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Gaza remains deadliest place for aid workers for third consecutive year: UN

Gaza remained the world’s deadliest place for humanitarian workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 aid personnel killed in 2025, the United Nations humanitarian office said Wednesday. Sudan ranked second, with 71 aid workers killed during the year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement marking World Humanitarian Day. Worldwide, 907 humanitarian workers were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2025, setting another record for violence against aid personnel, according to figures from Humanitarian Outcomes’ Aid Worker Security Database. Although the annual death toll fell slightly to 350, the UN humanitarian office said the overall level of violence showed no sign of easing. A further 322 aid workers were injured and 235 kidnapped. Read: UN urges support for Afghan women “More than 1,000 aid workers have been killed in just three years and that is utterly unacceptable,” said Tom Fletcher, UN under-s...
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Syria condemns Israeli strikes on airbase as ‘flagrant violation’ of sovereignty

Syria on Tuesday strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes targeting Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase in the eastern countryside of Idlib province as a “flagrant violation” of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry called the attack “an unjustified act of aggression, a flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a dangerous escalation that threatens security and stability in the region.” “The continuation of these Israeli attacks since December 8, 2024, at a time when Syria has exercised restraint and worked to consolidate stability and avoid escalation, once again demonstrates the Israeli occupation’s attempts to undermine these efforts and drag the region toward further tension and instability,” the ministry said. šŸ“ Israeli warplanes carry out four airstrikes on the abandoned Abu al-Duhur military airport in Syria’s Idlib province šŸ’¢ No ...

Trump approval falls to 33%, lowest of his presidency: poll

President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to the lowest level of his presidency, ‌with an overwhelming majority of Americans concerned the US war with Iran will last a long time, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded on Monday. Just 33% of respondents in the four-day survey said they approved of Trump's performance in the White House, while 64% disapproved. Trump's approval rating, down from 35% in a poll that closed earlier this month and ​lower than at any point in his current term, has now tied the lowest level of his prior term reached in December 2017. After ​returning to the White House in 2025 with just under half the country approving of his presidency, Trump's popularity ⁠this year took a hit after he ordered strikes on Iran alongside US ally Israel. The ensuing conflict paralysed a fifth of the global oil trade, ​triggering a surge in the price of gasoline that is weighing on US households - and on Trump's Republican allies defend...

Saudi Arabia resumes oil loadings, sales from inside Strait of Hormuz

Saudi Aramco resumed oil loading from inside the Strait of Hormuz last week and has more tankers waiting to load as the state energy giant offers spot heavy crude cargoes, according to shipping data and trade sources. On Monday, the world's top oil exporter offered some Asian refiners Arab Medium and Arab Heavy crude cargoes for loading via ship-to-ship transfers off Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates this month. It had halted sales for weeks following attacks on its tanker fleet in the Strait of Hormuz during an escalation of the US-Iran conflict last month. The resumption of Saudi exports could help ease the tight supply of heavier grades that produce more residue fuel which can be used to refuel ships or can be processed further at refineries to yield higher-quality fuels such as gasoline and diesel. Read: Oil climbs as fading US-Iran peace hopes raise supply risks Three very large crude carriers (VLCCs) — Malaysia Prosperity, Algeria Prosperity and Singapo...

Indonesia records over 2,100 aftershocks after weekend's deadly earthquake

Indonesia has experienced ongoing intense seismic activity since Saturday's 7.7-magnitude earthquake, recording 2,119 aftershocks so far, local media reported. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency warned the sequence could continue for another three to four weeks, Jakarta Globe reported. The aftershocks ranged from 1.3 to 6.2 magnitude, with 24 measuring above 5, and 70 of them were felt by residents, the agency's director of earthquake and tsunami, Wijayanto, said. On Saturday, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck East Nusa Tenggara, where the popular tourist hub of Labuan Bajo is located, causing widespread damage. So far, 68 people have been confirmed dead, while 213 others injured, according to the state-run Antara News agency. Meanwhile, authorities have temporarily closed several tourist attractions on Flores for safety inspections, including Rangko Cave in West Manggarai, Wae Rebo Traditional Village in Manggarai, and Kelimutu National P...

Iran says 60-day deadline 'lost its relevance' after US ‘violations’ of memorandum

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday said that the 60-day deadline for talks with the United States following the June 17 memorandum of understanding "lost its relevance" after what he called "flagrant" violations by Washington. “There is no provision in the memorandum of understanding referring to a ‘60-day deadline’, and the Islamic Republic of Iran never formulates its policies under pressure, ultimatums or time limits,” Baghaei told reporters at a weekly news conference, as cited by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. The memorandum instead envisaged 60 days for negotiations on two issues — “the lifting of sanctions” and “the nuclear issue” — which could have been extended if no agreement was reached, he added. "Due to the flagrant and widespread violation of the memorandum of understanding by the United States, no dialogue was started just a few weeks after its ...

Trump 'very happy' over signing of Makkah Joint Defence Agreement

US President Donald Trump on Monday welcomed the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement by Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. "Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement," he said on Sunday on Truth Social. https://ift.tt/hPDnlZ7 Trump said the deal shows "how the Middle East is coming together, and how countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way. Congratulations to the Great Leadership of the three nations mentioned. “THIS IS A BIG, BOLD, AND IMPORTANT FIRST STEP — WOW!" he added. Read: PM Shehbaz appreciates Trump’s support for Makkah defence pact On August 7, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye formalised their longstanding strategic relationship through the newly signed "Makkah Joint Defence Agreement", a trilateral security framework that its proponents describe as a defensive arrangement aimed at...