Israel, Hamas agree to first phase of peace plan: To include release of hostages, aid into Gaza
In a dramatic moment, AFP journalists saw US Secretary of State Marco Rubio interrupt an event at the White House...
Geostrategy
Pro-Gaza protests flare in UK on anniversary of Hamas attack
London, United Kingdom - Thousands of students protested in London and other UK cities on Tuesday, defying a plea from...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Ukraine peace talks seem a remote possibility, says UN chief
CUACOS, SPAIN - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said peace negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine were "not possible at this...
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he hoped it was possible "in the future" to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.
- The UN chief's statement came as the leaders of Russia and Ukraine called for victory during events commemorating the end of World War II.
Geostrategy
Israel defends Gaza attacks even as its rights record criticized
Israel told the UN it was justified in carrying out strikes on Gaza, even as its overall human rights record...
- The Israeli army said that in its Gaza air strikes, it had targeted three leaders of Islamic Jihad, which it considers legitimate target.
- Gaza health ministry said four children were among those killed and 20 people were wounded, some of them in serious or critical condition.
Geostrategy
Syrian, Turkish foreign ministers meeting boost for Erdogan
The sides will "exchange views on the normalization of relations between Turkey and Syria, discuss humanitarian issues... and the voluntary,...
- The top diplomats of Russia and Iran will also be a part of the meeting in Moscow, Turkey's foreign ministry said in a statement.
- Erdogan had turned into one of Assad's fiercest opponents when the violent repression of protests set off Syria's civil war in 2011.
Business
Global tourism industry is on track to reach pre-pandemic levels
MADRID, SPAIN - The World Tourism Barometer published its second report of the year, which showed that international tourism is...
- During Q1 2023, twice as many people traveled internationally than in the same period of 2022, with 235 million estimated tourists.
- The report revealed that international arrivals have reached 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2023.
Geostrategy
UN says over 700,000 displaced within Sudan since beginning of conflict
Heavy fighting in Sudan has displaced 700,000 people within the country since the middle of April, the United Nations said,...
- Even before the beginning of the fighting, 3.7 million people were registered as internally displaced in Sudan.
- Another 150,000 people have fled Sudan since the beginning of the conflict, as per numbers released by the UN refugee agency.
Economy
UAE and US climate farming fund swells to US$13 billion
Thanks to the jump in the fund, the Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate, launched in 2021, now surpasses its...
- Projects such as greener fertilizers are underway that use less fossil fuels to create, and returning to so-called "regenerative agriculture" practices that restore biodiversity
- US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and his Emirati counterpart Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, are co-hosting an AIM for Climate Summit in Washington this week
Geostrategy
Canada expels Chinese diplomat, Beijing threatens retaliation
China said it had filed an official protest over breaches of international law and diplomatic norms, and accused Canada of...
- Candian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly declared the diplomat "persona non grata" and said "Canada would not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs"
- According to a source familiar with the matter, Zhao Wei, an official at the Chinese consulate in Toronto at the heart of the affair, has been asked to leave Canada
Geostrategy
Top Palestinian fighter among 12 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza
According to the health ministry of the Hamas-ruled Gaza, 12 people were killed, including women and children. Among the deceased...
- The Israeli attack on Gaza comes less than a week after Islamic Jihad declared an Egypt-brokered truce, in the wake of a fresh surge in violence
- Cross-border fire between Israel and Gaza fighters raged in the wake of the death in Israeli detention of Khader Adnan, who was on hunger strike for 87 days
Geostrategy
EU cancels Europe Day reception in Tel Aviv over Ben-Gvir participation
the EU delegation to Israel said it would still celebrate Europe Day on Tuesday but regretted that "this year we...
- Ben-Gvir, who has a history of inflammatory remarks about Palestinians, was charged more than 50 times in his youth with incitement to violence or hate speech.
- Israeli government officials confirmed on Monday that Ben-Gvir "was designated (by the government) to attend the EU event".
Geostrategy
TRENDS poll: Saudi-Iranian thaw raises stability hopes
A majority of the people who voted in a TRENDS poll see the China-brokered deal between the two countries as...
- Fifty-nine percent of the voters said the agreement would improve the situation, while 24 percent voted 'no'. The rest are not sure if the deal will be positive for the region.
- The majority of the voters were in the 20-29 age group (41.3 percent), followed by 30-39 years (37.3 percent), 40-49 years (13.5 percent) and the rest were 50 and above.
Israel, Hamas agree to first phase of peace plan: To include release of hostages, aid into Gaza
In a dramatic moment, AFP journalists saw US Secretary of State Marco Rubio interrupt an event at the White House...
Geostrategy
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European countries suspend Syrian asylum decisions after Assad’s fall
While Berlin and other governments said they were watching the fast-moving developments in the war-ravaged nation, Vienna signaled it would...
Geostrategy
Celebrations erupt across Syria to mark end of 50 years of Baath party rule
Bashar al-Assad's whereabouts not clear, but his key backer Russia said he had resigned from the presidency and left Syria....
Geostrategy
Syria: Assad faces stunning setbacks as rebels seize Daraa, Hama, and Aleppo in quick succession
While Aleppo and Hama, the two other main cities taken from government control in recent days, fell to an Islamist-led...
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Qatar resumes Gaza mediation: source with knowledge of talks
Doha, Qatar - Qatar has resumed its role as a mediator in efforts to secure a truce in the Israel-Hamas war...
- The Gulf emirate, along with the US and Egypt, had been involved in months of unsuccessful negotiations for a Gaza truce and hostage release after nearly 14 months of war
- In November, Doha announced it had put its mediation on hold, saying it would resume when Hamas and Israel showed "willingness and seriousness".
Syria: Tens of thousands of Alawites flee Homs, fearing rebel advance towards Damascus-coast strategic link
Analysts said they expected the fighters led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to push on towards the city,...
- Khaled, who lives on the city's outskirts told AFP that "the road leading to (coastal) Tartus province was glowing... due to the lights of hundreds of cars on their way out."
- In April 2014, at least 100 people, mostly civilians, were killed in twin attacks in Homs that targeted a majority Alawite neighbourhood
South Korean president clings to power after martial law U-turn
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was still clinging to power Thursday, with his party announcing they will oppose an...
- South Korean police announced Thursday they were investigating Yoon for "insurrection"
- A new poll by Realmeter showed 73.6 percent of respondents supported impeachment