Middle East
Hezbollah’s military capability still intact
The deputy leader of Hezbollah said yesterday the Iran-backed group had moved beyond “painful blows” inflicted by Israel as Israeli forces began ground operations in the southwest of Lebanon, expanding its incursions into a new zone.
Israeli strikes endanger civilians on Lebanon-Syria border: HRW
Human Rights Watch yesterday said Israeli strikes near the main Lebanon-Syria border crossing were putting civilians at “grave risk” as they prevented them from fleeing and hampered humanitarian operations.
Iran air traffic resumes after suspension: state media
Flights have been operational again since 11:00 pm (1930 GMT) Sunday and were being "carried out in accordance with the flight schedule"
A year of Israel's invasion / Gaza still bleeds
Intensified Israeli airstrikes on Gaza yesterday killed dozens on the eve of the first anniversary of its offensive in the besieged territory that has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.
A year of israeli offensive in gaza / Palestinians wonder how to deal with tonnes of rubble
In the ruins of his two-storey home, 11-year-old Mohammed gathers chunks of the fallen roof into a broken pail and pounds them into gravel which his father will use to make gravestones for victims of the Gaza offensive.
Iran prepares plan to respond to any Israeli attack
Iran has prepared a plan to respond to a possible Israeli attack following the Islamic republic’s retaliatory missile strike against it last week, local media reported yesterday.
Israeli air attacks batter south Beirut
Israeli air attacks battered Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight and early yesterday in the most intense bombardment of the Lebanese capital since Israel sharply escalated its campaign against Iran-backed group Hezbollah last month.
Potential new Hezbollah leader out of contact, Lebanese source says
The potential successor to slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been out of contact since Friday, a Lebanese security source said on Saturday, after an Israeli airstrike reported to have targeted him
‘Life of the planet’ at stake in climate crisis
US President Joe Biden addressed the COP27 climate conference in Egypt yesterday, saying the global climate crisis posed an existential threat to the planet and promising that the United States was doing its part to combat it.
Iran hypersonic missile claim raises IAEA concern
An Iranian general claimed yesterday that the Islamic republic had developed a hypersonic missile capable of penetrating all defence systems, raising concerns from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Dash for gas imperils 1.5C climate goal
Countries scrambling this year to source more natural gas to replace supplies from Russia are risking years of emissions that could thwart climate goals, the research collaboration Climate Action Tracker said yesterday.
Surge of fossil fuel lobbyists at COP27
Fossil fuel lobbyists have flooded UN climate talks in Egypt, a report by watchdog groups said yesterday, as calls grow at the summit for a windfall tax on oil majors’ bumper profits.
Renewables help climate, security
Russia’s war in Ukraine has forced a short-term scramble for fossil fuels but the rise of solar, wind and other clean energies is “unstoppable”, the head of International Renewable Energy Agency told AFP.
Two Palestinians dead in West Bank violence
Two Palestinians including a teenager were killed in unrest in the occupied West Bank yesterday, one of them in clashes during a visit by right-wing Israeli politicians to a sensitive religious site.
Big Oil must pay for climate change
Leaders from poor countries criticized wealthy governments and oil companies for driving global warming, using their speeches yesterday at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt to demand that they pay up for damages being inflicting on their economies.
COP27 summit in EGYPT: Climate compensation on agenda for first time
Delegates at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt agreed after late-night talks to put the delicate issue of whether rich nations should compensate poor countries most vulnerable to climate change on the formal agenda for the first time.
Jailed Egypt dissident on ‘water strike’ as UK vows support
Jailed Egyptian dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah has stopped drinking water, his family said yesterday, escalating his hunger strike as world leaders arrive in the country for the COP27 climate summit.
Netanyahu starts talks on forming govt
Veteran hawk Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday launched negotiations with his ultra-Orthodox and far-right allies on forming what could be the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, raising concerns at home and abroad.