Tag - middle-east

 
 

MIDDLE EAST

A Houthi fighter stands on the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in a photo released Nov. 20.
WORLD
Dec 23, 2023
U.S. says Red Sea patrol will be able to thwart Houthi attacks
The force will patrol "the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to respond to and assist as necessary commercial vessels,” Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
A Houthi fighter stands on the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released Nov. 20.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 21, 2023
Saudi Arabia holds back as U.S. Red Sea task force tests ties
Riyadh's priorities include extricating itself from both a messy war in Yemen and a destructive feud with the Houthis' principal backer, Iran.
Palestinians search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 21, 2023
Egypt aims to broker Gaza ceasefire amid Hamas and Israel demands
Chances for a second truce is slim with Hamas demanding a permanent end to Israeli offensive, which Israel has ruled out.
The Galaxy Leader cargo ship is escorted by Houthi boats after being hijacked in the Red Sea in this photo released on Nov. 20.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 21, 2023
Exporters explore flights to avoid deepening Red Sea bottleneck
Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have stepped up attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since Nov. 19.
An Israeli soldier exits what Israel says is the largest Hamas tunnel it has discovered so far in Gaza, located a few hundred meters from the Erez border crossing, during an escorted tour by the military for international journalists on Dec. 15.
WORLD
Dec 21, 2023
Israel says uncovered tunnel network used by Hamas leadership
Israel's military described "tunnels that connects terrorist hideouts, bureaus, and residential apartments belonging to Hamas's senior leadership."
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have conducted an escalating series of attacks against merchant shipping in the region using drones, ballistic missiles and commandos on helicopters and speedboats. 
COMMENTARY
Dec 20, 2023
U.S.-led naval force might not end Houthi ship attacks
U.S. Navy commands Operation Prosperity Guardian, a global coalition formed to counter the Iranian-backed Houthis.
Recent attacks on vessels in the Red Sea by the Iran-aligned Houthi militant group have forced shipping companies to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Suez Canal.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 20, 2023
Companies rush to avert Red Sea attacks as shipping rates rise
They are exploring alternative routes to avoid the region where the Houthi militant group is actively targeting vessels.
Men warm up around a fire outside one of the tents housing Palestinians displaced by the conflict in Gaza on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 19, 2023
U.S. vows to keep arming Israel amid calls for Gaza cease-fire
Gaza's health ministry says Israel's military response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas has now killed more than 19,400 people.
The Galaxy Leader cargo ship is escorted by Houthi boats in the Red Sea in this photo released on Nov. 20.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 19, 2023
U.S.-led force to patrol Red Sea in response to Houthi attacks
Participating countries led by the United States include the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.
Smoke rises from damaged buildings in the Gaza Strip on Friday. Washington has appealed to Jordan, Egypt and Gulf states to persuade Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to pursue institutional reforms with urgency to prepare for post-war Gaza.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 18, 2023
U.S. wants overhauled Palestinian Authority to run Gaza after Hamas
Washington considers the Mahmoud Abbas-led administration as the the only realistic post-war solution despite its unpopularity.
Yemeni coast guard members on patrol in the Red Sea on Tuesday amid heightened tension over drone and missile assaults by Houthi militia.
WORLD
Dec 17, 2023
Tensions spilling over from Gaza to Red Sea escalate
The shipping industry is bracing for potential economic fallout as the vital sea lane is increasingly drawn into regional unrest.
A Yemeni coast guard patrol boat in the Red Sea on Tuesday
WORLD
Dec 16, 2023
Shipping firms suspend Red Sea traffic after Yemen rebel strikes
The Iran-backed Houthis say they're targeting shipping to pressure Israel during its two-month-old war with Hamas militants.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaks at a IRGC Aerospace Force achievements exhibition in Tehran on Nov. 19.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 15, 2023
Holding Iran accountable for Hamas' attacks
From Holocaust lessons to present danger, why Iran must be stopped not only for Israel but for the world.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (right) and her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian (left) hold talks in Geneva on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 14, 2023
Japan and Iran vow to communicate over Gaza situation
Iran, a supporter of Hamas, and Israel have for decades been openly hostile toward each other.
Israeli soldiers light candles to mark the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah near the country's border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 14, 2023
Israelis want Hamas crushed despite Gaza casualties and U.N. rebuke
They consider the ongoing offensive — and the "terrible" cost that comes with it — as necessary in wiping out an existential threat, polls indicate.
Newly recruited Houthi fighters march during a parade in Sanaa, Yemen, on Dec. 2.   REUTERS
WORLD
Dec 14, 2023
U.S. working with allies to stop Houthi Red Sea attacks
The Houthis — based in Yemen and backed by Iran — vowed to target Israel’s assets until it abandons its campaign to destroy Hamas.
Palestinians gather to receive food rations for their families outside a United Nations warehouse in Rafah, Gaza, on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 11, 2023
International law is failing displaced Gazans
Where international law fails, the international community has the moral imperative to step in and assist displaced Gazans.
Hamas leader Yehia Sinwar addresses an anti-Israel rally in Gaza City in May 2021.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 8, 2023
Can the governments that grew Hamas destroy it?
This is a war in which Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and E.U., need only survive to win.
Armed men stand on a beach as the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, is anchored off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, on Dec. 5.
WORLD
Dec 13, 2023
With missiles and ship attacks, Yemen’s Houthis gain regional clout
In a major escalation of Houthi actions against Israel, the Iran-backed militia hit a Norwegian tanker on Monday with a cruise missile.
Damaged buildings following an Israeli air strike on Tuesday
WORLD / Politics
Dec 13, 2023
U.N. urges Gaza cease-fire as divide between Israel and U.S. grows
U.S. President Joe Biden told the longtime ally its "indiscriminate" bombing of civilians was hurting international support.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals