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Most Asian markets rise after Wall Street’s AI-fuelled rally

Asian equities mostly rose Thursday, cheered by another tech-fuelled run-up on Wall Street after Donald Trump’s huge AI investment announcement, as traders assessed the outlook for the next four years under the new president.Shanghai was among the main winners, eating into year-to-date losses after China unveiled a fresh batch of measures aimed at boosting the …

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Chief US diplomat vows ‘unwavering support’ for Israel

The United States’ new top diplomat Marco Rubio reaffirmed the country’s “unwavering support” for Israel, days into a fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a large-scale raid in the occupied West Bank.As Israel pursued its deadly operation in Jenin, Rubio assured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Washington’s continued backing.Rubio spoke to Netanyahu from Washington on Wednesday night to “underscore that maintaining the United States’ steadfast support for Israel is a top priority for President Trump,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.He also “congratulated the Prime Minister on Israel’s successes against Hamas and Hezbollah and pledged to work tirelessly to help free all remaining hostages held in Gaza,” she said. Israel and Hamas began implementing a ceasefire in their 15-month war on Sunday that includes an exchange of hostages and prisoners. Former US president Joe Biden had pushed for months for a deal along the same outlines. Trump sent an envoy to help push through an agreement before he took office, although the Republican has since said he is not confident the deal will hold.In one of his first acts in office, Trump ended sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank imposed by Biden over their attacks on Palestinians.During his first term in the White House, Trump put forward a peace plan he and his proponents called “the deal of the century”, which would have included major Israeli annexations in the West Bank. – ‘Iron Wall’ -As Rubio and Netanyahu spoke, Israel’s West Bank operation, dubbed “Iron Wall”, was pressing on. The Israeli military said that it has “neutralised over 10 terrorists”, while the Palestinian Ministry of Health said the operation has killed 10 people, and wounded 35 others.”The situation is very difficult,” Jenin governor Kamal Abu al-Rub told AFP. “The occupation army has bulldozed all the roads leading to Jenin camp and to the Jenin government hospital… There is shooting and explosions,” he added, referring to the Israeli military.Israeli forces have detained around 20 people from villages around Jenin since the operation began on Tuesday, he said.An AFP correspondent reported hearing gunfire and explosions from the northern city’s refugee camp, a hotbed of militancy where Israeli forces have carried out repeated raids.Qatari news channel Al Jazeera reported that its journalist Mohammed Al-Atrash had been arrested at his home by Palestinian forces “to prevent him from covering the Israeli operation” in Jenin.The raid in Jenin aims to counter “hundreds of terrorist attacks, both in Judea and Samaria (the occupied West Bank) and the rest of Israel,” military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said at a press briefing.He said that since the start of the Gaza war, Israel had seen “over 2,000 terror attack attempts” from the West Bank, adding that the army had “eliminated around 800 terrorists”.The Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry accused Israel of “collective punishment” and said the raid was part of an Israeli plan aimed at “gradually annexing the occupied West Bank”. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for “maximum restraint” from Israeli security forces and expressed deep concern.Violence has surged throughout the occupied West Bank since the Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023, after Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel.According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 848 Palestinians in the West Bank since the war began.During the same period, at least 29 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations in the territory, according to Israeli official figures.- Iran -Prime Minister Netanyahu said the raid aimed to “eradicate terrorism” in Jenin. He linked the operation to a broader strategy of countering Iran “wherever it sends its arms — in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen” and the West Bank.The Israeli government has accused Iran, which supports armed groups across the Middle East, including Hamas in Gaza, of attempting to funnel weapons and funds to militants in the West Bank.During a separate call on Wednesday Secretary of State Rubio spoke about Iran with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.In addition to Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, the pair discussed “the threats posed by Iran and its proxies”, according to a statement.Biden’s administration had pushed for a deal in which Saudi Arabia would recognise Israel in exchange for a defence pact with the United States and help on a civilian nuclear programme.That deal was put on ice after Hamas attacked Israel, triggering war in the Gaza Strip.

Yemen’s Huthis say freed detained ship’s crew after Gaza truce

Yemen’s Huthi rebels on Wednesday freed the crew of the merchant ship Galaxy Leader after detaining them for more than a year, citing the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas as motivation.Weeks after the war in the Gaza Strip broke out on October 7, 2023, the Iran-backed Huthis began launching attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in what they said was support for the Palestinians.At the start of their campaign, helicopter-borne rebels stormed the vehicle carrier Galaxy Leader and detained its 25 international crew.On Wednesday, the Huthi supreme council “announced the freeing of the crew of the Galaxy Leader, who were arrested on November 19, 2023 during the campaign in solidarity with Gaza”, the rebels’ Saba news agency said.It added that the release came “in support of the ceasefire” in the Palestinian territory, which began on Sunday.Saba said the crew were freed with the help of the Gulf sultanate of Oman.At a press conference held on the tarmac surrounded by the 25 crew members, a Hamas official hailed the “coordination” between his group and the Huthis that led to the crew’s release, according to footage aired by the rebel-affiliated Al-Masirah TV channel.Oman’s foreign ministry later confirmed that the crew — comprising the Bulgarian captain and second-in-command, 17 Filipinos, and a handful of Ukrainian, Romanian and Mexican sailors — had flown from Sanaa to Muscat aboard an Omani air force plane.Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos confirmed the release of the Filipinos who were detained, adding that they are now under the care of Manila’s Embassy in Oman. “It is with utmost joy that, after more than a year of captivity in Yemen, I announce the safe release of all seventeen Filipino seafarers, together with the rest of the crewmembers of M/V Galaxy Leader,” Marcos said in a statement. Bulgaria’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that “Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov dispatched the government plane” to bring their two citizens back home.- ‘Heartwarming news’ -UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg called the release of the crew “heartwarming news”.He also urged the Huthis to end “all maritime attacks”.International Maritime Organization chief Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement that it was “a moment of profound relief for all of us — not only for the crew and their families, but also to the wider maritime community”.Dominguez, whose UN agency deals with shipping security, called the release a testament to “diplomacy and dialogue, recognising innocent seafarers must not become collateral victims in wider geopolitical tensions”.Among the ships targeted by the Huthis were vessels the rebels believed were linked to Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom.The Bahamas-flagged, British-owned Galaxy Leader is operated by a Japanese firm but has links to Israeli businessman Abraham “Rami” Ungar.The rebels later opened the ship as an attraction for Yemeni tourists who were invited to visit the captured vessel, which was by then flying Yemeni and Palestinian flags, off the rebel-held province of Hodeida.Part of Iran’s “axis of resistance”, the Huthis have also repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel since the Gaza war began with Hamas’s 2023 attack.On Tuesday, they said that during the Gaza ceasefire they would limit their attacks to vessels linked to Israel.