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Tag: Middle East

  • Saudi Arabia Says Yemen Group Should Withdraw Its Forces From Seized Provinces

    DUBAI, Dec 25 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia said ‌on ​Thursday it remains hopeful ‌that Yemen’s main southern separatist group will end an ​escalation that has given it broad control across the south, deepening uncertainties in ‍a country already divided ​between two administrations since civil war erupted over a decade ago.

    In ​a ⁠foreign ministry statement, the kingdom described the military operations by Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) – through which the group seized the eastern provinces of Hadramout and Mahra earlier this month – as an “unjustified escalation.”

    “The kingdom remains hopeful ‌that the public interest will prevail through ending the escalation by the ​Southern ‌Transitional Council and the ‍withdrawal ⁠of its forces from the two governorates in an urgent and orderly manner,” the statement said.

    The UAE-backed STC forces were initially part of the Sunni Muslim Saudi-led alliance that intervened in Yemen in 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthis. But the STC turned on the government and sought self-rule in the ​south, including the major port city of Aden where the Saudi-backed administration is headquartered.

    A joint Saudi-Emirati military delegation arrived in Aden on December 12 to discuss measures aimed at defusing tensions. Saudi Arabia said the teams were sent to put “the necessary arrangements” to ensure the return of STC forces to their previous positions outside the two provinces.

    The kingdom added, however, that these efforts remain in progress to restore the situation to its previous state.

    Yemen has ​been marred by civil war since 2014, through which the Houthis took control of the northern part of the country including the capital, Sanaa, pushing the Saudi-backed government to flee south ​and headquarter in the port city of Aden.

    (Reporting by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Netanyahu Coalition Pushes Contentious Oct. 7 Attack Probe, Families Call for Justice

    JERUSALEM, Dec 24 (Reuters) – Israel’s parliament gave the initial go-ahead ‌on ​Wednesday for a government-empowered inquiry into ‌the surprise October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on southern Israel rather than the expected ​independent investigation demanded by families of the victims.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted calls to establish a state commission to investigate Israel’s ‍failures in the run-up to its deadliest ​day and has taken no responsibility for the attack that sparked the two-year Gaza war.

    His ruling coalition voted on Wednesday ​to advance a ⁠bill which grants parliament members the authority to pick panel members for an inquiry and gives Netanyahu’s cabinet the power to set its mandate.

    Critics say the move circumvents Israel’s 1968 Commissions of Inquiry Law, under which the president of the Supreme Court appoints an independent panel to investigate major state failures such as those which preceded the 1973 Yom Kippur ‌war.

    Survivors and relatives of those hurt in the Hamas attack have launched a campaign against the proposed probe, ​saying only ‌a state commission can bring ‍those accountable to justice.

    “This ⁠is a day of disaster for us all,” said Eyal Eshel, who lost his daughter when Hamas militants overran the army base where she served. “Justice must be done and justice will be done,” he said at the Knesset, before the vote.

    Surveys have shown wide public support for the establishment of a state commission into the country’s biggest security lapse in decades.

    Netanyahu said on Monday that a panel appointed in line with the new bill, by elected officials from both the opposition and the coalition, would be independent and ​win broad public trust.

    But Israel’s opposition has already said it will not cooperate with what it describes as an attempt by Netanyahu’s coalition to cover up the truth rather than reveal it, arguing that the investigation would ultimately be controlled by Netanyahu and his coalition.

    The new bill says that if the politicians fail to agree on the panel, its make-up will be decided by the head of parliament, who is allied with Netanyahu and is a member of his Likud party.

    Jon Polin, whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was taken hostage and found slain by his captors with five other hostages in a Hamas tunnel in August 2024, said only a trusted commission could restore security and unite a nation still traumatized.

    “I support a state commission, not to ​see anyone punished and not because it will bring back my only son, no. I support a state commission so that nothing like what happened to my son, can ever happen to your son, or your daughter, or your parents,” Polin said on Sunday at a news conference with other families.

    Hersh Goldberg-Polin was among dozens ​of hostages taken in the 2023 attack from the site of the Nova music festival.

    (Reporting by Maayan Lubell and Dedi Hayun; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • UK Police Drop Probe Into Bob Vylan Comments About Israeli Military

    LONDON, Dec ‌23 (Reuters) – ​British police ‌said on ​Tuesday they would ‍take no further ​action ​over ⁠comments made about the Israeli military during a performance ‌by punk duo Bob ​Vylan ‌at the ‍Glastonbury music ⁠festival in June.

    “We have concluded, after reviewing all the ​evidence, that it does not meet the criminal threshold outlined by the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) for any person to be ​prosecuted,” Avon and Somerset Police said.

    (Reporting by Sam ​TabahritiEditing by William Schomberg)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Lebanon Close to Completing Disarmament of Hezbollah South of Litani River, Says PM

    Dec 20 (Reuters) – Lebanon is close to completing ‌the ​disarmament of Hezbollah south of ‌the Litani River, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Saturday, ​as the country races to fulfil a key demand of its ceasefire with Israel before ‍a year-end deadline.

    The U.S.-backed ceasefire, ​agreed in November 2024, ended more than a year of fighting between Israel ​and Hezbollah ⁠and required the disarmament of the Iran-aligned militant group, starting in areas south of the river adjacent to Israel.

    Lebanese authorities, led by President Joseph Aoun and Salam, tasked the U.S.-backed Lebanese army on August 5 with devising a plan to ‌establish a state monopoly on arms by the end of the year.

    “Prime Minister ​Salam affirmed ‌that the first phase ‍of the ⁠weapons consolidation plan related to the area south of the Litani River is only days away from completion,” a statement from his office said.

    “The state is ready to move on to the second phase – namely (confiscating weapons) north of the Litani River – based on the plan prepared by the Lebanese army pursuant to a mandate from the government,” Salam added.

    The ​statement came after Salam held talks with Simon Karam, Lebanon’s top civilian negotiator on a committee overseeing the Hezbollah-Israel truce.

    Since the ceasefire, the sides have regularly accused each other of violations, with Israel questioning the Lebanese army’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah. Israeli warplanes have increasingly targeted Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and even in the capital.

    Hezbollah, a Shi’ite Muslim group, has tried to resist the pressure – from its mainly Christian and Sunni Muslim opponents in Lebanon as well as from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia – to ​disarm, saying it would be a mistake while Israel continues its air strikes on the country.

    Israel has publicly urged Lebanese authorities to fulfil the conditions of the truce, saying it will act “as necessary” if Lebanon fails to ​take steps against Hezbollah.

    (Reporting by Laila Bassam; Writing by Ahmed Tolba;Editing by Alison Williams and Gareth Jones)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • ‘Very serious retaliation’: U.S. strikes ISIS targets in Syria

    ‘Very serious retaliation’: U.S. strikes ISIS targets in Syria

    The Trump administration launched more than 70 strikes against ISIS targets in Syria on Friday, responding to an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter last week.

    Updated: 6:44 AM PST Dec 20, 2025

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    The Trump administration struck more than 70 ISIS targets in Syria on Friday, according to the Pentagon, in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. and Syrian forces last week.On Friday evening, President Donald Trump told a crowd in North Carolina, “Just 2 hours ago, we hit the ISIS thugs in Syria who were trying to regroup after their decimation by the Trump administration 5 years ago. We hit them hard.”Trump further described the operation as successful and precise. In a social media post ahead of his speech, he called it a “very serious retaliation.” That sentiment was echoed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, also known as the secretary of war, in another post. “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Hegseth said. The strikes were in response to an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter last weekend. The president blamed the attack on a member of the Islamic State, although the group has not claimed responsibility. Trump said the U.S. retaliation was fully supported by Syria’s new leader, who has overseen warming relations with the West since the fall of the Assad regime last year. Following the U.S. strikes, Syria’s foreign ministry reiterated its commitment to fighting ISIS and underscored the need to strengthen international cooperation to combat terrorism.In a recent national security strategy document, the Trump administration argued that the days in which the Middle East dominated American foreign policy are over. The administration has sought to build ties with countries like Syria, including in the counterterrorism space, but contends that the threats can be contained “without decades of fruitless ‘nation-building’ wars.” The Trump administration is instead looking to focus closer to home, shifting military resources away from the Middle East and towards South America, as tensions mount with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Asked if the Trump administration would rule out regime change in Venezuela, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in an interview Friday, “The president has spoken about his concerns when it comes to the illegitimate regime in Venezuela, his concerns about the gangs we have seen come from Venezuela, the concerns about the narcotrafficking that we’ve also seen.”

    WASHINGTON —

    The Trump administration struck more than 70 ISIS targets in Syria on Friday, according to the Pentagon, in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. and Syrian forces last week.

    On Friday evening, President Donald Trump told a crowd in North Carolina, “Just 2 hours ago, we hit the ISIS thugs in Syria who were trying to regroup after their decimation by the Trump administration 5 years ago. We hit them hard.”

    Trump further described the operation as successful and precise. In a social media post ahead of his speech, he called it a “very serious retaliation.”

    That sentiment was echoed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, also known as the secretary of war, in another post.

    “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Hegseth said.

    The strikes were in response to an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter last weekend. The president blamed the attack on a member of the Islamic State, although the group has not claimed responsibility.

    Trump said the U.S. retaliation was fully supported by Syria’s new leader, who has overseen warming relations with the West since the fall of the Assad regime last year.

    Following the U.S. strikes, Syria’s foreign ministry reiterated its commitment to fighting ISIS and underscored the need to strengthen international cooperation to combat terrorism.

    In a recent national security strategy document, the Trump administration argued that the days in which the Middle East dominated American foreign policy are over. The administration has sought to build ties with countries like Syria, including in the counterterrorism space, but contends that the threats can be contained “without decades of fruitless ‘nation-building’ wars.”

    The Trump administration is instead looking to focus closer to home, shifting military resources away from the Middle East and towards South America, as tensions mount with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

    Asked if the Trump administration would rule out regime change in Venezuela, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in an interview Friday, “The president has spoken about his concerns when it comes to the illegitimate regime in Venezuela, his concerns about the gangs we have seen come from Venezuela, the concerns about the narcotrafficking that we’ve also seen.”

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  • Exclusive-Syria, Kurdish Forces Race to Save Integration Deal Ahead of Deadline

    By Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Timour Azhari, Maya Gebeily and Jonathan Spicer

    AMMAN/RIYADH/BEIRUT/ANKARA, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Syrian, Kurdish and U.S. ‌officials ​are scrambling ahead of a year-end deadline to show some ‌progress in a stalled deal to merge Kurdish forces with the Syrian state, according to several people involved in or familiar with ​the talks.

    Discussions have accelerated in recent days despite growing frustrations over delays, according to the Syrian, Kurdish and Western sources who spoke to Reuters, some of whom cautioned that a major breakthrough was unlikely. 

    The ‍interim Syrian government has sent a proposal to the ​Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that controls the country’s northeast, according to five of the sources. 

    In it, Damascus expressed openness to the SDF reorganising its roughly 50,000 fighters into three main divisions and smaller ​brigades as long as ⁠it cedes some chains of command and opens its territory to other Syrian army units, according to one Syrian, one Western and three Kurdish officials. 

    ‘SAVE FACE’ AND EXTEND TALKS ON INTEGRATION

    It was unclear whether the idea would move forward, and several sources downplayed prospects of a comprehensive eleventh-hour deal, saying more talks are needed. Still, one SDF official said: “We are closer to a deal than ever before”.

    A second Western official said that any announcement in coming days would be meant in part to “save face”, extend the deadline and maintain stability in ‌a nation that remains fragile a year after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad. 

    Whatever emerges was expected to fall short of the SDF’s full integration into the ​military ‌and other state institutions by year-end, as ‍was called for in a landmark March ⁠10 agreement between the sides, most of the sources said. 

    Failure to mend Syria’s deepest remaining fracture risks an armed clash that could derail its emergence from 14 years of war, and potentially draw in neighbouring Turkey that has threatened an incursion against Kurdish fighters it views as terrorists. 

    Both sides have accused the other of stalling and acting in bad faith. The SDF is reluctant to give up autonomy it won as the main U.S. ally during the war, after which it controlled Islamic State prisons and rich oil resources. 

    The U.S., which backs Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and has urged global support for his interim government, has relayed messages between the SDF and Damascus, facilitated talks and urged a deal, several sources said. 

    The State Department did not immediately comment on last-minute efforts to agree a proposal before ​year-end. 

    SDF DOWNPLAYS DEADLINE; TURKEY SAYS PATIENCE THIN

    Since a major round of talks in the summer between the sides failed to produce results, frictions have mounted including frequent skirmishes along several front lines across the north.

    The SDF took control of much of northeast Syria, where most of the nation’s oil and wheat production is, after defeating Islamic State militants in 2019.

    It said it was ending decades of repression against the Kurdish minority but resentment against its rule has grown among the predominantly Arab population, including against compulsory conscription of young men.

    A Syrian official said the year-end deadline for integration is firm and only “irreversible steps” by the SDF could bring an extension. 

    Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said on Thursday it does not want to resort to military means but warned that patience with the SDF is “running out”. 

    Kurdish officials have downplayed the deadline and said they are committed to talks toward a just integration. 

    “The most reliable guarantee for the agreement’s continued validity lies in its content, not timeframe,” said Sihanouk Dibo, a Syrian autonomous administration official, suggesting it could take until mid-2026 to address all points in the deal. 

    The SDF had in October floated the idea ​of reorganising into three geographical divisions as well as the brigades. It is unclear whether that concession, in the proposal from Damascus in recent days, would be enough to convince it to give up territorial control. 

    Abdel Karim Omar, representative of the Kurdish-led northeastern administration in Damascus, said the proposal, which has not been made public, included “logistical and administrative details that could cause disagreement and lead to delays”.

    A senior Syrian official told Reuters the response “has flexibility to facilitate reaching an agreement that implements the ​March accord”.

    (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi in Amman, Timour Azhari in Riyadh, Maya Gebeily in Beirut, Jonathan Spicer in Ankara, Additional reporting by Orhan Quereman in Syria and Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara; Writing by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • EU Must Reform or Risk Irrelevance, Blair and Dimon Say

    LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) – The European Union must reform or ‌risk ​becoming irrelevant as the rivalry between China ‌and the U.S. sparks a new era without precedent, posing challenges on security, energy, technology ​and trade, a report led by Tony Blair and Jamie Dimon says.

    Based on conversations with government, business and civil leaders, the report sets ‍out how a convergence of structural shifts ​is reshaping nations, markets and institutions, threatening those countries and groupings that once relied on the U.S. for security while growing ​trade ties with ⁠China.

    Blair, British prime minister from 1997 to 2007, and Dimon, the head of JPMorgan Chase, said Europe needed to integrate further to prioritise defence and economic growth.

    “If it cannot stand on its own against Russia, it will be even less able to manage systemic competition with the U.S. or China,” their report said. “Reform is not optional; it is required to remain ‌relevant.”

    EU HAS SAID IT MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN SECURITY

    The blunt summary comes as the EU hosts a summit ​to discuss ‌funding for Ukraine and how ‍it can respond to ⁠the “changed landscape for rules-based economic relations”, and as U.S. President Donald Trump heaps pressure on the bloc, including with a new National Security Strategy.

    The head of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has said that Europe must reform and be responsible for its own security. Supporters of the bloc would note that while Europe’s share of global GDP is declining, the U.S. is on the same path.

    The report also set out the challenge posed to middle powers such as India and the Gulf states from the new dynamic, as part ​of a broad overview of how geopolitics, artificial intelligence and political populism were upending the world order.

    NEW WORLD ORDER IS LIKE A 3D CHESS BOARD

    Alexander George, an author of the “World Rewired: Navigating a Multi-Speed, Multipolar Order” report, said people had previously been able to look to moments in history for guidance.

    “We’re really living in a new world which has never actually existed before,” he said. “It’s like this 3D chess board.”

    The report said the U.S. retained enduring power but faced its greatest threats at home where political volatility makes it harder to tackle high debt, while China’s trajectory will hinge on whether it can maintain growth despite demographic and debt constraints.

    On middle powers it said the steep U.S. tariffs on India in retaliation for its purchase of Russian oil showed the ​limitations to a multi-alignment approach, while the UAE’s move to strengthen U.S. technology ties showed that countries were having to choose between the U.S. and China on tech.

    The report was produced by Dimon’s JPMorgan Chase, which has launched a $1.5 trillion, decade-long plan to support industries deemed vital to U.S. economic security and resilience, and the Tony ​Blair Institute for Global Change.

    Blair is the chair of JPMorgan’s international council which advises the firm on strategy and geopolitics.

    (Reporting by Kate HoltonEditing by Alexandra Hudson)

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  • No Evidence Alleged Bondi Gunmen Received Military Training in the Philippines, Says Security Adviser

    MANILA, Dec 17 (Reuters) – There is no evidence indicating ‌that ​the two suspects involved in ‌the Bondi Beach attack received any form of military training ​while in the Philippines, the Philippines’ National Security Adviser said on Wednesday.   

    In a statement, Eduardo Año ‍said that a mere visit ​to the country does not substantiate allegations of terrorist training, and the duration ​of their ⁠stay would not have permitted any meaningful or structured training.

    The alleged father-and-son gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing 15 in an attack that shocked Australia and heightened fears of antisemitism and violent extremism.

    Año said the ‌government was investigating the two men’s travel from November 1 to 28 and coordinating ​with ‌Australian authorities to determine ‍the purpose ⁠of the visit, dismissing media reports portraying the southern Philippines as a hotspot for violent extremism as “outdated” and “misleading”.

    Immigration records show the pair landed in Manila and travelled to Davao City in Mindanao, a region long-plagued by Islamist militancy, before the attack that Australian police say appeared to have been inspired by Islamic State.

    The men stayed mostly in their rooms for almost a ​month at a budget hotel in Davao, MindaNews reported. 

    The father and son checked in at noon on November 1 and rarely went out for more than an hour, a hotel staffer told the online news outlet, which is based in Mindanao.  Hotel staff said the two kept to themselves, never spoke to other guests, or had visitors. They were only seen walking nearby and never taking rides or getting picked up in front of the hotel.

    Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Calls to a hotel officer and Davao police went unanswered.

    Since ​the 2017 Marawi siege, a five-month battle in which the Islamic State-inspired Maute group seized the southern city and fought government forces, Philippine troops have significantly degraded ISIS-affiliated groups, Año said.

    “The remnants of these groups have been fragmented, ​deprived of leadership, and operationally degraded,” he added.

    (Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by David Stanway and Sharon Singleton)

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  • Antisemitism Allowed to Fester in Australia, Says Daughter of Wounded Holocaust Survivor

    By Christine Chen and Tom Bateman

    SYDNEY, Dec 16 (Reuters) – Government authorities have not ‌done ​enough to stamp out hatred of Jews ‌in Australia, which has allowed it to fester in the aftermath of October 7, said ​the daughter of a Holocaust survivor who was wounded at the Bondi shootings on Sunday.

    Victoria Teplitsky, 53, a retired childcare centre owner, said that ‍the father and son who allegedly went ​on a 10-minute shooting spree that killed 15 people had been “taught to hate,” which was a bigger factor in the attack than access ​to guns.

    “It’s not ⁠the fact that those two people had a gun. It’s the fact that hatred has been allowed to fester against the Jewish minority in Australia,” she told Reuters in an interview.

    “We are angry at our government because it comes from the top, and they should have stood up for our community with strength. And they should have squashed the hatred rather than kind of ‌letting it slide,” she said.

    “We’ve been ignored. We feel like, are we not Australian enough? Do we not matter to ​our ‌government?”

    The attackers fired upon hundreds of ‍people at a Jewish ⁠festival during a roughly 10-minute killing spree, forcing people to flee and take shelter before both were shot by police.

    RISING ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS

    Antisemitic incidents have been rising in Australia since the war in Gaza erupted after Palestinian militant group Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis in an attack on October 7, 2023. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has since killed over 70,000 people, according to the enclave’s health ministry.

    A rise in such incidents in the past sixteen months prompted the head of the nation’s main intelligence agency to declare that antisemitism was his top priority in terms of threat.

    “This ​was not a surprise to the Jewish community. We warned the government of this many, many times over,” Teplitsky said.

    “We’ve had synagogues that have been graffitied, graffiti everywhere, and we’ve had synagogues that have been bombed,” she added, referring to a 2024 arson attack in Melbourne in which no one was killed.

    Teplitsky’s father Semyon, 86, bled heavily after being shot in the leg, and now is facing several operations as doctors piece bone back together with cement, then remove the cement from the leg, which he still may lose, she said.

    “He’s in good spirits, but he’s also very angry. Angry that this happened, that this was allowed to happen in Australia, the country that he took his children to, to be safe, to be away from antisemitism, to be away from Jew hatred.”

    Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin ​Netanyahu said on Monday that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese “did nothing” to curb antisemitism.

    Albanese repeated on Tuesday Australia’s support for a two-state solution. Pro-Palestinian protests have been common in Australia since Israel launched its offensive.

    At a press briefing on Monday, Albanese read through a list of actions his government had taken, including criminalising hate speech and incitement to violence ​and a ban on the Nazi salute. He also pledged to extend funding for physical security for Jewish community groups.

    (Writing by Melanie Burton; Editing by Saad Sayeed)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Video released of dead Israeli hostages marking Hanukkah in captivity

    Haley Ott reports on a newly released video showing six Israeli hostages, months before their deaths in Gaza, marking Hanukkah in captivity.

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  • China, Saudi Arabia Agree to Strengthen Coordination on Regional, Global Matters

    BEIJING, Dec 15 (Reuters) – China and Saudi ‌Arabia ​agreed to have closer ‌communication and coordination on regional and international issues, ​with Beijing lauding Riyadh’s role in Middle East diplomacy, statements following ‍a meeting between the nations’ ​foreign ministers on Sunday showed.

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi ​is on ⁠a three-nation tour in the Middle East that began in the United Arab Emirates and is expected to end in Jordan. He met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan ‌Al-Saud in Riyadh on Sunday.

    A joint statement published by China’s ​official news ‌agency Xinhua did not ‍elaborate ⁠on what issues the countries will strengthen coordination on, but mentioned China’s support for Saudi Arabia and Iran developing and enhancing their relations.

    “(China) appreciates Saudi Arabia’s leading role and efforts to achieve regional and international security and stability,” the statement released on Monday said.

    The statement ​also reiterated both countries’ support for a “comprehensive and just settlement” of the Palestinian issue and the formation of an independent state for Palestinians.

    At a high-level meeting, Wang told his Saudi counterpart that China has always regarded Saudi Arabia as a “priority for Middle East diplomacy” and an important partner in global diplomacy, a Chinese foreign ministry statement on Monday said.

    He also encouraged more cooperation in energy and investments, as ​well as in the fields of new energy and green transformation.

    The countries have agreed to mutually exempt visas for diplomatic and special passport holders from both sides, according ​to the joint statement.

    (Reporting by Liz Lee and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Paul Simao)

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  • Israeli Supreme Court Rules Against Government’s Dismissal of Attorney General

    JERUSALEM, Dec 14 (Reuters) – Israel’s Supreme Court ruled on ‌Sunday ​against a government push ‌to oust the attorney general, who has sparred with Prime Minister ​Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious coalition over the legality of its policies, court documents showed.

    In March, the ‍cabinet held a no-confidence vote ​against Gali Baharav-Miara, citing substantial differences between the government and the attorney general, ​who was ⁠appointed by the previous government.

    But a panel of seven Supreme Court judges said on Sunday the established mechanism for terminating the term of office of an attorney general could not be changed, ruling that as a result the cabinet’s no-confidence vote ‌was null and void.

    Under the established mechanism to dismiss an attorney general, governments ​must first ‌consult a professional-public committee, ‍the documents ⁠showed.

    The judges also cited numerous procedural defects in the government’s dismissal of Baharav-Miara that meant it was invalid, saying she continues to hold office lawfully.

    There was no immediate response to the ruling from the government or the attorney general’s office.

    Prior to the war in Gaza, Netanyahu’s government launched an overhaul of the Israeli judicial system.

    Netanyahu, who has been battling a ​trial on corruption charges that he denies, said at the time the overhaul was needed to rein in judicial overreach that was intruding on the authority of parliament. Protesters have said it was an attempt to weaken one of the pillars of Israeli democracy.

    The overhaul plan was largely halted after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war. But the cabinet has since revived some parts of its plan to change the justice system.

    Baharav-Miara was celebrated by the opposition as a gatekeeper of democracy in 2023 ​when the judicial overhaul plan that would give elected politicians more power over the Supreme Court was announced.

    Differences with Baharav-Miara that have had a direct impact on the governing coalition’s stability include an ongoing issue of exemptions ​granted to ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students from military conscription.

    (Reporting by Steven Scheer and Maayan Lubell;Editing by Helen Popper)

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  • Ukraine Says Russian Drone Attack Hit Civilian Turkish Vessel

    KYIV, Dec 13 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s ‌navy ​accused Russia of ‌deliberately attacking a civilian Turkish ​vessel carrying sunflower oil to Egypt with ‍a drone on Saturday, ​a day after Moscow hit ​two ⁠Ukrainian ports.

    In a statement on Telegram, the navy said the vessel was called the Viva and had 11 Turkish citizens on ‌board. It added that nobody was hurt ​and the ‌vessel was continuing ‍its ⁠journey to Egypt.

    “The strike was carried out in the open sea in Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone, outside the range of Ukrainian air defence systems,” the statement said, accusing ​Russia of breaching maritime laws.

    The navy said it was in contact with the ship’s captain.

    On Friday, Russia attacked two Ukrainian ports, damaging three Turkish-owned vessels, according to Ukraine’s navy. A large fire broke out on one of those ships.

    The attacks come after Moscow threatened ​to “cut Ukraine off from the sea” after Kyiv’s attacks damaged three ‘shadow fleet’ tankers heading to Russia to export ​its oil.

    (Reporting by Max Hunder. Editing by Mark Potter)

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  • Iran Detains 18 Crew Members of Foreign Tanker Seized in Gulf of Oman

    Dec 13 (Reuters) – Iranian ‌authorities ​detained 18 crew ‌members of a foreign tanker ​seized in the Gulf of Oman ‍on Friday that ​they said was carrying ​6 ⁠million litres of smuggled fuel, Iranian media reported on Saturday, citing the Hormozgan province judiciary.

    It said those detained ‌under the ongoing investigation include the ​captain of ‌the tanker. The ‍identity ⁠of the vessel and the nationalities of the crew members were not disclosed.

    The authorities said the tanker had committed multiple violations, including “ignoring stop ​orders, attempting to flee, (and) lacking navigation and cargo documentation”.

    Iran, which has some of the world’s lowest fuel prices due to heavy subsidies and the plunge in the value of its national currency, has been fighting rampant fuel smuggling ​by land to neighboring countries and by sea to Gulf Arab states.

    (Reporting by Menna Alaa ​El-Din and Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Jan Harvey)

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  • Irish Minister Defends ‘Limited’ Trade Curbs on Israeli Settlements

    By John O’Donnell and Padraic Halpin

    DUBLIN, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Ireland’s planned curbs on trade with Israeli settlements ‌will ​be limited strictly to goods, a minister told Reuters, offering ‌the first clear signal on the scope of the contested legislation and rejecting accusations that the country is antisemitic.

    Ireland has been preparing ​a law to curb trade with settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, facing pressure at home to widen the scope of the ban from goods to services, while Israel and the United States want ‍the bill scrapped.

    Ireland has been one of the European ​Union’s most outspoken critics of Israel’s assault in Gaza, which authorities in the Palestinian enclave say has killed more than 67,000 people.

    ‘EXTREMELY LIMITED MEASURE’, SAYS MINISTER

    But Thomas Byrne, Ireland’s Minister of State for ​European Affairs and Defence, ⁠told Reuters that the bill is limited to the import of goods and that it would not become law this year.

    “It’s an extremely limited measure, which would prohibit imports of goods from illegally-occupied territories,” he said in an interview. “Similar measures have already been brought in in a number of European countries.”

    Byrne’s comments give insight into Dublin’s thinking as Ireland seeks to deflect pressure, including from U.S. companies based in the country, to soften its criticism of Israel. Ireland’s bill is expected to help shape how other European nations launch similar ‌curbs on trade with Israeli settlements.

    The Irish government has signalled the bill is imminent but has yet to publicly announce its scope.

    Byrne declined to say when it would be ​sent ‌to parliament, as the government weighs the ‍bill’s implications. “It’s certainly not going to ⁠be implemented this year,” he said.

    Earlier this year, sources told Reuters that the government intended to blunt the law, curbing its scope to just a limited trade of goods, such as dried fruit, and not services.

    That more ambitious move could have entangled companies in technology and other industries in Ireland doing business in Israel. Business lobby groups had sought to kill the idea.

    Limiting the bill to goods only would catch just a handful of products imported from Israeli-occupied territories such as fruit that are worth just 200,000 euros ($234,660) a year.

    LAWMAKER BLACK SAYS SHE STILL WANTS SERVICES BAN

    Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law.

    Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the area. It says the settlements provide strategic depth and security.

    On Gaza, Israel says it acted in ​self-defence following the deadly October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has repeatedly said it is committed to international law and tries to minimize harm to the civilian population of Gaza.

    Frances Black, the lawmaker who proposed the Irish bill, told Reuters she would push to include a ban on services. “It will take a lot of work in the new year to get services included but that’s exactly what I’m prepared to do.”

    Byrne also defended Ireland’s government, after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar recently posted a video online where he accused the Irish government of having an “antisemitic nature”.

    Saar said the Irish government’s response had been slow to a local proposal to rename a park bearing the name of Chaim Herzog, the former president of Israel who was raised in Dublin.

    Irish ministers had roundly criticised the idea and Dublin City Council has since delayed a decision on whether to remove the name.

    U.S. senator Lindsey Graham had also labelled Ireland a “cesspool of antisemitism”.

    EU LAWMAKER REJECTS ANTISEMITISM CHARGE AS ‘NONSENSE’

    “I reject outright that the country is in any way antisemitic,” said Byrne. “We’re deeply conscious of the ​contribution that Jewish people have made in Ireland.”

    Ireland’s relations with Israel have been fraught. Last December, Israel shut its embassy in Dublin amid a row over Ireland’s criticism of its war in Gaza, including Ireland’s recognition of a Palestinian state last year.

    Barry Andrews, an Irish member of the European parliament, urged Dublin to go ahead with its occupied territories bill. “Claims that Ireland is antisemitic are nonsense,” he said. Ireland has nothing to fear. We are no longer the only ones doing this.”

    On Wednesday, ​Ireland’s central bank governor Gabriel Makhlouf was forced to abandon a public speech in Dublin by pro-Palestinian protesters objecting to the central bank’s earlier role in the sale of Israeli bonds.

    (Additional reporting by Conor Humphries, Editing by William Maclean)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Turning Screws on Russia Should Not Impact Legitimate Maritime Sector, Say Cyprus and Malta

    NICOSIA, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Discussions on the need to ‌tighten ​sanctions on Russia, including the ‌possibility of a blanket ban on providing maritime services, should ​not be at the expense of legitimate businesses in the industry, key EU shipping nations Cyprus ‍and Malta said.

    The Group of Seven ​countries and the European Union are in talks to replace a price cap ​on Russian ⁠oil exports with a full maritime services ban in an attempt to reduce the oil revenue that helps finance Russia’s war in Ukraine, Reuters exclusively reported on Dec. 5.

    Cyprus and Malta, who along with Greece have the largest fleets in the EU, said tightening ‌sanctions should not target bona fide maritime businesses.

    “Any shift away from the price cap ​must ‌avoid pushing maritime services ‍to non-EU jurisdictions, ⁠where the EU would lose oversight and, with it, the leverage needed to uphold European standards,” the Maltese government said in a statement.

    “There needs to be a holistic approach,” Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said. He said that while additional pressure on Russia was needed, the focus should also be on sanctions dodging.

    “That has many actors involved and undermines our collective effort,” he ​said.

    Russia exports over a third of its oil in Western tankers, mostly to India and China, with the use of Western shipping services. The ban would end that trade, which is mostly done through the fleets of EU maritime nations including Cyprus, Malta and Greece.

    The services ban could be part of the EU’s next package of sanctions against Russia, slated for early 2026, three sources told Reuters last week. The 27 nation EU would like to approve the ban together with a broader G7 agreement before proposing the ban in the ​package, two sources said.

    Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, who is visiting Cyprus, echoed Kombos’ comments. She said the discussion needed to be ‘calibrated’, and that it had also been discussed with the United States. “We have discussed how to increase sanctions ​efficiency,” she said.

    (Reporting by Michele Kambas, Jonathan Saul and Chris Scicluna; Editing by Chris Reese and Nick Zieminski)

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  • Rain Has Flooded Gaza Tents and a Baby Died of Exposure, Medics Say

    By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ramadan Abed

    CAIRO/GAZA, Dec 11 (Reuters) – Torrential rain swept across the Gaza ‌Strip ​on Thursday, flooding hundreds of tents sheltering families displaced ‌by two years of war, and leading to the death of a baby girl due to exposure, local health ​officials said.

    Medics said eight-month-old Rahaf Abu Jazar died of exposure to cold after water inundated her family’s tent in Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave.

    Weeping and holding Rahaf in ‍her hands, her mother Hejar Abu Jazar said ​she had fed the girl before they went to sleep.

    “When we woke up, we found the rain over her and the wind on her, and the girl died ​of cold suddenly,” she ⁠told Reuters.

    “There was nothing wrong with her. Oh, the fire in my heart, the fire in my heart, oh my life,” she said in tears.

    GAZA LACKS EQUIPMENT TO COPE WITH DELUGE DUE TO THE WAR

    Municipal and civil defence officials said they were unable to cope with the storm because of fuel shortages and damage to equipment. They said Israel destroyed hundreds of vehicles, including bulldozers and others used to pump water, during the war, which displaced most of the over ‌two million population and left much of Gaza in ruins.

    The civil defense service said most of the tent encampments across the enclave were flooded, and ​it ‌received more than 2,500 calls for ‍help. Some of the belongings of ⁠displaced people were seen floating on top of pools of rainwater that filled the alleys of the tent encampments.

    A U.N. report said 761 displacement sites hosting about 850,000 people are at high risk of flooding and thousands of people had moved in anticipation of heavy rain.

    U.N. and Palestinian officials said at least 300,000 new tents are urgently needed for the roughly 1.5 million people still displaced. Most existing shelters are worn out or made of thin plastic and cloth sheeting.

    Gazans have resorted to ripping out iron rods from the debris of bombed houses and using them to prop up tents or to sell for a few dollars.

    A ceasefire has broadly held since October, but the war destroyed much of ​Gaza’s infrastructure, leaving grim living conditions.

    Hamas-led authorities say Israel is not allowing in as much aid as promised under the truce. Aid agencies say Israel is blocking essential items. Israel says it is meeting its obligations and accuses agencies of inefficiency and failing to prevent theft by Hamas, which the group denies.

    “We hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible for exposing displaced families to climate hazards as it continues closing crossings and preventing the entry of relief items and shelter materials,” said Ismail Al-Thawabta, head of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office.

    The U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA said flooded streets and soaked tents are worsening already dire conditions.

    “Cold, overcrowded and unsanitary environments heighten the risk of illness and infection,” it said on X.

    “This suffering could be prevented by unhindered humanitarian aid, including medical support and proper shelter,” it added.

    In Gaza City, three houses collapsed as a result of the rainstorm in areas that had been devastated by Israeli bombardment, the civil emergency service said.

    The October 10 ceasefire has enabled hundreds ​of thousands of Palestinians to return to Gaza City’s ruins. Israel has pulled troops back from city positions, and aid flows have increased.

    But violence has not completely halted. Palestinian health authorities say Israeli forces have killed 383 people in strikes in Gaza since the truce. Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire began, and it has attacked scores of fighters.

    On Thursday, medics said two Palestinian women were killed, ​and some other people were wounded in Israeli tank shelling in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military didn’t offer immediate comment.

    (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ramdan Abed; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

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  • Desperate Gazans Pull Iron Bars From Rubble to Construct Tents and Scratch Out a Living

    GAZA, Dec 11 (Reuters) – As winter bites in Gaza, displaced Palestinians set ‌out ​every day to homes destroyed by Israel. There they ‌rip out iron rods from the walls and use them to prop up their flimsy tents or sell ​to scratch out a living in an enclave that will take years to recover from war.

    The rods have become a hot item in Gaza, where they are twisted ‍up in the wreckage left by an Israeli military ​campaign that spared few homes. Some residents spend days pounding away at thick cement to extract them, others do the back-breaking work for a week or ​more.

    With only rudimentary tools ⁠such as shovels, pickaxes and hammers, work proceeds at a snail’s pace.

    UN SAYS WAR GENERATED 61 MILLION TONNES OF RUBBLE

    Once the bars helped hold up cement walls in family homes, today they are destined for urgently-needed tents as temperatures at night fall. Heavy rainstorms have already submerged many Gazans’ meagre belongings, adding to their misery.

    Palestinian father-of-six Wael al-Jabra, 53, was putting together a makeshift tent, trying to hammer together two steel bars.

    “I don’t have money to ‌buy wood, of course. So, I had to extract this iron from the house. The house is made of five floors. We don’t ​have ‌anything apart from God and this house ‍that was sheltering us,” he ⁠said.

    In November, the U.N. Development Programme said that the war in Gaza had generated 61 million tonnes of rubble, citing estimates based on satellite imagery.

    Most of it can be cleared within seven years under the right conditions, it said.

    A 10-meter metal rod costs displaced families $15 – a steep amount because many barely have cash.

    The Palestinian militant group Hamas triggered the conflict after attacking Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 back to Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli calculations. Israel responded with a military campaign that killed over 70,000 people and laid waste to Gaza.

    Carrying heavy buckets of rubble and pushing a wheelbarrow, Suleiman al-Arja, 19, ​described a typical day in the quest for iron rods.

    “We pass by destroyed houses and agree with the house owner. He gives us a choice, whether to clean the house (clear the rubble) in exchange for iron or clean the house for money. We tell him that we want the iron and we start breaking the iron. As you can see, we spend a week, sometimes a week and a half,” he said.

    FOCUS IS ON DAILY STRUGGLE TO LIVE

    U.S. President Donald Trump promised to put together an international stabilisation force and an economic development plan to rebuild and energise Gaza, which was impoverished even before the war. Palestinians in Gaza can’t look so far ahead even though a ceasefire was reached in October. Every day is a struggle for Palestinians who have seen peace plans come and go over many decades.

    Their minds are focused on finding ways to survive, every single day.

    “We do this work to get our food and ​drink, to cover our living expenses and not need anyone, so we earn a living through halal (legitimate) means and effort. These are my hands,” said Haitham Arbiea, 29.

    Palestinians accuse Israel of depriving Gaza of the iron bars.

    An Israeli official told Reuters that construction materials are considered dual use items – items for civilian but also potential military use – and will not be allowed into Gaza until the second phase of ​the U.S.-led peace plan. The official cited concerns that the materials could be used for the building of tunnels, which have been used by Hamas. 

    (Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

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  • Tunisian Police Arrest Prominent Opposition Figure Chaima Issa to Enforce 20-Year Jail Term

    TUNIS, Nov 29 (Reuters) – Tunisian police arrested prominent opposition figure Chaima Issa on Saturday to enforce 20-year prison sentence, detaining her at a protest in the capital, lawyers said.

    An appeals court on Friday handed jail terms of up to 45 years to opposition leaders, businessmen and lawyers on charges of conspiracy to overthrow the president, in what critics said was a sign of President Kais Saied’s increasingly authoritarian rule.

    (Reporting By Tarek Amara; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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  • Ukraine Hit Two ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tankers With Drones in Black Sea, Security Official Says

    KYIV, Nov 29 (Reuters) – Ukraine hit two tankers used by Russia to export oil while skirting Western sanctions with marine drones in the Black Sea, an official from the SBU security service said on Saturday.

    The joint operation to hit the so-called ‘shadow fleet’ vessels was run by the SBU and Ukraine’s navy, the official said on condition of anonymity. 

    Turkish authorities have said that blasts rocked two shadow fleet tankers near Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait on Friday causing fires on the vessels, and rescue operations were launched for those on board.

    The SBU official said both tankers – identified as the Kairos and Virat – were empty and on their way to the port of Novorossiysk, a major Russian oil terminal.

    “Video (footage) shows that after being hit, both tankers sustained critical damage and were effectively taken out of service. This will deal a significant blow to Russian oil transportation,” the official said.

    They did not say when the strikes took place.

    Ukraine has consistently called for tougher international measures for Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’, which it says is helping Moscow export vast quantities of oil and fund its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions.

    (Reporting by Tom Balmforth, writing by Max Hunder; Editing by Toby Chopra, Kirsten Donovan)

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