TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Four female Israeli soldiers who were taken in the attack that sparked the war in Gaza returned safely to Israel on Saturday after Hamas militants paraded them before a crowd of thousands in Gaza City and handed them over to the Red Cross. Israel later released 200 Palestinian prisoners in the second…
US civil rights groups are warning that an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Monday lays the groundwork for reinstatement of a ban on travelers from predominantly Muslim or Arab countries. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) said the new order relied on the same statutory authority used to justify Trump’s 2017 travel ban and offered even “wider…
New US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed China’s “dangerous and destabilizing actions in the South China Sea” with his Philippine counterpart on Wednesday and underscored the “ironclad” US defense commitment to Manila. “Secretary Rubio conveyed that (China’s) behavior undermines regional peace and stability and is inconsistent with international law,” the US State Department said in a…
Israel’s defense minister said on Tuesday forces were applying lessons learned in Gaza as a major operation continued in Jenin which the military said was aimed at countering Iranian-backed militant groups in the volatile West Bank city. A military spokesperson declined to give details but said the operation was “relatively similar” to but in a smaller area…
“They offered us oil, but we don’t want oil, we want the institutions and the borders,” the Syrian defense minister said Syria’s defense minister said Wednesday that Damascus was open to talks with Kurdish-led forces on their integration into the national army but stood ready to use force should negotiations fail. “The door to negotiation with the…
The Trump administration has accepted the resignation of the US ambassadors to Jordan and Saudi Arabia, Al Arabiya English has learned. All ambassadors submit their resignations when a new administration takes office, but these two were immediately accepted. Yael Lempert assumed her position in Amman in August 2023 and Michael Ratney became ambassador to Riyadh…
US President Donald Trump designated Yemen’s Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), the White House said in a statement on Wednesday, marking the second time after the Biden administration reversed the decision made in Trump’s first term. The Houthis began attacking US military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, as well as ships they…
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called US President Donald Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him on his inauguration and discuss key regional issues and investment opportunities, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. MBS conveyed warm regards on behalf of King Salman, expressing optimism about President Trump’s leadership and its potential to foster progress for the…
Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $109,241 as the US prepares to inaugurate pro-crypto President-elect Donald Trump. The original cryptocurrency rose as much 5.5 percent on Monday to set a fresh record. The token’s rise came after Trump and his wife Melania unveiled memecoins over the weekend, with Trump’s rapidly reaching a market capitalization of more than…
China on Monday executed a man who killed 35 people in a car rampage in the southern city of Zhuhai in November, in the country’s deadliest mass attack in years. On November 11, Fan Weiqiu, 62, deliberately drove a small SUV through crowds of people exercising outside a sports complex, also injuring 45 in China’s worst such…
Russia on Monday said it had shot down 31 Ukrainian drones which mainly targeted industrial sites. Both Kyiv and Moscow have been trying to secure the upper hand in the conflict ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. Trump has said he wants to end the Ukraine war soon. “Last night, anti-air defense…
More than 230 Palestinian prisoners, sentenced to life imprisonment for attacks that killed Israelis, are to be exiled following their release as part of a prisoner swap under the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Israel has published a list of 734 prisoners, out of a total of 737 it said would be released during the first phase of…
Donald Trump will be sworn in as US president on Monday, ushering in another turbulent four-year term with promises to push the limits of executive power, deport millions of immigrants, secure retribution against his political enemies and transform the role of the US on the world stage. Trump’s inauguration completes a triumphant comeback for a political…
A fresh outbreak of guerrilla violence amid a faltering peace process in Colombia has left more than 80 people dead, including civilians, and displaced around 11,000 in just four days, officials reported Sunday. As residents fled for their lives, the army deployed some 5,000 troops to the cocaine-growing Catatumbo region at the center of a…
China issued its first national action plan to build a “strong education nation” by 2035, which it said would help coordinate its education development, improve efficiencies in innovation and build a “strong country”. The plan, issued by the Communist Party’s central committee and the State Council on Sunday, aims to establish a “high quality education…
