Arab ministers condemn Israel ‘ban’ on planned West Bank visit to meet president Abbas
The ministers condemned "Israel's decision to ban the delegation's visit to Ramallah (on Sunday) to meet with the president of...Geostrategy
No permit, no hajj: Saudi intensifies crackdown after heat deaths
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia is ramping up a crackdown on unregistered worshippers at next week's hajj pilgrimage, a...Geostrategy
Diversification of energy sources needed to meet demand: Saudi minister
Davos, Switzerland -- The Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Cabinet's member, and Climate Affairs Envoy, Adel bin Ahmed...Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir said Saudi Arabia aims to become the top exporter of energy, not only of oil.
He highlighted the Kingdom’s dedication to collaborating with other countries to reduce emissions and address the challenges of climate change.
WHO official terms Gaza hospitals in ‘rapid deterioration’
Emergency medical team coordinator Sean Casey said that during some five weeks he spent in Gaza, he saw hospital patients...WHO official saw patients "waiting to die in a hospital that has no fuel, no power, no water"
Hospitals are facing a deluge of patients while operating with minimal staff, the official said
Turkey’s Tosyali plans $5bn investment for steel plant in Saudi Arabia: report
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Turkish-based Tosyali Holding is making nearly $5 billion investment in a new steel plant in Saudi...The investment is part of Tosyali Holding's broader expansion strategy, which encompasses ventures in Algeria, Angola, Senegal, and Spain
In line with their renewable energy efforts, Tosyali Holding plans to boost its solar output from the current 240 megawatts to 2,500 megawatts
China says willing to mediate between Pakistan and Iran after strikes
"The Chinese side sincerely hopes that the two sides can exercise calm and restraint and avoid an escalation of tension,"...Tehran said it had summoned the Pakistani charge d'affaires in response to the attack, which killed at least seven people
Nuclear-armed Pakistan and neighbouring Iran are both battling simmering insurgencies along their sparsely populated border regions
Pakistan strikes ‘terrorist hideouts’ inside Iran
Iran and Pakistan routinely blame each other for allowing militants to operate from the other's territory to launch attacks, but...Iranian media reported three women and four children were killed in the attack
The attack comes after Iran confirmed hitting "a terrorist group" late Tuesday in Pakistan
US, UK launch new strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen
A Houthi military official told the rebels's Al-Masirah TV that fighters will continue to target Israeli ships heading to "the...Houthi rebels vowed to continue attacking shipping in the Red Sea in support of Palestinians
The US and Britain attacked nearly 30 sites in Yemen with more than 150 munitions last week
Kuwait gets first non-royal foreign minister as ‘reform’ era starts
Abdullah al-Yahya, a former ambassador to Argentina, was named in the coveted role as part of a hand-picked cabinet of...In his inaugural speech last month, Sheikh Meshal had strongly criticized the recurring political crises that have long frustrated Kuwaitis.
The OPEC member, home to seven percent of the world's oil reserves, has the Gulf's most powerful parliament but suffers chronic legislative deadlock
Record 116 tons of cocaine seized at Belgium’s Antwerp port in 2023
Vlissingen, Netherlands - Cocaine seizures at the Belgian port of Antwerp, the top gateway into Europe for mainly South American drug...The cocaine is usually hidden in containers, or sometimes underneath ships in openings below the water line where they are then recovered by divers.
Belgium, neighboring Netherlands and Spain are the top three European nations for illegal cocaine imports, mostly from Panama, Colombia and Ecuador
UN warns of ‘bleak future’ facing Gazans after war ends
At least 24,448 Palestinians, more than 70 percent of them women, young children and adolescents, have been killed in Israeli bombardments..."My fear is that we have now a generation of lost kids," said UN official Lazzarini, describing children who are living in "brutal" conditions and are deeply traumatized.
Also, UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned that a "full-fledged confrontation" between Israel and Lebanon would be a "total disaster".
Israeli army shoots seven Palestinians dead in West Bank
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza on October 7, the West Bank has experienced a level of...The Palestinian Red Crescent said an Israeli strike killed four people inside Tulkarem camp early in the morning
In a separate strike near Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported three men were killed
