Saudi, Egypt, UAE drive strategic moves across sectors and borders
Saudi Arabia records the lowest Hajj attendance in three decades—outside the pandemic years—triggered by tighter visa restrictions; Special Envoy Zhai...Geostrategy
Syria says Israeli strikes ‘aimed at undermining’ stability
Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani condemned on Wednesday Israeli strikes in retaliation for overnight rocket fire, saying they were aimed...Geostrategy
World Bank announces plans to restart Syria operations
Washington, United States -- The World Bank on Friday said it would restart operation in Syria following a 14-year pause,...The Bank's operation in Syria were halted when the civil war broke out in 2011, preventing the country from gaining access to its development loans, grants, and technical expertise
Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia and Qatar paid off Syria's outstanding debts of around $15.5 million to the Washington-based institution.
Gaza strikes kill 120 as Hamas says aid entry ‘minimum requirement’ for talks
Aid to Gaza has been cut off since March 2, a tactic Israel has said is intended to force concessions...Hamas warned that Gaza was not "for sale" hours after Donald Trump, on a visit to the region, again floated taking over the territory and turning it into "a freedom zone.'
Israel's aid blockade preceded a resumption of military operations on March 18, ending a ceasefire that had largely halted hostilities since mid-January
Iran, European powers to hold nuclear talks in Turkey
The Istanbul meeting follows Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's warning of "irreversible" consequences if the European powers move to reimpose United...The Istanbul meeting follows Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's warning of "irreversible" consequences if the European powers move to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran
Trump effectively torpedoed the deal during his first term in 2018, by unilaterally abandoning it and reimposing sanctions on Iran's banking sector and oil exports
Trump caps Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi with dizzying investment pledges, deal worth $1.4 trn signed
US President Donald Trump on Friday capped off a Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi that has seen the securing of...On his first foreign tour of his second term, Trump oversaw a $200 billion order from Qatar Airways for Boeing jets and a $600 billion investment from Saudi Arabia
Trump also expressed optimism over reaching a new agreement with Iran over its nuclear programme, and in a seismic diplomatic shift, decided to lift decades-long sanctions on Syria
Gaza air strikes kill over 100 as manhunt unfolds in West Bank
Palestinian rescuers reported more than 100 people killed Thursday in Israeli strikes on blockaded Gaza, where a US-backed organisation said...In the occupied West Bank, raids were ongoing and roads blocked after Israel's military chief vowed to find the perpetrators of an attack that killed a pregnant Israeli woman
"Israel's blockade has transcended military tactics to become a tool of extermination", Human Rights Watch executive director Federico Borello said in a statement Thursday
Trump says getting close to deal to avoid Iran action
US President Donald Trump said Thursday a deal was close on Iran's nuclear programme that would avert military action, sending...Trump has said the tour has resulted in trillions of dollars in deals and is hoping to secure more billion-dollar business agreements in the UAE
Iran has held four rounds of talks with Trump's administration which has sought to avert threatened military action by Israel
Warm Trump-Erdogan ties puts Turkey at heart of peace diplomacy
Turkey is deploying all-out diplomatic efforts to secure a Russia-Ukraine deal, to ease Syria's relations with the West and facilitate...Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan took part remotely in a landmark Riyadh meeting between Trump and Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa
Analysts say Washington has gravitated towards Turkey thanks to the personal connection between Trump and Erdogan
Ukraine, Russia to hold first direct talks since 2022
War rivals Ukraine and Russia are set to go into their first direct talks in more than three years on...Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had challenged Putin to meet him in person in Istanbul, but the Russian delegation names only a lower-level team
Putin's absence would diminish the importance of the first direct negotiations since a failed effort in the weeks after Russia's 2022 invasion
Trump to close deal-making Gulf tour in UAE, announces big Boeing order for Qatar Airways
US President Donald Trump on Thursday closes a Middle East tour in the United Arab Emirates as he focuses squarely...Trump will fly to the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi after a stop in Qatar, where the president hailed what he said was a record $200 billion deal for Boeing aircraft
He started the trip in Saudi Arabia which promised its own $600 billion in investment, including one of the largest-ever purchases of US weapons
Turkey eyes legal steps after Kurdish militant group PKK disbands
Ankara, Turkey - After the decision by the Kurdish militant group PKK to disband, Turkey was eyeing Wednesday a raft...The pro-Kurdish DEM party urged Ankara on Tuesday to take "confidence-building steps" such as freeing political prisoners
So far, Turkish officials have said little but the government is working on a proposal that could ease prison sentences in general
