Lebanon marked the first anniversary of the catastrophic Beirut port explosion on Wednesday, with residents expressing anger and sadness in a city where many are still in mourning and demanding justice.

The hijackers who seized a vessel off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf of Oman left the targeted ship on Wednesday, the British navy reported, without elaborating.

Residents were urged yesterday to evacuate a besieged Afghan city as the army prepared a major offensive against Taliban insurgents after three days of heavy fighting. 

Saudi Arabia has intensified a crackdown on dissidents and rights activists after a respite that coincided with the country’s G20 presidency last year, Amnesty International said yesterday.

The United States has promised to lead a “collective response” against Iran in retaliation for a deadly attack on an Israeli-linked tanker, as Tehran denied blame and warned against “adventurism.” 

Iranian-backed forces are believed to have seized an oil tanker in the Gulf off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, three maritime security sources said, after Britain's maritime trade agency reported a "potential hijack" in the area on Tuesday.

Iran yesterday vowed to respond to any “adventurism”, its foreign ministry said, after the US and Britain joined Israel in blaming it for a deadly tanker attack, claims Tehran denies.

Amnesty International yesterday accused the Lebanese authorities of relentlessly and shamelessly obstructing the investigation into last year’s deadly Beirut port blast.

Israel’s Supreme Court yesterday delayed a decision in the case of Palestinian families facing expulsion by Israeli settlers in annexed east Jerusalem, an issue that exploded into armed conflict in May.

Firefighters in Turkey battled yesterday to control wildfires still raging in the resort towns of Manavgat and Marmaris, and some tourists were

Iran yesterday rejected Israel’s “baseless accusations” of being behind a deadly tanker attack off Oman, vowing to defend its interests after its arch-foe pushed for UN action against Tehran. 

Israel is pressing for international action against Iran over a deadly attack on a ship managed by an Israeli billionaire, branding Tehran an “exporter of terrorism” after the likely drone strike. 

About 270 Palestinian protesters were injured, mostly by tear gas fire, in clashes with Israeli troops Friday in the West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent said. 

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has walked back on a decision to end a key military deal with the United States, his defence secretary said yesterday during a visit by Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin.

Lebanon battled rapidly spreading wildfires for a third straight day yesterday after they destroyed pine forests and threatened homes in northern areas.

Tunisia’s President Kais Saied on Thursday appointed a former national security adviser as interior minister, days after grabbing power in what his opponents labelled a “coup”.

Saudi Arabia will reopen its borders to tourists on Sunday for the first time in 18 months after imposing restrictions at the start of the pandemic to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Three people were found dead as a forest fire burned for a second day in southern Turkey yesterday, the country’s AFAD disaster agency and the agriculture minister said. 

Two rockets were fired early yesterday at Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone which houses the US embassy, without causing any casualties or damage, an Iraqi security source told AFP.

Israeli troops shot and killed a 12-year-old Palestinian boy who was riding in a car with his father in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, Palestinian officials said.