Arab News
Take back and prosecute your jailed Daesh militants, Iraq urges Europe
Baghdad on Friday urged European states to repatriate and prosecute their citizens who fought for Daesh, and who are now being moved to Iraq from detention camps in Syria. Europeans were among 150 Daesh prisoners transferred so far by the US military...
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‘Something great for the world’
Saudi Arabia’s participation in US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” reflected the Kingdom’s support for efforts to bring lasting peace to Gaza, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Thursday as he signed the board’s founding...
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Iran is no longer the bully of the Middle East, Trump says
Iran is no longer the “bully of the Middle East” because of US military strikes against Tehran’s nuclear facilities, President Donald Trump told the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. “If we didn’t take them out, they would have had a nuclear weapon...
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Outrage as Israel bulldozes UN Palestinian refugee HQ
Saudi Arabia led widespread outrage on Tuesday after Israel destroyed the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in occupied East Jerusalem. UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler said Israeli forces had “stormed into the compound” shortly...
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Saudi Arabia welcomes Syria ceasefire and full SDF integration
Saudi Arabia has joined Arab and international leaders in welcoming a ceasefire agreement and the full integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces into Syrian state institutions, describing it as a key step toward strengthening Syria’s unity,...
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Syrian government regains control of Euphrates Dam
Syrian government forces on Sunday took back control of the Euphrates Dam, one of the country’s most critical pieces of infrastructure, ending years of administration by the Syrian Democratic Forces, according to the Syrian Arab News...
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Palestinian technocrats who will run Gaza hold their first meeting in Cairo
The Palestinian committee that will govern postwar Gaza held its first meeting in Cairo on Friday. Formed on Wednesday as the second phase of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal came into effect, the committee is made up of 15 technocrats charged with...
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Discordant voices and the Kingdom’s stances
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the US was very successful. In addition to securing agreements, he managed to cut the string that bound American arms exports to Israeli preference. President Donald Trump publicly promised that the Kingdom...
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Over 100 children killed in Gaza since ceasefire, UN says
“More than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire of early October,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told a UN briefing by video link from Gaza. “That’s roughly a girl or a boy killed here every day during a ceasefire.” He added:...
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3 more Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes as tension rises
Israeli fire killed at least three Palestinians in two separate raids across the enclave, local health authorities said, as tension rises over continued violence since an October ceasefire. Medics said one Palestinian was killed in the Tuffah...
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Fragile ceasefire in Aleppo begins to crumble after Kurds refuse to leave
A fragile ceasefire in the Syrian city of Aleppo was crumbling on Friday after Kurdish fighters refused to leave and the Syrian army threatened to resume bombing the Kurdish district of Sheikh Maqsud and urged residents to flee. The government and...
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Israeli govt denounced for not lifting Gaza press ban
An international media association on Tuesday criticized the Israeli government for maintaining its ban on unrestricted media access to Gaza, calling the move disappointing. The government had told the Supreme Court in a submission late on Sunday that...
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12,000 children remain forcibly displaced in occupied West Bank
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees stated that more than 12,000 Palestinian children are living in a state of “forced displacement” in the occupied West Bank as a result of the ongoing Israeli military operation in the northern...
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Teenager among three Palestinians killed in Gaza
Israeli forces shot and killed at least three Palestinians in separate incidents in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis on Sunday, local health authorities said. Medics reported that the dead included a 15-year-old boy, a fisherman killed...
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Maduro captured; US to ‘run’ Venezuela
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Saturday that the US ‘successfully carried out a large-scale strike’ against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who had been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the...
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Jolie meets Gaza aid workers at Rafah
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie on Friday visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing into Gaza, where she spoke with members of the Red Crescent and truck drivers ferrying humanitarian aid. Accompanied by a US delegation and greeted by former and...
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World rings in 2026
Fireworks light up the midnight sky over Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during New Year’s Day celebrations. Earlier, revelers held a minute of silence for victims of the Bondi Beach shooting.
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UAE withdraws forces from Yemen, vows respect for Saudi sovereignty
The UAE announced the withdrawal of its remaining counterterrorism units in Yemen on Tuesday, citing recent developments and concerns over the safety and effectiveness of ongoing operations. The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the...
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Deadly storm affects 235,000 in Gaza amid fragile ceasefire
About 235,000 people in Gaza were affected by Storm Byron between Dec. 10 and 17, which caused buildings to collapse and widespread damage to tents and temporary shelters, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said on Monday. In a...
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Palestinian prisoners suffer medical neglect in Israeli detention: Rights body
The Palestinian Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission reported on Sunday several cases of medical neglect among Palestinian detainees held in the Israeli Ofer and Megiddo prisons, following visits by its lawyers. The commission noted the case...
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Saudi Arabia rejects Israeli recognition of Somaliland
Saudi Arabia has expressed full support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia, and expressed its rejection of the declaration of mutual recognition between Israel and Somaliland. The Kingdom affirmed its rejection of any...
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Life under occupation
Palestinian girls and boys attend a soccer practice session on a ground next to Israel’s separation wall in Aida refugee camp, occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Friday, weeks after Israel issued an order to demolish the facility.
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Hallelujah!
In continuing with a tradition that began in December 2022, Arab News extends a heartfelt Merry Christmas to our Christian readers and all who celebrate. This year’s special edition spotlights Christmas across the Middle East, emphasizing interfaith...
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Palestinians assaulted, detained in West Bank
Israeli forces on Tuesday detained Palestinians during an illegal raid in Qalandiya refugee camp and the town of Kafr Aqab, north of Jerusalem, occupied West Bank. Medics treated three injured men, all victims of live fire and assault.
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3 killed in Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon
Lebanon said three people were killed on Monday in a strike near Sidon that Israel said targeted Hezbollah operatives, days ahead of a deadline for Lebanon’s army to disarm the group near the border. Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon,...
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Israeli Cabinet approves 19 new settlements in West Bank
Israel’s Cabinet has approved a proposal for 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, the far-right finance minister said on Sunday, as the government pushes ahead with a construction binge in the territory that further threatens the...
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Over 1,000 patients have died awaiting evacuation from Gaza since July 2024
More than 1,000 patients have died while waiting for urgent medical evacuation from war-ravaged Gaza in the last year and a half, the World Health Organization said on Friday. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that the UN agency and its...
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No end to Gaza hunger crisis
Displaced Palestinians gather to receive food portions at a charity kitchen in Gaza on Wednesday. The death toll after Israel’s two-year onslaught now stands at 70,668 and the ceasefire, in effect since Oct. 10, remains fragile.
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‘Stay out of our politics,’ Australia’s ex-PM tells Netanyahu
Australia’s former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told Benjamin Netanyahu to “stay out of our politics” after the Israeli leader linked the recognition of Palestine to the Bondi Beach mass shooting. Fifteen people were killed when a father and...
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Israel to demolish 25 residential buildings in West Bank camp
Abdallah Kamil, governor of the Tulkarem governorate where Nur Shams is located, said he was informed of the planned demolition by the Israeli Defense Ministry body COGAT. Faisal Salama, head of the popular committee for Tulkarm camp, which is near...
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Crown prince receives Chinese FM in Riyadh
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Riyadh on Sunday. They reviewed regional and international developments and issues of common interest.
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West Bank settlements growing at highest level since 2017: UN
The expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank is at its highest level since at least 2017, when the UN began tracking such data, according to a report by the UN chief. In 2025, “plans for nearly 47,390 housing units were advanced,...
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UN chief visits KSrelief HQ in Riyadh
UN chief Antonio Guterres visited the KSrelief headquarters in Riyadh on Thursday, where he held talks with Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of the Saudi aid agency. Guterres toured KSrelief ’s exhibition and also met Saudi medical...
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Israel approves hundreds more houses in West Bank land grab
Israel has given the goahead for the construction of 764 more houses in three Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Wednesday that the Higher Planning Council, the body in charge of settlement...
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KSA, Iran, China reaffirm commitment to Beijing pact
Saudi Arabia, Iran and China affirmed their commitment to implementing the Beijing Agreement during a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday. Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji attended the third meeting of the Joint Tripartite Committee between...
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Saudi crown prince, Qatar emir hold key talks in Riyadh
The announcement came after a meeting in Riyadh between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, held under the framework of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council. The train link, which will connect King...
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55-year-old Palestinian and teenager killed in Hebron
Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian teenager who was driving a car toward them on Saturday, in addition to a Palestinian bystander in the West Bank, according to an Israeli security official. Palestinian witnesses reported that occupation...
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Riyadh is not Mediterranean, but is closer to Greece than many assume
The Athens Policy Dialogues held recently in the Greek capital featured engaging and candid discussions with policymakers, think-tankers, and leading journalists from Greece, other European countries and the wider Middle East, including Egypt, Israel,...
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Syria’s growth accelerates as sanctions ease, refugees return
Syria’s economy is growing much faster than the World Bank’s 1 percent estimate for 2025 as refugees flow back after the end of a 14-year civil war, fueling plans for the relaunch of the country’s currency and efforts to build a new Middle East...
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Palestinian movement restricted
Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian man in the town of Qalqilya, occupied West Bank, on Thursday. The army widened its campaign, tightening its grip in Qalqilya, restricting Palestinian movement.
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GCC leaders reaffirm ‘indivisible security’ bond at Bahrain summit
Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council reaffirmed their indivisible security bond rooted in common faith, lineage, language and a shared destiny at the conclusion of the 46th session of the Supreme Council at Al-Sakhir Palace in Bahrain. The...
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Journalist among 4 killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, West Bank
Israeli forces on Tuesday killed a journalist and a man near a refugee camp in Gaza, health workers said, and shot dead two Palestinians in the West Bank. It was the latest burst of violence in the Palestinian territories, fueling concerns that unrest...
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Pope reiterates support for two-state solution
Pope Leo urged leaders from Lebanon’s many diverse religious sects on Monday to unite to heal the country after years of conflict, political paralysis and economic crisis that have prompted waves of migration abroad. The pope has also said earlier...
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Pope calls on the Lebanese to embrace reconciliation
Pope Leo urged political leaders in Lebanon on Sunday to make peace their highest priority in a forceful appeal in a country that remains a target of Israeli airstrikes on the second leg of his first overseas trip as Catholic leader. He called on the...
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Pope visits Blue Mosque during Turkiye trip
Pope Leo XIV visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque and celebrated Mass at VW Arena on Saturday, on the second day of his trip to Turkiye, as he stressed the need for Christian unity. Leo was following in the footsteps of his recent predecessors, who all made...
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Future of humanity is at stake, says pope
Pope Leo on Thursday lamented during his first trip outside Italy as Catholic leader that the world was seeing an unusual number of bloody conflicts, and warned that a third world war was being “fought piecemeal” with humanity’s future at risk. In his...
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Palestinians driven out of homes in Israeli assault on West Bank city
Israeli military took up positions inside the West Bank city of Tubas on Wednesday and ordered Palestinian residents from their homes, the latest assault in a months-long campaign across cities of the northern West Bank. Tubas Gov. Ahmed Al-Asaad said...
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Rebuilding Gaza will cost over $70bn, could take decades: UN
Israel’s war in Gaza has ravaged the Palestinian territory’s economy and is threatening its very survival, the UN warned Tuesday, calling for “immediate and substantial” international intervention. Rebuilding the Gaza Strip will cost more than $70...
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Truce progress slows down as Israeli killings continue
Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in Gaza near the line demarcating areas of Israeli control on Monday, underlining the struggle to broaden a fragile ceasefire deal approved over six weeks ago to global acclaim. medics said incidents involved...
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Israel kills Hezbollah’s top military official in Beirut strike
Israel killed Hezbollah’s top military official in an airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut on Sunday, the Israeli military said, despite a US-brokered truce a year ago. The strike, the first on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital in months,...
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Trump hosts Syrian president at White House for historic talks
The US said on Monday it was partly suspending enforcement of some of its toughest sanctions on Syria for another 180 days as President Donald Trump hosted Syrian Arab Republic’s President Ahmad Al-Sharaa at the White House for landmark talks. Trump...
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EU condemns Israeli attacks on Lebanon, asks it to respect truce
Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed three people and wounded several more on Saturday. Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that two brothers from the town of Shebaa were hit by a drone while driving on a road on the slopes of Mount Hermon in...
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Campaigning in full swing ahead of Iraq vote
Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, addresses a political rally in Irbil on Friday ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections. Iraq will hold elections on Nov. 11.
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Pope Leo, Abbas stress urgent Gaza aid, two-state solution
Pope Leo met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for the first time on Thursday, and the two men discussed the urgent need to provide assistance to civilians in Gaza and to pursue a two-state solution to end the conflict in the region. The meeting,...
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Crown prince receives Malaysian king
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Tuesday. They reviewed bilateral relations and discussed ways to boost mutual cooperation.
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Palestinian self-rule key to Gaza future, say top Muslim countries
“Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the Palestinians and ensure their own security; the international community should support this in the best possible way — diplomatically, institutionally and economically,” Turkish Foreign Minister...
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Israel continues to strike Gaza
An Israeli airstrike killed a Palestinian man in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, health authorities said, as Israel and Hamas traded blame for violations of the tenuous truce that has mostly halted two years of war. Hamas said the US was not doing enough to...
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Survivors flee Sudan’s ‘apocalyptic’ El-Fasher
Survivors fleeing the Sudanese city of El-Fasher said on Saturday that paramilitary fighters separated families and killed children in front of their parents, with tens of thousands still trapped following the city’s fall. Germany’s top diplomat...
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Aoun orders army to confront Israeli incursions after border raid
Attacks by the Israeli army on Lebanese territory escalated on Thursday, prompting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to order the army to confront such aggression. Israeli forces carried out heavy airstrikes on the outskirts of Aaichiyeh, Jarmaq and...
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FII ... and a vision that became a reality
There is no doubt that the Future Investment Initiative forum, now in its ninth edition, has become an annual event eagerly awaited among international economic circles. Held in Riyadh every October, the FII has evolved into a landmark global...
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KSA, Pakistan bolster economic ties with new cooperation deal
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have agreed to launch an economic cooperation framework to strengthen trade and investment relations. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif made the agreement during a meeting in...
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Hamas hands over remains of 16th Gaza hostage
Hamas’ armed wing said it would hand over the body of a deceased hostage it recovered on Monday in Gaza. The recovery and handover of bodies of deceased hostages in Gaza has been one of the obstacles to US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan. The...
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93 killed in Gaza since truce
At least 93 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since the beginning of the US-brokered Oct. 10 ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, health chiefs in the besieged Palestinian territory have said. On Saturday, at least six Palestinians were shot...
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Rubio seeks quick deployment of international Gaza force
Top US diplomat Marco Rubio voiced hope on Friday of soon putting together an international force to police the ceasefire in Gaza, as Palestinian factions agreed that a committee of technocrats would run the post-war territory. The secretary of state...
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Israel will lose US support if it annexes West Bank: Trump
President Donald Trump said Israel would lose its crucial backing from the US if it annexes the occupied West Bank, in a Time magazine interview published on Thursday. Trump’s comments were published as both Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of...
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Israel must not use ‘starvation’ as war tool, rules World Court
“The court recalls Israel’s obligation not to use starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare,” said ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa. The Palestinian delegate to the ICJ urged the world to ensure Israel complies with the court’s ruling....
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Vance upbeat on Gaza truce
US Vice President JD Vance and other envoys projected optimism on Tuesday about Gaza’s fragile ceasefire agreement, calling progress better than anticipated. Vance noted flareups of violence in recent days but said the ceasefire that began on Oct. 10...
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Mediators step up diplomacy after major flareup in Gaza
Two of the United States’ top envoys to the Middle East met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday after weekend violence threatened to wreck a fragile US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza. The sit-down came as Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom...
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Israeli strikes kill 33 in Gaza
Israel launched a series of strikes in Gaza on Sunday and said it was halting aid into the enclave in response to attacks on its forces that killed two soldiers, in the most serious test yet of this month’s US-brokered ceasefire. Gaza’s civil defense...
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Saudi-India film collaboration
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, announced Saudi-India film collaboration at the Joy Forum 2025 in the presence of Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan in Riyadh. ‘We discussed a global film that...
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Hamas reaffirms commitment to terms of Gaza ceasefire deal
Hamas on Friday brought out bulldozers to dig for the remains of dead hostages as it sought to shore up the tenuous truce, saying it was committed to the terms of the deal, including the handover of bodies. The Palestinian group said some hostages’...
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