-backed groups, have been harassing Red Sea shipping for..."Iranian-backed Houthi fighters fired one anti-ship cruise missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea," a Centcom statement said
The Houthis have launched more than 30 attacks on commercial shipping and naval vessels since November 19, the Pentagon said on Tuesday
Palestinian aid agency can’t be replaced, UN says
Several countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany and Japan, have suspended funding to the UNRWA agency, and the UN...UNRWA said it has acted promptly over allegations by Israel
Israel accused UN Palestinian refugee agency of "hiring terrorists on a massive scale"
Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan and wife get 14 years jail in graft case
Since being ousted in 2022, Khan has been buried by court cases he claims have been triggered to prevent his...Khan and his wife were found guilty of graft in a case involving gifts he received while premier, after he was Tuesday handed 10 years in a case related to leaking state secrets
Pakistan goes to the polls next Thursday in a ballot already marred by allegations of rigging, with Khan barred from running and his party subject to a massive crackdown
Kuwait’s new emir makes first foreign trip to Saudi
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the 38-year-old de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, greeted Sheikh Meshal at the airport in...Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, who is 83, was sworn in last month following the death of his predecessor and half-brother, Sheikh Nawaf
He is faced with the task of overcoming longstanding political paralysis and reforming a bloated public sector
Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan handed 10-year prison term
Islamabad, Pakistan - Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years in prison, less than two...Tuesday's sentence for leaking classified state documents was handed down inside Adiala jail -- where Khan has been confined for much of the time since his August arrest
Local media reported the convictions and sentences although state TV did not use Khan's name, obeying strict censorship measures that have alarmed rights monitors