Holding banners demanding an immediate ceasefire, the activists gathered in Manhattan's Bryant Park while some briefly stood in the middle of the busy Sixth Avenue in the heart of New York's Midtown district. Several women shrouded in black held baby dolls swaddled in white cloths to represent the toll the...

Houthis have repeatedly targeted vessels in the vital Red Sea shipping lane with strikes they say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling Hamas. The attacks are endangering a transit route that carries up to 12 percent of global trade, prompting the United States to set...

A report released Thursday demanded an immediate end to the use of military weapons and means during law enforcement operations, an end to arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of Palestinians, and the lifting of discriminatory movement restrictions. "The use of military tactics and weapons in law enforcement contexts, the use of...

Indian media have reported that the eight Indian nationals -- among them former high-ranking and decorated officers, including captains who once commanded warships -- were arrested in Doha in August 2022.

"Our latest findings show that increasingly, journalists in India face the threat of unlawful surveillance simply for doing their jobs, alongside other tools of repression including imprisonment under draconian laws, smear campaigns, harassment, and intimidation," said Donncha O Cearbhaill, Head of Amnesty International's Security Lab.

"My country, always at the request of the Iraqi authorities, will support the unity, sovereignty and stability of Iraq," said Sanchez during a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani. Spain has deployed more than 300 soldiers as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition and NATO's mission in...

Ashraf al-Qudra, spokesman for the health ministry in Gaza, reported more than 200 deaths "including entire families" over the past 24 hours in strikes across the territory. An AFP correspondent reported heavy artillery strikes overnight particularly on Khan Yunis. The Israeli army has deployed an additional brigade to Khan Yunis,...

KLP, which manages over 700 billion kroner ($70 billion), said the exclusion amounted to $15 million. The fund dropped 11 companies in the telecommunications and real estate sectors from Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates "over unacceptably high human rights violations' risks".

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories -- The Palestinian Monetary Authority (PMA) said Thursday that the Israeli occupation army’s storming of six exchange companies in several governorates in the West Bank aims to undermine confidence in the Palestinian banking sector, stressing that these companies were subject to its control and supervision. The PMA...

Describing the 35-year-old as "unbalanced", police said he was arrested after they were alerted that a man had "broken the law and disrupted public order by hanging the head of a donkey" at the cemetery. Photographs circulating on social media showed the head of a donkey hanging from a fence...

Since 2021, France says it has handed over 15,000 visa to Afghans, "mostly women, rights defenders, journalists and magistrates". But Delphine Rouilleault, the head of the France Terre d'Asile ("France Land of Asylum") association, said that hardly anyone had landed in France over the past year.

Macron told the Israeli premier of his "deepest concern" about civilian deaths and the humanitarian emergency in Gaza. He also insisted on the importance of measures to end violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank and prevent new planned settlements.

Israel again pounded Gaza with air strikes and shelling after its military chief warned the war raging with Hamas since the Palestinian group's October 7 attacks will last "many more months". A strike hit a house near Al-Amal hospital in Khan Yunis, killing 22 people and wounding 34, the Gaza...

"He (Netanyahu) is richer than Hitler. All kind of support comes from the West and the United States," Erdogan added. The Turkish leader has lashed out repeatedly at Israel for the scale of death and destruction caused in Gaza.

Sydney, Australia-- Australian police said Wednesday they were scouring beaches after mysterious packages believed to contain more than 120 kilograms (260 pounds) of cocaine washed up over the Christmas period. A first batch of 39 barnacle-encrusted, one-kilogram bricks of suspected cocaine was discovered on Friday near Magenta Beach, north of Sydney, police...

Lebanon-Israel border has witnessed increasing hostilities amid the Israel-Hamas conflict since October 7, escalating exchanges involve the Israeli army and Hamas ally Hezbollah. Since hostilities began, more than 150 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, most of them Hezbollah combatants but also more than a dozen civilians, three...

After President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022, Western countries hit Russia with a slew of sanctions including a European Union embargo on its seaborne oil deliveries. As it was losing much of its market share in Europe, Moscow pivoted to other buyers including China.

Rafah, Palestinian Territories--Power cuts have become a fact of life in war-torn Gaza. But thanks to embedded SIM cards, Palestinians can still access the internet and maintain a channel of communication with loved ones abroad. "Without them, we'd be cut off from the world," said Hani al-Shaer, a local journalist who...

The army said that one of its soldiers injured by an anti-tank missile along with other troopers was in a serious condition. The army blamed Hizbollah for constant firing at Israeli "civilian and religious sites". Hizbollah, which on Tuesday announced the death of two of its fighters, says it is acting...

The Pentagon said in a social media post that there was no damage to ships. Some 12 drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles and two land-attack missiles were fired by Houthis. Earlier, the rebels claimed responsibility for a missile strike on a vessel in the Red Sea and a drone attack...

A resident from the camp told AFP that troops stormed the camp from its southern and northern entrances. "The two men were killed just outside their homes," he said, asking to remain anonymous over security concerns.

Geneva, Switzerland - The head of the WHO said on Tuesday the world needs to properly prepare for future pandemics after finally ending three years of Covid "crisis, pain and loss." In his end-of-year message, World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 2023 had marked a turning point in fighting...

Officers cordoned off the embassy as they combed through the surrounding areas following the report of the late afternoon blast. Israel's foreign ministry in a statement reported "an explosion" near the embassy.

A US import ban on certain Apple smartwatch models came into effect, after the Biden administration opted not to veto a ruling on patent infringements. The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) decided in October to ban Apple Watch models over a patented technology for detecting blood-oxygen levels.

The collaboration will involve efforts from both parties.

DUBAI, UAE - The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dubai Maritime Authority of Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC). This partnership marks a significant stride in improving the regulatory framework for maritime business operations to enhance efficiency...

"On December 25 at 10:00 pm (0700 GMT) Russian warplanes targeted civilian houses" on the outskirts of the town of Armanaz, in Idlib province, said Abdel Halim Shehab of the White Helmets voluntary search-and-rescue group. Members of the White Helmets, which operates in rebel-held zones of northern Syria, pulled the...

"It runs counter to the pursuit of enduring mutual interests in establishing security and stability, and it opposes the declared intention of the American side to enhance relations with Iraq," Baghdad said.

Sweden and Finland bids earned approval from all NATO members except Turkey and Hungary. They remain the only NATO members left to ratify Sweden's bid 19 months after it applied for membership. Sweden and Finland dropped decades of military non-alignment and sought to join the organisation after Russia invaded Ukraine...

GAZA, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES-  A relentless Israeli military campaign, in response to deadly Hamas attacks on October 7, has upset the lives of most, if not all, residents of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have launched a bombardment campaign and ground invasion of Gaza ever since Hamas launched its attack --...

MAKKAH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services of Beni Mellal Khenifra in Morocco signed a partnership agreement to strengthen economic and commercial cooperation. The agreement was signed on Sunday in the presence of the Assistant Consul General at...

Razi Moussavi "was killed during an attack by the Zionist regime a few hours ago in Zeinabiyah district in the suburbs of Damascus," Tehran's official IRNA news agency reported. The general was "active in the field of providing logistical support to the axis of resistance in Syria," IRNA said, referring...

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - The Russian government has extended the ban on the entry of trucks from the European Union, the UK, Norway and Ukraine to the country. “The restriction will remain in effect until the circumstances that served as the basis for its introduction are eliminated,” the Cabinet noted on...

NEW YORK, US - The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) approved a US$3.59 billion budget for 2024, including establishing a private account related to funding by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF). In a statement late on Sunday, UNGA approved around US$50 million as an additional funding for UN Human...

The Gaza health ministry said an Israeli strike late Sunday killed at least 70 people in Al-Maghazi refugee camp, in the territory's center. Camp resident Zeyad Awad said Israel's army had sown "panic in the hearts of my children" and accused it of targeting civilians "indiscriminately, without mercy".

Riyad, Saudi Arabia -- Key regional players have welcomed the agreement – involving a comprehensive set of measures aimed at establishing a ceasefire, improving living conditions, and resuming political dialogue under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) – reached by the warring parties in Yemen.  Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the...

The Houthis welcomed Spain's stance, with deputy foreign minister Hussein al-Ezzi saying "we highly appreciate Spain's refusal to be drawn into American and British lies on the issue of maritime navigation". The Iran-backed Houthis have carried out several strikes on Red Sea shipping in what they say is in support...

In recent weeks, the army has faced international criticism after viral footage of detainees stripped down to their underwear and blindfolded with their hands tied behind the backs.

The protesters were called to the streets by a disparate group of organizations backing the Palestinian cause, including left-wingers and members of the Islamist Justice and Charity movement. They marched along Mohammed V Avenue in the heart of the city, beneath banners declaring "stop the war of extermination in Gaza,...

More than 260 prominent Tunisian figures had signed a petition against what they called a "useless" election, saying Saied's government "continues to implement its political project imposed on" people in the country. They alleged the aim of the election was to "weaken local power, disperse it, and make it another...

Israeli prime minister said that in spite of the high toll in Gaza, the country had no choice but to keep fighting. He said the military campaign will continue with full force "until the end, until victory." Israel says it has lost some 154 troops in Gaza since it began...

NEW YORK, US - Artists under siege by artificial intelligence (AI) that studies their work, then replicates their styles, have teamed with university researchers to stymy such copycat activity. US illustrator Paloma McClain went into defense mode after learning that several AI models had been "trained" using her art, with no...

NEW YORK, US - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday that 136 United Nations employees in Gaza Strip had died in 75 days, something the global organization had "never seen" in its history. "Most of our staff have been forced from their homes," the UN chief added in a...

The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) and the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Authority say the tally includes the Palestinians detained at their homes and at military checkpoints, in addition to those who surrendered under pressure and those taken hostage.

Dubai, UAE -- The Arkiz Agricultural Project in Mauritania, which has been financed by the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) with a $34 million loan, has been inaugurated to enhance water and food security in the country and contribute to the development of key developmental sectors. Saudi Fund for Development...

The conversation came a day after the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding "safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale," though it stopped short of calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants. "The President emphasized the critical need to protect the civilian population including those...

Ankara has operated several dozen military posts in the area for the past 25 years in its decades-old war against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group blacklisted by Turkey and many of its Western allies as a terrorist organization. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called for retaliation...

Dubai, UAE-- At least 100 journalists have been killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, according to new figures released by the government media office in Gaza. Palestinian journalist Muhammed Abu Hweidy was the latest to be killed in an Israeli air raid on his home in...

In one step back from the newfound isolation, the Un on Friday, after painstaking negotiations, let through a UN Security Council resolution on humanitarian aid for the beleaguered Gaza Strip, after vetoing two earlier calls to halt the fighting. But the United States still remained apart from some of its...

UN special envoy Hans Grundberg's announcement marks the latest step to end the nine-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. It follows recent meetings by Grundberg with head of Yemen's Saudi-backed presidential council and the chief negotiator of...