Israeli forces raid site near Syria capital after bombing it several times: state media
Israeli forces conducted an overnight airborne raid on a site near the Syrian capital after bombing it several times, Syrian...
Geostrategy
Mediator Qatar says ‘still waiting’ for Israeli response to Gaza truce proposal
Qatar and Egypt, along with the United States, have been mediating indirect ceasefire negotiations throughout the Gaza war, but despite...
Geostrategy
Economy
90% of people in China province infected with Covid: official
China is battling a surge in cases following its decision last month to lift years of lockdowns, quarantines and mass...
- With a population of 99.4 million, the figures suggest about 88.5 million people in Henan may now have been infected
- Beijing is determined to press on with its reopening, on Sunday lifting mandatory quarantine for all international arrivals
Business
Conspiracy theorists make comeback on Twitter after the ban
Those reinstated include far-right activists, anti-Muslim extremists as well as others peddling election conspiracies and Covid-19 misinformation, according to an...
- Among those allowed back on Twitter is former US President Donald Trump, who was handed a "permanent" ban by Twitter after his supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021
- Former national security advisor Michael Flynn, who once appeared to endorse the idea for a Myanmar-style coup in US, also thanked Musk on Friday after his account was restored
Economy
UAE, Pakistan advancing parliamentary cooperation
A delegation of the UAE Federal National Council's Parliamentary Division, led by Dr. Nidal Mohamed Al-Tunaiji met with Nuzhat Sadiq,...
- A delegation of the UAE Federal National Council's Parliamentary Division, led by Dr. Nidal Mohamed Al-Tunaiji met with Nuzhat Sadiq, Member of the Senate of Pakistan
- The two sides discussed the bilateral relations, and the importance of advancing cooperation between the two parliaments
Geostrategy
Sweden says it can’t fulfill Turkey’s demands for approving NATO membership
Most of Turkey's demands have involved Sweden because of its more robust ties with the Kurdish diaspora.
- Sweden and Finland broke with decades of military non-alignment and applied to join the US-led defense alliance
- Turkey has refused to approve their bid until the two countries take steps, including joining Turkey's fight against banned Kurdish militants
Geostrategy
UAE’s FNC participates in Asian Parliamentary Assembly meet
ANTALYA, TURKEY - The UAE Parliamentary Division of the Federal National Council (FNC), participated in the meeting of the Standing...
- During the meeting, the report of APA's Secretary-General was presented.
- Draft decisions of the Political Affairs Committee were discussed and approved.
Geostrategy
Egyptian court sentences Ukrainian to four years for smuggling
Cairo, Egypt - A Cairo court has sentenced to life in prison a Ukrainian woman arrested at the Egyptian capital's airport...
- Liudmyla Balakina, who lives in the Netherlands, had been convicted of drug smuggling following her arrest in April.
- Balakina had confessed in court to "meeting an Egyptian abroad, who took advantage of her need for money".
Business
QatarEnergy, Chevron Phillips to build $6 billion gas-to-plastics plant
The Ras Laffan Petrochemicals Complex, which will produce 2.1 million tonnes of ethylene a year along with 1.7 million tons...
- QatarEnergy has a 70 percent equity share in the joint venture with Texas-based Chevron Phillips taking the other 30 percent.
- Ras Laffan will double Qatar's ethylene production capacity and increase its polymer output from 2.6 million tons to more than four million tons a year.
Arts & Culture
Iraq apologizes after chaos at regional football tourney
BASRA, IRAQ - Iraq has apologized to its neighbor Kuwait after a scuffle in the VIP section prevented the Kuwaiti emir's...
- Matches are taking place in the city of Basra as war-scarred Iraq hosts the regional event for the first time in over four decades.
- The country was long banned from international football and is counting on the tournament to burnish its image.
Arts & Culture
Show goes on at Palestinian theaters despite siege
Freedom Theatre's ability to provide Jenin residents with respite is under growing strain due to repeated raids by Israeli forces.
- Ahead of the opening night of the theatre's latest production, "Metro Gaza", the creatives woke up to find three Palestinians had been killed in an Israeli operation.
- Jerusalem's El-Hakawati has seen its audiences dwindle since Israel began constructing a barrier around the West Bank in the early 2000s.
Geostrategy
Thousands protest in Tel Aviv against new Netanyahu government
Tel Aviv, Israel--Thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government, regarded as the most right-wing in...
- In Tel Aviv, protesters brandished signs with slogans including "Democracy in danger" and "Together against fascism and apartheid"
- Netanyahu, 73, who himself is fighting corruption charges in court, had already served as premier longer than anyone in Israeli history
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Israeli forces raid site near Syria capital after bombing it several times: state media
Israeli forces conducted an overnight airborne raid on a site near the Syrian capital after bombing it several times, Syrian...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Israel seizes Rafah crossing as Gaza truce talks resume
Egypt's state-linked Al-Qahera News reported that mediators from Qatar, the United States and Egypt were meeting with a Hamas delegation.
Geostrategy
Hamas accepts Gaza truce proposal, Israel urges Rafah evacuation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the proposal "is far from Israel's essential demands", but the government will send...
Geostrategy
Hamas says delegation heading to Cairo for truce talks
The hawkish prime minister has insisted he will send ground troops into Rafah, despite strong concerns voiced by UN agencies...
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Geostrategy
Blinken urges Hamas to agree truce to help Gazans
A Hamas official said the group would respond "within a very short period" to a plan proposed by mediators to...
- "Hamas needs to say yes and needs to get this done," said Blinken, who was in Israel on his seventh Middle East crisis tour since the war broke out in October
- He later added: "If Hamas actually purports to care about the Palestinian people and wants to see an immediate alleviation of their suffering, it should take this deal."
Geostrategy
Blinken says US ‘determined’ to get Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal ‘now’
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed calls for Hamas to accept a ceasefire deal Wednesday as he started talks...
- Netanyahu: Israel will launch an invasion of Rafah "with or without" a ceasefire deal.
- Aid is coming to Gaza but more is needed
Geostrategy
Blinken presses for Gaza aid on Jordan visit
Blinken, on his latest tour of the region since the Gaza war erupted in October, observed Jordan's efforts to bring...
- Blinken observed Jordan's efforts to bring in food and supplies and praised the "extraordinary work" led by the United Nations
- Blinken met separately with King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi both on aid and on diplomacy for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas