US military official arrives in Beirut to oversee Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire
A senior US military official is joining international efforts in Beirut to implement the recently brokered Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire, which came into effect on November 26. Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) Major General Jasper Jeffers arrived on Wednesday, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM). He will co-chair the oversight mission alongside President Joe Biden’s envoy, Amos Hochstein,…
Aleppo airport, roads closed as Syrian opposition forces reach heart of city
Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport as well as all roads leading into the city on Saturday, three military sources told Reuters, as opposition forces against President Bashar al-Assad said they had reached the heart of Aleppo. The opposition fighters, led by the opposition militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, carried out a surprise sweep through government-held towns…
Russia says it would be ‘insane’ for US to give Ukraine nuclear weapons
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that an idea reportedly being floated in the West that Washington should give Ukraine nuclear weapons was “insane” and that preventing such a scenario was one of the reasons why Moscow went into Ukraine. The New York Times reported last week that some unidentified Western officials had suggested US…
Four dead in Greece migrant boat sinking
Four people died Thursday when a migrant boat sank in the Aegean Sea, Greece’s coastguard said, in the latest drowning involving asylum seekers. The coastguard said it had recovered the bodies near the island of Samos, where another similar incident occurred Monday. Another 16 people were rescued and a search for survivors is underway, it…
Iran to hold nuclear talks with France, Germany, UK
Iran is set to meet on Friday with France, Germany and the United Kingdom for talks on its nuclear program after the three governments joined with the United States to have Tehran censured by the UN atomic watchdog. Last week’s chiding prompted a defiant response from Tehran, but its officials have since signaled willingness to…
Syrian rebels launch attack against army in Aleppo province
Syrian rebels in the last opposition enclave in northern Syria launched on Wednesday a wide-scale military operation against the Syrian army and seized territory in the first such advance in years, army and rebel sources said. The rebel offensive overran at least 10 areas under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in northwestern Aleppo province, said a…
UK police arrest seven linked to banned Kurdish group PKK
Seven people have been arrested in London for “suspected activity” linked to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as part of a “significant” counter-terrorism policing operation, police said Wednesday. Two women and five men were detained under the Terrorism Act 2000, the Metropolitan Police said, but there is “not believed” to be any imminent threat to the…
Palestinian leader Abbas lays ground for succession
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday announced who would replace him in an interim period when the post becomes vacant, effectively removing Hamas from any involvement in a future transition. Abbas, 89, still rules despite his term as head of the Palestinian Authority ending in 2009, and has resisted pressure to appoint a successor or a…
Nuclear attack unlikely despite Putin’s warnings: US intelligence
The US decision to allow Ukraine to fire American weapons deeper into Russia has not increased the risk of a nuclear attack, which is unlikely, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s increasingly bellicose statements, five sources familiar with US intelligence told Reuters. But Russia is likely to expand a campaign of sabotage against European targets to…
Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire cause for celebration, but situation ‘highly fragile’: Experts
A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah took effect on Wednesday, but regional and global security analysts warn while the agreement should bring celebration the situation remains “highly fragile” as both sides navigate the delicate truce. The agreement marks a tentative pause to more than a year of conflict that has claimed the lives of thousands and…
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman inaugurates Riyadh Metro Project
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Wednesday inaugurated the Riyadh Metro Project, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. SPA described the project as “the backbone of the Public Transport Network in Riyadh.” The project features advanced design and technical specifications, encompassing a network of six train lines spanning 176 kilometers (109 miles) and 85 stations, including…
Taiwan holds air defense drill ahead of president’s Pacific trip
Taiwan’s military held an early morning air defense drill on Thursday to test its response and engagement procedures, ahead of a trip by President Lai Ching-te at the end of the week to the Pacific that will include US stopovers. China is likely to launch military drills in the coming days near Taiwan, using Lai’s upcoming trip…
South Korea battles second day of heavy snow; four dead
South Korea grappled with heavy snowfall for a second day on Thursday, with dozens of flights cancelled, ferry operations suspended and at least four people reported dead in a bitter winter, though conditions showed signs of easing. The winter snowfall was the third-heaviest in Seoul, the capital, since records began in 1907, the Yonhap news…