Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi slammed the "inefficacy" of international bodies to halt fighting between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas which has ravaged the Gaza Strip. Raisi's remarks came a day after the United Nations Security Council approved a much-delayed resolution demanding aid be allowed into the besieged Hamas-run territory "at...

Jerusalem - Khalil Sayegh lives in the United States and for days he anxiously awaited news of his family who had taken refuge in Gaza churches to escape the Israel-Hamas war. A few days before Christmas, he learned his father had died due to a lack of medical care, Sayegh...

Israel's latest evacuation order for civilians in the central Gaza Strip would force them to relocate to areas "where there are ongoing air strikes", the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said. In the evacuation order, the Israeli army instructed residents in the Bureij refugee camp and surrounding areas to head...

Ankara, Turkey - Six Turkish soldiers were killed and one wounded when their base in northern Iraq was attacked by members of a Kurdish party outlawed by Ankara, the defense ministry said on Saturday. Turkey has operated several dozen military posts in northern Iraq for the past 25 years in its...

Fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza raged as the UN Security Council approved a much-delayed resolution to boost aid to the besieged Palestinian territory where civilians are struggling to find food. The Hamas-run health ministry said more than 410 people had been killed in Israeli bombardment over 48 hours.

The Israel-Hamas war is pushing Gaza towards famine, the United Nations warned ahead of an expected Security Council vote on a resolution to boost aid to the Palestinian territory but not call for a ceasefire. Separate diplomatic efforts were also underway for a fresh pause in the worst-ever Gaza war.

Lebanon is ready to implement a UN resolution that would help end Hizbollah's cross-border attacks on Israel if Israel also complies and withdraws from disputed territory, Lebanon's prime minister said. The frontier between Lebanon and Israel has seen escalating exchanges of fire, mainly between the Israeli army and the Iran-backed...

The Iran-backed Houthis have repeatedly targeted vessels in the vital shipping lane with strikes they say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling Hamas. The deaths of 20.000 people in Gaza have provoked widespread anger in the Middle East and provided an impetus for attacks by...

Separate diplomatic efforts were also under way for a fresh pause in the worst-ever Gaza war, which was triggered by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel in October. With conditions deteriorating in the territory, the UN Security Council has been locked in negotiations on a resolution that would boost aid...

The impact of the conflict had reversed a slight recovery for Lebanon, which has battled a deep economic crisis for years, the Washington-based bank said in a report. "Prior to October 2023, economic growth was projected -- for the first time since 2018 -- to slightly expand in 2023," by...

Despite slashing oil production for months on end and announcing new cuts in late November, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its ten allies have struggled to boost flagging prices. Moreover, the wider OPEC+ group faces pressure on multiple fronts, as rising US crude production, a looming transition...

Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan - On the Caspian Sea coast in Turkmenistan, Batyr Yusupov can no longer ferry his passengers between two ports. There is not enough water. "I used to go between Turkmenbashi and Hazar," the 36-year-old ferry worker said of the ports separated by a small gulf on Turkmenistan's coast. "But...

New York, USA - The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution by 185 votes on 'The UN Human Rights Training and Documentation Center for South-West Asia and the Arab Region'. Qatar sponsored and facilitated negotiations every two years since its establishment in 2008, with its headquarters in Doha. Sheikha...

"Meta's censorship of content in support of Palestine adds insult to injury at a time of unspeakable atrocities and repression already stifling Palestinians' expression," said Deborah Brown, acting associate director of HRW's technology and human rights division. On Tuesday, Meta's independent oversight board had already criticized the social media titan...

A joint statement said the funds amounting to around $164.3 million "aims to support the efforts undertaken by the Tunisian government to promote the recovery of the economy" through "the improvement of the management of public finances". Tunisia, which devotes a good part of its resources to repaying a crippling...

Over half a million people had sought shelter in Al-Jazirah state before the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began advancing on the villages lining the highway between Khartoum and Wad Madani. By Tuesday, the fourth day of fierce battles in the state capital, at least 250,000 people had fled Al-Jazirah, "many...

President Emmanuel Macron told the France 5 broadcaster, "We cannot let the idea take root that an efficient fight against terrorism implies to flatten Gaza or attack civilian populations indiscriminately." While acknowledging "Israel's right to defend itself and fight terror", Macron said France called for the protection of civilians and...

The Israeli army said Wednesday that "ground, aerial and naval operations were carried out on dozens of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure" on military command and control centers in Khan Yunis. Israel's ensuing military campaign in Gaza has so far killed at least 20,000 people, the majority of them children and...

Officially taking over from his half-brother Sheikh Nawaf, who passed away on Saturday, Sheikh Meshal is faced with the task of pulling the country out of longstanding political paralysis and reforming a bloated public sector that have turned Kuwait into one of the Gulf's most laggard states.

"Delivering food from Jordan, to Gaza through Kerem Shalom crossing, will increase the volume and speed of food reaching the Gaza Strip, as millions face the risk of starvation," WFP said. Israel last Friday approved the temporary delivery of aid into Gaza via its Kerem Shalom border crossing, opening a...

The United Nation says children make up half of the 1.9 million displaced Palestinians and a sizable number have been killed in Israeli strikes.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in a statement said that ships bound for Israel will also be barred from loading cargo at any port in the largely Muslim Southeast Asian nation with immediate effect. He particularly targeted Israel's biggest shipping firm ZIM. Malaysia's cabinet authorised ZIM to dock its vessels at...

The Chinese president called for deeper bilateral cooperation during a meeting with Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Beijing. The strong relationship between the two nations, which has endured despite Russia's military invasion of its neighbour Ukraine in early 2022, has faced pointed criticism from Western leaders in recent years.

According to a source close to the Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh is set to visit Egypt on Wednesday for talks on a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange with Israel. Haniyeh will head a Hamas delegation to Egypt, where he is due to hold talks with...

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - One of the last remaining hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip stopped operating on Tuesday after being stormed by the Israeli army, its director said. Fadel Naim told AFP Israeli troops had attacked the Al-Ahli hospital and arrested doctors, medical staff and patients, destroying part of...

Geneva, Switzerland - Gaza is "the most dangerous place in the world" for a child, the UN children's agency spokesperson said Tuesday, expressing his rage at the situation there after returning from the Palestinian territory. "I'm furious that those with power shrug at the humanitarian nightmares unleashed on a million children,"...

Sales of Hyundai cars have tumbled in Russia.

Israel -- backed by its ally Washington, a veto-wielding permanent Security Council member -- has opposed the term "cease-fire." This is one of the sticking points for the divided body to navigate as diplomats call for a "pause" or a "truce," or try to qualify any cease-fire as "humanitarian."

ABU DHABI, UAE – Airports in the country witnessed a 15 percent increase in air traffic during the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) held at Expo City Dubai, said Director-General of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi. In a statement to the Emirates News Agency...

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that the first private trucks entered Saturday and more came through on Monday. Miller, without confirming the meeting, said that the United States supported a new deal that would include the release of remaining hostages held in Gaza.

A report by Washington's Director of National Intelligence, quoted by US media, said that nearly half of munitions dropped by Israeli aircraft on Gaza were "dumb" bombs -- unguided munitions with limited accuracy. Israel insists Hamas is to blame for mass civilian casualties, accusing the group of using innocent Palestinians...

The company finally announced a December 18 launch from its base near Van Horn, Texas. But on the day itself it first pushed back the takeoff window because of cold weather, then declared it was off. "We're scrubbing #NS24 today due to a ground system issue the team is troubleshooting,"...

Dubai, UAE--A Hamas official on Monday said one of the group's tunnels revealed by the Israeli army in Gaza had "successfully" accomplished its mission, downplaying the Israeli announcement of its discovery. On Sunday the Israeli army showed images of what it said was the biggest Hamas tunnel uncovered so far...

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that countries seeking to defend "the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor." Yemen's Houthi rebels have ramped up attacks on tankers, cargo ships and other vessels in the Red...

Nearly 100 opposition lawmakers have been temporarily barred from India's parliament for demanding a debate into last week's protest when a smoke canister was released in the legislature. The 92 suspended MPs include key opposition leaders in both houses of the parliament. Six people were arrested after the December 13...

ABU DHABI, UAE - The UAE Government has issued a federal decree which aims to regulate and organize media in the UAE. The decree also aims to promote the UAE as a global media hub and establish an enabling environment to catalyze the growth and prosperity of the sector. The...

"Such action can potentially contribute to the violation of international law and the commission of further international crimes, thus making them liable for prosecution in South Africa," the ministry said. It did not specify how many South Africans are thought to have enlisted.

The outcome of the December 10-12 poll was widely expected after the former army chief with a fondness for infrastructure mega-projects campaigned against a small field of relative unknowns. It secures 69-year-old Sisi his third and, according to the Egyptian constitution, final term in office, starting in April and set...

Due to "escalation of war situation in recent days, Evergreen will temporary suspend Israel import and export service due to rising risk and safety considerations with immediate effect until further notice," Evergreen said in a brief notice to its customers.

Israeli forces shot dead four Palestinians in a West Bank refugee camp, the Palestinian health ministry said. Mohammad Samir Milhem, 17, his brother Hikmat, 24, and Yazan Khatib, 20, were shot in the head by Israeli troops in the Al-Fara camp near Tubas, the ministry said. Rashed Habib al-Aydi, 17,...

Dubai, UAE - A "possible explosion" struck a key shipping lane off Yemen on Monday, two maritime agencies said, the latest incident in the vital waterway threatened by Houthi rebel attacks. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations issued a warning of a potential explosion striking near a vessel passing through...

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said six other people were injured in the attacks. Earlier, five government soldiers were killed by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, formerly the local branch of Al-Qaeda, in the north of Latakia province, according to the Observatory.

The Israeli government has come under growing pressure from the international community to pause the fighting and do more to protect civilians. The United Nations estimates that 1.9 million Gazans -- around 80 percent -- have been displaced by the war.

All health care facilities in the Gaza Strip have been hit hard by the bombardments and ground invasion launched by Israel following Hamas's unprecedented attack October. Israel's retaliatory strikes on the crowded enclave have killed 18,800 people, of which three-fourths are children, according to the Hamas-run health services.

Wilmington, United States--A car crashed into a Secret Service vehicle attached to Joe Biden's motorcade on Sunday, with the security scare startling the US president as he left his campaign headquarters in Delaware. After a loud bang caused by a sedan slamming into an SUV positioned in a nearby intersection about...

Pope Francis spoke a day after the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said a Christian mother and daughter had been shot dead by an Israeli soldier on the grounds of the Gaza Strip's only Catholic church. He said at the end of the Angelus prayer that he continues to receive "very serious...

BERLIN, GERMANY -  The German government on Sunday faced a backlash after abruptly ending an electric car subsidy scheme in a blow to the already struggling automotive industry. The scheme is one of the casualties of a budget crisis caused by a shock constitutional court ruling in November that upended the...

KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT - Kuwait's emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who was defense minister when Iraq invaded the oil-rich country in 1990, was laid to rest Sunday in a low-key funeral, a day after he died aged 86. Foreign leaders and envoys later paid their final respects, including the Saudi crown...

Alon Shamriz, 26, was one of the three Israeli hostages shot dead by soldiers during an operation in the Gaza City suburb of Shejaiya, even as they carried a white flag and cried for help in Hebrew. Shamriz, Yotam Haim and Samer El-Talalqa were killed when troops mistook them for...

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna was the latest envoy to call for an "immediate and durable" truce leading to a lasting ceasefire as she visited Tel Aviv, stressing that "too many civilians are being killed".