27 killed as Israeli army opens fire near Gaza aid point
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres decried the deaths of Palestinians seeking food aid as "unacceptable", and the world body's rights...Geostrategy
Father of six killed ‘for piece of bread’ during Gaza aid distribution
Cries of grief echoed across southern Gaza's Nasser Hospital Monday as dozens came to mourn Hossam Wafi, after the father...Geostrategy
A royal decree dissolves Kuwait parliament as political wrangling persists
Kuwait City, Kuwait--Kuwait dissolved parliament on Thursday after a protracted stalemate between cabinet ministers and lawmakers dragged on despite the accession...According to KUNA, the official news agency, a "royal decree was issued to dissolve the national assembly" elected in June of 2023
The royal decree came after ministers boycotted a parliamentary session on Wednesday, objecting to a speech delivered by a lawmaker
Iran, Armenia eye $3 billion bilateral trade volume
Tehran, Iran – Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan on Thursday said that Iran and Armenia have the potential...Grigoryan made the remarks during the 18th meeting of the Iran-Armenia Joint Economic Commission where he also described Iran as “a very important partner.”
The 18th meeting of the Iran-Armenia Joint Economic Commission was held on February 14-15 in Tehran to further foster economic ties between the two countries
Israel faces fresh US calls against attack on Rafah
Palestinian Territories - Israel faced renewed calls from key ally the United States on Friday against launching a large-scale attack...Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted he would push ahead with a "powerful" operation in the overcrowded city to achieve "complete victory" over the Hamas
The White House said US President Joe Biden had spoken by phone with Netanyahu late Thursday, urging him not to carry out an attack on Rafah without a plan to keep civilians safe
In Egypt, Brazil’s president denounces Israel’s Gaza war
Speaking before an Arab League meeting in Cairo, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on his second trip to Egypt...The Brazilian leader said in the speech "stop the collective punishment"
Lula, in November, accused Israel of committing the "equivalent of terrorism" in Gaza
Israel PM spurns global recognition of a Palestinian state
In a post in Hebrew on social media platform X, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Jewish country...His comments follow a similar rejection by far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir
The Washington Post reported that the US and Arab diplomats were working on a plan for peace
Record number of West Bank outposts set up in 2023, says Israel NGO
Jerusalem - Israeli settlers established a record number of wildcat outposts in the occupied West Bank in 2023, a watchdog...Twenty-six settlements not recognized by the Israeli government were established last year, including around 10 since the war in the Gaza Strip broke out.
Peace Now said 2023 saw the highest number of wildcat outposts -- those established without the approval of the Israeli authorities -- since it began in 1996.
Indian PM Modi seeks enhancing of ties in Qatar visit
Doha, Qatar - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday committed to strengthening ties with Qatar during his first visit to...The visit follows the release earlier this month of eight Indian ex-navy personnel arrested by Qatar and sentenced to death, according to India's foreign ministry.
The premier also thanked Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani for hosting the 800,000-strong Indian community in the tiny Gulf state.
Hizbollah commander among 10 dead in Israeli strike on Lebanon
BEIRUT, LEBANON - A Hizbollah commander, two other fighters and seven civilians were killed in an Israeli strike in south Lebanon,...The same Hizbollah commander had previously been targeted and wounded in an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanon town of Nabatiyeh a week earlier.
Ali al-Debs and the other two fighters were killed Wednesday night by an IDF aircraft on a Hizbollah military structure in Nabat, the Israeli military said.
Tunisia gets new central bank chief amid economic crisis
TUNIS, TUNISIA - President Kais Saied on Thursday appointed a new governor of the central bank of Tunisia, a north African...Fethi Zouhair Nouri, a 69-year-old member of the central bank's board, will succeed 64-year-old Marouane Abassi.
Tunisia has grappled with a growing economic crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic, political tensions.
99 journalists killed in 2023, 72 in Israel-Hamas war alone
"The immense loss suffered by Palestinian journalists in this war will have long-term impacts for journalism not just in the...The 72 journalists killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict also include three Lebanese and two Israeli victims, the organization said
Killings of reporters would have dropped globally year-on-year had it not been for the deaths in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon, the CPJ said
