Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani today, Thursday, ordered an urgent investigation to determine responsibility and hold accountable those responsible for the "error" in the resolution of the Committee for Freezing Terrorists' Funds, which was published in the official Iraqi Gazette. Al-Sudani's directive came after the Committee for Freezing Terrorists' Funds  at the Central Bank of Iraq retracted its resolution that had included groups not linked to ISIS and Al-Qa

Israeli media outlets reported today, Thursday, the killing of Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of the so-called "Popular Forces," by an armed group in the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. An Israeli source confirmed that Abu Shabab  was transferred to Soroka Hospital, where he died of his injuries. Israeli assessments suggest the incident is an internal conflict  and was not orchestrated by Hamas , contrary to some reports coming from the Gaza Strip. Background of the "Popular

Following his US counterpart Donald Trump's lead, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the meeting held two days ago in Moscow with US Envoy Steve Whitkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Putin  confirmed today, Thursday, that the meeting was " necessary and very useful ," according to RIA Novosti. He also indicated that the proposals from the US delegation  were based on the outcomes of his meeting with Trump  during the Alaska summit last August. "Difficult Task"

The Israeli Army announced today, Thursday, the identification of the remains of the second-to-last hostage held in Gaza as a Thai national named Sudthisak Rinthalaek (42), who was killed during the October 7, 2023, attack and whose body was taken to the Strip. The Army stated that "Following the completion of the identification process... representatives of the IDF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the family of Sudthisak Rinthalaek of the recovery of his body for

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated today, Thursday, that Russia will establish control over the Donbas region "by any means possible," as he commented on the ongoing negotiations regarding a peace plan for Ukraine. Putin  explained that the US side divided the 27 points of US President Donald Trump's  Ukraine peace plan into four packages and proposed discussing them separately. He noted that the US proposals, which were based on prior understandings with Trump  during t

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed today, Wednesday, that the ongoing talks with Israel within the framework of the Ceasefire Committee do not amount to "peace negotiations." Salam  explained to journalists that the purpose of the " Ceasefire Committee " is to provide the "forum... to implement the declaration of cessation of hostilities." He clearly added: " We have not yet reached the stage of peace talks ." These statements come in response to Israeli Prime Mini

Egypt denied today, Wednesday, through its State Information Service (SIS), that there is any coordination with Israel to reopen the Rafah Crossing for residents of the Gaza Strip in the coming days. This denial comes in response to an earlier announcement by the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities (COGAT) , who stated that the Rafah Crossing  would be opened in the coming days for the purpose of " departure only " from the Gaza Strip to Egypt. The Israeli official a

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio escalated his rhetoric against the Venezuelan regime today, Wednesday, asserting that Venezuela has become a "foothold" for US adversaries, including Iran, the IRGC (Revolutionary Guard Corps), and even Lebanon's Hezbollah. Rubio told Fox News that the Venezuelan regime led by President Nicolás Maduro has become a "source of instability in the entire region." Rubio  alleged that the Maduro  regime facilitates the smuggling of cocaine and drug

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today, Wednesday, that the remains received by Israeli authorities yesterday, Tuesday, via the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from the Gaza Strip, do not belong to any of the remaining Israeli or Thai hostages. A statement from Netanyahu’s office read: "Following the completion of the identification process at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, it was determined that the remains broug

A marathon five-hour talk in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Envoy Steve Whitkoff, accompanied by Jared Kushner, concluded without achieving any significant breakthrough on a peace plan for Ukraine. Despite this, Russian negotiators described the meeting as "fruitful." The Disagreement: Kremlin senior aide Yuri Ushakov  stated that the talks were " constructive " but admitted, " We have not yet reached a consensus formula ," noting that President Putin

The Israeli government announced today, Tuesday, that it has received "samples of remains" from Palestinian militants in Gaza via the Red Cross. These remains are believed to belong to one of the two remaining hostages—Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalaek. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that the samples would be sent for forensic examination, while Palestinian media indicated the remains were found in the town of Beit Lahia in no

The city of Babanusa in Sudan witnessed a decisive military development, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced their complete control over the Army’s Division 22 Headquarters, which was the last stronghold of the Sudanese Army in the city, besieged for over a year. In a statement on Monday, the RSF  accused the Sudanese Army of violating the declared humanitarian truce  from their side, and published a video showing their forces penetrating the Division Headquarters. Yo

Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Moscow's firm stance that it does not plan or intend to attack Europe. However, Putin  issued a stark warning directed at Europe, stressing that Russia  is immediately prepared to respond should it face any aggression. He told journalists: "We will not wage war with Europe, I said that before. But if Europe launches a surprise war against us, we are immediately ready. There is no doubt about that." More alarmingly, Putin  warned of

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted of helping traffic 400 tons of cocaine into the United States, was released from prison after a pardon from US President Donald Trump, his wife announced on Tuesday. Hernández was freed from a prison in West Virginia on Monday and has "recovered his freedom," his wife stated on social media. The US Bureau of Prisons website published information matching Hernández 's name and age, confirming the release. Trum

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set a substantial and specific security condition for any potential negotiation track with the Syrian side. He stated that what Israel expects is the establishment of a demilitarized zone stretching from the capital, Damascus, all the way to the buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Netanyahu  added that "a positive approach, by understanding these principles, can lead to reaching an agreement with the Syrians," hinting at a condition

The political and diplomatic arena witnessed clear divergences between the US administration and the Israeli government. US President Donald Trump called on Israel "to maintain a strong and real dialogue with Syria, and that nothing should happen that contradicts Syria's development into a prosperous state." In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump  expressed that "The United States is very satisfied with the results achieved... in Syria," indicating that t

Pope Leo XIV concluded his historic three-day visit to Lebanon, departing from Rafik Hariri International Airport after an official farewell ceremony attended by senior officials. This visit, the second leg of his first foreign tour following Turkey, provided a beacon of hope for a country grappling with crises and fears of renewed violence. President Joseph Aoun , in his farewell speech, praised the visit, stating it "will remain etched in the memory of Lebanon and its peopl

After more than two decades of relying on counter-Washington alliances, Venezuela now faces a severe strategic void. A report by the American newspaper "Wall Street Journal" confirms that its most prominent international backers—Russia and China—are clearly maintaining distance from any potential confrontation between the Caracas government and the administration of US President Donald Trump. In recent years, Moscow  and Beijing  pumped billions of dollars into the Venezuelan

The US Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, accompanied by Jared Kushner, son-in-law to former President Donald Trump, is scheduled to travel to the Russian capital, Moscow, today, Tuesday. This diplomatic mission comes as the White House expresses "great optimism" about the possibility of reaching an agreement to end the ongoing war in Ukraine. Witkoff  is slated to meet with Russian President, Vladimir Putin , who maintains a rigid stance regarding ending the conflict, more than t

A media report states that the Israeli Ministry of Defense has drawn up plans to expand the serial production of the "Iron Dome" short-range air defense system, with funding expected to come from US military financial aid to Tel Aviv. 1. Funding and Contract Details Executing Body:  The Israeli Ministry of Defense signed a multi-billion dollar contract with the defense industry company "Rafael." Funding Source:  The contract will be fully financed by the $8.7 billion US aid p