Israeli settlers on Wednesday attacked Palestinians and foreign volunteers in the West Bank, while Israeli forces arrested 25 people in the occupied Palestinian territory and continued a siege of the city of Nablus for the ninth day running. The Palest…
US-Saudi oil rift: What happens next?
On 5 October, the Saudi- and Russian-led OPEC Plus cartel announced an oil production cut of two million barrels a day following a fall in oil prices from $120 to $80 since early June. Widespread outrage in Washington has resulted, with US officials se…
Peace with Tajikistan not possible for now: Kyrgyz ministry
Kyrgzystan’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that peace with Tajikistan was not possible under the current circumstances, a month after border clashes between the two Central Asian neighbours left around a hundred people dead. Tajikistan later accus…
Iran drone trainers in Crimea to aid Russian forces
Iran has deployed military personnel in Russian-occupied Crimea to help operate Iranian-made drones, according to multiple media reports. The Iranian personnel were reportedly sent to help Russian forces overcome trouble they had in operating the drone…
Israel summons Australia’s envoy after W Jerusalem reversal
Australia said it would no longer recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on Tuesday, a policy reversal that prompted a curt Israeli rebuke but was cheered by Palestinians. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the city’s status should be de…
Putin declares martial law in Ukraine regions Russia says annexed
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday introduced martial law in Ukraine’s Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions that Moscow claims to have annexed. “I signed a decree to introduce martial law in these four subjects of the Russian F…
Iran agrees to ship missiles, more drones to Russia
Iran has promised to provide Russia with surface to surface missiles, in addition to more drones, two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters, a move that is likely to infuriate the United States and other Western powers. A deal…
The Met Gala: Ignoring Lagerfeld’s Islamophobia and misogyny
New York’s fashion scene is already thinking about its next big event with an announcement of the 2023 Met Gala theme: ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.’ The decision to celebrate Lagerfeld despite his controversial career has been met with backlash, …
Qatar inaugurates solar plant ahead of World Cup
Gas-rich Qatar inaugurated Tuesday its first solar power plant stretching across the desert, a vast site planned to provide up to 10 percent of the tiny Gulf nation’s energy supply. The solar farm in al-Kharsaah, west of the capital Doha, is “one of th…
French company fined $778 mn for supporting IS, other groups
French cement giant Lafarge SA will pay a $778 million fine after pleading guilty to providing material support to Islamic State and other militant groups during the Syrian civil war, the US Justice Department said Tuesday. Lafarge acknowledged it paid…