US, Russia to appoint negotiators for Ukraine talks; Kyiv protests exclusion, Europe awaits role
Washington noted European nations would have to have a seat at the negotiating table "at some point", following the first high-level official Washington-Moscow talks since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Hamas weighs Gaza truce as Israeli onslaught nears fifth month
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne was in Egypt and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expected in the region in the coming days to push for a ceasefire and hostage release. The health ministry in the territory, most of which has been left uninhabitable by Israeli bombardments, said at least...Tunisia’s Jabeur supports Saudi Arabia after criticism from tennis greats
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates--Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur on Saturday threw her support behind the potential staging of the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia, urging critics to be "more informed" on the Kingdom's interest in the sport.Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam finalist and former world number two, said she was...US and UK bomb Houthi targets in joint air raids
Scaling up attacks in the Middle East, US and UK carried out joint air raids in Yemen after a separate wave of US strikes on targets in Iraq and Syria carried out in response to the killing of three US soldiers in Jordan. It is the third time the western...Hamas says US strikes in Iraq and Syria is putting ‘oil on fire’
Palestinian group Hamas condemned overnight US strikes in Iraq and Syria, saying Washington had poured "oil on the fire" in the Middle East. The US "bears responsibility for the consequences of this brutal aggression against both Iraq and Syria, which pour oil on the fire," the group said in a...Civilians among 16 killed in Iraq by US strikes on pro-Iranian group
The strikes hit "locations in the Akashat and Al-Qaim regions, including areas where our security forces are stationed", Awadi said. The United States carried out the strikes on Friday in retaliation for the killing of three US military personnel in a drone attack on a base close to Jordan's border...No Middle East escalation, urges EU foreign policy chief after US strikes
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on all parties to avoid further escalation in the Middle East after US strikes on Iran-linked groups in Syria and Iraq. "Everybody should try to avoid that the situation becomes explosive," Borrell said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.Naver profit jumps 129% in Q4
The company said it posted a net profit of US$227.4 million.Hamas gives ‘initial’ approval to plan for Gaza war pause
A Hamas source had told AFP the three-stage plan would start with an initial six-week halt to the fighting that would see more aid deliveries into Gaza. Only "women, children and sick men over 60" held by fighters would be freed during that stage in exchange for Palestinian captives in...Assailant takes hostages in Gaza protest in Turkey, says police
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - An assailant on Thursday took a number of people hostage at a plant owned by US cosmetics giant Procter & Gamble near Istanbul in protest at the war in Gaza, a police spokesman said.It was not immediately clear how many people were being held at the plant, which...US to sell drones worth $4bn to India to bolster its defenses against China
The United States approved a $4 billion sale of state-of-the-art drones to India, offering a new edge to the growing US partner. The sale marks a milestone in Indian purchases of American weapons after New Delhi's reliance on weapons from Russia, which have been increasingly controversial due to sanctions over...GCC central banks mimic Fed, hold interest rates steady
Abu Dhabi, UAE--In a significant move that underscores the interconnectedness of global monetary policies, central banks across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have announced decisions to hold their interest rates steady, mirroring the recent actions of the US Federal Reserve. This collective stance reflects a cautious approach to navigating the...US targets Houthi and Iranian drones in fresh strikes
CENTCOM earlier announced that the USS Carney had shot down an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Houthis, and then downed three Iranian drones less than an hour later. It did not specify if the drones shot down by the naval destroyer were designed for attack or surveillance.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 vessel has reported an explosion on board, Ambrey said. The security firm said it was aware that a missile was fired from Taiz. It comes after Houthis claimed an...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 weeks before the country votes in an election his party has been hamstrung from contesting.Pakistan goes to the polls next Thursday in an election already marred by allegations of pre-vote...UPS says will cut 12,000 jobs
The move comes as UPS seeks to "align" its resources.Saudi envoy to US deplores Western media criticism of women rights in kingdom
Washington D.C., US--– Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US, Reema Bandar Al-Saud, has expressed disappointment with recent media criticism of the kingdom's hosting of the Women's Tennis Association Finals and broader issues concerning women's rights in Saudi Arabia. In response to an opinion piece published by The Washington Post, she...We want complete ceasefire, not temporary truce: Hamas
Taher al-Nunu, a senior Hamas official, said his group wanted a "complete and comprehensive ceasefire, and not a temporary truce." Speaking to AFP, he said that once the fighting stopped "the rest of the details can be discussed" including a hostage release. Qatar, Egypt and the US have led mediation...Gaza bombing continues amid fears of wider regional conflict
Israel's relentless military offensive has since killed at least 26,422 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the territory's health ministry. The Gaza war has forced more than one million Palestinians to flee to the far-southern Rafah area near the Egyptian border, according to the UN,...Iran denies links to Jordan drone strike that killed 3 US troops
US President Joe Biden said on Sunday that "radical Iran-backed fighters groups operating in Syria and Iraq" were behind the strike on the frontier base in Jordan's northeast. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron reiterated a call for Iran "to de-escalate in the region".Iran puts to death men convicted of spying for Israel
The four defendants, identified as Mohammad Faramarzi, Mohsen Mazloum, Wafa Azarbar, Pejman Fatehi, were arrested in July 2022 and accused of plotting to carry out an operation in Isfahan. "The death sentence of a group affiliated with the Zionist spy organization was carried out this morning," Mizan Online reported.Philips to halt sales of sleep machines in US
It posted losses to the tune of US$502m during the year 2023.Houthi rebels open seized cargo ship to sightseers
For about a dollar per trip, male-only groups of visitors can board wooden boats five times a week to the hijacked car carrier, which the Houthis hail as a trophy in their fight in solidarity with the Palestinians. On the deck of the Galaxy Leader, none of the visitors interviewed...US vows to respond after troops killed in Jordan
US President Joe Biden held Iran-backed fighters responsible for the killing of US troops and vowed to hold the perpetrators to account. It is the first time American soldiers have been killed by hostile fire in the region since Israel launched its war on Gaza, and the incident will further...US, Egypt, Qatar and Israel officials in Paris talks for Gaza ceasefire
French authorities were also in touch with these four countries with the aim of negotiating a halt to hostilities between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the besieged territory, the sources said. A security source on Friday told AFP that CIA chief William Burns would meet his counterparts...US Fed rate cuts become question of when, not if
Washington, United States -- The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to start cutting interest rates in the coming months, as inflation edges closer to its long-run target of two percent.What is less clear, however, is when the first of those cuts will come.While the US central bank is almost certain...UN chief asks donors for ‘continuity’ in Gaza agency operations
The row between Israel and UNRWA follows the UN's ICJ ruling that Israel must prevent possible acts of genocide in the conflict and allow more aid into Gaza. Israel's envoy to the UN slammed Guterres, saying the UN chief had repeatedly ignored "evidence" presented to him regarding UNRWA's involvement in...US troops destroy Houthi’s anti-ship missile in Yemen
US forces struck an anti-ship missile in Houthi-held Yemen that they said was ready to fire, hours after the Iran-backed rebels caused a fire on a British tanker in the Gulf of Aden. US and British forces have launched joint strikes aimed at reducing the Houthis' ability to target vessels...Israel says will seek to stop UN agency’s activities in Gaza after war
UNRWA said Friday it had sacked several employees accused by Israel of involvement in Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack, prompting the United States to suspend critical funding. The head of the agency, Philippe Lazzarini, vowed to hold "accountable, including through criminal prosecution" any UNRWA employee found to have taken part...Yemen’s Houthis claim attack on British oil tanker
US and British forces have launched two rounds of joint strikes aimed at reducing the Houthis' ability to target vessels transiting the key Red Sea maritime trade route. The attacks by the rebels -- who are part of the anti-Israel have disrupted trade in the Red Sea, which carries around...US Federal Reserve’s favored inflation gauge rises before rate decision
The US Federal Reserve's favored measure of inflation ticked higher last month, according to government data published. The latest announcement will likely ensure the US central bank keeps interest rates on hold at its next decision announcement on Wednesday, as policymakers continue talks on when to start cuts.Alaska Airlines to take US$150m hit
It grounded the Boeing 737 MAX after in-flight safety episode.Israel far-right minister slams Qatar over Hamas attack
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich commented after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was caught on tape allegedly telling hostages' families this week that Qatar's mediation was "problematic" when it came to resolving the hostage crisis. Smotrich accused Western governments of being "hypocritical" in maintaining close relations with Doha.US approves inspection program to return Boeing 737 MAX to service
The FAA announcement is a major step after the agency grounded 171 MAX 9 planes after the January 5 incident on an Alaska Airlines plane. The grounded 737 MAX jets have the same configuration as the Alaska Airlines jet that suffered a blowout of a panel on the fuselage, exposing...Qatar ‘appalled’ at alleged criticism by Netanyahu
Israeli prime minister accused Qatar of financing Hamas at a meeting this week with the families of hostages held in Gaza. Making his annoyance with the country known, he said he was upset at a US decision to extend the presence of a military base in the Gulf state, according...US to discuss troop withdrawal with Iraq soon: report
New York, United States - The United States will begin talks with Iraq on the withdrawal of US troops from this Middle Eastern country, CNNÂ reported on Wednesday citing sources familiar with the matter."The US and Iraq are close to agreement on starting the Higher Military Commission dialogue that was announced...Yemen-based Houthis fire missiles at ships in Red Sea, says US
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired three missiles at two merchant ships in the Red Sea in their latest attack in the commercially vital waterway, the White House said. The report came after the Houthis vowed to keep up their attacks despite repeated US and British strikes against them.NATO kicks off biggest military exercise since Cold War
The Western military alliance has said some 90,000 troops will take part in the months-long Steadfast Defender 24 exercise designed to test its defenses in the face of Russia's war on Ukraine. "The alliance will demonstrate its ability to reinforce the Euro-Atlantic area via trans-Atlantic movement of forces from North...Two dead in US strikes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq
The US strikes come against an already explosive regional backdrop, fueled by the war in Gaza between Washington's ally Israel and the Iranian-backed Hamas. The US Central Command said the strikes targeted Ketaeb Hizbollah "headquarters, storage, and training locations for rocket, missile, and one-way attack UAV (drone) capabilities".Iran’s Raisi flies to Turkey for delayed Gaza talks
Planned talks in Ankara in early January were called off when twin blasts claimed by IS group jihadists killed 89 people at the shrine of assassinated Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general Qasem Soleimani. A trip he had planned for November was cancelled because of conflicting schedules of diplomats involved in...US strikes two Houthi missiles in Yemen: military
US and Britain have carried out two rounds of joint strikes aimed at reducing the Houthis' ability to target shipping, while the US has also launched unilateral air raids on the Iran-backed rebels' missiles. Washington is seeking to put diplomatic and financial pressure on the Houthis, redesignating them as a...Houthis order all US, British UN staff to leave Yemen within a month
The expulsion followed joint strikes by the United States and Britain against the Houthis aimed at ending the group's attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, threatening global trade. The United States has launched multiple further strikes and on Tuesday carried out a second set...NATO to buy ammunitions worth $1.2 billion amid Ukraine war
The latest deals -- signed with French firm Nexter and Germany's Junghans Microtec -- are estimated by officials to cover around 220,000 shells and deliveries to NATO members will start at the end of 2025.US, Britain launch new joint strikes on Yemen’s Houthis
American and British forces carried out a first wave of strikes against the rebel group earlier this month, and the United States launched further air raids against missiles that Washington said posed imminent threats to both civilian and military vessels. But the Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks --...Gaza activists urge voters to write ‘ceasefire’ on US primary ballots
A separate campaign is urging supporters to write Biden's name on the ballot in exactly the same manner that "Vote Ceasefire" is promoting. The outcome will not affect the nomination process in any case, as the Democratic National Committee has declared the New Hampshire primary illegitimate.Israel proposes pause in Gaza fighting to secure hostage deal
The US news site Axios reported, citing unnamed Israeli officials, that the deal would take place in multiple stages, the first of which would see the release of women, men over 60 and those in critical medical condition. Later phases would involve the release of soldiers, younger civilian men, and...European market up on record-busting Wall Street
A surge in tech titans including Apple, Amazon, Nvidia and Facebook parent Meta on Friday pushed New York's S&P 500 index to its first new all-time high since early 2022 thanks to bets on lower borrowing costs this year.Israel pounds Gaza as Netanyahu rejects hostage release deal
Abdelrahman Iyad, wounded in Gaza and now being treated aboard the French helicopter carrier Dixmude, docked in Egypt, said he did not have time to leave his house before it was hit. "I was with my parents, my brother, my sister, my second sister and her husband and their daughter....Mac computers could reach new glory due to AI
SAN FRANCISCO, US - Forty years after igniting a PC revolution, Apple's Mac is stronger than ever and could reach new glory due to AI computing -- or be left behind.Apple launched the Macintosh in 1984 with a history-making television ad pitching the machine as an anti-establishment blow against a dystopian...Do Kwon’s Terraform Labs files for US bankruptcy
Kwon, who co-founded Terraform in 2018, was arrested last year in Montenegro and is awaiting extradition to the United States or South Korea. The collapse of the Singapore-based firm's TerraUSD and Luna wiped out around $40bn in investments and caused wider losses in the global crypto market estimated at more...NASA regains contact with mini-helicopter on Mars
Ingenuity, a drone about 1.6 feet (0.5 meters) tall, arrived on Mars in 2021 aboard the rover Perseverance and became the first motorized craft to fly autonomously on another planet. Data from the helicopter are transmitted via Perseverance back to Earth, but communications were suddenly lost during a test flight...

















































