Page 24 - Middle East

Navy deploys 3 warships in Arabian Sea amid attacks on merchant vessels

The Indian Navy's explosive ordnance disposal team on Monday carried out a detailed inspection of merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto on its arrival at Mumbai harbour, two days after the ship was hit by a drone off India's west coast in the Arabian Sea when it was on its way to New Mangalore port. In view of spate of attacks on commercial vessels in the Arabian Sea, the Navy deployed P-8I long-range patrol aircraft for surveillance, and warships INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata in the region to maintain "deterrent presence", officials said. Saturday's drone attack on Liberian-flagged MV Chem Pluto came amid increasing concerns over various commercial vessels being targeted reportedly by Iran-backed Houthi militants in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Liberian-flagged vessel with 21 Indian and one Vietnamese crew, anchored at outer anchorage off Mumbai at 3:30 pm. "On her arrival, the Indian Navy explosive ordnance disposal team inspected the vessel

Merchant ship attacked two days ago by 'drone' arrives outside Mumbai port

The cargo of the ship is planned to be transferred to another ship and a joint investigation is being carried out by the Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, Intelligence agencies and other officials

Oil extends weekly gains, up 1% as tensions over Red Sea attacks persist

More maritime carriers are avoiding the Red Sea due to attacks on vessels carried out by the Houthi militant group, who say they are responding to Israel's war in Gaza

Brent hovers near $80 amid geopolitical tensions over Red Sea attacks

On Wednesday, Greece advised commercial vessels sailing in the Red Sea avoid Yemeni waters. Greek ship owners control about 20% of the world's commercial vessels in terms of carrying capacity

Israeli airstrikes kill dozens more Palestinians across the Gaza Strip

The Israeli army has raided and detained staff at two of the last functioning hospitals in Gaza's north, where the defense minister said on Tuesday that troops were working to completely clear out Hamas militants. Israel bombarded towns across southern Gaza on Tuesday with airstrikes, killing at least 45 Palestinians and pressing ahead with its offensive with renewed backing from the United States, despite rising international alarm. The Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, warned the campaign in Gaza's south will persist for months. In a hospital in the southern town of Rafah, Mahmoud Zoarab bid farewell to his two children a 2-year-old boy, and a girl born two weeks ago killed in a predawn strike on their home. Wounded in the strike, he winced as he peeled back the shrouds to look at their faces as his wife and mother stood by his bed. Just two weeks old. Her name hadn't even been registered, said the children's grandmother, Suzan Zoarab. Addressing Israeli Prime Minister .

Sheikh Nawaf: Impact of his short but tumultuous reign as Kuwait's emir

Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, passed away on 16th December.

Suspected cyberattack paralyses the majority of gas stations across Iran

Nearly 70% of Iran's gas stations went out of service on Monday following possible sabotage a reference to cyberattacks, Iranian state TV reported. The report said a software problem caused the irregularity in the gas stations. It urged people not to rush to the stations that were still operational. Israeli media, including the Times of Israel, blamed the problem on an attack by a hacker group dubbed Gonjeshke Darande or predatory sparrow. State TV quoted a statement by the Oil Ministry as saying more than 30% of gas stations remain in service. The country has some 33,000 gas stations. In recent years, Iran has seen a series of cyberattacks on its filling stations, railway system and industries. Surveillance cameras in government buildings, including prisons, have also been hacked in the past. In 2022, the Gonjeshke Darande group hacked a major steel company in the southwest of the country. A cyberattack on Iran's fuel distribution system in 2021 paralyzed gas stations across the

Egypt's Suez canal authority monitoring tensions in Red Sea amid Israel war

Iran-aligned Houthis have launched attacks against vessels in the region in protest against Israel's bombardment and invasion of Gaza that has killed almost 19,000 Palestinians

Kuwait's ruling emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, dies at age 86

Kuwait's ruling emir, the 86-year-old Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has died, state television reported Saturday. Kuwait TV broke into programming with Quranic verses just before making the announcement. In late November, Sheikh Nawaf was rushed to hospital for an unspecified illness. In the time since, the tiny, oil-rich nation had been waiting for news about his health. State-run news previously reported that he traveled to the United States for unspecified medical checks in March 2021. The health of Kuwait's leaders remains a sensitive matter in the Middle Eastern nation bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia, which has seen internal power struggles behind palace doors. Sheikh Nawaf was sworn in as emir following the 2020 death of his predecessor, the late Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah. The breadth and depth of emotion over the loss of Sheikh Sabah, known for his diplomacy and peacemaking, was felt across the region. Sheikh Nawaf previously served as Kuwait's interior and defense .

Zara yanks ads that some found reminiscent of Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza

The Spanish fashion brand Zara has pulled advertising images that to some appeared to reference Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. The images for a line of jackets included what the company called unfinished sculptures in a sculptor's studio. But some online critics said one image of a model holding a wrapped-up mannequin resembled someone holding a corpse. Other photos included a mannequin with missing limbs and a figure wrapped in fabric or plastic on the floor, according to news reports. The company apologised in a statement posted on Instagram on Tuesday and said the campaign was conceived in July and photographed in September. Hamas attacked Israeli civilians on October 7, prompting Israel's subsequent invasion of Gaza. Zara said the campaign was created with the sole purpose of showcasing craftmade garments in an artistic context. While acknowledging the offence critics took to the images, the company said these people saw in them something far from what was intended when t

Oil rises after Iran-backed Houthi attack on ship, weak sentiment weighs

A cruise missile launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen struck a commercial chemical tanker, causing a fire and damage but no casualties in the latest such attack to heighten safety risks for tankers

Palestinians say Israel is warning them to leave areas in southern Gaza

Residents say Israel has dropped leaflets over parts of southern Gaza, urging people to leave homes east of the town of Khan Younis. The leaflets also warned that Khan Younis was now a dangerous battle zone. The leaflets signaled that Israel was preparing to widen its offensive, which has so far focused largely on the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of people fled northern Gaza earlier in the war, with many taking shelter in Khan Younis and other cities in the south.

Gaza truce expires without word of extension, fresh clashes possible

A temporary truce in the Israel-Hamas war expired Friday morning, without immediate word from mediator Qatar on an extension, raising the possibility of renewed fighting. The truce expired at 7 a.m (0500 GMT) Friday. The halt in fighting began a week ago, on Nov. 24. It initially lasted for four days, and then was extended for several days with the help of Qatar and fellow mediator Egypt. During the week-long truce, Hamas and other militants in Gaza released more than 100 hostages, most of them Israelis, in return for 240 Palestinians freed from prisons in Israel. Virtually all of those freed were women and children. Reaching agreements on swaps appears to be growing harder as most women and children held in Gaza have already been released.

China presents UN with vague Mideast peace plan as US promotes its own role

China on Wednesday presented the United Nations Security Council with a four-point plan for Middle East peace in a demonstration of its ambitions to be a global superpower. But the plan was short on details, and the United States quickly reminded the council of its attempts to ease the Gaza war. China has had little role in negotiations over the Israel-Palestinian conflict, which have been largely monopolized by the United States for decades. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the council that the war shows the urgent need for a Palestinian state alongside Israel. We should revitalize the political prospects of the two-state solution with stronger determination, he said. The lack of a Palestinian state is the crux of the repeated turbulence in the Palestinian-Israeli situation, he said. US President Joe Biden and other US officials also have spoken in favor of working toward a two-state solution for the conflict. China made its biggest foray into Middle East politics when it ..

Havells' consumer durables brand Lloyd enters Middle East market

Havells India Ltd on Wednesday said its consumer durables brand Lloyd has forayed into the Middle East market through a distribution partnership with Dubai-based TeknoDome. Lloyd's focus in the Middle East encompasses a range of technologically advanced and energy-efficient products and the company has introduced a portfolio, including a premium range of ACs, front-load and semi-automatic washing machines, frost-free and side-by-side refrigerators and LED TV range, Havells India said in a statement. Havells India Chairman and Managing Director Anil Rai Gupta said the company's commitment has been expanding its international presence. "...We take pride in Making in India for the world. Lloyd has been synonymous with innovation and trust in India, and we are confident that our range of products will resonate with the preferences and lifestyle of the Middle East market," he added. On the partnership with Havells, TeknoDom Chairman and Managing Director Saket Gaurav said, "This ...

Israel war a challenge for West Asia corridor: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

The Centre aims to resolve insurance issues for domestic shippers and reduce India's logistics costs through this move

India signs deals to export 500,000 tons of new season basmati rice

After imposing a ban on non-basmati white rice exports in Jun to stabilize domestic prices, India set a floor price, or minimum export price (MEP), of $1,200 a ton for overseas sales of basmati in Aug

Israel-Hamas war: IDF raids Gaza's Shifa hospital, patients 'terrified'

Israeli forces raided Gaza's largest hospital early Wednesday, where hundreds of patients, including newborns, have been stranded with dwindling supplies and no electricity, as the army extended its control across Gaza City and the north. Shifa Hospital has become a symbol of the widespread suffering of Palestinian civilians during the war between Israel and Hamas, which erupted after the militant group killed some 1,200 people and seized around 240 captives in a surprise Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel. The hospital is also at the heart of clashing narratives over who is to blame for the thousands of deaths and widespread destruction in the besieged territory. Israel accuses Hamas of using Palestinians as human shields, while Palestinians and rights groups say Israel has recklessly endangered civilians as it seeks to eradicate the group. Mohammed Zaqout, the director of hospitals in Gaza, said Israeli tanks had entered the medical compound and that soldiers had entered buildings

PM Netanyahu says Israel will pursue war against Hamas 'to the end'

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when pressed on accountability for the October 7 attack on Israel, he such "difficult" questions until the conclusion of the ongoing war.

Hamas war: Israel takes journalists on tour in Gaza - here's what they saw

An Israeli tank rolls across a sandy moonscape, surrounded by rubble. Damaged buildings are visible in every direction. Toppled trees lie along the Mediterranean shoreline. The Israeli military escorted international journalists into the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, giving them a glimpse of the aftermath of 12 days of heavy fighting in the area. Israel has been at war against Gaza's Hamas rulers since the Islamic militant group carried out a bloody cross-border attack on October 7, killing over 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping more than 240 others. Israel responded with weeks of intense airstrikes before launching a ground operation on October 27. "It's been a long two weeks of fighting," said Lt. Col. Ido, whose last name was withheld under military guidelines. We've lost some soldiers. The initial focus of the operation was northern Gaza, near the Israeli border, before troops moved in on Gaza City, which Israel says is the center of Hamas' military ...