The volunteers don their club's signature blue vest, the front and back embroidered with their emblem: a flaming motorbike and the Syrian flag.

The official said the gap between the two sides' negotiating positions was too wide. "I doubt that there will be any progress in these negotiations because the positions are too far apart," said the official.

Reports of the new talks in Cairo came as protesters in Israel's biggest city blocked a major road Saturday following demonstrations calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza. A key element of the ceasefire negotiations has been an agreement on releasing the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners...

The resolution demanding an "immediate ceasefire" was adopted Monday after Israel's closest ally the United States abstained. Washington insisted that its abstention, which followed numerous vetoes, did not mark a shift in policy, although it has taken an increasingly tougher line with Israel in recent weeks.

JERUSALEM - Israel's foreign minister said on Saturday the United Nations had become an "anti-Israeli body" under Antonio Guterres, after the UN chief called for a ceasefire on a visit to Gaza's border. International outrage over the heavy civilian toll and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israel battles Hamas fighters,...

Eight of the council's 10 non-permanent members have been working on the draft, which also calls for the "immediate and unconditional" release of hostages seized by Hamas and the lifting of "all barriers" to humanitarian aid flowing into the besieged Gaza Strip.

The Israeli prime minister's office said that Benjamin Netanyahu approved an Israeli delegation led by Mossad head David Barnea to go to Qatar" on Friday. Barnea was in Doha Monday but flew back home after talks were restarted following failed efforts to secure a truce before the holy month of...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabian consumers spent a total of SR11.68 billion ($3.12 billion) through point-of-sale transactions during the initial week of Ramadan, spanning from March 10 to March 16. The data, disclosed by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), outlines a total of 168 million transactions during this period....

"The situation of hunger, starvation and famine is a result of Israel’s extensive restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid and commercial goods, displacement of most of the population, as well as the destruction of crucial civilian infrastructure," UN human rights chief Volker Turk said.

The talks in the Qatari capital are the first after weeks of intense negotiations involving Qatari, US and Egyptian mediators failed to secure a truce between Israel and Hamas for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began last week. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has carried out a relentless...

Cairo, Egypt -  Historic al-Azhar Mosque marked its 1084th anniversary of its founding on March 17,  celebrated by al-Azhar ash-Sharif with distinguished scholars and leaders in attendance.  The event, held annually on the seventh day of Ramadan, features various activities highlighting the mosque's rich history, educational institutions, notable scholars, and...

DAMMAM, SAUDI ARABIA – With the increase in passenger traffic during Ramadan, the General Directorate of Passports is ramping up efforts to handle the increased number of arrivals at King Fahd Causeway and King Fahd International Airport here. The directorate's officers in Dammam are utilizing modern technology to expedite procedures...

Israel's military campaign against Gaza has killed at least 31,553 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. In Rafah, where the majority of Gaza's 2.4 million people have sought refuge, more bloodshed is feared after Israeli prime minister's office said he had approved plans for...

According to Cyprus foreign ministry spokesperson, the ship will depart for Gaza today even as US charity World Central Kitchen said that the Jennifer had been loaded with 240 tonnes of food but that rough weather made it hard to predict when it would set sail for the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian Territories - Displaced by Israeli bombardment, the Tabatibi family gathered in central Gaza to eat together during the first Friday night of Ramadan, a scene that soon turned into a bloodbath. An air strike hit the building where they were staying as women prepared the pre-fasting meal, killing 36...

Ramadan, when Muslims break their day-long fasts with large evening meals, usually means brisk business for Yemen's shops. But in a Taez market, customers were few and far between. Shopkeepers were standing idly by, displaying vegetables, herbs and grains in straw baskets outside their stores.

Arar, Saudi Arabia -- In a unique and creative initiative, families in Saudi Arabia's Northern Borders Region are using henna body paint to encourage children to fast during Ramadan. The practice involves drawing intricate henna patterns on the hands of young girls, often featuring symbols related to Ramadan and fasting. These...

The ongoing fasting month brings traditional practices and modern shopping habits together, impacting market trends significantly in the Gulf region.

"We are not near a deal, meaning that we are not seeing both sides converging on language that can resolve the current disagreement over the implementation of a deal," said foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari. He added that he could not "offer any timeline" on an agreement.

With the flow of food and other assistance slowed to a trickle, a UN report citing the territory's Hamas-run health ministry said 25 people have now died from malnutrition and dehydration, most of them children.

Logistical adaptations, strategic planning, and forecasting essential for addressing the unique demands of increased consumption during Ramadan, says Aramex's Tarek Abi Yaghi.

As the Muslim world welcomed Ramadan with the customary daytime fast, many Gazans awoke to bombardment that saw residents once more search through the rubble of destroyed homes for survivors and bodies.

"We have witnessed month after month of civilian killing and destruction at a level that is unprecedented in all my years as Secretary-General," he said.

Hamas chief said in a televised speech that Israel was unwilling to meet Hamas's conditions for a deal that would have seen hostages held by fighters exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Mediators had been pushing for a new truce in the war, now in its sixth month.

In his Ramadan message, King Salman while giving thanks for the blessings bestowed upon the kingdom said the war in Gaza would cast a shadow during the holy month. He said "our hearts are heavy with sorrow for the ongoing suffering of our Palestinian brothers facing relentless aggression."

In Saudi Arabia, the start of the holy month had been cast into doubt after some of the kingdom's observatories reported that the moon was obscured by "cloudy weather and dust particles". But final confirmation of the sighting came through the Al Majmaah University Astronomical Observatory in Riyadh.

With t-shirts and banners featuring the names and pictures of hostages seized during Hamas's October 7 attack, the crowd demanded swift action to rescue the remaining captives. Around 100 hostages remain in Gaza alive and 31 are presumed dead, Israel has said, a key source of demonstrators' despair.

Lagos, Nigeria - The holy fasting month of Ramadan begins early next week in Nigeria, with the worst economic crisis in a generation leaving many in Africa's most populous Muslim country struggling to buy food. With food inflation at around 35 percent, worshipers taking part in Friday prayers at the central...

Tunisians usually prepare for Ramadan -- when daytime fasting is followed by festive but often costly meals with family and friends -- by stocking up on large amounts of food. But this year things are different, with purchasing power greatly diminished because of soaring prices, a recession and rising unemployment.

In his annual State of the Union address to Congress, President Joe Biden said the US military would "lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the coast of Gaza that can receive large shipments carrying food, water medicine and temporary shelters."

Other parts of the Islamic world may be grappling with their own challenges, from conflicts to high inflation. But many Muslims say their thoughts are with Palestinians this year.

A senior Hamas official confirmed that the group's delegation in talks seeking a Gaza truce left Cairo for consultations in Doha, while voicing dissatisfaction with Israel's responses. "We are awaiting the final official response from the enemy (Israel)," said the official, who was involved in negotiations in Cairo but declined...

While negotiators in Cairo tried to surmount tough stumbling blocks, fighting again raged in Gaza where the UN warns famine looms and desperate crowds have stopped and looted food aid trucks. Gazans were waiting to collect bags of flour outside an office of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA,...

Palestinian Territories - A Hamas delegation was expected to fly to Cairo on Saturday for talks on a truce in Gaza, a source close to the group told AFP, as mediators scrambled to secure a deal. Egyptian, Qatari and US go-betweens have been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas negotiators, trying...

Biden had been planning air drops for some time but Thursday's incident "certainly underscored for the president" the need to find other ways to get aid in, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. The United States planned to carry out multiple air drops that would last weeks,...

United States has been pressing for a deal before Ramadan begins in which Israel would halt strikes in Gaza and hostages would be freed. The Israeli military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 29,954 people, mostly women and children, according to the latest figures by the health ministry in...

Doha, Qatar - Qatar is "hopeful" of a Gaza war ceasefire and is pushing for an agreement before Ramadan, its foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday. The gas-rich Gulf state, which hosts Hamas's political bureau, has been a key mediator in negotiations involving the Palestinian fighters, Israel, the United States and...

On Wednesday, Israel's parliament backed Netanyahu's proposal of opposing any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, with 99 out of 120 lawmakers voting in favor of it. The proposal voted in Israeli parliament said that any settlement would be "solely through direct negotiations between the parties and without any pre-conditions".

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The popular traditional food Harees is now inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi announced on Wednesday. Harees is a porridge-like dish that is most often eaten during important family gatherings, such as weddings,...

Tehran, Iran - The UN cultural agency on Wednesday recognized iftar, the meal that breaks the daytime fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, on its list of intangible cultural heritage. The application for the sociocultural tradition was jointly submitted by Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to the UN Educational,...

"(We're a) group of people that wants to end the situation of violence and the hatred between members of the two populations," said Khaled Abu Awad, the Palestinian partner in the initiative. Alaa, a 25-year-old Palestinian from Jerusalem, said he was attending for the first time and did not feel...

Baghdad, Iraq--Iraqi police arrested overnight almost 200 people in raids on illegal casinos where alcohol was served in defiance of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the interior ministry said Tuesday. The raids targeted four locations in Baghdad where games of blackjack and roulette had been underway, ministry spokesman Saad Maan...

Rabat has pledged that prices will soon fall, and announced several initiatives to tackle market speculation, but government spokesman Mustapha Baitas said the measures "have not had the expected results." In an attempt to stem the price rises, Rabat suspended exports of some products in early February, including tomatoes, to...

The delicacy of saltwater fish, buried in salt for weeks at a time, remains a staple as Egyptians celebrate on Monday the ancient spring festival of Sham al-Nessim. But it is as acclaimed as it is divisive, pitting those who complain of the pungent odour against others gleefully marrying feseekh...

The pro-Palestinian rallies follow months of unrest in Iran sparked by the September death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young women arrested for an alleged breach of strict dress rules. The rallies, an annual fixture since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, are held on the last Friday of Ramadan.

Paris, France - With flowing kaftans, fluid separates and glamorous maxi dresses, Western luxury fashion brands are increasingly targeting the monied Middle Eastern market with Ramadan capsule collections. "You're about to be the best-dressed person at every iftar and suhoor that you attend," declared Cosmopolitan Middle East magazine earlier this month...

Mohammed Fayez Balhan, 15, was killed after being shot "with live occupation (Israeli) bullets in the head, chest and abdomen", the Palestinian ministry said. An earlier statement said two people were injured by "occupation (Israeli) bullets".

VATICAN CITY, HOLY SEE - Pope Francis underlined his "deep concern" over a flare-up in tensions between Israel and Palestinians, as he led Easter Mass on Sunday. He said the renewed violence "threatens the desired climate of trust and mutual respect needed to resume dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians," as he...

The Russian foreign ministry said Lavrov, who last visited Turkey in June, will discuss the grain deal, which Moscow says it extended "as a gesture of goodwill for another 60 days". Turkey is pushing for a 120-day extension in compliance with the original agreement, which was negotiated by Ankara and...

Condemning the storming of Al-Aqsa mosque by Israeli forces and the beating of worshippers inside, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan termed it as crossing a "red line." He said that Turkey cannot stay silent in the face of these attacks. He was speaking during a dinner for those breaking daytime...