Tag: Middle East

  • Hezbollah says fired ‘dozens’ of rockets at north Israel

    Hezbollah says fired ‘dozens’ of rockets at north Israel

    Hezbollah said it launched rockets at northern Israel Thursday “in response” to a deadly Israeli strike in south Lebanon — the group’s first attack after Israel killed a top commander earlier this week.

    Thegroup said in a statement that it “launched dozens of Katyusha rockets… in response to the Israeli enemy’s attack on… (the southern village of Shama) that killed a number of civilians.”

    The Israeli military said that shortly after the rocket fire, the air force “struck the Hezbollah launcher from which the projectiles were launched.”

    Earlier Thursday, the Lebanese health ministry said four Syrians were killed in an Israeli strike on the south, where Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily fire since the Gaza war began in October.

    “The health ministry announces… four Syrian nationals were martyred” in an “Israeli strike” on the southern village of Shama, it said in a statement.

    The ministry said the toll might rise once DNA tests had been carried out.

    The strike also wounded five Lebanese nationals, it added.

    Emergency services told AFP that the dead were farmer workers and part of the same family.

    Plumes of smoke billowed from the site of the strike, which heavily damaged two nearby buildings and burnt a vehicle to a crisp, a photographer contributing to AFP reported.

    The attack was Hezbollah’s first since an Israeli air strike killed its top commander Fuad Shukr on Tuesday evening, with leader Hassan Nasrallah saying operations would resume on Friday morning.

    Nasrallah warned his group was bound to respond to the killing of Shukr.

    His death was followed hours later Wednesday, by the killing of Hezbollah ally Hamas’s chief Ismail Haniyeh in a strike in Tehran, which Iran and Hamas have blamed on Israel. Israel has declined to comment on his killing.

    The genocide in Gaza since October has killed at least 542 people on the Lebanese side, most of them fighters but also including 114 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

    At least 22 soldiers and 25 civilians have been killed on the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, according to army figures.

  • Meta to end ban on word ‘Shaheed’

    Meta to end ban on word ‘Shaheed’

    Meta Platforms have announced that they will lift its blanket ban on the word shaheed after a year-long review by its oversight board. The social media giant found out that its approach was “overboard”.

    Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has been criticised for years over its handling of content involving the Middle East. A 2021 study Meta itself commissioned said that its appr­oach had an “adverse human rights impact” on Palest­inians and other Arabic-speaking users of its services.

    Those criticisms have escalated since October 7.

    Meta funded the oversight board, but it works independently. It started its review last year because the word accounted for more content removals on the company’s platforms than any other single word or phrase.

  • Faris Shafi to join with SZA, 21 Savage at Wireless Middle East festival 2024

    Music fans, mark your calendars! The iconic Wireless Festival, famous for bringing together top names in hip-hop, rap, R&B, grime, and dance in the UK, is returning to the UAE with Wireless Middle East 2024. Among the star-studded lineup is Pakistani rapper Faris Shafi.

    Shafi, known for his raw and powerful lyrics, announced the exciting news on Instagram. His post featured the official festival announcement, proudly showing his name alongside a stellar list of performers. Fans can barely contain their excitement, and neither can we.

    Originally set for March, the festival faced some delays but is now scheduled for Saturday, November 23, at Etihad Park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Alongside Shafi, the headliners include SZA, 21 Savage, and Yeat. The festival will also feature performances by other notable artists such as Seedhe Maut and Karan Aujla, making it a global musical event.

    Wireless Middle East 2024 promises to be an unforgettable experience for music lovers worldwide. Set against the stunning backdrop of Abu Dhabi, the festival will draw crowds from all over the globe. It will be a melting pot of genres and styles, offering a unique platform for artists from diverse backgrounds to share their music with an international audience.

  • Oil jumps, equities fall as Israeli attacks fan MidEast fears

    Oil jumps, equities fall as Israeli attacks fan MidEast fears

    Hong Kong, China – Oil prices rallied and equities fell Friday as reports said explosions had been heard in Iran and Syria, fuelling fears of an escalation of the Middle East crisis after last weekend’s retaliatory missile attack on Israel by Tehran.

    The reports followed another batch of data indicating the US economy remained in rude health and compounded concerns that the Federal Reserve will hold off cutting interest rates this year or even hike them again.

    Traders have been on edge since Saturday’s barrage by Iran, which Israel’s army chief General Herzi Halevi warned would be met with a response.

    Leaders in Tehran said the strike was a legitimate response to a deadly attack on an Iranian embassy building in Damascus that it blames on Israel.

    Iran’s Fars news agency reported “three explosions” were heard near Qahjavarestan, near Isfahan airport and the 8th Shekari army airbase, while space agency spokesman Hossein Dalirian said “several” drones had been “successfully shot down”.

    Dalirian said on social media platform X there were “no reports of a missile attack”.

    Nuclear facilities in Isfahan were reported to be “completely secure”, the Tasnim news agency said.

    ABC and CBS News reported the strikes had been carried out by Israel, quoting US officials.

    There was no immediate comment from the White House or Pentagon, and the Israeli military told AFP: “We don’t have a comment at this time.”

    The news sent shivers through markets, with crude briefly surging as much as four percent on worries about supplies from the oil-rich region, while fears of a regional conflict saw equities tumble.

    However, the gains were pared as Iran appeared to play down the matter. Tasnim denied the reports and said the Isfahan nuclear facility was safe, while the International Atomic Energy Agency added that it had not been damaged.

    Asia equities fell but were well off their early lows.

    Tokyo plunged more than two percent and Taipei shed more than three percent, while there were also losses in Hong Kong, Sydney, Shanghai, Singapore, Seoul, Wellington, Manila, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta.

    London, Paris and Frankfurt were also in the red.

    The rush for safety also saw the yen rally against the dollar and gold jump back past $2,400, while US Treasuries climbed.

    “It is now clear that the escalating shadow warfare between Israel and Iran… has finally ignited the powder keg in the Middle East, and we have moved decisively out of the shadows and into the glaring light of open conflict,” said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management.

    “It should be noted that this is not a staged response to an Iranian drone attack but rather an indication that we have entered a new phase of this conflict, one that is likely to have significant and far-reaching consequences for Middle East peace and least of all risk markets.”

    The mood among traders was already downbeat as they contemplated the prospect of the Fed staying pat on interest rates this year following data showing jobless claims came in below expectations while a gauge of business activity hit a two-year high.

    Meanwhile, Atlanta Fed boss Raphael Bostic said inflation is “too high” and he felt there was no need to cut borrowing costs until later in the year.

    “I’m comfortable being patient,” he added.

    New York Fed chief John Williams and governor Michelle Bowman also said they saw fewer reductions than expected, if at all, this year.

    Michael Landsberg, of Landsberg Bennett Private Wealth Management, said: “We are firmly in the camp of no rate cuts in 2024.

    “We believe investors should prepare for a higher-for-longer regime when it comes to both inflation and interest rates.”

    Key figures around 0810 GMT

    West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.4 percent at $83.85 per barrel

    Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.1 percent at $88.10 per barrel

    Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 2.7 percent at 37,068.35 (close)

    Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.0 percent at 16,224.14 (close)

    Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 3,065.26 (close)

    London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.7 percent at 7,825.73

    Dollar/yen: DOWN at 154.40 yen from 154.67 yen on Thursday

    Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0643 from $1.0645

    Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2429 from $1.2438

    Euro/pound: UP at 85.64 pence from 85.57 pence

    New York – Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 37,775.38 (close)

    – Bloomberg News contributed to this story –

    dan/sco

    © Agence France-Presse

  • Iran launches drone attacks on Israel in response to attack on consulate in Syria

    Iran launches drone attacks on Israel in response to attack on consulate in Syria

    Iran has launched more than 200 drones and missiles on Israel in an unprecedented attack late on Saturday “in response” to a deadly airstrike on its Damascus consular annexe earlier this month.

    Iran’s allies also carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions as sirens sounded in many places and blasts were heard in the skies above Jerusalem early on Sunday.

    Iran had vowed to strike back in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular annexe while America had warned repeatedly in recent days that the retaliation was imminent.

    Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) launched “extensive” drone and missile strikes — as part of what they called the Operation ‘True Promise’ against “certain targets” inside Israel.

    “Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement.

    Videos emerged as people in Jerusalem sought cover and flooded the roads. “As you can see it’s empty, everybody is running home,” said Eliyahu Barakat, a 49-year-old grocery shop owner in Jerusalem’s Mamilla neighbourhood.

    US President Joe Biden expressed “ironclad” support for Israel after an urgent meeting with his top security officials on the current attack against Israel.

    Hundreds of Iranians gathered in Tehran’s Palestine Square, waving Iranian and Palestinian flags to celebrate the unprecedented military action against Israel.

    On the other hand, Israeli military official said, “So far, we’ve intercepted the vast majority of incoming missiles,” Hagari said.
    The army said it had scrambled dozens of fighter jets to intercept “all aerial threats”.

    Iran’s allies in the region joined the attack with Yemen’s Houthi rebels also launching drones at Israel, according to security agency Ambrey, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement announcing rocket fire at Israeli positions in the annexed Golan Heights.

    The official Irna news agency said the attack had dealt “heavy blows” to an air base in the Negev desert, but the Israeli army said there had only been minor damage.

    US help for Israel neutralizing all the attacks

    The Iranian mission to the United Nations warned Washington to keep out of Iran’s conflict with Israel. “It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY!” it said.

    Despite Tehran’s warning not to get involved, US forces took part in shooting down drones aimed at Israel.

    Biden said in a later statement that the United States had “helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles”, but appeared to guide the key US ally away from retaliating against Tehran by saying Israel had now shown its strength.

    The US president said he had called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reaffirm Washington’s “ironclad” support for Israel, after recent tense relations over Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

    “I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel,” he said.

    He said he had ordered US military aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the Middle East in recent days, as the likely threat following a presumed Israeli strike on Iranians in Damascus became clear.


    Matter of a ‘truce’ in Gaza

    The Gaza crisis began October 7 and has claimed lives of more than 33 thousand in Gaza.

    In the main central city of Deir al-Balah, fire burned in the rubble of a destroyed mosque. Israel’s military “demanded that the whole area be evacuated” before it was “wiped out in minutes”, said Abdullah Baraka, a witness.

    In nearby Nuseirat refugee camp, Abd Thabet said residents had been warned to evacuate on Friday evening ahead of a large explosion that caused “massive destruction”.

    Hamas said it had submitted its response to a Gaza truce plan presented by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators at talks in Cairo this week.

    The Palestinian group said it was sticking to its previous demands, insisting on “a permanent ceasefire” and the “withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip”.

    During the October attack, Hamas seized about 250 hostages, 129 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead.

    The Israeli prime minister’s office accused Hamas of sabotaging efforts for an exchange of hostages for prisoners. “Hamas to this day has refused any deal and any compromise proposal,” it said.

  • Yemen Announces First Civilian Death In US-UK Strikes

    Yemen Announces First Civilian Death In US-UK Strikes

    Yemen’s Houthis have reported the first civilian death in US and British air strikes after the latest round of joint raids over the weekend.

    One person was killed and eight wounded, the Houthi’ official news agency said late on Sunday, a day after US and British forces said they fired on 18 targets across the country.

    The US-British strikes were in response to dozens of Houthi drone and missile attacks on Red Sea shipping since November, which the group says are in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war.

    “The American-British aggression on the district of Maqbana in the governorate of Taiz has left one civilian dead and eight wounded,” the Houthi’ Saba agency said, citing a statement from the health ministry.

    The Houthi have previously reported the death of 17 of their fighters in the Western strikes targeting military facilities.

    The Houthi attacks have had a significant effect on traffic through the busy Red Sea route, forcing some companies into a two-week detour around southern Africa. Last week, Egypt said Suez Canal revenues were down by up to 50 percent this year.

    Washington, Israel’s vital ally, gathered an international coalition in December to protect Red Sea traffic. It has launched several rounds of strikes as well as four joint raids with Britain, which began last month.

    The Houthi initially said they were targeting Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea and adjoining Gulf of Aden, but then declared that US and British interests were also “legitimate” targets.

    © Agence France-Presse

  • Prince William calls for an end to war on Gaza

    Prince William calls for an end to war on Gaza

    The British Prince William has said that the “sheer scale of human suffering” had brought home the need for peace in an enclave “where too many have been killed”, reports Al Jazeera.

    In a rare, direct intervention for a member of the royal family, William, the heir to the British throne, said it was critical that aid gets through to those who need it in Gaza.

    “Sometimes, it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home,” he said in a statement.

    The 41-year-old visited the British Red Cross headquarters in London on Tuesday to hear about their work supporting people affected by war in the Middle East.

    “I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible,” he said. “There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It’s critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released.”

    Previously, the heir apparent of the British throne, Prince William, was reportedly set to commence a number of royal engagements in order to “recognise the human suffering” as a result of Israeli operations on Gaza and in the Middle East.

    Kensington Palace has said that the future King will also take into consideration increasing anti-Semitism around the world.

    He is set to meet with humanitarian workers in the region while also visiting a synagogue to listen to the youth countering anti-Semitism.

    “The prince and princess were profoundly concerned by events that unfolded in late 2023 and continue to hold all the victims, their family and friends in their hearts and minds,” his office said.

  • US defense chief under fire for undisclosed hospitalisation

    US defense chief under fire for undisclosed hospitalisation

    US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is facing growing criticism for waiting days to inform the White House and Congress about his hospitalisation, keeping key officials in the dark about his status during a major Middle East crisis.

    Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on January 1 due to complications from an elective medical procedure, but the Pentagon did not make any public announcement until four days later, and also waited to notify other top government figures.

    The 70-year-old secretary’s hospitalization comes with Washington struggling to contain the fallout from the Israel-Hamas war, which has sparked violence against American forces in Iraq and Syria as well as attacks on international shipping.

    With the Middle East in turmoil, the idea that “for four days the secretary of defense is in a hospital and (President Joe) Biden doesn’t know is shocking,” Ian Bremmer, the president of the Eurasia Group political risk firm, said Monday.

    Bremmer said the situation gives the president an opportunity to replace Austin, but the White House has stood by the secretary.

    Austin underwent an unspecified medical procedure on December 22 and was discharged the following day, but began experiencing “severe pain” on January 1 and was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told journalists on Monday.

    Some of Austin’s authorities were transferred to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on January 2, but she was not told that he was hospitalized until two days later, Ryder said.

    The US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was likewise informed on January 4, bringing the White House into the loop, while Congress was not told until the day after that — the same day the Pentagon made a public announcement.

    Ryder said Austin’s chief of staff “had been out sick with the flu, which caused a delay in these notifications.”

    “We are currently reviewing how we can improve these notification procedures, to include White House and congressional notifications,” he said.

    Ryder also said he was informed of Austin’s hospitalization on January 2, but “did not feel that I was at liberty” to disclose information on the secretary’s condition “until we knew more.”

    The lack of notification has drawn criticism from Congress, with some Republican lawmakers calling on Austin to go.

    “It is shocking and absolutely unacceptable that the Department of Defense waited multiple days to notify the president, the National Security Council, and the American people,” Representative Elise Stefanik said in a statement, calling for Austin’s “immediate resignation.”

    Former president Donald Trump also weighed in, saying in a social media post that Austin “should be fired immediately for improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty.”

    But the White House has backed him, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying, “The president has complete confidence, continues to have confidence in Secretary Austin.”

    Ryder also said Austin — who remains hospitalized but is no longer in intensive care and has resumed his full duties — “has no plans to resign.”

    “Nothing is more important to the secretary of defense and the (Defense) Department than the trust and confidence of the American public we serve,” Ryder said, adding that “we will continue to work hard every day to earn and deserve that trust.”

    Austin meanwhile said in a statement on Saturday that he took “full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure,” and admitted that he “could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed.”

  • Five standout events of the year 2023 in the world

    Five standout events of the year 2023 in the world

    Diplomats like Maliha Lodhi had predicted that 2023 was going to be a “world of uncertainty” and that proved somewhat true. The world witnessed a hotchpotch of events where at one end a positive step was taken to restore peace in the Middle East when China brokered a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia but Israel’s war on Gaza made everything fall apart.

    Apart from the man-made conflicts, nature also lashed out with climate change emerging as a dark reality the world can no longer ignore.

    Earthquake in Syria and Turkey

    Early in the year, a ferocious earthquake in Syria and Turkey cost more than 67, 000 lives, a staggering number. It hit southern and central parts of Turkey and northern and western parts of Syria on the morning of February 6. Thousands of buildings were destroyed with the severe magnitude 7.7 quake and aftershocks that struck Antakya within hours. It is estimated to be the most severe earthquake in Turkey since 1939.

    Iran and Saudi Arabia’s friendship mediated by China

    In an unexpected turn of events, China mediated a deal between arch-enemies Saudi Arabia and Iran in March, earlier this year, surprising the world. The thawing of relations was termed a major blow to the overpowering role of the USA in the region and was dubbed a “wave of reconciliation”.

    Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi for the first time post the deal on the sidelines of the joint Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh on December 9, 2023, a moment for the history books.

    Titan submarine

    The tragedy of the Titan submarine came at a point when the world was witnessing the humongous tragedy of the immigrant boat disaster in Greece. In the first one, five men of rich backgrounds lost their lives in an adventurous pursuit while in the latter, 80 people died, and more than 500 went missing in the sea as the over-crowded ship sank.

    The glaring irony sent shockwaves all around the world where a group paid billions of dollars for their death in the name of seeing an archive deep in the sea and the other died by getting suffocated by being cramped in the basement of a ship. The illegal immigrants were denied entry in Greece and due to overloading, it sank. The incident also pointed towards the core racism in the world because the victims were largely brown Asians and Africans while the white population was saved by the authorities.

    Barbenheimer
    The Barbenheimer phenomenon marked the revival of cinema post-covid that engulfed the world in a frenzy.

    Two big-budget movies were coming out on the same day. One was Christopher Nolan’s directorial Oppenheimer, based on the life of the American scientist, the head of the Manhattan Project, and the creator of the Atomic Bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer. Even though it was about a scientist and the makers were expecting it to attract a niche audience, the movie did great business. The other was the Greta Gerwig directorial Barbie, a live-action, musical based on the life of the famous fictional doll. The audiences had high expectations of how it will be presented and they were not disappointed as the movie went on to break records. The release of the two movies activated the meme brigade to the point that a new pop-culture reference came to life in the form of Barbenheimmer.

    Israel’s War on Gaza

    The war that shook the world was the siege of Gaza by Israel. On October 7 Hamas invaded Israel and took at least 236 hostages. Israel retaliated in what is being called a disproportionate response. The genocide of the poor Gazans has not ended till now with the death toll nearing 21,000 after 80 days of war whereas the Israeli deaths remained at 1200. A short-term truce provided a little break for the return of hostages but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to not stop. Massive protests across the world saw the tide of public opinion turn towards Palestine.

    GAZA CITY, GAZA – OCTOBER 23: A woman holding a girl reacts after Israeli airstrikes hit Ridwan neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza on October 23, 2023. (Photo by Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)
  • Human trafficked beggars from Pakistan arrested in alarming numbers abroad

    Human trafficked beggars from Pakistan arrested in alarming numbers abroad

    The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was briefed on a concerning issue whereby a significant number of beggars are being trafficked abroad. Zulfikar Haider, the Secretary of the Overseas Ministry, brought this matter to light during a Senate panel discussion centred on the migration of both skilled and unskilled labourers from Pakistan.

    Haider revealed that an alarming 90 percent of beggars apprehended in foreign countries happen to be Pakistani nationals. This predicament has led to a notable strain on foreign jails, with reports from the ambassadors of Iraq and Saudi Arabia attesting to the overcrowding of their detention facilities due to these arrests.

    During the course of the discussion, Secretary Haider also pointed out a troubling trend where Japan has emerged as a newfound destination for such beggars.

    According to ARY News, Senator Rana Mehmoodul Hasan highlighting the varying demands placed on Japan for skilled workers from different countries, including India, Nepal, and Pakistan, each sending a distinct number of individuals to meet these demands.

    Senator Hasan further raised the issue of unemployment among engineers in Pakistan, highlighting that a staggering 50,000 engineers in the country are currently without employment opportunities.

    In the context of the Middle East, the senator provided statistics, noting that approximately three million Pakistanis reside in Saudi Arabia, while another 1.5 million have sought employment in the UAE, with an additional 0.2 million in Qatar.

    It is imperative to underscore that beggar syndicates are also exploiting minors, subjecting them to harsh weather conditions for personal gain. These syndicates have devised new tactics to extract money from people, contributing to a distressing trend whereby the number of beggars has doubled within a mere three-year span, as per recent reports.