Page 17 - Middle East

US Secy Blinken takes off in 11th attempt to reach Middle East ceasefire

President Joe Biden's decision to send Hochstein this week is signaling the urgency of a lasting cease-fire in Lebanon

Freedom of expression threatened most in Gaza as media targeted: UN expert

Freedom of expression has been threatened more seriously in Gaza than in any recent conflict, with journalists targeted in the war-torn territory and Palestinian supporters targeted in many countries, a United Nations expert said Friday. Irene Khan, the U.N. independent investigator on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, pointed to attacks on the media and the targeted killings and arbitrary detention of dozens of journalists in Gaza. The banning of Al Jazeera, the tightening of censorship within Israel and in the occupied territories, seem to indicate a strategy of the Israeli authorities to silence critical journalism and obstruct the documentation of possible international crimes, she said. Khan also sharply criticized the discrimination and double standards that have seen restrictions and suppression of pro-Palestinian protests and speech. She cited bans in Germany and other European countries, protests that were crushed harshly on U.S. college campuses, and ...

Geopolitical situation unlikely to impact Indian carpet fair: CEPC chairman

The current geopolitical situation in the Middle East is not likely to have an impact on the Indian carpet fair and may offer an advantage to Indian exporters, Carpet Export Promotion Council Chairman Kuldeep Raj Wattal has said. The Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC), which plays a crucial role in promoting the carpet industry, has been organising biannual fairs that attract domestic as well as international buyers. "The current geopolitical situation in the Middle East will not affect the Indian carpet fairs. Instead, it may offer an advantage to Indian exporters, especially if Iranian production is impacted," CEPC Chairman Kuldeep Raj Wattal told PTI. On the cancellation of the 'Domotex fair' in Germany, a major event for global carpet trading, Wattal said "this presents an opportunity for increased orders at the ongoing 'India Carpet Expo 2024'." The CEPC is targeting an export trade goal of Rs 500 crore to Rs 700 crore during this expo. The 'India Carpet Expo 2024' in Bha

Israeli jets strike southern Beirut for first time in nearly a week

Israeli jets struck the southern suburbs of Beirut early Wednesday for the first time in six days, Lebanese state media reported. The casualty count was not yet clear. The attack comes just one day after caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the United States government gave him some assurances of Israel easing its strikes in the Lebanese capital. Israel says it is striking Hezbollah assets in the suburbs, where the militant group has a strong presence, but it is also a busy residential and commercial area. The Israeli military said the Wednesday strike hit a weapons warehouse under a residential building. The Israeli military posted an evacuation warning on the X platform saying it is targeting a building in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood. An Associated Press photographer who witnessed the strikes said there were three in the area. The first strike was documented less than an hour after the notice. Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on Oct. 8 in solidarity with the ...

Yemen risks being dragged into Mideast conflict that could spiral, says UN

Yemen risks being dragged further into the military escalation in the Middle East that keeps intensifying and could spiral out of control, the U.N. special envoy for the Arab world's poorest nation said Tuesday. Hans Grundberg told the U.N. Security Council that regrettably Yemen is part of the escalation and he warned that repeated attacks on international shipping by its Houthi rebels have significantly increased the risk of an environment disaster in the Red Sea. Both Grundberg and the U.N.'s acting humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya urged the Iranian-backed Houthis to halt their attacks on international shipping, which the rebel group began to support fellow Iranian-backed militant group Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack in Israel that sparked Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. The U.N. officials also demanded the release of dozens of U.N. personnel, staff of non-governmental organizations and diplomatic missions, and members of civil society, most detained since June. Msuya called the ...

UAE stands with Lebanon campaign launched, 200 tonnes of packages prepared

These initiatives affirm the UAE's leading global position to provide relief and stand in solidarity with Lebanon

Israel under lens for 'extermination' in destruction of Gaza health system

UN inquiry's statement also accused Israeli forces of deliberately killing and torturing medical personnel, targeting medical vehicles and restricting permits for patients to leave besieged Gaza Strip

Adani group seeks $1 bn funding from sovereign fund for airport expansion

Adani Enterprises launched a qualified institutional placement (QIP) aiming to raise up to Rs 4,200 crore ($500 million), lower than planned due to market fluctuations

Market Today: Ratan Tata dies, TCS Q2, GIFT Nifty up 100 pts, Israel war

At 6:30 AM, GIFT Nifty Futures were up 123 points at 25,207, indicating a gap-up opening for the Indian bourses.

Explosions rock Beirut as Israel strikes Lebanon on Oct 7 anniv; updates

According to the Israeli military, airstrikes were carried out on several Hezbollah intelligence and weapons storage sites within the Lebanese capital

Market Today: RBI MPC outcome, global market recovery, Israel war, Oil down

At 6:34 AM, GIFT Nifty Futures were trading 25 points higher at 25,157, suggesting a flat to positive start for Indian markets.

Israel begins ground operations in southwest Lebanon despite Iran's warning

Israel has been weighing options to respond to Tehran's ballistic missile attack last week, carried out in response to Israel's military action in Lebanon

Israel's strikes shifting power balance in Middle East with US aid

Israeli military strikes are targeting Iran's armed allies across a nearly 2,000-mile stretch of the Middle East and threatening Iran itself. The efforts raise the possibility of an end to two decades of Iranian ascendancy in the region, to which the 2003 US invasion of Iraq inadvertently gave rise. In Washington, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and Arab capitals, opponents and supporters of Israel's offensive are offering clashing ideas about what the US should do next, as its ally racks up tactical successes against Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen and presses its yearlong campaign to crush Hamas in Gaza. Israel should get all the support it needs from the United States until Iran's government follows other dictatorships of the past into the dustbin of history, said Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at Washington's conservative-leaning Foundation for the Defense of Democracies calls echoed by some Israeli political figures. Going further, Yoel Guzansky, a former senior ...

Share Market Today: RBI MPC meet, Q2 earnings, Middle East war, Oil, FIIs

At 6:40 AM, GIFT Nifty futures were trading 89 points higher at 25,262 levels, suggesting a robust opening for the markets.

News Highlights: Wangchuk sits on fast at Ladakh Bhawan in Delhi along with supporters

Catch all the latest news developments and quick updates from across the world here

Here's what's next for oil and gas prices as Middle East tensions heat up

Oil prices climbed this week as tensions in the Middle East escalated. Iran launched missiles at Israel and the Israelis threatened retaliation, raising the possibility of a disruption to the flow of oil from the region. A jump in oil prices automatically spurs fear of a spike in gas prices, but experts see reasons that may not happen. Here's a look at the current situation and the outlook for oil and gas prices: Familiar tensions, different times Oil prices rose than USD 6 per barrel this week and prices at the pump moved higher as well. The average price for a gallon of gas rose 5 cents from last week. Any major escalation of tensions in the Middle East conjures up memories of the oil embargo that followed the start of the Yom Kippur war in 1973, which quadrupled oil prices. However, the global supply of oil has been altered radically since the 1970s, with the US becoming the world's largest oil producer. Months of war between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah, two Iranian proxies,

Biden talks election, economy, and, Middle East in surprise news briefing

After 1,080 days as president, Joe Biden on Friday decided to pop in and take questions in the White House briefing room for the first time, striding in with a grin after a strong monthly jobs report and the temporary settlement of a strike by ports workers. The president has been less available than his recent predecessors to questions from White House press corps, making his surprise appearance welcome to the gathered reporters who waited as his press secretary's daily briefing was moved up 15 minutes, then delayed for nearly one hour. The president stepped through the press room's blue door in a dark gray suit and red tie and proceeded to make news in response to questions about comments on the 2024 presidential election, the latest jobs numbers and the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The 81-year old stepped aside from the Democratic nomination this summer, backing Vice President Kamala Harris instead. He acknowledged doubts about whether the November election would be ..

Mkts suffer worst week in over 2 yrs; West Asia crisis weighs on sentiment

FPIs net sell Rs 37,088 cr shares this week amid major shift to China

Israeli strike closes off road used to flee Lebanon: Transport minister

The escalating fighting between Hezbollah and Israel has raised fears that the United States and Iran will be sucked into the Middle East conflict raging on several fronts

Is Nasrallah's successor Hashem Safieddine eliminated in Israeli strikes?

Hashem Safieddine is widely regarded as a likely successor to Hassan Nasrallah. If appointed, he could take charge of Hezbollah during a challenging period amid increased escalation with Israel