A flotilla carrying aid to Gaza said dozens of its ships were still “sailing strong” towards the war-battered Palestinian territory on Thursday despite an interception by Israeli naval forces. The Global Sumud Flotilla — involving around 45 vessels carrying politicians and activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg — left Spain last month, aiming to […]
Middle East
Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh passes away at 82
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti and Head of the Council of Senior Scholars Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh passed away in Riyadh on Tuesday morning, the Royal Court announced in a statement. He was 82. Funeral prayer for him will be held at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh after the Asr prayer on […]
Khamenei says Trump ‘exaggerated’ impact of US strikes on nuclear sites
TEHRAN – Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday said US President Donald Trump “exaggerated” the impact of US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, in his first appearance since a ceasefire in the war with Israel took hold. In a statement and a televised speech carried by state media, he hailed his country’s “victory” over […]
Trump vetoed Israeli plan to kill Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: US official
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior US official told AFP Sunday. “We found out that the Israelis had plans to hit Iran’s supreme leader. President Trump was against it and we told the Israelis not to,” said the US official, speaking […]
Iraq urges US to prevent Israeli aircraft from using Iraqi airspace to strike Iran
BAGHDAD — Iraq on Saturday called on the United States to prevent Israeli aircraft from breaching Iraqi airspace to carry out attacks against Iran, citing bilateral agreements and international law. “The Iraqi government urges the United States to uphold its responsibilities under the agreements signed between the two countries and prevent aircraft belonging to the […]
Israeli missiles strike Gaza hospital, patients evacuated
CAIRO — Two Israeli missiles hit a building inside a main Gaza hospital on Sunday, destroying the emergency and reception department and damaging other structures, medics said. Health officials at the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital evacuated the patients from the building after one person said he received a call from someone who identified himself with […]
Israeli strike kills at least 100 Palestinians, including 27 sheltering at school
GAZA STRIP — Israeli airstrikes killed at least 100 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including 27 or more sheltering at a school, according to Palestinian medical authorities, in a stepped-up offensive that Israel’s military said is intended to pressure Hamas and eventually expel the militant group. The bodies of 14 children and five […]
Israeli strikes across Gaza hit multiple homes, killing at least 58 Palestinians
GAZA — Israeli strikes killed at least 58 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip overnight and into Thursday, according to three hospitals. The strikes hit multiple homes in the middle of the night, killing men, women and children as they slept. Israel resumed heavy strikes across Gaza on Tuesday, shattering a ceasefire that had halted the […]
Two days of clashes and revenge killings in Syria leave over 1,000 people dead
BEIRUT — The death toll from two days of clashes between Syrian security forces and loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad and revenge killings that followed has risen to more than 1,000, a war monitoring group said Saturday, making it one of the deadliest acts of violence since Syria’s conflict began 14 years ago. The […]
Trump warns Gaza ‘you are dead’ if hostages not released
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened further destruction of Gaza if all remaining hostages are not released, and issued an ultimatum to Hamas leaders to flee. Strongly backing Israel as a ceasefire teeters, Trump said he was “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job” as his administration expedites billions of […]