US vows to punish Iran after Houthis strike tankers Iran and the United States vowed on Thursday to step up attacks, after Tehran's Houthi allies struck Saudi shipping and sent oil prices soaring. On the sidelines of a Southeast Asian summit in Manila, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Houthis had been "suckered" into attacking Red Sea shipping by Iran. Agence France-Presse
Syria's new leaders seek investment, but at what cost? From new neighbourhoods and commercial towers to leisure developments, Syria's authorities are seeking to attract foreign investors through a sovereign wealth fund created by President Ahmed al-Sharaa that critics say lacks transparency. - 'Black box' - Experts have criticised a lack of transparency in Sharaa's sovereign fund, created to oversee investment projects and manage state assets. Agence France-Presse
Two-thirds of Gaza may face acute hunger by year-end despite improvements, global food monitor says Reuters
Oil soars to $100 on fresh Mideast attacks Oil prices surged to $100 a barrel on Thursday as Tehran-backed Houthi rebels targeted Red Sea shipping and US President Donald Trump threatened to strike them in return. International benchmark oil contract Brent North Sea soared more than six percent to hit the symbolic $100 level, as the attacks potentially opened a new front in the Middle East war and Trump threatened the Houthis with "major military punishment". Agence France-Presse
Trump says Saudi nuclear deal 'totally subject' to Israel normalization Saudi Arabia has previously said normalized relations with Israel would require an irreversible path to Palestinian statehood. Saudi Arabia
US-Iran strikes: latest developments Here are the latest main events related to the war in the Middle East: Germany 'very worried' Germany is "very worried" that attacks on oil tankers in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi militants risk escalation of conflicts in the region, the country's defence minister said Thursday. "Recent developments, specifically concerning the Houthis and Saudi Arabian tankers, raise concerns that an escalation could be imminent," Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said, adding that the situation has "dire consequences" for those living in the region and global energy supplies. Agence France-Presse
Iran vows to continue strikes in Mideast war Iran vowed on Thursday to keep striking the region so long as it remains under attack, as the Middle East war spread to new fronts with Tehran's Houthi allies attacking Saudi shipping in the Red Sea. On the sidelines of a Southeast Asian summit in Manila, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Houthis had been "suckered" into attacking Red Sea shipping by Iran. Agence France-Presse
Israeli far-right minister leads hundreds to Al-Aqsa on Jewish mourning day Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir led hundreds of Israeli Jews into Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Thursday, breaching the site's decades-old status quo as he marked a Jewish day of mourning. AFP footage showed Ben Gvir and hundreds of fellow worshippers at the Al-Aqsa compound, including Jewish settlers who lined up from the early morning hours to enter the site, where many performed prayers. Agence France-Presse
Oil tops $100 for first time since May after Houthi tanker strikes, Trump threats The Iran-backed rebels said they had targeted two Saudi tankers, the Encelia and the Layla. Yemen
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