Israel strike on Lebanon kills Hezbollah commander
Mohammad Qassem al-Shaer, "a field commander" in the group's elite Radwan Force, "was targeted in an Israeli strike on a...Geostrategy
Israel’s Gantz says military focus needs to shift to Lebanon
"We have enough forces to deal with Gaza and we should concentrate on what is going on in the north,"...Geostrategy
Six or seven more Muslim nations to make peace with Israel after Saudis: minister
New York, United States - Following the historic normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, six or seven additional Muslim nations are...The revelation comes on the heels of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the UN General Assembly, in which he hailed the emergence of a "new Middle East."
Cohen stressed the significance of the peace agreement with Saudi Arabia, saying peace with Saudi Arabia is also peace between Jews and the Muslim world
GCC and UK foreign ministers exhort Iraq to uphold international agreements
New York, US-- The GCC foreign ministers and the UK foreign minister have exhorted Iraq to uphold international agreements and...The ministers in a joint statement issued from New York on Friday called on Iraq to recognize and respect Kuwait's sovereignty and territorial integrity
The Iraqi government was urged to address the domestic legal situation and continue upholding the 2012 agreement between Kuwait and Iraq
Netanyahu optimistic about Israel-Saudi relations
This comes after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hinted at the ongoing efforts to establish ties between the two...He told Fox News in an interview that he was delighted to hear what Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had to say on peace with Israel
He praised Mohammed bin Salman as "quite a visionary" and expressed confidence in the combined efforts of the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Israel to achieve peace
Kuwait and China sign raft of agreements to bolster ties
Looking to shore up ties between the two countries, Kuwait and China have signed cooperation agreements across a range of...The two leaders also discussed avenues to further strengthen ties for the mutual prosperity of the two nations
They deliberated on regional and international developments and expressed desire to solidify strategic partnership
Iran criticizes US statement on islands dispute with UAE
Iran said it had called in the Swiss envoy to deliver a protest over a “provocative” US statement on its...The islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb lie near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran gained control of the islands under the rule of the Western-backed shah in 1971.
UAE-Saudi non-oil trade reaches US$159bn in 2018-22
ABU DHABI, UAE - The volume of trade exchange between the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia grew by...The volume of trade between the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia grew by 28 percent in 2022.
The year 2021 saw growth, reaching $33.9 billion (AED 124.65 billion), compared to $28 billion (AED 103.91 billion) in 2020.
US and China seek improved ties via new working groups
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV also announced the launch of an "Economic Working Group" and "Financial Working Group," saying both will...The formation of the groups was agreed during talks in July between US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Beijing.
The Economic Working Group will discuss macroeconomic issues, while the Financial Working Group will focus on regulatory and financial stability issues.
India cancels sports minister’s trip to Asian Games in visa row
China had discriminated against some of the Indian athletes "in a targeted and pre-meditated manner", India's foreign ministry spokesman Arindam...Three women martial arts fighters from the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh were approved to take part in Hangzhou Asian games.
But the wushu fighters were unable to download their accreditation cards, which act as visas to enter China, local media reports said.
Netanyahu at UN issues ‘nuclear’ threat to Iran, later retracted
Netanyahu, who has repeatedly used the UN stage to issue dark warnings about Tehran, briefly gave pause at the General...His office soon afterward said that Netanyahu had misspoken and that his prepared text said "credible military threat" instead of "credible nuclear threat."
"It was misread as credible nuclear threat. The prime minister stands by the original text of the speech," the prime minister's office said.
EU readies to pay Tunisia for stopping irregular migration
The EU is to start releasing money to Tunisia under a pact aimed at stemming irregular migration from the country,...The EU deal, strongly supported by Italy's far-right government, aims to bolster Tunis's coastguard to prevent boats leaving its shore
A first payment of US$135 million will be disbursed "in the coming days," a commission spokeswoman, Ana Pisonero, said
