Middle East

Magnitude 5.2 earthquake hits Afghanistan and Pakistan

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan late Sunday, sending tremors through Kabul and several provinces. No casualties were reported.

US military says 95% of Hormuz ships safe despite Iran 'aggression'

US Central Command announced on Sunday that over 95% of commercial vessels recently transited the Strait of Hormuz without incident despite what it termed Iranian aggression, while Admiral Brad Cooper confirmed American forces have assisted partners in exporting more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since summer.

Pope Leo XIV calls for Yemen ceasefire, mourns Jordan attack victims

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an immediate end to hostilities in Yemen while offering prayers for victims of a deadly attack on an Orthodox church in Jordan, highlighting the deteriorating humanitarian situation facing residents of the besieged city of Taiz.

Israeli opposition accuses Netanyahu of spreading ‘terror’ ahead of vote

Opposition leaders slammed the Israeli premier for posting an AI-generated nuclear explosion image, accusing him of spreading panic ahead of Tuesday's parliamentary vote.

Netanyahu delays Gaza security plans until after Israeli election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed critical security and administrative arrangements for the Gaza Strip until after the Oct. 27 election, shelving plans for an international stabilization force and the training of thousands of Palestinian police officers in Egypt, according to Israeli media.

UN's Guterres meets Arab League chief in Cairo on regional tensions

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held talks with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy in Cairo on Sunday to discuss regional de-escalation efforts and strengthen cooperation between the two organizations, focusing on humanitarian crises affecting Gaza and Sudan while advancing diplomatic solutions to ongoing tensions.

UN: 268,000 displaced in Yemen, thousands flee to Djibouti

The International Organization for Migration said Sunday that more than 268,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen since July amid escalating conflict between government forces and the Houthi group, while thousands have fled by sea to neighboring Djibouti where half of the arrivals are children.

Riyadh airport resumes flights after deadly Houthi attack

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh resumed limited flight operations on Sunday after a roughly two-week suspension caused by a deadly Houthi attack, though the Yemeni group immediately warned that the facility remains a military target and threatened further strikes.

Iran says it never left talks, accuses US of unilateral demands

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told German broadcaster ARD on Sunday that Tehran has never abandoned diplomacy despite the ongoing conflict, accusing Washington of insisting on one-sided conditions while denying any role in alleged operations against British air bases.

Iranian group Handala claims theft of 150GB of Israeli data

The Handala hacking group said it breached an Israeli technology system used to archive confidential government and military recordings, seizing 150 gigabytes of sensitive judicial transcripts and security files that it made available for download as proof of the intrusion, according to Iranian state media.

Suspected Houthi missile hits near military headquarters in Yemen's Aden

A suspected Houthi ballistic missile struck a remote area near a military headquarters in Yemen's southern Aden governorate on Sunday, causing no casualties or material damage according to local sources, as tensions persist between the internationally recognized government and the rebel movement.

Trump presents ultimatum on Iran: Deal or 'finish them off'

US President Donald Trump presented a stark ultimatum regarding Tehran on Sunday, questioning whether Washington should finalize a diplomatic agreement or pursue total military destruction against Iran, while asserting that American forces exert full maritime dominance over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Iran speaker says US 'entered quagmire' due to war miscalculations

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf said on Sunday that the United States has "entered a quagmire" in its war against Iran due to miscalculations, adding that Washington must take steps to extricate itself as tensions persist over navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Houthis target Saudi south as Riyadh airport reopens

Yemen's Houthis launched a wave of missile and drone attacks across southern Saudi Arabia on Sunday as the kingdom reopened Riyadh's international airport following a deadly strike earlier this month that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, disrupting air traffic for two weeks.

Saudi coalition downs 10 Houthi ballistic missiles targeting south

The Saudi-led coalition announced Sunday it had intercepted and destroyed 10 ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels toward southern Saudi Arabia, marking the latest salvo in a wave of cross-border attacks that have intensified amid renewed hostilities between the kingdom and the Iran-aligned group.

Indian woman criticises Modi gov’t over Israeli visitors

Iran says 'nothing will be same' in region after war with US

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that "nothing will be the same" in the region following the war with the US and Israel, warning that the strategic Strait of Hormuz will be managed under new realities and welcoming security plans originating from within the region.

Israeli army raids 400 West Bank sites, detains dozens

Israeli forces launched an extensive operation across the occupied West Bank on Saturday, raiding 400 sites and detaining dozens of Palestinians while converting civilian homes into military barracks and observation posts in Hebron, according to Palestinian officials.

Bank of Israel rejects Netanyahu's crypto sanctions bypass plan

The Bank of Israel on Saturday dismissed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal to employ cryptocurrencies for circumventing potential economic sanctions, warning that digital assets cannot replace traditional banking relationships and that preserving ties with major trade partners remained the only viable economic strategy.

Iran MP threatens to make Israel 'uninhabitable' in hour

Ebrahim Azizi, who chairs the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, warned on Saturday that a "single miscalculation" could render Israeli territories uninhabitable within an hour, publishing a detailed map identifying critical infrastructure sites across the occupied lands.