Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Yemen’s Houthis claimed on Wednesday that they had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib governorate, an assertion that would mark a significant escalation in the renewed fighting between the group and Saudi Arabia if independently confirmed. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the aircraft was hit while conducting operations over Marib and was brought down by what he described as […]
Houthi forces in Yemen are experimenting with advanced maritime weapons, including possible “loitering torpedoes”, as evidence points to efforts to expand their arsenal and reduce dependence on imported systems. Conflict Armament Research said investigators had identified navigation modules and propellers that could be used in such torpedoes, technology it has not documented in the possession of any other armed group. The organisation said the components could allow […]
Saudi warplanes struck Houthi positions across Yemen on Wednesday as the Iran-aligned movement pressed territorial gains along the Red Sea coast and widened attacks on Saudi targets, intensifying a new front in the Middle East war. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Saudi aircraft had carried out as many as 450 strikes during the week. Officials from Yemen’s internationally recognised government acknowledged that their forces and Saudi […]
Yemen’s Houthi movement said on Wednesday that it had shot down a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 fighter jet over Marib province, a claim that Saudi authorities had not confirmed and that could not immediately be independently verified. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the aircraft was brought down with a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile while conducting what he described as hostile operations over Marib. He gave […]
The Ministry of External Affairs said Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires was called in and a strong protest lodged over what it described as “unacceptable and unprofessional conduct” by Pakistani naval units. The ministry said the conduct led to a collision with a unit of the Indian Navy and urged Pakistan’s authorities to ensure that military units exercise due care and observe existing bilateral agreements.
The collision occurred on Tuesday while a frontline warship from India was conducting what officials described as a routine surveillance mission. Officials from India said a Pakistan Navy vessel approached at high speed before the vessels collided. No major damage was reported, and there was no immediate public statement from Pakistan’s government or military responding to New Delhi’s account.
India also instructed its top diplomat in Islamabad to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry. The exchange elevated what could otherwise have remained a maritime safety incident into a formal diplomatic dispute between two nuclear-armed neighbours whose military contacts are governed by a series of confidence-building arrangements.
New Delhi said the episode breached a 1991 bilateral agreement covering military exercises, manoeuvres and troop movements. Under that agreement, naval ships and submarines of the two countries are required to remain at least three nautical miles apart in international waters to reduce the risk of accidents. India’s foreign ministry said the Charge d’Affaires had been asked to convey the need for all military units to respect those provisions and prevent a recurrence.
Pakistan had not, as of Wednesday afternoon, issued its own description of the encounter, leaving key operational details — including the precise movements of the vessels before impact — based on India’s official account. No ship names, casualty reports or detailed damage assessments were released publicly by either side.
The incident is the clearest publicly acknowledged military encounter between the neighbours since four days of hostilities in May 2025. That fighting followed an April 22 attack on tourists in Pahalgam, in Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 people. India blamed Pakistan for supporting cross-border terrorism, an allegation Islamabad rejected, and the crisis developed into missile, drone and artillery exchanges before both sides announced an understanding to halt the fighting.
Relations have remained strained since then despite the cessation of large-scale hostilities. Diplomatic ties had already been downgraded in 2019 amid disagreements over Kashmir, and neither country currently posts an ambassador in the other’s capital, with missions headed by Charges d’Affaires.
The latest protest focused narrowly on maritime conduct rather than broader political disputes. India’s statement did not announce retaliatory military measures or new diplomatic restrictions, and it called instead for compliance with the bilateral framework designed to prevent accidents between armed forces operating near one another.
The northern Arabian Sea is routinely used by both navies for patrols, exercises and surveillance. The 1991 agreement was intended to create practical safeguards at times of tension, alongside notification procedures for certain military activities. Its distance requirement gives commanders a defined separation standard when vessels or submarines from the two countries encounter each other beyond territorial waters.
The military relationship remains sensitive because both countries maintain forces across the Line of Control in Kashmir and continue to accuse each other of hostile activity. Their 2025 confrontation demonstrated how quickly a security incident can widen across domains, although neither government indicated on Wednesday that the naval collision had triggered wider force movements or changes in military posture.
Tuesday’s collision did not produce the kind of damage that would normally force a ship out of service, according to India’s account. The absence of reported casualties limited the immediate operational consequences, but the diplomatic summons ensured the episode received attention at the highest working level between the two foreign ministries.
Germany’s hospitals are accelerating preparations for a potential wartime surge of wounded patients, with military planners warning that a NATO conflict could send hundreds of casualties into the health system each day. The Bundeswehr has built scenarios involving 300 to 1,000 wounded service personnel arriving daily, a scale that would rapidly overwhelm Germany’s five military hospitals and require extensive use of civilian facilities. Military medical planners say […]
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Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia is broadening international security contacts as Iran-backed Houthi forces consolidate positions along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, with Britain backing Riyadh and reports of Israeli intelligence co-operation emerging as the kingdom confronts missile, drone and maritime threats. The Saudi outreach has accelerated after Houthi forces captured territory and islands around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow waterway linking the Red Sea with […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply at the start of the week, with only four commodity vessels recorded transiting the strategic waterway on Monday as attacks across the Middle East intensified. Preliminary ship-tracking data from Kpler showed the Monday total was down from 10 vessels on Sunday, extending a prolonged decline in commercial traffic through a passage that remains central to […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Silicon Central Mall has become the first operating hub for Keeta Drone’s food delivery service in Dubai, linking participating restaurants with customers around Dubai Silicon Oasis through approved autonomous flights. The service is operating after clearance from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, with customers able to place eligible food and beverage orders through the Keeta app. Drones depart from Silicon Central Mall and […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Oil prices rose on Tuesday as renewed attacks on Saudi Arabia and the continued shutdown of the kingdom’s East-West pipeline kept traders focused on the risk of further disruption to Middle East crude supplies. Brent crude climbed $1.24 to $106.93 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate gained $1.29 to $102.65 in Asian trading. The move followed another wave of Houthi attacks on […]
The revised Beijing Unmanned Aircraft Management Regulations, approved by the municipal legislature this month, designate the entire municipality as controlled airspace and prohibit individuals and organisations from keeping drones or key components unless they fall within specified exemptions. Transporting or carrying such equipment into Beijing will also be barred.
The rules mark a significant escalation from restrictions introduced on May 1, when Beijing prohibited drone sales and rentals, required real-name registration and made all outdoor flights subject to approval. Existing owners were previously allowed to retain registered aircraft, but that arrangement will end when the amended regulations take effect.
Authorities have opened several channels for residents to dispose of devices before the deadline. Owners may sell drones at government-approved buyback points, surrender them for recycling, send them outside Beijing by post or carry them out of the municipality themselves. Subsidies are available to individuals whose drones had completed the required police information verification.
For buybacks completed between September 12 and October 31, the subsidy is set at 30 per cent of the transaction price, capped at 3,000 yuan per drone. The rate falls to 15 per cent, with a 1,500-yuan ceiling, for transactions from November 1 to November 14. Scrapping payments are 200 yuan per drone before November and 100 yuan during the first two weeks of November, while eligible postal transfers outside Beijing are free.
The regulations retain exemptions for activities judged necessary for counter-terrorism, emergency rescue, major events, teaching, scientific research, industrial production, agriculture and certain sporting purposes. Such users must undergo security assessment and operate under designated safeguards, while authorised flights remain subject to national aviation requirements.
Beijing’s move follows the June 26 crash of a two-seat Sunward SA 60L Aurora light sport aircraft into Citic Tower, also known as China Zun, in the capital’s central business district. The aircraft struck the 528-metre tower shortly before 6pm after departing from an airfield roughly 50 kilometres east of central Beijing.
The pilot, the only person aboard, was killed and 13 people were injured. Chaoyang district authorities later said the aircraft had left its approved flying area during a solo flight and lost contact with the airport before hitting the skyscraper.
Investigators described the episode as a public-safety incident caused by personal factors involving the pilot. Authorities said he had suffered long-term insomnia and anxiety and that writings recovered during the investigation contained references to ending his life. The finding drew attention to how a light aircraft was able to enter tightly controlled airspace over the capital.
Citic Tower, headquarters of state-owned Citic Group, stands in Beijing’s Chaoyang district near the East Third Ring Road. The impact damaged the building’s glass facade, triggered an evacuation and scattered debris around the surrounding business area.
Beijing had already classified its full administrative territory as controlled airspace for unmanned aircraft. Under the May rules, outdoor drone flights required prior approval from air-traffic authorities, while sales, rentals and the establishment of new storage sites were restricted. Police also introduced information-verification requirements for existing owners, a process that ended on July 31.
The amended framework removes the general option for ordinary residents to keep registered drones inside the municipality. Once the November rules take effect, police will be authorised to inspect storage arrangements, confiscate unlawfully held equipment and impose penalties on individuals and organisations that breach the controls.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Monday that its air defences had intercepted and destroyed an MQ-1 unmanned aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz, adding another disputed military incident to the escalating confrontation with the United States around the strategic waterway. The IRGC said its Aerospace Force used a new air-defence system operating under Iran’s integrated air-defence network to engage the aircraft above the strait. It […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Oman has called for new liquefied natural gas export routes that can bypass the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that the months-long disruption to the Gulf’s main energy artery has exposed a critical weakness in global gas supply chains. Energy and Minerals Minister Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi told the Gastech conference in Bangkok on Monday that producers and consumers needed to examine infrastructure […]
President Donald Trump has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, arguing that the strikes are worsening a global diesel shortage as fuel prices climb sharply in the United States. Trump said on Sunday that he had already spoken directly with Zelenskyy about the issue and wanted Ukraine to select other targets inside Russia. Speaking during a visit to Ireland, he said Ukrainian […]
A commercial vessel was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, triggering a fire and an evacuation as fresh attacks intensified concerns over Middle East oil supplies. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said the vessel was hit while transiting the strategic waterway and that local authorities were assisting those on board. UKMTO initially said the extent of damage, the crew’s condition and […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia has temporarily stopped its East-West oil pipeline after multiple drone attacks damaged sections of the route, tightening pressure on crude exports as shipping disruptions intensify around the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea. The Energy Ministry said the pipeline was shut as a precaution after strikes on September 10 in the Riyadh and Madinah regions. Several people were injured, while emergency […]
Nepal has put the reconstruction requirement from the devastating August 26 floods at about $4.78 billion, sharply exceeding the government’s initial estimate of direct physical damage and economic losses. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the figure came from a Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment prepared after floods tore through northern river valleys, destroying homes, transport links, hydropower facilities and other critical infrastructure. The assessment estimated direct […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned Iran’s missile attack on Jordan, declaring it a flagrant violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty and a threat to its security and stability. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that Abu Dhabi stood in full solidarity with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and supported all measures taken to safeguard its security and stability. The […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Several US combat aircraft were damaged when Iranian ballistic missiles struck Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, with about eight F-15 fighters sustaining light damage and returning to service, according to people familiar with the damage assessment. An A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft was hit severely and left with major wing damage, the assessment indicated. The extent of repairs required for that aircraft […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Etihad Salam Telecom Company signed 29 strategic partnerships during LEAP 2026 in Riyadh, using the four-day technology gathering to widen its portfolio across connectivity, cloud services, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and enterprise digital solutions. The company, known as Salam, said the agreements formed the centrepiece of its participation as a strategic sponsor and supported its shift from a traditional telecommunications provider towards an integrated […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The United Arab Emirates is accelerating alternative routes for energy exports and trade to reduce its exposure to disruption from the war with Iran, presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said on Monday. “Our energy exports will not be held hostage, nor will our trade and economic activity,” Gargash told the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi, saying the government was expanding port capacity on the […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Vice President JD Vance has rejected describing the United States’ confrontation with Iran as a war, arguing that major combat operations ended weeks ago despite a sharp renewal of strikes across the Gulf. “I wouldn’t call it a war,” Vance told reporters at a White House briefing on Thursday. “Right now, there is no active shooting.” He acknowledged that fighting had flared in […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Keeta Drone has resumed commercial drone deliveries in Dubai after securing regulatory approvals from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, restarting service from Silicon Central Mall to eligible areas around Dubai Silicon Oasis. The company said customers can place food orders through the Keeta app from participating restaurants and beverage outlets, with autonomous drones carrying eligible deliveries to designated collection points. Orders can be […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A drone struck a residential complex in Kuwait’s Capital Governorate before dawn on Wednesday, igniting a fire that firefighters contained without casualties, authorities said, as renewed Iranian attacks spread across Gulf states hosting United States forces. Kuwait Fire Force spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Al-Gharib said crews from the Al-Hilali and Al-Madina fire stations responded immediately after the complex was hit by what the […]
