The Latest | UN court won't block German military aid to Israel amid war in Gaza

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to visit Israel on his latest trip to the region, which began Monday in Saudi Arabia. He said Israel needs to do more to allow aid to enter Gaza, but ... Read More

US, Egypt 'hopeful' of Gaza truce as envoys meet in Cairo

US top diplomat Antony Blinken said Monday he was "hopeful" Hamas would accept the latest proposal for a long-sought Gaza truce and hostage release deal as negotiators from the Palestinian group were ... Read More

Hamas and Fatah made ‘encouraging progress’ in talks in Beijing, China says

China is attempting to position itself as a broker in the Middle East as an alternative to the U.S. and its Western allies. Read More

Egypt, Türkiye Forge Closer Ties After Ending Rift

Cairo and Ankara are swiftly repairing their relationship after years of tension. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is expected to visit Türkiye this week, setting the stage for a possible visit ... Read More

Jordan sets Sept 10 date for parliamentary election, state TV says

Jordan's independent electoral commission on Wednesday set Sept. 10 as the date for a parliamentary election after King Abdullah said earlier he hoped the polls would deliver long promised political ... Read More

Israel’s war on Gaza live: ‘Biggest catastrophe’ facing Palestinians

Diplomatic efforts intensify to reach a ceasefire in Gaza as a Hamas delegation heads to Egypt after news reports suggest Israel may be ... and 77,575 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October ... Read More

US military begins construction of Gaza aid pier, says Pentagon

The United States military has begun construction of a pier to boost deliveries of desperately needed aid to Gaza, the Pentagon said on Thursday. UN World Food Programme deputy executive director ... Read More

Ahead of visit to Israel, US's Blinken presses Hamas to accept new proposal for Gaza cease-fire

The United States stepped up pressure for a cease-fire deal in Gaza on Monday as the secretary of state said a new proposal was put to Hamas, whose ... Read More

Israel Moving Forward with Rafah Assault to Pressure Hamas on Hostages

Israel's biggest newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said on Thursday that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will move forward with plans for an all-out assault on Rafah in the southern Gaza ... Read More

Tidbits from this source and that

So, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year came and went. Cassandra has used a Sri Lankan colloquial manner of pronouncing that an anticipated event was marked and ended. The high temperatures however prevail ... Read More

Hundreds killed as storms lash Pakistan and Afghanistan

Lightning and heavy rains have killed hundreds of people across Pakistan and Afghanistan. At least 50 people have died in Pakistan in storms that have been lashing the country, officials said on ... Read More

The Latest | Iran says air defense batteries fire after explosions reported near major air base

Iran's state news agency says the country's air defense batteries have fired after reports of explosions near a major air base at the city of Isfahan. It remains unclear if ... Read More