Reformist faces ultraconservative as Iran votes for president
In a contest between reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and ultraconservative Saeed Jalili, the election comes amid heightened regional tensionGeostrategy
Israel will not allow ‘winds of defeatism’ in Hamas war: Netanyahu
After a visit to troops on Monday, he said: "I saw very considerable achievements in the fighting being carried in...Geostrategy
Investments strengthen Türkiye-GCC economic ties
The strategic partnerships, including substantial financial support from UAE and Qatar, mark a new era in Türkiye-GCC ties, promising to...The strategic partnerships, including substantial financial support from UAE and Qatar, mark a new era in Türkiye-GCC ties, promising to significantly boost bilateral trade.
Türkiye-GCC relations are revitalized through billion-dollar deals and support for Turkey's post-earthquake recovery, aiming to triple trade with the Gulf by 2030.
Russian oil price cap partially successful
LONDON, UK - A Western price cap imposed a year ago on Russia's oil has had limited success with Moscow increasingly...The cap was jointly imposed on December 5, 2022 by the European Union, Australia and the Group of Seven rich countries.
Initially successful, it lost its impact once President Vladimir Putin's Russia found new buyers for its oil and new tankers to deliver it.
Qatari emir denounces ‘shameful’ global inaction in Israel-Hamas war
Doha, Qatar - Qatar's ruler hit out at "shameful" international inaction over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza as he opened a...Qatar emir called for a global probe into Israeli massacres in Gaza, and urged a just solution to Palestinian issue
Qatar, a US ally which hosts a large US military base, hosts a Hamas office which doubles as the residence of its self-exiled leader, Ismail Haniyeh
Released Palestinians allege mistreatment in Israeli prisons
Ramallah, Palestinian Territories -- Released under an exchange between Israel and Hamas, former Palestinian civilians held in various jails have described...There are around 7,800 Palestinians civilians in Israeli jails. Some 3,580 Palestinians have been held by Israeli forces since Oct 7.
"Testimonies and video evidence also point to numerous incidents of torture and other ill-treatment by Israeli forces," Amnesty International has said.
Gaza safe zones declared by Israel neither safe, nor humanitarian: UN
"The so-called safe zones... are not scientific, they are not rational, they are not possible, and I think the authorities...Gaza health ministry put the latest death toll of civilians killed in Israeli bombardment and ground attacks at 16,248, around 70 percent of them women and children.
As Israel's offensive pushes deeper into Gaza, international aid organizations have warned that civilians in the de territory are running out of places to flee to.
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
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 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
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
‘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