Turkey Condemns Houthi Drone Strike on Mecca

UN Security Council Condemns Houthi Escalation

The UN Security Council has issued a sweeping condemnation of Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping, while warning that ongoing military escalation in Yemen risks widening the conflict and worsening a severe humanitarian situation. At least 125,000 people have been displaced across Yemen since the start of September, according to UN humanitarian figures.

Houthi advance boosts Iran’s leverage over the US and Saudi Arabia – but may cost rebel group its legitimacy back in Yemen

Seizure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait complicates a widening conflict in the Persian Gulf. It also risks reigniting Yemen’s civil war.

Iran war pushes diesel – the economy’s lifeblood – to record high prices, with no relief on the horizon

The country, and the world, have been losing diesel refining capacity for many years and can’t just ramp up production to fill the shortages.

Netanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza roadmap – history tells us Israel may be planning to stay

Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, first proposed the annexation of the Gaza Strip in 1949.

Syria: All Syrians Must Shape Their Country's Future

The UN Security Council stressed that inclusive state institutions and the rule of law must underpin Syria's political transition, as speakers warned against replicating old power structures under new leadership. Humanitarian progress is emerging, but millions still lack access to basic services, and a newly launched UN fund seeks to address underfunded needs.

Rubio and Al-Zaidi Chart Course for US-Iraq Ties

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to discuss the future of the bilateral partnership. The two officials aligned on the need for Iraq to dismantle terrorist militias, halt attacks originating from its territory, and assert full sovereignty.

UK plan to sanction Israel’s illegal West Bank settlements is a historic shift in tone and policy

The government’s move is a direct cricitism of the Netanyahu government.

Jordan at a Crossroads: Politics, Economy, and Regional Role

Jordan occupies a pivotal position in the Middle East, balancing domestic reform pressures with a complex web of regional alliances and economic challenges. This overview examines the key forces shaping the Hashemite Kingdom's present and near-term future.

Life in Qatar: Tradition, Wealth, and Rapid Change

Qatar presents one of the most distinctive lifestyles in the Gulf region, shaped by Islamic tradition, vast hydrocarbon wealth, and decades of accelerated modernisation. The country balances deeply rooted cultural practices with an increasingly cosmopolitan urban environment.

Slow-Baked Jachnun: Yemenite Sabbath Pastry

Long before the sun rises over Jerusalem's stone alleys or Tel Aviv's bustling shuk, ovens across Israel are already humming with a secret that has traveled thousands of miles and hundreds of years. Inside them, coiled rolls of golden dough sit patiently in low, steady heat, transforming overnight into something extraordinary: deeply caramelized, faintly sweet, impossibly tender jachnun. This is the taste of Yemenite Jewish heritage, carried by immigrants who settled in Israel and brought with them a Sabbath ritual as much about patience as it is about flavor.

EU Parliament Demands End to Aid Worker Killings

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling on the EU and its member states to unequivocally condemn the killing of humanitarian workers and the obstruction of aid delivery. MEPs also raised alarm over a global humanitarian funding crisis driven in part by aid budget cuts among key donors, including several EU member states.

Omani Shuwa: Spiced Slow-Roasted Lamb

In the cool hours before dawn on the eve of Eid, families across Oman gather around freshly dug pits in the earth, lowering banana-leaf-wrapped bundles of meat into smoldering coals. This is Shuwa, a ritual as much as a recipe — a dish that demands patience, community, and trust in a process that unfolds slowly, invisibly, over an entire day and night beneath the sand.