Page 2 - West Asia

Saudi Arabia appoints Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan as new grand mufti

Saudi Arabia appointed a prominent ultraconservative scholar late Wednesday as the country's new grand mufti, the kingdom's top religious scholar. Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan, 90, took over the position, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. The decision came from King Salman, based on the recommendation of his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the report added. Sheikh Saleh, reportedly born Sept 28, 1935, in Saudi Arabia's al-Qassim province, studied the Quran with a local imam after his father's death. He became a prominent scholar, speaking to the faithful via the Noor ala al-Darb, or Light the Way, radio show and via multiple books he's authored and his television appearances. His fatwas, or religious orders, have been shared via social media as well. Sheikh Saleh has faced criticism in Western media in the past for some of his pronouncements. Human Rights Watch in 2017 reported Sheikh Saleh, when asked if Sunni Muslims should view Shiite as their brothers, ...

Lebanon president urges talks with Israel, says war brought no gains

Lebanon's president said Monday that his country and Israel should negotiate to solve pending problems between them since war didn't lead to any positive results. The comments by President Joseph Aoun came after U.S. counterpart Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in the more than two-year war, which started when the Palestinian militant group led an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. A day after the Israel-Hamas war began, Lebanon's Hezbollah started attacking Israeli military posts along the border in what it called a backup front for Gaza. The Israel-Hezbollah conflict intensified into full-blown fighting nearly a year later, during which the Lebanese group suffered heavy losses and many of its political and military commanders were killed. Since the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November, Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes on Lebanon that left .

RIL buys West Asian crude amid Western pressure against Russian flows

While Reliance's typical diet does include crude from the region, the recent spurt of buying was more active than usual

Trump to receive Israel's top civilian honour for Gaza ceasefire deal

Israeli President Herzog announced that Trump will be awarded the 'Presidential Medal of Honour' for his role in brokering a ceasefire with Hamas, supporting Israel, and advancing peace in the region

Israel invites India to help rebuild regions, hails its role in West Asia

President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza will allow countries like India to carry out reconstruction activities in the region as New Delhi has been playing a positive role for peace in the Middle-East, Israeli ambassador Reuven Azar said on Tuesday. The envoy also welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reaction to the 20-point peace plan and said India can contribute significantly to the region. The plan, unveiled after talks between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, proposes an immediate end to the war in Gaza and release of all the hostages held by Hamas within 72 hours. Hamas has not yet accepted the peace plan. In a post on X, Modi welcomed Trump's announcement of a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict. "It provides a viable pathway to long term and sustainable peace, security and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people, as also for the larger West Asian region," the prime minister said. "We hope that all concerned will come together

JK Foods' Fun Flips enters UAE market, partners with Lulu International

JK Foods' snack brand Fun Flips has entered the UAE market, in partnership with Lulu International group, one of the largest retail chains in the Middle East. Through Lulu's retail network, Fun Flips has already achieved strong initial penetration in the UAE and is now gearing up to expand in other GCC markets such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Bahrain, according to a joint statement. It has a 'long-term vision' of establishing a strong presence across the entire Gulf region, it added. Commenting on the development, Lulu Group International Chairman and Managing Director Yusuff Ali M A said: "With our wide customer base and retail presence, we believe Fun Flips will gain significant traction in the Gulf market." Chaitanya Singhania, CEO, JK Foods, said: "Lulu's unparalleled retail network and deep understanding of the consumer landscape make them an ideal partner for this journey.

Undersea cable cuts in Red Sea disrupt internet across Asia, West Asia

Undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea disrupted internet access Sunday in parts of Asia including India, and West East, experts said, though it wasn't immediately clear what caused the incident. There has been concern about the cables being targeted in a Red Sea campaign by Yemen's Houthi rebels, which the rebels describe as an effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. But the Houthis have denied attacking the lines in the past. NetBlocks, which monitors internet access, said a series of subsea cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in multiple countries, which it said included India and Pakistan. It blamed failures affecting the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 4 cable is run by Tata Communications, part of the Indian conglomerate. The India-Middle East-Western Europe cable is run by another consortium overseen by Alcatel-Lucent. Both firms did not immediately ...

Israel launches satellite to expand surveillance across West Asia

Israel has launched a new spy satellite that defence officials described as a strategic cornerstone, saying it will strengthen their surveillance capacity across the Middle East in the years ahead. Military officials and Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the satellite, launched on late Tuesday, will enhance Israel's ability to collect images like the 12,000 gathered over Iran during a 12-day war earlier this year. This is also a message to all our enemies, wherever they may be - we are keeping an eye on you at all times and in all situations, Katz said in a post on X. In addition to monitoring Iran, Israel gains reconnaissance capabilities in other parts of the Middle East as it conducts what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called a seven-front war, with Israeli forces striking targets in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq throughout the 23 months of war in Gaza. Maj. Gen. Amir Baram said the satellite, called Ofek 19, was part of a broader effort "to maintain .

Landslide in Sudan's Darfur wipes out village, killing more than 1,000

A landslide wiped out a village in Sudan's western region of Darfur, killing an estimated 1,000 people in one of the deadliest natural disasters in the African country's recent history, a rebel group controlling the area said late Monday. The tragedy happened Sunday in the village of Tarasin in Central Darfur's Marrah Mountains after days of heavy rainfall in late August, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Army said in a statement. Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than one thousand people. Only one person survived, the statement read. The village was completely levelled to the ground, the group said, appealing to the UN and international aid groups for help to recover the bodies. Footage shared by the Marrah Mountains news outlet showed a flattened area between mountain ranges with a group of people searching the area. The tragedy came as a devastating civil war has engulfed Sudan after tensions between the country's military and th

Israel set to expand settlements into West Bank to 'bury' Palestinian state

The West Bank-based administration of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the announcement

Govt targets 50 countries including West Asia, Africa to boost exports

The government is working on measures to boost India's exports, including targeting 50 countries in regions such as the Middle East and Africa, amid the heavy tariffs imposed by the US on Indian goods, an official said on Monday. These 50 countries account for about 90 per cent of India's exports. The official said that the commerce ministry is working on four pillars including export diversification, import substitution, and export competitiveness "Detailed analysis is underway on these pillars. The ministry is working product by product," the official said. The commerce ministry was already focusing on 20 countries and now 30 more have now been included in the strategy. India's exports remained flat at USD 35.14 billion in June due to global economic uncertainties, while the trade deficit narrowed to a four-month low of USD 18.78 billion during the month. During April-June 2025-26, exports increased 1.92 per cent to USD 112.17 billion, while imports rose 4.24 per cent to USD 17

Israeli PM Netanyahu defends planned military offensive in Gaza

Netanyahu said he has directed Israel's military in recent days to "bring in more foreign journalists" - which would be a striking development

Reliance likely to switch back to West Asia oil if Russian supply dries up

India's biggest buyer, Reliance, operates the world's largest refining complex at Jamnagar in Gujarat where it can process about 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd)

Israel begins pause in fighting in 3 Gaza areas as hunger concerns mount

The military said it would begin a daily "tactical pause" in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three areas of the territory with large populations

No meals, fainting medical staff: Gaza hospitals haunted by starvation

After months of warnings, international agencies, experts and doctors say starvation is now sweeping across Gaza amid restrictions on aid imposed by Israel for months

Wealthy investors bet on Dubai, Abu Dhabi despite regional risks

The cities, both part of the United Arab Emirates, have become irresistible for the world's richest people

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff to visit West Asia in push for ceasefire in Gaza

President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, was heading to the Middle East as the U.S. tries once again to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, a breakthrough that has eluded the administration for months as conditions worsen in Gaza. Tammy Bruce, the State Department spokesperson, told reporters Tuesday that Witkoff was going to the region with a strong hope that the U.S. can deliver a ceasefire deal as well as a new humanitarian corridor for aid distribution. I would suggest that we might have some good news, but, again, as we know, this could be a constantly changing dynamic, Bruce said. Bruce didn't have other details about where Witkoff would be going or what he had planned. It comes as Gaza saw its deadliest day yet for aid-seekers in over 21 months of war, with at least 85 Palestinians killed while trying to reach food Sunday. The Israeli army has said it fired warning shots, but says the reported death toll was greatly inflated. The United Nations' fo

Wizz Air exits Abu Dhabi amid instability and lack of market access

Wizz CEO József Váradi said returning to Wizz's "bread and butter" of central and eastern Europe, where it competes with Europe's biggest airline Ryanair, would boost profits

At least 30 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza Strip, say officials

Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 30 people on Sunday, including six children at a water collection point, local health officials said, despite attempts by mediators to bring about a ceasefire. Israel and Hamas appeared no closer to a breakthrough in talks meant to pause the 21-month war and free some Israeli hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington last week to discuss the deal with the Trump administration, but a new sticking point has emerged over the deployment of Israeli troops during the truce, raising questions over the feasibility of a new deal. Israel says it will only end the war once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something it refuses to do. Hamas says it is willing to free all the remaining 50 hostages, less than half said to be alive, in exchange for an end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces. Gaza's Health Ministry said Sunday that more than 58,000 people have been killed in the war. The ...

India aims to import about 10% of its LPG from US starting 2026: Report

India had rarely bought U.S. LPG in the past due to higher freight costs, but state retailers began buying U.S. LPG in May after China imposed retaliatory import tariffs on U.S. propane