
Israel Says Fighter Jets Struck Houthi Targets in Yemen
"Air Force jets have just struck terror targets of the Houthi terrorist organization at the airport in Sanaa and destroyed the last aircraft remaining," Katz said in a statement.
"This is a clear message and a continuation of our policy: whoever fires at the State of Israel will pay a heavy price," he added.
The Israeli military said on Tuesday it intercepted a missile and a projectile in separate launches from Yemen toward Israel.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militias have continued to fire missiles at Israel in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, although they have agreed to halt attacks on US ships.
On May 6, Israeli strikes damaged the airport in Sanaa and killed several people.
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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Israel intercepts Houthi missile fired from Yemen
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen on Friday, which the Iran-backed Houthi militants said they had launched. 'Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted,' the Israeli military said. The Houthis targeted Israel's Ben Gurion airport 'using a 'Palestine 2' hypersonic ballistic missile,' their military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement. The militants have launched repeated missile and drone attacks against Israel since their Palestinian ally Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war. The Houthis, who say they are acting in support of the Palestinians, paused their attacks during a two-month ceasefire in Gaza that ended in March, but renewed them after Israel resumed major operations. Israel has carried out several retaliatory strikes in Yemen, targeting Houthi-held ports and the airport in the militant-held capital Sanaa.`


Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Turkiye's Balkans policy offers it a stronger role in Europe
When focusing on Turkiye's foreign policy, its role in the Middle East or its relationships with the EU and the US take the most attention. Although the Balkans has not been a priority in either Turkish policy debates or in public opinion, it has been strategically important for Turkiye throughout its modern history. Given its geopolitical significance, Turkiye maintains a calculated policy toward this region, maintaining a balanced relationship with all actors there. As part of this policy, Turkiye launched a new diplomatic initiative for the Balkans — the Balkan Peace Platform — which held its inaugural meeting in Istanbul last week. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who chaired the meeting, announced that the platform would convene informally every six months, with Istanbul serving as the host for the time being. The meeting brought together high-level officials from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania. The Turkish-led platform's aim is to promote dialogue in the region, whose stability and security is not only critical for Turkiye but also for Europe. The Balkans region connects Europe, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. However, it has a long history of conflict and great powers have competing interests there. This complex past has even led to the emergence of the term 'Balkanization,' which refers to a region marked by conflict, fragmentation and persistent instability. Recalling the region's history of chronic instability, Fidan warned that 'missed opportunities' can lead to serious economic and security consequences, emphasizing the need for 'regional solutions to regional problems.' The Western Balkans is a region where Russia and the Western powers maintain a particular strategic interest. In this context, Turkiye neither positions itself as a counterbalance to Russia nor as an alternative to the EU or the US. Instead, it seeks to play the role of a stabilizing force. At the heart of Turkiye's Balkans policy is the long-standing Serbia-Kosovo dispute, which is one of Europe's most serious challenges. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has since been recognized by several countries, including Turkiye. However, Belgrade has never accepted Kosovo's independence. Ankara, meanwhile, maintains strong diplomatic relations with both sides. In 2017, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid an official visit to Serbia, where he was received with an unprecedented level of warmth. With this visit, Turkiye placed the last piece in its Balkans puzzle. During its presidency of the South-East European Cooperation Process, Ankara also established the Turkiye-Bosnia-Serbia and Turkiye-Bosnia-Croatia tripartite dialogue mechanisms. These initiatives were part of its inclusive foreign policy approach in the Balkans. Maintaining good relations with all regional actors is key for protecting minority communities. This is a core principle of Turkiye's Balkans policy. Most importantly, Turkiye's Balkans policy closely aligns with broader Western goals. The Western Balkan states share aspirations to join both the EU and NATO and Ankara supports these goals. It has actively backed the accession of Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia to NATO and supports their official candidacy for EU membership. This support reflects Ankara's strategic aim of maintaining a strong presence in the region ahead of these countries joining the EU. The region connects Europe, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. However, it has a long history of conflict. Dr. Sinem Cengiz Besides political support, Turkiye has free trade agreements with all of the Western Balkan states and is undertaking ambitious infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the Belgrade-Sarajevo motorway, which represents an ambitious Turkish investment at the heart of the Western Balkans. Improving infrastructure in the region is seen as a critical step toward supporting its integration into the EU. In addition, Turkiye is advancing its energy strategy in the region through new agreements. Most recently, it signed memorandums of energy cooperation with both Bulgaria and Romania. Turkiye also continues to assert itself as a security actor in the Balkans. It is already part of NATO's Kosovo Force, assuming the mission's command for the first time in 2023. Among the NATO member states and partner countries contributing to this mission, Turkiye holds the second-largest military contingent. In March, Turkiye took steps to ratify broad military framework agreements with Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, allowing it to deepen its defense cooperation with these countries. In May, military leaders from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro gathered in Istanbul to reaffirm regional military cooperation, offering a rare display of unity. The timing of the meeting was particularly significant as the Balkan states are significantly affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. They are divided in their ties with the US and Russia, having varying threat perceptions toward these global actors. For example, Albanians largely see the US and, to some extent, Turkiye as key allies. Bosnians also tend to pivot toward Turkiye as their key partner, while Serbia continues to align itself closely with Russia. This reflects the complex picture in the Balkans, where the US, Russia and Turkiye, as well as EU states, all wield influence. However, despite these rivalries, Turkiye's carefully balanced policy, supported by diplomacy, military and economic incentives, not only provides it with a unique opportunity to solidify its role in the Balkans, but it also increases its leverage in Europe. Most importantly, Turkiye's involvement in the Balkan security, political and economic architecture should be seen as an asset by the EU, and the broader West, because Ankara's pursuit of close ties with the Balkan states aims to complement and reinforce Europe's broader objectives for this region.


Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Wesal program looks to empower expats with work-based Arabic-language skills
RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language launched its Wesal program on Thursday. Wesal is an educational initiative intended to help non-native speakers working in Saudi Arabia's public and private sectors. The program aims to provide linguistic training opportunities within institutional training plans, as part of the academy's initiatives to 'empower the Arabic language in professional and organizational contexts,' according to a statement. The three-month program will be held at the academy's headquarters in Riyadh, with a flexible schedule tailored to accommodate participants' work hours and commitments. Abdullah Al-Washmi, secretary-general of the KSGAAL, told Arab News: 'The Wesal program represents a qualitative step in activating the Arabic language and strengthening its presence in professional and practical fields across the public and private sectors, reflecting the academy's role in developing multilingual work environments within the Kingdom. 'Through Wesal we seek to equip a wide segment of non-Arabic-speaking professionals with functional language communication tools, enhancing their performance and deepening their connection to the national culture and identity. This program underscores the academy's commitment to its educational and developmental responsibilities, as well as its role in supporting the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Human Capability Development Program,' he continued. The program covers aspects of the Arabic language focusing on key skills that support the functional use of Arabic in professional settings. It also includes content intended to enhance trainees' ability to perform their tasks efficiently within the context of Saudi culture, Al-Washmi explained. The new program is part of the academy's mission to consolidate the Arabic language and enhance its use across all fields of knowledge and communication, he added. Saad Al-Qahtani, head of the Educational Programs Sector at KSGAAL, told Arab News that the Wesal program offers communicative and functional content relevant to the real world of the workplace. It focuses on teaching Arabic in realistic administrative and professional contexts, away from traditional curricula of a general or academic nature, he said, and is based on a curriculum developed by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, but adapts activities and vocabulary to serve functional communication skills, such as writing official mail, handling administrative forms and participating in and managing meetings, while incorporating local administrative and cultural terminology. According to Al-Qahtani, the program adopts an initial language diagnostic mechanism to determine trainees' levels, in addition to gradually adapting the content to suit different levels. The design of language activities also takes into account the use of visual and contextual methods, employing intermediate language when necessary, and providing examples from diverse work environments to ensure greater inclusiveness and flexibility. Although the program has not yet received official accreditation from the relevant authorities in the Kingdom, its reliance on the CEFR framework aligns it with international best practices and paves the way for its future adoption as a recognized professional standard in the Saudi labor market, Al-Qahtani said. Bandar Al-Jasir, executive partner at public relations firm Syaq, told Arab News that he expects Arabic proficiency to become a seriously considered element in professional assessment, especially for positions that require deeper engagement with the local audience. Al-Jasir said that Saudi Arabia is leading efforts to build 'culturally aware artificial intelligence tools' and that the 'next challenge' is to ensure that these tools enhance the richness of the Arabic language, with human verification remaining a key element. The priority for business solutions, he believes, should be the Arabization of operating systems and user interfaces, the provision of effective language training programs, and the development of smart tools that handle Arabic with contextual awareness. Using Arabic internally naturally enhances corporate identity, according to Al-Jasir, who added that the 'real challenge' facing the Arabic language today is to preserve it in everyday conversation, particularly since English is becoming ever more widely used in 'informal business communication.'