Page 13 - Middle East

Deceit, betrayal marked final days of President Assad's regime in Syria

After dusk, the president slipped out of the capital, flying covertly to a Russian military base in northern Syria and then on a Russian jet to Moscow, as per reports

PM Modi heads home after wrapping up two-day 'successful' visit to Kuwait

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday left for home after wrapping up his two-day "successful" visit to Kuwait during which the two countries elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership, marking a new era of bilateral cooperation and growth. "A historic & successful visit to Kuwait concludes! PM @narendramodi emplanes for New Delhi," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X. Modi's visit to Kuwait was the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the Gulf nation in 43 years. During his visit, Modi held extensive talks with the country's top leadership, including Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, with whom he discussed boosting ties in information technology, pharmaceuticals, fintech, infrastructure and security. "In line with the close ties between our nations, we have elevated our partnership to a strategic one and I am optimistic that our friendship will flourish even more in the times to come," Modi said in a post on X. Modi

Israel's borders shifted throughout history, acts in Syria may reshape them

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, entered Syrian territory Tuesday and said Israeli troops would remain in the area indefinitely, blurring the border with its northern neighbour. Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has never had fully recognized borders. Throughout its history, the frontiers with its Arab neighbours have shifted as a result of wars, annexations, ceasefires and peace agreements. Now, the downfall of Syrian President Bashar Assad has created a situation that could once again reshape Israel's borders. As Assad was toppled early this month, Israel quickly moved into the Syrian side of a 50-year-old demilitarized buffer zone. Netanyahu described the move as defensive and temporary, and said it was aimed at making sure that none of the groups jostling for power inside Syria threatened Israel. But in Tuesday's visit to the Syrian side of the buffer zone, Netanyahu made clear that Israel plans on staying for some time. Speaking on the windswept summit of Mou

Two charged in Iran-backed drone strike case that killed 3 US troops

Two men, including a dual Iranian American citizen, have been arrested on charges that they exported sensitive technology to Iran that was used in a drone attack in Jordan that killed three American troops early this year and injured dozens of other service members, the Justice Department said Monday. The pair were arrested after FBI specialists who analyzed the drone traced the navigation system to an Iranian company operated by one of the defendants, who relied on technology funnelled from the U.S. by his alleged co-conspirator, officials said. We often cite hypothetical risk when we talk about the dangers of American technology getting into dangerous hands, said U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy, the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, in this situation, we are not speculating. The defendants were identified as Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, who prosecutors say works at a Massachusetts-based semiconductor company, and Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, who was arrested Monday in ..

Law firms across globe rush to cash in on $150 bn West Asia deal boom

The $150 billion of deals involving Gulf firms in 2024 marks a 62 per cent increase from the same period last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg

Oil prices decline as weaker Chinese retail sales pressure demand

The Fed is expected to cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point at its Dec. 17-18 meeting, which will also provide an updated look at how much further Fed officials think they will reduce

Israel to close embassy in Ireland because of its 'anti-Israel policy'

Israeli Foreign Minister said that the Israeli embassy in Ireland would shut down in view of what he called 'double standards' and 'extreme anti-Israel policy' of the Irish govt

Syrian Christians mark change with tears as UN envoy asks to end sanctions

In churches across long-stifled Syria, Christians marked the first Sunday services since the sudden collapse of Bashar Assad's regime in an air of transformation. Some were in tears, while others clasped their hands in prayer. They are promising us that government will be formed soon and, God willing, things will become better because we got rid of the tyrant, said one worshiper, Jihad Raffoul. Today, our prayers are for a new page in Syria's future, said another, Suzan Barakat. To help those efforts, the UN envoy for Syria called for a quick end to Western sanctions as the rebel alliance that ousted Assad and sent him into exile in Russia a week ago considers the way forward, along with regional and global powers. Syria has been under deeply isolating sanctions by the United States, the European Union and others for years as a result of Assad's brutal response to what began as peaceful anti-government protests in 2011 and spiralled into civil war. In another sign of yearning for

Palestinian authority, security forces crack down on Jenin terror groups

The operation, which began yesterday morning, has prompted a general strike across the area, with businesses, schools, and UNRWA offices closing in protest

Netanyahu, Trump have 'very warm' call on Israel's need to complete victory

Netanyahu said in the video message that he had a 'very friendly, very warm, and very important conversation'

Drug captagon: What it is, how it links to Syria's fallen Assad regime

The drug has the active ingredient fenethylline and was initially marketed for conditions including ADHD and the sleeping disorder narcolepsy

US push for stability in post-Assad Syria: Here's all you need to know

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has wrapped up perhaps his last Middle East as America's top diplomat, with the aim of preventing Syria from spiralling out of control after the sudden ouster of President Bashar Assad. Blinken was one of several senior U.S. officials travelling across the region in the Biden administration's final weeks amid deep uncertainty in Washington and abroad over how Donald Trump will approach the Mideast when he takes office on Jan. 20, 2025. Blinken held meetings Jordan, Turkey and Iraq with the aim of trying to shape the future of post-Assad Syria by forging consensus among regional partners and allies whose interests often diverge. We know that what happens inside of Syria can have powerful consequences well beyond its borders, from mass displacement to terrorism," he told reporters Saturday in Aqaba, Jordan. "And we know that we can't underestimate the challenges of this moment. Here are some takeaways from Blinken's trip: Charting a new course

Top diplomats from US, Arab League, Turkey discuss Syria's power transition

Top diplomats from the United States, the Arab League and Turkey met in Jordan on Saturday to discuss how to assist Syria 's transition after the fall of Bashar Assad's government a week ago. No Syrian representatives attended. The collapse of the Assad family's more than half-century of rule has sparked new fears of instability in a region already shaken by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and hostilities between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah despite a tenuous ceasefire. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said American officials have been in direct contact with the Syrian insurgent group that led the overthrow of Assad's government, but the group continues to be designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States and others. The insurgent leader in an interview with Syrian TV didn't mention contact with the US, but he warned Israel about the hundreds of airstrikes it has carried out in Syria in the past week. The US is also making a renewed push for a ceasefire

Deception, despair marked Syrian Prez Assad's final hours before fleeing

Assad told his presidential office manager on Saturday when he finished work he was going home but instead headed to the airport, according to an aide in his inner circle

Israeli airstrikes disrupt Hamas plot to hijack humanitarian convoys

IDF stressed that no delivery trucks were struck and that the humanitarian corridor remains open for aid deliveries

PM Modi discusses India-Middle East-Europe corridor with UAE dy PM: MEA

The two leaders emphasized strengthening Comprehensive Strategic Partnership including in the areas of technology, energy, and people-to-people ties, as per MEA statement

Biden govt makes final diplomatic push for stability across Middle East

Top US officials were in the Middle East on Thursday, pushing for stability in Syria and an end to Israel's 14-month war in the Gaza Strip in a last-ditch diplomatic push by the outgoing Biden administration before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in a few weeks. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Jordan and Turkey for talks on how to ensure a peaceful transition of power in Syria following the ouster of longtime President Bashar Assad, while White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was in Israel in a bid to wrap up a ceasefire with Hamas militants. A ceasefire would give President Joe Biden a final diplomatic victory after a turbulent term in which his administration has been unable to halt a brutal war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in Gaza and plunged the territory into a humanitarian crisis. Trump has demanded the immediate release of hostages, threatening on social media that otherwise there would be HELL TO PAY, and has urged the US not t

Attacks on vessels in Red sea impact our trade: Centre tells Parliament

India remains "concerned" at the evolving situation in West Asia and attacks against commercial vessels in and around the Red Sea threaten freedom of navigation and "impact our trade", the government informed the Parliament on Thursday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written response to a query also said the government has "raised the issue" with the countries in the region and the Indian Missions are "closely monitoring" the situation to mitigate its impact. He was asked about the details of special measures that are being taken by the government to safeguard India's energy security in view of the possible disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea due to the Israel-Iran conflict and the diplomatic efforts being made by the government to mitigate the impact of this conflict on India's trade routes, especially the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. "India remains concerned at the evolving situation in West Asia. Attacks against commercial vessels i

Australian police launch operation, probe increased antisemitic attacks

Australian federal police launched a special operation to investigate an increase in antisemitic threats and violence since the war between Israel and Hamas began last year. Jewish leaders say prejudice against their community has reached unprecedented levels, with most incidents reported in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's largest cities where 85 per cent of the nation's Jewish population live. Almost 1,17,000 Jewish people live in Australia, according to the last census in 2021, or 0.46 per cent of the 25.4 million residents. The government says only Israel is home to more Holocaust survivors than Australia on a per capita basis. Here's a look at some of the main cases investigated by Special Operation Avalite: Dec. 11: Antisemitic graffiti attacks in the eastern Sydney suburb of Woollahra Police are looking for two male suspects, estimated to be aged between 15 and 20, seen running from Magney St in Woollahra when a car fire was reported at 1 am. Two cars including the one th

Syrians, in a triumph of hope, turn the page on horrors of Assad's regime

Some analysts trace how Assad's main backers - Iran, Hezbollah and Russia, became too weakened or preoccupied to come to his aid as in the past