Oman says it is responding to vessel incident near Hallaniyat Islands Oman's transport ministry and environment authority said it was responding to an incident involving the Caroline Bezengi vessel, which is stranded near the Hallaniyat Islands off the southern governorate of Dhofar, to limit any potential environmental impact, Omani state media reported on Thursday.
Trump says Iran war ‘going well’, ‘extremely happy’ with Hegseth US President Donald Trump on Thursday accused the US media of spreading “Fake News” after reports that Trump and Defence Minister Pete Hegseth had clashed over concerns about missile depletion from the Iran war. In a post to Truth Social, Trump said he was “extremely happy” with Hegseth’s work and added that the war with Iran is “going very well”, including ensuring that Iran will be unable to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Several killed in explosion in Syria near Damascus Several people were killed or wounded in an explosion in the city of Jaramana, on the outskirts of Syria’s capital of Damascus, according to state TV on Thursday. A security source told the channel that the blast was caused by an explosive device planted in a minibus.
Israeli troops shoot, wound Palestinian child in Jenin Israeli forces shot a Palestinian child and assaulted another Palestinian in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, Wafa news reported on Thursday. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said its medics treated a 14-year-old boy who sustained a gunshot wound to his lower back and was transferred to a hospital for medical treatment, while another Palestinian was evacuated after being severely beaten up by Israeli troops.
Soon after President Trump announced a new plan last week to deliver the disarmament of Hamas, in exchange for peace and security in Gaza, the Palestinian enclave instead experienced a spike in deadly Israeli bombings, which threatens to undermine hopes for long-awaited progress, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Iranian lawmaker says parliament reviewing bill to ban ‘hostile’ vessels from crossing Hormuz An Iranian lawmaker said on Thursday that the country’s parliament committee is reviewing a preliminary bill to ban US, Israeli, and other “hostile” vessels from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Fars news agency. The lawmaker added that the draft bill envisages fines of up to 20 percent of the value of a ship’s cargo for violating their proposed Hormuz transit restrictions. The measures remain at the expert review stage, and parliament has invited specialists to submit recommendations to help finalise the draft, the lawmaker said.
Oil prices spike, but remain lower than last week Oil prices have surged ahead again on Thursday, after falling earlier this week following Trump’s announcement that negotiations with Iran were resuming on Tuesday. “Rising oil prices have crimped some of the optimism seen earlier in the week - but the price is still much lower than a week ago, providing a positive tailwind as we move into the second week of August,” Chris Beauchamp, a chief market analyst, told AFP.
Five people detained over Iran’s nationwide January protests have been sentenced to death or are at risk of receiving death sentences in the northeastern city of Mashhad and nearby Shandiz, sources familiar with their cases told Iran International.
Israeli drone attack reported in southern Lebanon’s Mayfadoun Israel has carried out a drone attack on Mayfadoun in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh district, the National News Agency is reporting. No casualties were reported. This comes amid a large scale Israeli bombardment of the country on Thursday as peace talks between Israel and Lebanon in Rome are ongoing.
Tehran [Iran], August 6 (ANI): Iran's Acting Defence Minister, Brigadier General Majid Ebn-e-Reza, on Thursday asserted the country's military preparedness to counter external security threats, stating that the Iranian Armed Forces' readiness relies on its domestic defence sector.
EU's Kallas welcomes announcement of Gaza agreement The European Union has welcomed the announcement of an agreement to permanently disarm Hamas and withdraw Israeli forces from Gaza, the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Thursday. "We call on all parties to approve and implement the agreement without delay," Kallas said in a statement.
Italy’s Foreign Ministry said the Lion and Sun flag emoji — used on Iran’s national flag before 1979 and now widely adopted by opponents of the Islamic Republic — was removed from Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s X post solely because of a technical issue, not external pressure.
Hamas calls on US, mediators to stop Israel ‘sabotaging’ Gaza agreement Hamas has welcomed the joint statement from several Arab countries following a meeting of foreign ministers in Amman which condemned Israel’s escalation in Gaza, saying it “underscores the gravity of the escalation and violations perpetrated by the occupying government, which threaten the future of the entire agreement”. Hamas called on the signatories, as well as the US and ceasefire mediators to prevent Israel “from sabotaging the agreement through continued killing, aggression and reneging on the obligations imposed by the ceasefire agreement”. This comes after Hamas agreed in July to a document setting out a plan for their disarmament in Gaza, in return for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Yemeni official accuses Houthis of ‘regional aggression’ Deputy Chairman of the Yemeni Consultation and Reconciliation Authority for Yemen’s Saudi-backed government Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi condemned the Houthi attacks on government positions in Hadramout and Marib on Thursday. “This is their true project: perpetuating the war and preventing the restoration of the state,” he said in a post on X, adding that the only way to prevent further attacks is “ending the militia’s coup, restoring state institutions in the capital Sanaa,” referring to the Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.
Hearing set to decide 'terror sentencing' of activists who targeted Barclays Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 08/06/2026 - 14:28 Judge Altham, who previously issued 'manifestly excessive' sentences to anti-fracking activists, is set to determine whether the offences carry a 'terrorist connection' The defendants allegedly spray painted and splintered windows at a Barclays bank branch in Burnley over its shares in Elbit Systems in August 2024 (Supplied) Off A judge has ordered a hearing in which he will decide whether five Palestine Action defendants convicted of criminal damage will be sentenced as terrorists. The five defendants - Brendon O’Hagan, 28, Amanda Kelly, 31, Hmeera Atiqnisar, 31, Mohammed Malik, 28, and Alma Yaniv, 70 - were found guilty in June 2026 of causing £212,000 ($283,000) worth of damage to a Barclays branch in Burnley in August 2024. Following their convictions, presiding Judge Phillip Parry told defence lawyers that he would consider applying a “terrorist connection”, despite jurors not being told about a potential terror sentencing in the case.
Washington, DC [US], August 6 (ANI): The White House and the Pentagon have strongly refuted reports claiming US President Donald Trump challenged Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over critical shortfalls in the nation's munitions reserves during a recent meeting at Camp David.
US embassy in Yemen condemns ‘cowardly’ Houthi attacks in Hadramout and Marib The US embassy in Yemen has described Houthi attacks in Hadramout and Marib as “cowardly”, saying the attacks “represent yet another example of terrorrism against Yemeni people”. In a post on X, the US mission paid condolences to the families of “brave Yemeni soldiers killed today”. بشأن هجمات اليوم في حضرموت ومأرب.
Houthis say they carried out attacks on ‘Saudi military deployments’ Yemen’s Houthis said on Thursday that they carried out missile and drone attacks on “Saudi military deployments” in Yemen's Saudi-backed government controlled areas of Marib and Hadramout. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree accused Saudi Arabia of a “large military buildup” in Yemen and said that in response, “our armed forces conducted a large-scale and precise military operation targeting Saudi enemy troop concentrations,” which killed and wounded several soldiers. “We advise those misled and deceived among our people to leave the Saudi enemy camps and return to their homes before it is too late,” Saree said in a statement on X.
Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox alliance shows signs of fracture before crucial election Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Thu, 08/06/2026 - 15:05 Growing dissatisfaction among ultra-Orthodox voters has exposed cracks in Netanyahu's alliance Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest the recent arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers, near Bet Lid military prison in Kfar Yona in central Israel on 24 June 2026 (Jack Guez/AFP) Off For nearly three decades, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has relied on ultra-Orthodox parties as one of the pillars of his political survival. But as Netanyahu gears up to one of his toughest elections in years, his governing alliance is facing unprecedented strain over the long-running dispute about military conscription for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men. The row has exposed deep divisions within Netanyahu's right-wing bloc and raised questions about whether the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) and Shas parties, two of his most dependable allies since he first became prime minister in 1996, could look elsewhere.
'We've run out of earthly solutions': Inside Libya's electricity crisis Submitted by Elis Gjevori on Thu, 08/06/2026 - 13:07 As blackouts spark protests, a decade of fractured governance, underinvestment and corruption has left an oil and gas-rich nation unable to keep its lights on Libya produces more than 1. 3 million barrels of oil a day and has a population of just over 7. 5 million (MEE graphic) Off Earlier this month, Al Robyan, one of Tripoli's most popular seafood restaurants, made an unusual offer: a table laden with seafood in exchange for "some fuel for the generator".
