JERUSALEM/DUBAI: Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation as the United States pledged “ironclad” backing for Israel.Sirens wailed and journalists in Israel said they heard distant heavy thuds and bangs from what local media … Read more
Why the killing of a Lebanese party official has raised the specter of new sectarian strife BEIRUT: Almost five decades since the Lebanese civil war of 1975-1990 began, reactions to the kidnap and subsequent murder this week of Pascal Suleiman, an official of the Lebanese Forces, show the country’s fragile peace remains on a knife … Read more
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, including re-exports, rose by 2.5 percent to SR22.6 billion ($6.03 billion) in November 2023 compared to the previous month, official data showed. According to a recent release from the General Authority for Statistics, the Kingdom’s overall merchandise exports experienced a 15.6 percent year-on-year decrease in November, amounting to SR95 billion. … Read more
OSLO: Norway, a top donor to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), is urging countries that have cut funding to the agency to consider the consequences of their actions on the population in Gaza, its foreign minister told Reuters on Wednesday. The Nordic country on Sunday said it would maintain its funding to UNRWA … Read more
Gates Foundation CEO urges billionaires to increase philanthropic contributions in annual letter LONDON: In his annual letter published on Thursday, Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, urged philanthropists to increase their donations and take immediate action to address the unparalleled struggles countries face in combatting poverty, diseases, and inequality. The Gates … Read more