Reformist hopes for breakthrough as Iran goes to polls
Tehran, Iran - Iranians voted in a presidential election on Friday marked by a lone reformist's bid to break through against...Geostrategy
Telegraph report on Hizbollah weapons at Beirut airport sparks outrage
Dubai, UAE - An article in The Telegraph alleging that Hizbollah is stockpiling Iranian weapons at Beirut International Airport (BIA)...Geostrategy
9 civilians killed in Syrian army attack, says war monitor
Syrian government bombardment killed nine civilians including six children as they harvested olives in northwestern Idlib province, the country's last...Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria branch, controls swathes of Idlib province.
HTS is considered a terrorist group by Damascus, as well as by the United States and United Nations.
ADB plans to invest US$100bn to maximize climate impact
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Setting the scene for a low-carbon and climate-resilient Asia and the Pacific, the Asian Development Bank (ADB)...By 2030, more than 55 percent of the population of Asia and the Pacific will live in urban areas, driving up demand for urban-related services.
If urban areas continue along the same growth trajectory, Asian cities could contribute over half of the rise in global GHG emissions in the next 20 years.
WHO expresses concern over fate of Gaza hospital chief
The WHO said the head of the biggest hospital in Gaza was arrested on Wednesday along with five other health...The WHO urged for their legal and human rights to be "fully observed during their detention"
According to the UN agency, it has carried out three missions to Al-Shifa in the space of a week
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh terms Gaza ceasefire ‘political victory’
Dubai, UAE--Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has called the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip a political victory at a meeting...The Hamas leader said the ceasefire amounts to a political victory because of the success of the resistance forces on the ground
The Iranian foreign minister said that despite Israel's aggressive military action it had failed to destroy Hamas and had to negotiate with it
Egypt’s president calls for recognition of Palestinian state
Speaking at a joint press conference with with the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium in Cairo, Sisi said revival...The president's remarks come on the first day of the four-day truce between Israel and Hamas
Israel's aerial and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip has left 14,854 Palestinians dead
For a diaspora soccer club in Chile, ‘Palestine exists’
Santiago, Chile - Thousands of miles from the Middle East, in a stadium in Santiago, Chile, the nation of Palestine exists,...A banner reading "In memory of those who are no longer with us" was displayed in the stands, where a section of seats was left empty to represent the dead
Chile is home to the largest Palestinian community outside the Arab world, with the first immigrants arriving from Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour
Saudi minister says 6,225 industrial firms from Kingdom invest US$30bn in Egypt
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - A total of 6,225 Saudi industrial businesses are operating in Egypt with US$30 billion worth of...At least 518 Egyptian companies are operating in the Saudi market, the minister said.
He said that over 285 Egyptian brands are spread out across the Kingdom.
Gaza focus as French foreign minister meets China’s PM, FM
Beijing has this year sought to play a greater role in the Middle East, facilitating a historic rapprochement between Saudi...Colonna's talks in Beijing come the same day that a truce between Israel and Hamas took effect, with the group set to release a first group of 13 hostages
"China is an actor with growing weight in the region" due to its "strong relationship" with Iran, a French diplomatic source said this week
39 Palestinians freed in exchange for 13 Israeli hostages as truce sets in
Weeks of talks involving Israel, Hamas, Qatar, Egypt and the US saw three girls and a boy, aged from two...Israel is set to release three times as many Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails -- women and teenage boys.
A dozen Thai hostages kidnapped during Hamas's October 7 raids into Israel were also released on Friday, Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced.
Qatar posts trade balance surplus of US$16.7bn in Q3 2023
DOHA, QATAR - The merchandise trade balance of Qatar (difference between total exports and imports) recorded a surplus of US$6.7...In Q3 2023, Asia was the principal destination of Qatar’s exports and imports, representing 74.9 percent and 36.3 percent respectively.
In Q3 2023, the European Union, accounting for 10.4 percent and 27.5 percent of Qatar's exports and imports respectively.