Israel acknowledges it killed ex-Hamas leader Haniyeh in Tehran Posted on 24/12/2024 Israeli defence minister Israel Katz admitted that Israel was behind the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. (AP pic) JERUSALEM: Defence minister Israel Katz on Monday acknowledged that Israel had killed former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this year, as he warned the military would “decapitate” the leadership of Yemen’s Houthi rebels. “We will strike hard at the Houthis… and decapitate their leadership – just as we did with Haniyeh, (Yahya) Sinwar, and (Hassan) Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon, we will do so in Hodeida and Sanaa,” Katz said. His remarks at an event at the defence ministry mark the first public acknowledgement that Israel was behind the late July killing of Haniyeh in the Iranian capital. “Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have his hand cut off, and the long arm of the IDF (Israeli military) will strike him and hold him accountable,” Katz said, according to a statement issued by the ministry. Until now Israel had never admitted to killing Haniyeh, but Iran and Hamas had blamed it for the Hamas political leader’s death. Haniyeh, who was seen as leading Hamas’s negotiation efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza, was killed in a guesthouse in Tehran on July 31, reportedly by an explosive device that had been placed by Israeli operatives weeks before. A day earlier, Haniyeh had attended the inauguration of Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian. On Sept 27, Israel killed Nasrallah in a Beirut bombing, which was followed by the killing of Haniyeh’s successor Sinwar on Oct 16 in Gaza. Israeli officials say Sinwar masterminded the Oct 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, which sparked the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. News
China’s Xi urges Apec unity in face of ‘protectionism’ Posted on 17/11/2024 Chinese president Xi Jinping takes part in the economic leaders meeting during the Apec summit in Lima, Peru. (AP pic) LIMA: Chinese president Xi Jinping on Saturday called for Asia-Pacific economies to “unite and cooperate” in the face of mounting “protecti onism,” at a summit in Peru. Speaking to Asia-Pacific… Read More
PM Anwar appoints ex-AG Idrus, ex-Federal Court judge Zainun to Judicial Appointments Commission Posted on 18/11/2024 KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has appointed four new members to the Judicial Appointments Commissions (JAC) including former attorney general Tan Sri Idrus Harun and former Federal Court judge Tan Sri Zainun Ali, the commission announced today. The JAC said the two other new… Read More
Ringgit opens higher against greenback Posted on 27/12/2024 KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit maintained its upward momentum and opened higher against the US dollar on Friday, despite the greenback’s strength driven by expectations about the US administration’s trade policy. At 8am, the ringgit was trading at 4.4665/4715 against the greenback, up from 4.4670/4715 at Thursday’s close. In anticipation of… Read More