Hamas chief says group to decide on post-war Gaza rule with Palestinian factions
Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday said the movement will be involved in deciding post-war rule in Gaza along with other Palestinian...Geostrategy
Lebanon resumes ‘voluntary’ repatriations of Syrians
Syrian state news agency SANA reported that an unspecified number of people had arrived from Lebanon as part of the...Geostrategy
India-Middle East trade corridor hits Turkey hurdle, alternate route proposed
Ankara, Turkey - Turkey is engaged in “intensive negotiations” with regional partners to propose an alternative to the India-Middle East...The country has proposed $17 billion Iraq Development Road initiative which would take goods from the Grand Faw port in Iraq through 10 Iraqi provinces and into Turkey
The project will utilize a high-speed rail and road network and is divided into three phases, with the final phase expected to be completed by 2050
Iraq pledges to raise financial support for Kurdistan
Days after thousands of people took to the streets in the Kurdistan region over unpaid civil service salaries which they...Three state-banks will loan the funds and then be reimbursed by the finance ministry in Baghdad
Baghdad has been blamed long by Iraqi Kurdistan for not sending the necessary funds to pay civil servants
Chinese FM Wang Yi to visit Russia Sept 18-21: foreign ministry
Beijing, China - China's top diplomat Wang Yi will begin a four-day visit to Russia for security talks on Monday,...China and Russia are strategic allies, with both countries frequently touting their "no limits" partnership and economic and military cooperation
Their ties became even closer after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, which China has refused to criticize
Three firefighters die in Turkey helicopter crash
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Turkish divers searched on Sunday for the bodies of three firefighters who died when their helicopter crashed into...Turkey has funnelled resources into its emergency response efforts after being gripped by devastating fires in 2021.
Global warming is changing weather patterns and contributing to a years-long drought across swathes of Turkey.
Egypt coalition says it will shun presidential election
The coalition's potential presidential candidate, Hisham Kassem, was Saturday sentenced to six months in jail. The presidential election, expected to...The only candidate campaigning so far, Ahmed al-Tantawi, has denounced repeated harassment by the security forces against his teams and supporters.
Kassem's Free Current coalition, formed in June by opposition parties, advocates economic liberalization and calls for an end to the army's stranglehold on Egypt's economy.
WHO tells China to provide ‘full access’ to Covid investigators
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The head of the World Health Organization told the Financial Times he was ready to send a new...WHO chief said he had already written to China asking "to give us information " and for the organization to send a team "if they allow us to do so".
He said WHO would not abandon its investigation and has called on China for transparency in sharing data and carrying out investigations.
Saudi Arabia participates in global meet to bridge digital divide
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Kingdom’s Governor of the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) Dr. Mohammed Saud Al-Tamimi participated...The meeting aims to enhance the contribution of the communications, space and technology sectors for attaining sustainable development objectives.
The meeting also aims to propose policies and recommendations to bridge the digital divide and promote and develop the digital economy.
Jordan’s interconnection projects to serve as hub for energy exchange
AMMAN, JORDAN -The Kingdom’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has emphasized the significance of current and upcoming electrical interconnection...Jordanian authorities are working on a project to connect the Kingdom’s Risha electrical station to Iraq's Rutba station.
The interconnection line will allow the Iraqis to power the Rutba area's loads, using the Jordanian grid.
Desperate Sudanese face endless wait for passports so they can flee
A million people have crossed Sudan's borders since April, fleeing the devastating war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary...Since the authorities inaugurated a new passport office in the eastern city of Port Sudan in late August, hundreds of people have lined up all day, every day
Sudan was already one of the world's poorest countries even before the war broke out, but now it has plunged into a horrific humanitarian crisis
Water-starved Saudi Arabia confronts desalination’s heavy toll
The Jazlah plant in Jubail city applies the latest technological advances in a country that first turned to desalination more...Lacking lakes, rivers and regular rainfall, Saudi Arabia relies instead on dozens of facilities that transform water from the Red Sea into something potable
The national Saline Water Conversion Corporation reports production capacity of 11.5 million cubic meters per day at 30 facilities