Friday, January 2, 2026

World

Turkey urges maximum efforts to end Gaza war

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan welcomed Iran's proposal for holding an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation over the ongoing developments in the Gaza Strip, calling for maximum attempts by the Muslim countries to put an end to Israel's war against Palestinians in the besieged enclave.

Kuwait’s emir appoints Sheikh Sabah Khalid al-Sabah as new crown prince

Kuwait's emir has appointed Sheikh Sabah Khalid al-Sabah as crown prince, the state news agency Kuna reported on Saturday.

Israeli captive families urge Netanyahu to accept Biden’s Gaza plan

Family members of the Israeli captives held in Gaza have called on the government to accept a ceasefire plan presented by US President Joe Biden, asking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly support the proposal.

Netanyahu says no permanent ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas eliminated

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that Hamas's destruction was part of an Israeli plan presented by US President Joe Biden to end the war on the Gaza Strip.

EU seeking to hit Russia with stronger tariffs: Report

The European Union is considering imposing tariffs on up to €42 billion ($46 billion) worth of imports from Russia that until now have been spared from the bloc’s sanctions regime, Financial Times has reported.

UN food agency warns calls to action for Gaza ‘have predominantly been falling on deaf ears’

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) Country Director in Palestine, Matthew Hollingworth, has emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, stressing that their calls for action in the besieged territory are not being heeded.

Ukrainian PM: First French forces en route to Kiev

The first group of French military instructors are coming to Ukraine, high-profile Ukrainian politician Aleksey Goncharenko has claimed. Russia has repeatedly warned against NATO's involvement in Ukraine's conflict.

Zelensky says no peace agreement with Russia now

Any peace deal with Russia would be a “trap”, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said in an interview with The Guardian newspaper.

Netanyahu says war will go on after Biden announcement of Gaza ceasefire proposal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has reiterated his intention to continue the offensive in the Gaza Strip until "all of Tel Aviv's war goals are achieved." 36,300 Palestinians have been so far killed in the war.

Hamas views Israel’s Gaza ceasefire proposal ‘positively’

Hamas has welcomed US President Joe Biden’s Friday call on Israel and the group to agree to a three-phased hostage deal leading to a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Kremlin says US-made weapons already used in attempted attacks on Russia

Moscow is aware that US-made weapons are already being used in attempted strikes on Russian territory, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Friday, stating that this is proof of Washington’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

Hezbollah chief says Lebanon front ‘pressuring Israel’

Hezbollah chief Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah has stressed that the Lebanese group’s battle with Israel is consequential and will help shape the future of the region. The remarks came as the two sides continue to exchange fire daily.

Biden: Israel offered proposal to ensure enduring cessation of Gaza war

US President Joe Biden says that Israel has offered a new "comprehensive proposal with a roadmap" that would lead to an enduring cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip as well as the release of all Hamas-held hostages.

Saudi FM says Israel crimes in Gaza having no bounds, agrees more consultations with Iran

Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Farhan, says Israel's criminal actions in the Gaza Strip have no bounds.

Yemen’s Houthis say attacked US carrier, Washington denies

Yemen's Houthis claim to have hit a US aircraft carrier in the Red Sea in response to American and British raids on the poor country, a claim rejected by Washington.

Survey: Biden’s support among Arab Americans plunges amid Gaza war

Joe Biden’s support among Arab American voters in critical swing states has plummeted during the war in the Gaza Strip which has so far claimed the lives of 36,000, a new poll found, in the latest sign that the United States president’s backing of Israel could hurt him in November’s election.

Iran warns US, UK responsible for repercussions of “provocative attacks” on Yemen

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani has warned the US and UK are responsible for the repercussions of deadly provocative attacks on Yemen, condemning the recent raids that left dozens of civilians dead and injured.

USAID contractor quits over “censorship on Palestine”

Alexander Smith, a contractor for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has resigned from his private sector position, stressing he could no longer perform contract work for the Biden administration after a presentation he was preparing on Gaza’s humanitarian crisis was cancelled.

Zelensky sacks Ukrainian officials close to US: Report

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired several senior officials viewed as being close to the US, the Washington Post has reported. The apparent dismissals came amid Kiev’s growing frustration with its Western backers over military support.

IRGC commander says Israel put hundreds of fighter jets on alert to confront Iran’s retaliatory strikes

Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Division has stated Israel had put hundreds of warplanes on alert to confront Iran’s anti-Israel missile and drone attacks last month.

Netanyahu slams Biden administration for not backing ICC sanctions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticized the administration of President Joe Biden for not backing sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the Gaza war. The US has been Israel's main backer in its war on Gaza that has so far killed more than 36,000 Palestinians.

China’s president calls for peace conference and ‘justice’ over Gaza war as Arab leaders visit Beijing

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has decried “tremendous sufferings” in the Middle East and urged an international peace conference as leaders from Arab nations visit Beijing amid mounting global concern over Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas says no truce talks while Israel continues attacking Gaza

Palestinian group Hamas told mediators it will continue to boycott ceasefire negotiations while Israel lays siege to the Gaza Strip, but is ready to agree to a hostage deal if Israel ends its offensive on the besieged enclave.

Yemen’s Houthi vows ‘very painful’ response to US-UK deadly strikes

Yemen's Houthi has vowed a "painful response" to overnight air raids by US-British forces against targets across the Arab nation, which killed at least 16 people and left several others injured.

US allows Ukraine use its weapons against targets in Russia

A US Department of Defense official confirmed to TASS that the administration of president Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to use US weapons against targets on the Russian soil during counter-battery warfare.

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