World

UN Condemns 'Unacceptable' Syria Violence
UN Condemns 'Unacceptable' Syria Violence

The United Nations special envoy for Syria on Wednesday condemned the "unacceptable" violence rocking the country after deadly sectarian clashes and called for an immediate halt to Israeli air strikes. The envoy, Geir Pedersen, was "alarmed" at "the potential for further escalation of an extremely fragile situation" after violent clashes around ...

US Imposes Sanctions To Curb Iran Oil Despite Talks
US Imposes Sanctions To Curb Iran Oil Despite Talks

The United States said Wednesday it was imposing sanctions on seven companies involved in selling Iranian oil, tightening pressure despite new nuclear talks between the adversaries. The United States said it was targeting five trading companies—four based in the United Arab Emirates and one in Turkey—that sold Iranian-origin petrochemical ...

Israel Strikes Syria, Citing Threat to Druze Community Amid Rising Tensions
Israel Strikes Syria, Citing Threat to Druze Community Amid Rising Tensions

Israel has confirmed a strike in southern Syria targeting what it described as an "extremist group" preparing to attack members of the Druze minority in the town of Sahnaya, near Damascus. According to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, the operation served as a warning and was aimed at preventing further ...

Ukraine Expects to Sign Minerals Deal with US in 'Next 24 Hours': PM
Ukraine Expects to Sign Minerals Deal with US in 'Next 24 Hours': PM

Ukraine expects to sign a much-anticipated minerals deal with the United States in "the next 24 hours", Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said Wednesday, as both sides finalized details. The agreement would see Washington and Kyiv jointly develop Ukraine's mineral resources, an arrangement US President Donald Trump has called "money back" for the ...

Israel Deploys Army to Control Huge Fire Near Jerusalem
Israel Deploys Army to Control Huge Fire Near Jerusalem

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered troops to deploy on Wednesday to support firefighters battling rapidly spreading wildfires near Jerusalem, calling the situation a "national emergency". The country's Magen David Adom rescue agency reported hundreds of civilians were currently at risk from the fires. At least 23 people ...

16 Killed as Sectarian Clashes Near Damascus Spread: Authorities, Monitor
16 Killed as Sectarian Clashes Near Damascus Spread: Authorities, Monitor

Sectarian clashes between forces linked to Syria's new authorities and Druze fighters spread overnight near Damascus, leaving 16 people dead, state media and a monitor said Wednesday. The expanding violence is a major challenge to the Islamist authorities who overthrew longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December and comes after sectarian massacres ...

Joumblatt Steps In to End Deadly Clashes Near Damascus as Israel Strikes Syria
Joumblatt Steps In to End Deadly Clashes Near Damascus as Israel Strikes Syria

A ceasefire between gunmen linked to Syrian authorities and Druze fighters was reportedly reached on Wednesday, following intensive mediation by former Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Joumblatt. The effort involved contacts with the new Syrian administration, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan, according to al-Markazia news ...

UAE Says Foils Bid to Transfer Weapons to Sudan Army
UAE Says Foils Bid to Transfer Weapons to Sudan Army

The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday it had foiled a weapons shipment intended for the Sudanese army, which has accused the Gulf state of backing rival paramilitaries in the country's two-year war. "The security services succeeded in preventing the transfer of a quantity of military equipment to the Sudanese Armed Forces following the arrest ...

Swiss Ban on Hamas Comes Into Force May 15
Swiss Ban on Hamas Comes Into Force May 15

A Swiss ban on the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas will come into force on May 15, the federal government said Wednesday following a parliamentary vote at the end of 2024. The government's political and security committees submitted a motion to ban Hamas in October 2023, after the group's deadly attack on Israel that month, said a government ...

Khartoum in Ruins: A Capital Torn by War
Khartoum in Ruins: A Capital Torn by War

Shattered walls and bullet-riddled buildings dominate central Khartoum, where hospitals, markets and key institutions lie in ruins after months of fierce urban combat.

Iran Says Next Nuclear Talks With US Set for Saturday in Rome
Iran Says Next Nuclear Talks With US Set for Saturday in Rome

Iran and the United States will hold a fourth round of talks on the Islamic republic's nuclear programme in Rome on Saturday, Iran's foreign minister said. The longtime adversaries have held three rounds of talks aiming for a deal on the programme, which the West believes is intended to develop nuclear weapons -- an allegation Tehran denies. The ...