Page 21 - Middle East

Missiles fired by Houthi rebels damage Panama-flagged oil tanker in Red Sea

Ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels caused minor damage to a Panama-flagged oil tanker travelling through the Red Sea on Friday, authorities said. The attack follows an uptick in assaults launched by the Houthis in recent days after a relative lull in their months-long campaign over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The rebels fired three missiles in the attack, one of which damaged the Panama-flagged, Seychelles-registered Andromeda Star, the US military's Central Command said. The private security firm Ambrey described the tanker as being engaged in Russia-linked trade. The vessel was travelling from Primorsk, Russia, to Vadinar, India, Ambrey said. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree later claimed the attack early Saturday in a prerecorded statement aired by the rebels. He described the tanker as being directly hit. Another vessel, the Antiqua-Barbados-flagged, Liberia-operated Maisha, was also nearby at the time of the assault, the US said. The

India set to sign trade deal with Oman to expand its West Asia ties

India has agreed to reduce duties on some petrochemicals, aluminium and copper from Oman, while capping imports of such goods

Hamas looking into latest ceasefire counterproposal from Israel army

Earlier this week, the US and 17 other nations pressed Hamas to release their citizens who are missing or held hostage in Gaza, in a bid to revive cease-fire talks

Why wealthiest Gulf powers like UAE are snapping up prime property in Egypt

In the short term, the UAE's goal was to shore up the economy of a country seen as too big to fail

US announces new Patriot missiles for Ukraine as part of $6 bn aid package

The US will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defence systems as part of a massive USD 6 billion additional aid package, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Friday. The missiles will be used to replenish previously supplied Patriot air defence systems and are part of a package that also includes more munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and additional gear to integrate Western air defence launchers, missiles and radars into Ukraine's existing weaponry, much of which still dates back to the Soviet era. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the need for Patriots early Friday at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, a coalition of about 50 countries gathering virtually in a Pentagon-led meeting. The meeting fell on the second anniversary of the group, which Austin said has moved heaven and earth since April 2022 to source millions of rounds of ammunition, rocket systems, armoured vehicles and even jets to .

Hamas releases video featuring well-known Israeli-American hostage

Hamas released a hostage video on Wednesday showing a well-known Israeli-American man who was among scores of people abducted by the militants in the attack that ignited the war in Gaza. The video was the first sign of life of Hersh Goldberg-Polin since Hamas' October 7 attack on southern Israel, and its release ignited new protests in Jerusalem calling on the government to do more to secure the captives' release. In the video, Goldberg-Polin accused Israel's government of abandoning the people who are being held hostage by Hamas. He also claimed that some 70 captives have been killed in Israel's bombing campaign. Goldberg-Polin was clearly speaking under duress, and the claim could not be independently verified. It was not clear when the video was made. Goldberg-Polin, 23, was at the Tribe of Nova music festival when Hamas launched its attack from nearby Gaza. In the video, Goldberg-Polin is missing part of his left arm. Witnesses said he lost it when attackers tossed grenades int

Israel must pay for 'usurpation' of Palestinian territories: Iranian Prez

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said Israel must be brought to justice for "usurpation and oppression" of the Palestinian territories, if not there will not be a guarantee that others would not do the same in other lands. Raisi was delivering a statement during his one-day visit to Sri Lanka on Wednesday. "When it comes to the oppressor, when it comes to the usurper, the Zionist Israeli regime has been committing oppression against the people of Palestine for 75 years, they have been usurping their territory," Raisi said. "First of all, we have to expel the usurpers. Secondly, we should make them pay the cost for all the damage they have created and thirdly, we have to bring to justice the oppressor and usurper," he said. Earlier on Wednesday, Raisi inaugurated a hydropower and irrigation project in Sri Lanka and said his country has proven that the West does not have a monopoly on technology. Raisi is the first Iranian leader to visit Sri Lanka since former President Mahmoud

Anyone considering business with Iran will face risk of sanctions: US

Anyone considering a business deal with Iran needs to be aware of the potential risk of sanctions from the United States, an official said on Tuesday. "Just let me say broadly, we advise anyone considering business deals with Iran to be aware of the potential risk of sanctions. But ultimately, the government of Pakistan can speak to their own foreign policy pursuits," Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department, said while responding to a question on a recent visit of the Iranian president to Pakistan. During the visit, Pakistan and Iran signed eight MoUs (memoranda of understanding) and also agreed to push bilateral trade to USD 10 billion. Early this week, the US imposed sanctions on suppliers to Pakistan's ballistic missile programme, including three companies from China. "The sanctions were made because these were entities that were proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and the means of their delivery. These were entities based in the PRC (People's Repub

Blinken's visit to China: Ukraine, Mideast tensions to be key discussions

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is starting three days of talks with senior Chinese officials in Shanghai and Beijing this week with US-China ties at a critical point over numerous global disputes. The mere fact that Blinken is making the trip shortly after a conversation between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a similar visit to China by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and a call between the US and Chinese defense chiefs might be seen by some as encouraging, but ties between Washington and Beijing are tense and the rifts are growing wider. From Russia and Ukraine to Israel, Iran and the broader Middle East as well as Indo-Pacific and trade issues, the US and China are on a series of collision courses that have sparked fears about military and strategic security as well as international economic stability. Blinken will raise clearly and candidly our concerns during the talks starting Wednesday, a senior State Department official said. Here's a look at some of

Indian forex, bond investors eye developments in Middle East, US inflation

The currency fell 0.1 per cent in the week to end at 83.47, and the losses would have been larger had it not been for the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) intervention

US Prez Biden avoids further Mideast spiral as Israel, Iran show restraint

President Joe Biden can breathe a bit easier, at least for the moment, now that Israel and Iran appear to have stepped back from the brink of tipping the Middle East into all-out war. Israel's retaliatory strikes on Iran and Syria caused limited damage. The restrained action came after Biden urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to temper its response to Iran's unprecedented direct attack on Israel last week and avoid an escalation of violence in the region. Iran's barrage of drones and missiles inflicted little damage and followed a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus this month that killed two generals. Iran's public response to the Israeli strikes Friday also was muted, raising hopes that Israel-Iran tensions long carried out in the shadows with cyberattacks, assassinations and sabotage will stay at a simmer. The situation remains a delicate one for Biden as he gears up his reelection effort i n the face of headwinds in the Middle East,

Week of Iran-Israel strikes marks a 'game changer' in the Mideast

Business concerns about the situation spiked to their highest levels this week since the October 7 attacks, according to a survey by Oxford Economics

Oil prices jump slightly as Iran plays down reported Israeli attack

Iran is the third largest oil producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec)

As Israel fires missiles at Iran, Elon Musk shares message of peace

The development comes after Iran's state media reported explosions in the central province of Isfahan

As oil rises, rupee falls 6 paise to 83.58 against US dollar in early trade

The rupee depreciated 6 paise to 83.58 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, weighed down by a negative trend in domestic equities and elevated crude oil prices. Forex traders said the strength of the American currency in the overseas market also dented investor sentiments. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 83.58 against the dollar, registering a fall of 6 paise over its previous close. The local unit pared the initial losses and also touched a high of 83.46 against the American currency in early trade on Friday. On Thursday, the rupee rebounded from its all-time low level and closed 9 paise higher at 83.52 against the US dollar Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was at 106.17, higher by 0.02 per cent. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 2.46 per cent to USD 89.25 per barrel. "Brent Oil prices moved up to USD 90.48 per barrel after Iran threatened to review its stan

Iran-Israel war: NSE Nifty index nears 100-DMA; Key levels to watch out for

The NSE Nifty 50 is seen quoting close to its 100-DMA for the first time in six months amid the rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Here's what the Nifty chart suggests.

Asian Stocks sink, oil surges on reports of escalating Middle East conflict

Gold jumped 1.6 per cent to $2,414.69, heading back toward last week's all-time high at $2,431.29

Asian stock markets slide as Federal Reserve dithers on rate cuts

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell as much as 0.4% Wednesday before paring losses, with consumer discretionary and industrials among the biggest drags

Storm dumps 18 months' rain on parts of UAE, flooding roads, airport

Heavy thunderstorms lashed the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, dumping over a year and a half's worth of rain on the desert city-state of Dubai in the span of hours as it flooded out portions of major highways and its international airport. Meanwhile, the death toll in separate heavy flooding in neighbouring Oman rose to 18 with others still missing as the sultanate prepared for the storm. The rains began late Monday, soaking the sands and roadways of Dubai with some 20 millimetres (0.79 inches) of rain, according to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport. The storms intensified around 9 a.m. local Tuesday and continued throughout the day, dumping more rain and hail onto the overwhelmed city. By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 millimetres (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 94.7 millimetres (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel and a hub for the long-haul

13 dead, several injured after strike at Al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza

A graphic video obtained from eyewitness Nihad Owdetallah, showed several casualties lying on the floor