Gaza strikes kill 120 as Hamas says aid entry ‘minimum requirement’ for talks
Aid to Gaza has been cut off since March 2, a tactic Israel has said is intended to force concessions...Geostrategy
Warm Trump-Erdogan ties puts Turkey at heart of peace diplomacy
Turkey is deploying all-out diplomatic efforts to secure a Russia-Ukraine deal, to ease Syria's relations with the West and facilitate...Geostrategy
Israel, Hamas truce and hostage release delayed
The delay is a hammer blow to families desperate to see their loved ones return home, and to two million-plus...Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi indicated the release of at least 50 Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas was on track
For every 10 additional hostages released, there would be an extra day's "pause" in fighting, an Israeli government document said
Two people killed in car explosion at US-Canada border
Two people have been killed as a result of a car explosion at the Rainbow Bridge at the US-Canada border...A car exploded at the major Rainbow Bridge crossing near Niagara Falls
The White House said that President Joe Biden had been briefed.
As Qatar World Cup glory fades, Arab legacy remains
Experts say Saudi Arabia's successful bid to host 2034 World Cup might not have been possible if there had not...Tiny Qatar was transformed for the tournament, with a new metro, airport expansion, upgraded roads and new hotels, plus eight world-class stadiums, at a cost of $220 billion.
It was billed as the most expensive World Cup in history but organizers reject that tag, saying much of the infrastructure expedited for the tournament was already budgeted.
Qatar burnishes role as specialist hostage negotiator with Israel-Hamas deal
Paris, France -- The emirate of Qatar has further boosted its status as a specialist power in resolving delicate hostage situations...In its work Qatar has now largely overshadowed Egypt, which helped secure the 2011 release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit after more than five years being held by Hamas.
The emirate had also invited the Taliban to open an office in Doha with the approval of the US, making it possible to negotiate the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.
Turkey to ask UNSC, IAEA: Verify whether Israel possesses nukes
Erdogan went on to reiterate his claim that Israel was a “terrorist state”: “We need to know this once and for all....Erdogan stressed that Turkey will not allow the issue of nuclear weapons and atomic bombs, whose existence is denied by Israeli ministers, to be forgotten
Israeli Minister of Heritage Amihai Eliyahu’s had remarked earlier this month about the option of launching a nuclear strike on the Gaza Strip
Is Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza a genocide or not?
Some world leaders like Ramaphosa and Erdogan use the term genocide to describe Israeli actions in Gaza. Israel has also...South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who currently chairs the BRICS group, strongly calls for an immediate ceasefire, describing the situation in Gaza as 'a genocide.'
Pronouncements of several Israeli politicians, who openly called for extermination of Palestinians, have added to the fears of a genocide in Gaza.
‘First good news’: World welcomes Gaza hostage deal
US President Joe Biden thanked the leaders of Qatar and Egypt for their "critical leadership" in reaching the deal. "I...The Kremlin said "it is only on the basis of these kinds of pauses that some outlines of future attempts at a sustainable settlement can be built."
Beijing hoped "that it will help ease the plight of the humanitarian crisis, de-escalate the conflict and ease tensions", said foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
Afghan border trade resumes after Pakistan suspends new visa rule
Commercial traffic ground to a halt Tuesday when Pakistan began requiring the crew of commercial vehicles to have passports and...The media office of the governor of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan confirmed that cross-border trade had resumed
Landlocked Afghanistan is heavily dependent on its neighbor for imports, both locally made goods and foreign items
Displaced Gazans search for warm clothes as cold draws in
When Khulud Jarboueh and her children fled their home in the northern Gaza Strip under Israeli bombardment in early October,...On a road lined with stalls, hundreds of Palestinians held up items to check sizes or compare fabrics
Adel Harzallah, who runs a clothes shop, said his stock of winter pyjamas sold out in two days
Pakistan applies for BRICS membership in 2024: envoy to Russia
Moscow, Russia - Pakistan has filed an application to join the BRICS group of nations in 2024 and is counting...When asked whether the country has filed its BRICS membership bid, the diplomat replied that Pakistan has done it
He confirmed that Islamabad plans to join the group under Russia’s presidency in 2024
