Lebanon says dismantled ‘more than 500’ Hezbollah installations in south
Under a November ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group was required to pull its fighters out...Geostrategy
Saudis use AI, drones and thousands of cameras to keep hajj pilgrims safe
Makkah, Saudi Arabia -- Working day and night in front of maps, screens and seemingly endless data, Saudi officials have...Geostrategy
Arab summit presses for end to Gaza ‘bloodshed’ as Israel launched an expanded military offensive
Arab leaders meeting Saturday at a summit in Baghdad urged the international community to press for a Gaza ceasefire, as...In a joint final statement, Arab League members also called for funding to back their Gaza reconstruction plan
It came hours after Israel's military launched a new Gaza offensive, saying it was part of "the expansion of the battle in the Gaza Strip."
Moody’s downgrades US credit rating on rise in govt debt
Moody's on Friday downgraded the United States's credit rating from the top triple-A level, citing rising levels of government debt...The downgrade to Aa1 from Aaa adds to the bad news for the US president, coming on the same day his flagship spending bill failed to pass a key vote in Congress
Moody's decision to downgrade the United States from its top credit rating reflects a recent surge in US borrowing costs, which was further fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic
Trump reshapes US Mideast policy. Can deals work instead?
The Israeli military said Saturday it had launched "extensive strikes" as part of a fresh offensive in Gaza, after rescuers...Trump vowed during his swing through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that there would be no more "lectures on how to live."
In an extraordinary rupture with his predecessors, Trump then lambasted what he called the "neo-cons" that oversaw bloody US military interventions in the region
Arab League to meet in Baghdad to discuss regional crises, key leaders may give it a miss
The Arab League is meeting in Baghdad on Saturday to discuss Gaza and other regional crises, but some key leaders...The war in Gaza is expected to dominate the agenda, especially after Israel approved plans to expand its offensive and spoke of the "conquest" of the territory
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres will attend the summit, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to address it as a guest
Israel launches ‘initial stages’ of new Gaza operation, threatens Huthi leaders after striking Yemen ports
The operation is part of "the expansion of the battle in the Gaza Strip, with the goal of achieving all...The offensive, known as "Operation Gideon's Chariots", comes as Israel faces pressure to lift a sweeping aid blockade in return for a US-Israeli hostage released by Hamas
Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a two-month truce in its war against Hamas, triggered by an attack by the Palestinian group in October 2023
No Israel stop for Trump on Mideast tour shows shifting ties
Jerusalem, Undefined -- US President Donald Trump's decision to skip over Israel in his Middle East tour was just the...The United States in early May sealed a ceasefire with Yemen's Houthi rebels that has left Israel out of the picture.
The deal was announced just hours after a missile fired by the rebels landed within the perimeter of Tel Aviv's international airport, leading to the cancellation of flights.
World Bank announces plans to restart Syria operations
Washington, United States -- The World Bank on Friday said it would restart operation in Syria following a 14-year pause,...The Bank's operation in Syria were halted when the civil war broke out in 2011, preventing the country from gaining access to its development loans, grants, and technical expertise
Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia and Qatar paid off Syria's outstanding debts of around $15.5 million to the Washington-based institution.
Gaza strikes kill 120 as Hamas says aid entry ‘minimum requirement’ for talks
Aid to Gaza has been cut off since March 2, a tactic Israel has said is intended to force concessions...Hamas warned that Gaza was not "for sale" hours after Donald Trump, on a visit to the region, again floated taking over the territory and turning it into "a freedom zone.'
Israel's aid blockade preceded a resumption of military operations on March 18, ending a ceasefire that had largely halted hostilities since mid-January
Iran, European powers to hold nuclear talks in Turkey
The Istanbul meeting follows Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's warning of "irreversible" consequences if the European powers move to reimpose United...The Istanbul meeting follows Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's warning of "irreversible" consequences if the European powers move to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran
Trump effectively torpedoed the deal during his first term in 2018, by unilaterally abandoning it and reimposing sanctions on Iran's banking sector and oil exports
Trump caps Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi with dizzying investment pledges, deal worth $1.4 trn signed
US President Donald Trump on Friday capped off a Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi that has seen the securing of...On his first foreign tour of his second term, Trump oversaw a $200 billion order from Qatar Airways for Boeing jets and a $600 billion investment from Saudi Arabia
Trump also expressed optimism over reaching a new agreement with Iran over its nuclear programme, and in a seismic diplomatic shift, decided to lift decades-long sanctions on Syria
