Saudi Crown Prince says Israel must not attack Iran, expresses shock over war crimes in Gaza
Indicating improving ties between the two major powerhouses in the Middle East, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged international community...
Geostrategy
Arab, Muslim leaders fly to Saudi Arabia for talks on Gaza, Lebanon
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Arab and Muslim leaders have begun arriving in Saudi Arabia for a summit scheduled for Monday that...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Fighting rages in Gaza City’s Shujaiya for fourth day
A Hamas official in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, confirmed that the Islamist movement had received the latest proposal but said it...
- Months of on-and-off talks towards a Gaza truce and hostage release deal have meanwhile made little progress
- Hamas said Saturday that there was "nothing new" in a revised plan presented by US mediators
Geostrategy
Short fuses in Egypt as blackouts stretch into sweltering summer
Cairo, Egypt -- At least once a day, the hum of every fan, air conditioner and fridge across Egypt goes quiet....
- A decade ago, Egypt faced similar power cuts, which helped fuel popular discontent and protests against the short-lived presidency of late Mohamed Morsi.
- The present-day blackouts come as Egyptians face the worst economic crisis of their lives, with inflation and currency devaluations shredding savings and leaving families strugglin
Geostrategy
Israel carrier says Turkish workers refused to refuel plane
Jerusalem, Undefined -- Israel's national carrier El Al said Sunday its Warsaw to Tel Aviv flight was not allowed to refuel...
- The plane then took off to Rhodes in Greece where "it will refuel before taking off to Israel", the airline said.
- Relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated since the war in Gaza broke out on October 7, with all direct flights between the two countries cancelled since.
Economy
China factory activity contracts for second straight month
Beijing, China - Factory activity in China shrank for a second straight month in June, data showed Sunday, underscoring the country's...
- The manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) registered at 49.5 in June, identical to May's figure, according to the National Bureau of Statistics
- Policymakers are due to convene in the capital Beijing in mid-July for a highly anticipated political gathering expected to focus on economic recovery
Geostrategy
Hamas official says ‘nothing new’ in US Gaza proposals
Hamas insists on a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. Hamdan said the...
- A plan presented last month by President Biden, which he said was proposed by Israel, included a six-week truce accompanied by an Israeli withdrawal from densely populated areas
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will continue the war until Hamas is totally defeated and all hostages are freed
Geostrategy
Fighting for third day in north Gaza as thousands displaced
Palestinian Territories -- Explosions, air strikes and gunfire rattled northern Gaza on Saturday, the third day of an Israeli military...
- An AFP correspondent reported ongoing explosions from the Shujaiya area near Gaza City, with a resident saying bodies were visible on the streets.
- The United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA estimated that "about 60,000 to 80,000 people were displaced" from the area this week.
Geostrategy
European Union chief in Egypt for joint investment conference
"At this conference, European companies are signing over 20 new deals ... which are worth over 40 billion euros," Ursula...
- The strategic partnership deal provides the financial support in exchange for boosting energy sales to Europe and stemming migration.
- Egypt, the Arab world's most populous nation, is in dire need of financial help as it weathers a severe economic crisis marked by rapid inflation.
Reformist hopes for breakthrough as Iran goes to polls
Tehran, Iran - Iranians voted in a presidential election on Friday marked by a lone reformist's bid to break through against...
- The ballot in 58,000 polling stations comes against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions over the Gaza war and discontent over the state of Iran's sanctions-hit economy
- If no candidate wins 50 percent of the vote, a second round will be held on July 5, for only the second time in Iranian electoral history after the 2005 vote went to a runoff
Geostrategy
Polls open in Iran for presidential election amidst vote boycott calls
Polls in Iran opened on Friday for a presidential election following the death of ultraconservative president Ebrahim Raisi in a...
- Around 61 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the polls
- Khamenei: "the most qualified candidate" must be "the one who truly believes in the principles of the Islamic Revolution" of 1979
Geostrategy
Palestinians flee as Israeli forces return to Gaza’s north
The flare-up in the northern Gaza Strip's Shujaiya district, which witnesses and medics said caused numerous casualties, comes as fears...
- Gaza City's Al-Ahli hospital, said the facility had so far received seven "martyrs including four children" and more than 40 others who were wounded.
- In Gaza, fighting has ground on despite comments Sunday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the "intense phase" of the war was winding down.
Saudi Crown Prince says Israel must not attack Iran, expresses shock over war crimes in Gaza
Indicating improving ties between the two major powerhouses in the Middle East, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged international community...
Geostrategy
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Saied re-elected Tunisia president with 90.7% of the vote
Tunis, Tunisia - Kais Saied has been re-elected president of Tunisia with 90.69 percent of votes cast, electoral authority ISIE said...
HRW: Israeli strikes endanger civilians on Lebanon-Syria border
Human Rights Watch said the strikes were "impeding civilians trying to flee and disrupting humanitarian operations", adding: "The situation places...
Geostrategy
Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack
Israel began its commemorations Monday of the one-year anniversary of Hamas's deadly October 7 attack, with an outpouring of emotion...
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Geostrategy
Dubai’s night beaches a cool solution to summer heat
With temperatures regularly topping 40 degrees Celsius, outdoor activities are severely limited. More than one million people have visited the...
- For residents of Dubai, a coast-hugging, desert metropolis of about 3.7 million people, the hot season from June to October is an annual trial.
- The city now has more than 800 meters (yards) of designated night beaches fitted with shark nets and illuminated by giant, bright floodlights.
Business
Casino operator Wynn wins UAE’s first commercial gaming license
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- US casino operator Wynn has received the first commercial gaming operator's license to be issued in...
- The license was issued by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, which was set up last year to allow for commercial gaming licenses to be issued in the Gulf Arab state
- Wynn operates casinos in Las Vegas and Boston as well as in Macau, a Chinese territory close to Hong Kong.
Geostrategy
Israeli airstrikes escalate in Lebanon as UN and Macron demand urgent ceasefire and de-escalation
As Israeli airstrikes rock Beirut, the UN demands peace and hostages’ release, and Macron criticizes Israel’s military actions, warning against...
- The UN secretary-general denounced Hamas and called for an immediate end to the "shocking violence and bloodshed" in Gaza and Lebanon
- French President Emmanuel Macron called Saturday for a halt on arms deliveries to Israel for use in Gaza, provoking a sharp response from Israeli PM Netanyahu