Category: 2. Middle East

Fires were blazing Sunday a day after a massive explosion tore through Iran’s largest commercial port, killing at least 18 people and wounding 800 others, according to state media.

The blast occurred Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran, near the Strait of Hormuz through which a fifth of world oil output passes.

The port’s customs office said in a statement carried by state television that the explosion probably resulted from a fire that broke out at the hazardous and chemical…

Fires were still blazing on Sunday after a massive explosion tore through Iran’s largest commercial port the day before, killing at least 25 people and leaving hundreds more injured, according to local media.

The blast occurred Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran, near the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil output passes.

The port’s customs office said in a statement carried by state television that the explosion probably resulted from a fire that broke out at the…

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas appointed a close aide as the first ever vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Saturday, positioning him as a potential successor to the veteran leader.

Hussein al-Sheikh was appointed by Abbas, 89, after the vice presidency position was created during a convention held in Ramallah this week.

The creation of the post follows years of international pressure to reform the PLO and comes as Arab and Western powers envision an expanded…

The 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) will be held in Istanbul on June 21-22, under the chairmanship of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to sources from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anadolu reports.

Ahead of the gathering, a Senior Officials Meeting is scheduled for April 27 and 29 at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as part of the preparations for the…

The Yemeni Houthi group on Saturday said it targeted Israel’s Nevatim Airbase with a Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missile, Anadolu reports.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement that the missile “successfully reached its target and the interception systems failed to stop it.”

Earlier in the day, the Israeli army announced its air defense systems intercepted a missile launched from Yemen before it entered Israeli…

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned Saturday of the growing risk of disease outbreaks in Gaza as a result of massive waste accumulation, Anadolu reports.

“The war in Gaza is leading to a significant accumulation of waste, which contributes to the spread of disease,” UNRWA said in a statement.

The UN agency said it “continues to provide solid waste collection and transfer services wherever possible.”

UNRWA teams have also “cleaned 150…

Syria’s Kurdish parties on Saturday adopted a joint political vision calling for a “decentralised democratic” state in Syria with guarantees for Kurdish rights.

Their statement came at the end of a conference held in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, where a top Kurdish official disputed suggestions that the meeting sought division following the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

Syria’s new Islamist-led rulers seek to establish government control over the entire country since they ousted…

The funeral of Pope Francis, attended by over 250,000 people who were joined by world leaders and royals, was held on Saturday in Vatican, Anadolu reports.

The solemn funeral and moving celebration was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who was joined by some 250 cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, priests, and consecrated religious people.

According to the Italian and Vatican sources, 160 delegations representing states, royal families, and…

Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip killed at least 56 more Palestinians, bringing the death toll from Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023 to 51,495, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, Anadolu reports.

A ministry statement said that 108 more injured people were transferred to hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the number of injuries to 117,524 in the Israeli onslaught.

“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers…

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Qatar on Sunday for talks on strengthening bilateral relations and coordination on regional issues, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said Saturday.

No further details have been provided about the visit.

Fidan last visited Qatar in early February, while Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani traveled to Turkiye earlier this month to attend a meeting of the Organization…