Palestinian militant group Hamas has approved a list of 34 hostages presented by Israel to be exchanged in a possible Gaza ceasefire deal, a group official told Reuters on Sunday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, also reiterated that any deal is contingent upon reaching an…
Syria’s new rulers said on Sunday that US sanctions on Syria were an obstacle to the war-torn country’s rapid recovery and urged Washington to lift them during a visit by Syrian officials to Qatar. “These sanctions constitute a barrier and an obstacle to the rapid recovery and development of the Syrian people who await services and…
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan has met with US Envoy to Lebanon Amos Hochstein where the two discussed current regional issues, including developments in Lebanon. The meeting was held at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said in a statement early on Monday. The visit comes as Israel and Hezbollah accused…
Ortagus ‘will hopefully be an asset to Steve (Witkoff), a great leader and talent, as we seek to bring calm and prosperity to a very troubled region,’ says US President-elect. US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday appointed Morgan Ortagus as deputy special presidential envoy for Middle East peace. Ortagus is set to serve as deputy…
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives late Sunday in crisis-riven South Korea where he will seek delicately to encourage continuity with the policies, but not tactics, of the impeached president. Blinken will hold talks with counterpart Cho Tae-yul on Monday, the same day a warrant expires to arrest suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol who unsuccessfully tried to…
Honduras President Xiomara Castro’s comments earlier this week threatening to stop her country’s cooperation with the US military if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on promised mass deportations have generated political heat at home, even as the US government has remained silent. In a New Year’s Day speech on a national television channel, Castro said…
Thousands braved heavy snow in Seoul on Sunday to rally for and against arresting impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, as South Korea’s political crisis appeared headed toward another high-stakes confrontation. With an arrest warrant against Yoon for alleged insurrection expiring at midnight (1500 GMT) on Monday, multiple groups held demonstrations near his official residence, some urging his…
British police have named one of the victims of the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans as Edward Pettifer, a 31-year-old from London whose stepmother was a nanny to Prince William and Prince Harry. He was among 14 people killed by a US Army veteran who had pledged allegiance to ISIS and rammed a truck into…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russian and North Korean forces suffered heavy losses in fighting in Russia’s southern Kursk region. “In battles yesterday and today near just one village, Makhnovka, in Kursk region, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian paratroops,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly…
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni flew to Florida to meet with President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday, as the key European leader sought to buttress ties with Trump before his inauguration on Jan. 20. Members of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort welcomed Meloni with applause after an introduction by the president-elect, according to videos shared on social media…
The Israeli military said Sunday it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, the latest in a series of recent attacks. “Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in Talmei Elazar, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory,” the military said in a statement posted to Telegram. On…
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon accused Israel Saturday of a “flagrant violation” of the 2006 Security Council resolution that forms the basis of its November ceasefire with Hezbollah. The statement from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) came as Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem warned the militant group’s patience with Israeli violations could run out…
Joe Biden on Saturday will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 honorees, bestowing the highest civilian honor in the United States to entertainers, sports stars, politicians and diplomats. Among those to receive honors from the outgoing US president are singer and activist Bono, basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, longtime fashion editor Anna Wintour, football…
The Palestinian militant group Hamas released a video on Saturday of an Israeli hostage held in Gaza since its October 2023 attack. In the undated, three-and-half-minute video recording, 19-year-old soldier Liri Albag called in Hebrew for the Israeli government to secure her release. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a campaign group for relatives of those abducted,…
Syria said on Saturday the country’s main airport in Damascus would resume international flights starting next week after such commercial trips were halted following last month’s ouster of president Bashar al-Assad. “We announce we will start receiving international flights to and from Damascus International Airport from” Tuesday, state news agency SANA said, quoting Ashhad al-Salibi, who heads…
