Polls open in Iran for presidential election amidst vote boycott calls
Polls in Iran opened on Friday for a presidential election following the death of ultraconservative president Ebrahim Raisi in a...Geostrategy
Israel PM says ‘intense’ phase of Gaza war winding down
Netanyahu said Israel would be able to "redeploy some forces to the north" on the border with Lebanon, where exchanges...Geostrategy
8 pacts on trade, investment inked in Saudi-Algerian Business Forum
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Saudi-Algerian Business Forum concluded its activities with the two countries signing eight agreements aiming at...The agreements cover trade, investment, information technology, business incubators and accelerators, tourism services, elevators, and spare parts.
The pacts were signed by the Federation of Saudi Chambers, the Council for Algerian Economic Renewal and several Saudi and Algerian firms.
Afghan embassy in India announces ‘permanent closure’
Most foreign nations -- including India -- do not officially recognize Afghanistan's Taliban government but acknowledge them as the de...New Delhi evacuated its entire mission from Kabul as Taliban closed in on Afghan capital in August 2021, but last year sent back a small team to reopen its sprawling embassy
Most foreign nations similarly withdrew diplomatic staff at the time and have not returned, although a handful of embassies including Pakistan, China and Russia never closed
Germany says raided homes of Hamas supporters
Germany on November 2 banned Hamas and Samidoun. According to official figures, Germany hosts an estimated 450 members of Hamas,...Around 500 members of the security forces led the operation, with 13 places searched in the capital Berlin, the interior ministry said
Four other regions were targeted to a lesser extent as police seized smartphones, laptops and various writings, the ministry added
Israel-Hamas truce begins, hostages to be released
An Egyptian security source told AFP that Israeli security officials, International Red Cross-Red Crescent staff and an Egyptian team would...The deal, facilitated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, is to take effect in stages that can be extended and broadened.
The agreement follows weeks of war in the Gaza Strip after Hamas members attacked Israel on October 7.
Lebanon’s Hizbollah intensifies attacks on Israel
Hizbollah says it has been acting in support of Hamas since the Palestinian Islamist movement's October 7 attacks on Israel,...Hizbollah said it carried out more than 20 attacks on Israeli military positions and claimed to have caused casualties
The violence between Israel and Hizbollah has claimed at least 109 lives in Lebanon, most of them Hizbollah fighters
Iran foreign minister meets Hizbollah leader in Lebanon
Beirut, Lebanon - Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has met with Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbollah, which has traded cross-border...Iran's foreign minister, who warned that the war could spiral out of control, left Beirut for Doha after his meeting with Hizbollah.
Hizbollah says it has been acting in support of Hamas since the Palestinian group's October 7 attacks on Israel.
Tunisian artist Hend Sabri quits WFP to protest against Gaza crisis
Cairo, Egypt - Tunisian film star Hend Sabri has resigned as World Food Program goodwill ambassador in protest at what she...Sabri, a leading figure in Arab cinema, said that she had decided with "a heavy heart and deep sadness" to step down after 13 years with the United Nations agency.
Following her resignation, the WFP offered its "heartfelt gratitude" for Sabri's "unwavering support and dedication" as goodwill ambassador.
Israeli troops arrest chief of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza
An official in the Hamas-run health ministry specified to AFP that one other doctor and two nurses had been detained,..."Doctor Mohammad Abu Salmiya was arrested along with several other senior doctors," said Khalid Abu Samra, a chief of department at the hospital
The Israeli army, which raided the hospital last week, has alleged that Hamas fighters used a tunnel complex beneath the facility in Gaza City to stage attacks
Yemen rebels warn they may seize more Red Sea ships
The warning comes after the Huthis on Sunday seized an Israel-linked cargo vessel, opening a new dimension in the Gaza...Huthis have declared themselves part of the "axis of resistance" of Iran's allies and proxies, and have also launched a series of drones and missiles towards Israel
Israel's military on Sunday said the seizure was a "very grave incident of global consequence", and a US military official said it was "a flagrant violation of international law"
Aid-truck drivers hope truce will end long wait to enter Gaza
After tedious days marked by idle chitchat and dreary diets of beans and instant coffee, the men, all Egyptians, took...Amid widespread displacement, blackouts, rising malnutrition and worsening sanitation, only around 1,400 truckloads of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza
Egyptian drivers told they were proud to be in a position to help Palestinians, but said they were wary of what they might find if and when they do reach Gaza