Middle East

Iran Approves Bill Toughening Penalty for Spying for US
Iran Approves Bill Toughening Penalty for Spying for US

Iranian authorities on Wednesday approved a bill toughening penalties for those convicted of spying on behalf of Israel and the United States, months after the 12-day war between the foes. The bill was presented to parliament on June 23, as Iran and Israel were engaged in a war that saw unprecedented Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic, which ...

Denmark PM Urges 'Very Strong Answer' to Russia's 'Hybrid War'
Denmark PM Urges 'Very Strong Answer' to Russia's 'Hybrid War'

Denmark said Wednesday that Europe needs to step up its response to a "hybrid war" being waged by Russia, after mysterious drone flights and a spate of airspace violations rattled European Union members. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned the continent is facing the "most difficult and dangerous situation" since the ...

Hamas Seeks to Amend Disarmament Clause in Gaza Plan, Source Says
Hamas Seeks to Amend Disarmament Clause in Gaza Plan, Source Says

Heavy Israeli bombardment rocked Gaza City on Wednesday, witnesses said, as Hamas weighed US President Donald Trump's plan to end nearly two years of devastating war in the Palestinian territory. A Palestinian source close to Hamas told AFP on Wednesday that "no final decision" had been made and that "the movement will likely need two to three ...

More Ingredients for Life Discovered in Ocean on Saturn Moon
More Ingredients for Life Discovered in Ocean on Saturn Moon

The ocean hidden under the icy shell of Saturn's moon Enceladus harbors complex organic molecules, a study said Wednesday, offering further evidence that the small world could have all the right ingredients to host extraterrestrial life. Just 500 kilometers (310 miles) wide and invisible to the naked eye, the white, scar-covered Enceladus is one ...

German Police Mobilize as Blasts Heard in Burning House
German Police Mobilize as Blasts Heard in Burning House

Large numbers of police descended on an apartment building in the German city of Munich, Wednesday after a fire broke out inside, followed by loud explosions. One person was seriously injured, a police spokeswoman told AFP in the Bavarian state capital of Munich. She did not confirm media reports that shots had been fired and that one person had ...

US Govt Shutdown Begins after Congress Fails to Reach Deal
US Govt Shutdown Begins after Congress Fails to Reach Deal

The US government began shutting down Wednesday after lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to break a budget impasse during acrimonious talks that hinged on Democratic demands for health care funding. Republicans and Democrats immediately blamed each other for the deadlock that will impact hundreds of thousands of government workers and ...

EU Leaders Plot Defense Boost in Shadow of Denmark Drones
EU Leaders Plot Defense Boost in Shadow of Denmark Drones

EU leaders will discuss bolstering Europe's defenses and Ukraine's financial firepower at a Wednesday summit in Denmark, where mysterious drone flights have ramped up fears about the threat from Russia. Thousands of police are on high alert, civilian drones have been banned and NATO allies have sent reinforcements as the continent converges on ...

Lebanon's Half Measures Lead to Growing US Skepticism
AnalysisLebanon's Half Measures Lead to Growing US Skepticism

As Lebanese leaders continue to implement half measures that fail to address pressing issues decisively, voices in Washington are increasingly questioning the US's support for Beirut. The context is troubling. From across the Atlantic, it is clear that Lebanese officials have yet to confront their fear of a "weak and defeated" Hezbollah, while the ...

Yemen’s Houthis Take Responsibility for Attack on Dutch Cargo Ship
Yemen’s Houthis Take Responsibility for Attack on Dutch Cargo Ship

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility on Wednesday for an attack on a Dutch cargo ship this week in the busy shipping lane of the Gulf of Aden. The Iran-backed group, which holds swathes of territory in Yemen including the capital Sanaa, has said the attacks on commercial shipping are in support of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas ...

Hamas Has “No Excuse” to Reject Gaza Plan, Says French Foreign Minister
Hamas Has “No Excuse” to Reject Gaza Plan, Says French Foreign Minister

Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas “has no excuse to reject the proposal made to it” under the plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Tuesday. “Hamas is now completely isolated, categorically disavowed; it must face the reality: it has lost,” he told France Inter radio, ...

Tony Blair: Former UK Premier Central to Trump's Gaza Plan
PortraitTony Blair: Former UK Premier Central to Trump's Gaza Plan

Tony Blair, Britain's former Prime minister whose legacy was heavily tarnished by the 2003 war in Iraq, has long been a contentious figure in the Middle East and beyond. His potentially leading role in Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza will likely do little to change that. Blair, 72, who is set to sit on the board of a proposed international ...