Browsing: Region
A Palestinian man was martyred on Monday by Israeli gunfire in the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources.The Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) reported that the Israeli occupation forces fatally shot the man in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City.In a separate incident, a girl was injured by Israeli army fire west of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, WAFA added.Israeli violations have continued since the ceasefire came into effect on October 11, resulting in 484 deaths, 1,321 injuries, and the recovery of 713 bodies. Related Story Source link
Israeli fire killed three Palestinians in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip yesterday, while an Israeli drone wounded four others in Gaza City, local health authorities said yesterday. Medics said Israeli fire killed at least two people east of Tuffah neighbourhood in the northern Gaza Strip, while a 41-year-old man was killed by Israeli forces in Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave. Earlier medical workers said an Israeli drone exploded on the rooftop of a multi-floor building in Gaza City, wounding four civilians in the street nearby.There was no comment by the Israeli military on any of the incidents. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met in Israel on Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, mainly to discuss Gaza, Witkoff said yesterday.“The discussion was constructive and positive, with both sides aligned on next steps and the importance of continued co-operation on all matters critical to the region,” Witkoff said in a post on X. Gaza has been reduced to rubble in the war that began in October 2023 in which 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli tallies. The Gaza health ministry says more than 71,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed by Israeli fire since then. It added at least 480 people have been killed by Israeli fire since a ceasefire agreement came into effect last October. Earlier this month, Washington said the plan had moved into a second phase, in which Israel is expected to withdraw troops further from Gaza, and Hamas is due to yield control of the territory’s administration. Meanwhile, in Khan Younis, more than 100 people attended the funeral of a person killed by Israeli drone fire on Saturday, after holding special prayers in front of his white-shrouded body at the morgue in Nasser Hospital. “They are liars, there is no ceasefire,” said Fares Erheimat, a relative of the dead man, during the funeral. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes on south Lebanon killed two people yesterday, the health ministry reported. Israel has kept up regular strikes in Lebanon despite a November 2024 truce that sought to end more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah. In a statement, Lebanon’s health ministry said “an Israeli enemy raid” near the town of Khirbet Selm killed one person and wounded another five. It said a separate strike in the village of Derdghaya killed one more person. Source link
The UN Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR) in South Sudan expressed grave alarm over the deteriorating situation in Jonglei State, South Sudan.The UN warned that such developments significantly heighten the risk of mass violence against civilians and further erode the peace agreement.The OHCHR, established by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) said that public statements by commanders and others exercising effective command and control, when combined with active troop mobilization, represent a dangerous escalation at a moment when the political foundations of the peace process are already severely weakened. The Commission held criminally responsible those who fail to prevent or punish crimes they knew about, or should have known were being committed. The Commission stressed that the current escalation is not an isolated incident, but part of a wider political breakdown driven by sustained violations of the peace agreement, and the erosion of command discipline in an already volatile and ethnically fractured environment. The Commission called on all parties to immediately cease inflammatory rhetoric and troop mobilizations in order to de-escalate tensions, demanding regional and international partners to urgently re-engage to preserve the peace agreement and press South Sudanâ€s leaders to return to the political path they committed to. Source link
The Sultanate of Oman and the United States of America held the third strategic dialogue in Muscat on Sunday.The two sides discussed means of maximizing the benefits of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries and augmenting US investments in sectors of priority for Oman. These sectors include the digital economy, technology and space, in addition to mining, logistics, aviation, and infrastructure. Cooperation in the fields of education and culture was also discussed, particularly educational programs, academic and professional exchange, and investment in research and innovation.During the dialogue, the Omani side announced the Sultanate of Oman’s approval to join the “Artemis Accords” for space exploration. Source link
The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, said Sunday that more than 230 journalists have been killed in the Gaza Strip, affirming that Gaza has become the most dangerous place in the world for journalists and humanitarian workers.Lazzarini explained that the ban on the entry of international journalists into Gaza contributes to the escalation of disinformation campaigns and the spread of polarized narratives, and forecloses efforts aimed at conveying the reality of the humanitarian situation on the ground. He stressed the importance of ensuring freedom of media access and protecting journalists in accordance with international humanitarian law. The continued targeting of journalists and humanitarian workers constitutes a serious violation of international laws, Lazzarini stressed, calling for the provision of the necessary protection for them and for enabling media organizations to carry out their duties without restrictions. Since the beginning of the war, international journalists have been banned from entering Gaza independently, which is fundamental to media freedom. ( Source link
The number of victims of the Israeli occupation’s rampage on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, has soared to 71,657 fatalities and 171,399 injuries.The enclave’s hospitals received three new fatalities and eight injuries in the past 24 hours, while several victims are still languishing under the rubble and on the streets, beyond the reach of paramedics and rescuers, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported in a statement Sunday. The statement added that since last October, the fatality toll has reached 484 Palestinians, with 1,321 others wounded, while 713 bodies have been dug out from the rubble. Source link
The Saudi delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 today observed a series of announcements aimed at addressing urgent global challenges. Her Royal Highness Ambassador Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America, announced that Saudi Arabia will host the first Global Coral Reef Summit in 2026, bringing together global leaders, scientists, and investors to drive solutions for the protection and recovery of coral reef ecosystems. The summit will address key challenges and policy and regulatory gaps, develop science-based solutions, and advance sustainable financing and investment mechanisms to scale coral reef protection and recovery. Building on the call for constructive dialogue in an era of fragmentation, His Excellency Ahmed A. Alkhateeb, Minister of Tourism, said: “Tourism brings peace at a time when it’s needed – connecting people and encouraging dialogue. Tourism growth is good for peace, it’s good for people, good for youth, and good for women.” On the Kingdom’s ambitions to become a global hub for AI, His Excellency Abdullah A. Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, commented: “Saudi Vision 2030 was about economic diversification and empowering youth. Fast forward to today and we’ve achieved 56% non-oil contribution to GDP, and in terms of talent and youth, our tech force has increased dramatically.” Earlier in the day, HUMAIN and the National Infrastructure Fund (“Infra”) announced a Strategic Financing Framework Agreement of up to $1.2 billion to support the expansion of AI and digital infrastructure projects in the Kingdom. The agreement outlines non-binding financing terms for HUMAIN’s development of up to 250 MW of hyperscale AI data center capacity. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP16 Presidency also launched the Business4Land (B4L) Champions’ Council. This high-level coalition brings together CEOs, sustainability leaders, investors, and policymakers to accelerate land restoration, combat land degradation, and strengthen drought resilience. The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIM,) in collaboration with WEF, announced the Lighthouse Operating System, a country-level framework designed to accelerate manufacturing transformation. Developed in partnership with WEF’s Advanced Manufacturing and Production Centre (AMPC), this initiative aims to diversify the Kingdom’s economy, build robust non-oil industries, and position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for advanced manufacturing and logistics. MIM and WEF announced a cooperation agreement on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum, which took place the week before the WEF Annual Meeting. The agreement runs until September 2027 and aims to unify efforts to strengthen partnerships around critical minerals required for energy and other technologies, contributing to the assurance of resilient, sustainable, and responsible mineral supplies aligned with industrial objectives and the energy transition. According to the agreement, the initiative will be overseen by a joint executive committee comprising representatives from the ministry and WEF. Source link
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip will reopen in both directions next week, the newly-appointed administrator of the Palestinian territory said yesterday at the launch of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. The reopening of the crossing is part of the Gaza truce plan announced by Trump in October, but it has remained closed so far. “I am pleased to announce the Rafah crossing will open next week in both directions,” Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority deputy minister, said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “For Palestinians in Gaza Rafah is more than a gate, it is a lifeline and symbol of opportunity. Opening Rafah signals that Gaza is no longer closed to the future and the world,” Shaath said. As part of the truce plan, Shaath heads a committee of 15 Palestinian technocrats to oversee the day-to-day administration of Gaza. There was no immediate comment from Israel, which has controlled the Rafah crossing since 2024. Source link
People cross a road during snowfall in Tehran, Iran, January 23, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS…
The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has warned Washington that the force had its “finger on the trigger” in the wake of mass protests, as US President Donald Trump said the Islamic republic still appeared interested in talks. Trump has repeatedly left open the option of new military action against Iran after Washington backed and joined Israel’s 12-day war in June aimed at degrading Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. A fortnight of protests starting in late December shook the clerical leadership under supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but the movement has petered out in the face of a crackdown that activists say has left thousands dead, accompanied by an unprecedented Internet blackout. The prospect of immediate American action against Tehran appears to have receded over the last week, with both sides insisting on giving diplomacy a chance even as US media report Trump is still studying options.Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said the US struck Iranian uranium enrichment sites last year to prevent Tehran from making a nuclear weapon. Iran denies its nuclear programme is aimed at seeking the bomb.“Can’t let that happen,” he said, adding: “And Iran does want to talk, and we’ll talk.” Guards commander General Mohammad Pakpour warned Israel and the United States “to avoid any miscalculations, by learning from historical experiences and what they learned in the 12-day imposed war, so that they do not face a more painful and regrettable fate”. “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and dear Iran have their finger on the trigger, more prepared than ever, ready to carry out the orders and measures of the supreme commander-in-chief – a leader dearer thantheir own lives,” he said, referring to Khamenei. His comments came in a written statement quoted by state television marking the national day in Iran to celebrate the Guards, a force whose mission is to protect the 1979 Islamic revolution from internal and external threats. Another senior military figure, General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi who leads the Iranian joint command headquarters, meanwhile warned that in the case of an attack by the United States, “all US interests, bases and centres of influence” would be “legitimate targets” for the Iranian armed forces. – Source link