Israeli minister calls to annex Gaza if Hamas doesn’t surrender
Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday called on the government to begin annexing parts of the Gaza Strip if...Geostrategy
Erdogan jubilant as ‘Steel Dome’ air defence system delivered to military, hails it a milestone
Last August, Turkey, a member of NATO, unveiled plans to build a multi-layered air defence system to protect its airspace,...Geostrategy
US proposes $8B arms deal with Israel; Biden plans strikes on Houthis as Gaza aid faces Trump-era cuts
The US proposes an $8 billion arms deal with Israel, plans intensified strikes on Yemen's Houthis, while Israel considers cutting...According to sources cited by Axios, the arms deal requires formal approval from both the House and Senate committees
A US official emphasized that the arms sale aligns with the administration’s commitment to Israel's security
Palestinian Authority suspends Al Jazeera broadcasts
The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday ordered the suspension of broadcasts by Qatar-based Al Jazeera across the Palestinian territories, accusing the...Militant group Hamas condemned the decision to ban the network
Tensions between the two sides followed recent coverage of clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in Jenin
‘Numb’ New Orleans grapples with horror of deadly truck attack
New Orleans, United States - The celebratory atmosphere of Bourbon Street in New Orleans, long an American byword for indulgence and...A deadly truck attack on New Year's crowds in New Orleans' French Quarter left at least 15 dead, shaking the heart of the city's famed Bourbon Street
Residents and visitors mourn the tragedy, calling for stricter security as New Orleans faces major upcoming events like Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl
Syria Foreign Minister in Saudi Arabia, hopes the visit opens ‘new, bright page’
Last week, in an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television, Sharaa said Saudi Arabia "will certainly have a large role...Syrian state media said the top delegation had come to the kingdom "at the invitation of the Saudi foreign minister", quoting a foreign ministry source.
Saudi Arabia severed ties with Assad's government in 2012 and backed Syrian rebels seeking to overthrow him early in the country's civil war
UN: Israel’s strikes on Gaza hospitals may constitute war crimes, urges independent probe
The UN's 23-page report, "Attacks on Hospitals During the Escalation of Hostilities in Gaza," documented 136 strikes on 27 hospitals...The world body's 23-page report, entitled "Attacks on hospitals during the escalation of hostilities in Gaza", looked at the period from October 7, 2023 to June 30, 2024
The report said attacks on hospitals typically involved missile strikes on hospital buildings, the destruction of facilities, shooting of civilians, and sieges.
South Korea’s Yoon: from star prosecutor to president facing arrest
Yoon is under investigation for his martial law declaration and faces criminal charges of insurrection, which could result in life...Investigators sought an arrest warrant against Yoon which a court issued on Tuesday.
If arrested, Yoon would become the first S.Korean president detained before impeachment procedures
UN experts demand Israel face consequences for alleged Gaza war crimes and genocide claims
The experts called for urgent, independent and thorough investigations into alleged serious violations of international law, saying Israel's continued impunity...Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed more than 45,500 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians
The experts highlighted alleged crimes against humanity committed by Israel "including murder, torture, sexual violence.'
Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100
Carter had been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia -- the same small town...Carter died "peacefully" at his home in Plains, "surrounded by his family," the Carter Center said in a statement
Carter was the longest-lived US president -- an outcome that seemed unlikely back in 2015 when the Southern Democrat revealed he had brain cancer
New Dawn over Damascus: Residents reclaim Mount Qasyun after years of curbs under Assad’s rule
Mount Qasyun, once closed due to war, reopens as a vibrant community space where Damascus residents gather to reclaim joy,...Through the long years of Syria's civil war, which began in 2011 with a government crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, people were not allowed access to the mountain
When night falls, long queues of vehicles slowly make their way up a twisting road to a brightly lit corniche at the summit
Israeli strikes hit Yemen as Netanyahu fires warning
Israeli air strikes pummeled Sanaa's international airport and other targets in Yemen on Thursday, with Huthi rebel media reporting six...Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel's strikes would "continue until the job is done"
Iran's foreign ministry condemned the strikes as a "violation" of peace and security
