Sharaa’s US visit: Syria joins alliance against Islamic State after White House talks
Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, was the first Syrian leader to visit the...
Geostrategy
Israel confirms remains returned are officer Goldin killed in 2014 Gaza war
Jerusalem, Undefined - Israel said the remains it received on Sunday from Hamas were those of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, an...
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Geostrategy
Asian countries score high in keenly watched PISA education survey
Paris, France - Asian countries dominated the top spots in a keenly watched survey of education capabilities published Tuesday, while levels...
- Singapore took top ranking in the latest assessment, which was carried out in 2022 and involved 690,000 students in 81 participating countries and economies
- Five other Asian education systems -- in Macao, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea -- came next in mathematics, and also scored near the top in reading and science
Geostrategy
Gaza situation approaching humanity’s ‘darkest hour’, says WHO
Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO's representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, said that since the start of the war, there had...
- Eighteen of the Gaza Strip's 36 hospitals are still functioning in any capacity: three are providing basic first aid only, while the rest are delivering partial services
- UNICEF spokesman James Elder said that with the population on the move, in two hours "there are 5,000 people where there was no-one previously".
COP28 UAE
COP28 draft agreement includes option to do nothing on fossil fuels
The fate of oil, gas and coal is the thorniest issue being thrashed out at the COP28 UN climate talks...
- The draft of global climate agreement forms the basis of negotiations that will unfold in coming days, with a final text expected in theory by December 12
- It is a formal response to the "global stocktake", a damning report card published in September that highlighted how little the world had done to confront the climate crisis
Geostrategy
US envoy to promote Yemen peace despite Houthi attacks
Since the Gaza war, the Houthi rebels have seized an Israeli-linked cargo vessel and fired ballistic missiles at various targets....
- Houthi rebels, who have ties to Iran and control much of Yemen, have targeted Israeli-linked vessels in avowed solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war
- State Department spokesman told reporters that the "provocative and dangerous attacks" by the rebels have "threatened almost two years of progress to end Yemen war
COP28 UAE
‘Unintended consequences’: friction at COP28 over green trade
Inside the negotiating rooms and on the sidelines of the COP28 climate talks, simmering tensions over wealthy countries' "green trade"...
- WTO has received about 18,000 complaints over green policies yet trade was still often overlooked by climate policymakers, director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said
- Concerns have also been raised that these kind of climate policies may make it harder for another nation to sell their goods or access clean energy technology
COP28 UAE
Saudi Arabia spurns fossil fuel phaseout push at COP28
A tentative "phasedown/out" was included in a first draft of an agreement on climate action that delegates are haggling over...
- UN chief called for a total phaseout of fossil fuels, warning "complete disaster" awaits mankind
- Saudi Arabia has revamped its energy sources, invested in renewables and improved energy-efficiency
Geostrategy
Hamas refutes accusations of sexual violence in Israel attacks
Hamas statement comes days after UN Women said it was "alarmed by the numerous accounts of gender-based atrocities" during the...
- Israeli police say they have gathered evidence of sexual violence by Hamas fighters
- Hamas rejected claims by women and advocacy groups as part of "a series" of Israeli "lies"
Geostrategy
UN warns of ‘hellish scenario’ as aid to Gaza stalls
According to Lynn Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, the conditions required to deliver aid to "the people...
- Expressing his regret, the UN official said "nowhere is safe in Gaza and there is nowhere left to go"
- Hastings rejected the idea of "safe zones" urged upon Israel by the US government
Geostrategy
Masdar City to construct region’s first net-zero energy mosque
Abu Dhabi, UAE - Masdar City, an Abu Dhabi, UAE-based sustainability and innovation hub dedicated to making all cities a...
- The mosque’s total energy requirements were reduced by 35 percent compared to international baselines using passive design
- Low-flow water fixtures, drought-resistant landscaping, and the use of recycled water for irrigation will reduce water use by 55 percent
Business
Saudi, Turkish firms ink 8 deals to boost Riyadh-Ankara business
Istanbul, Turkey - Saudi and Turkish companies, part of the Saudi-Turkish Business Council, signed eight trade agreements to strengthen trade...
- The firms discussed investment opportunities in the two countries, especially those envisaged in the Saudi Vision 2030 and Turkish economy.
- The volume of trade between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye reached SAR22 billion ($5,864,813,240) in 2022, recording a growth rate of 32.6 percent.
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Sharaa’s US visit: Syria joins alliance against Islamic State after White House talks
Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, was the first Syrian leader to visit the...
Geostrategy
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Trump says wants ‘real end’ to Israel-Iran conflict, not ceasefire
Trump said that he wanted a "complete give-up" by Iran in return for peace, without elaborating on the outcome he...
Geostrategy
MENA brief Jun 17: ADNOC Drilling appoints new CEO, Riyadh up in startup ranking
The DMCC Crypto Centre welcomed Bitcoin.com, which is setting up its first MENA office in Dubai. The Arab Coordination Group...
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China’s Xi in Kazakhstan to cement Central Asia ties
Astana, Kazakhstan - Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Central Asian leaders at a summit in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, his...
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G7 urges Iran de-escalation as Trump makes hasty summit exit as ally Israel pounds Iran
The G7 statement said that Israel "has a right to defend itself" and stressed "the importance of the protection of...
- After a day of statements backing diplomacy, Trump ominously took to social media to sound a warning to the people of the Iranian capital Tehran
- But after hesitating at backing a joint statement on the crisis, Trump relented during a dinner at the forested lodge under the snow-capped mountains in Kananaskis
Geostrategy
Day 4: Tehran residents flee Israeli attacks as casualties mount
Images verified by AFP, shot by a social media user from an overpass, showed near immobile traffic on a Tehran...
- Iran's health ministry says at least 224 people have been killed and more than 1,200 wounded.
- Iran foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called the strike on state TV a "war crime".
Geostrategy
France shuts Israeli weapons industry booths at Paris Air Show
The decision added drama to the major aerospace industry event, which was already under the shadow of last week's deadly...
- The booths displayed "offensive weapons" that could be used in Gaza -- in violation of agreements with Israeli authorities, a French government source told AFP.
- The companies -- Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael, Uvision, Elbit and Aeronautics -- make drones and guided bombs and missiles.