Qatar to host high-stakes Gaza ceasefire talks
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told several Middle Eastern counterparts in recent days that "this ceasefire deal is of...Geostrategy
West tells Iran to ‘stand down’ Israel attack threats; Tehran says ‘no way’
With tensions soaring in the Middle East, the United States says that Iran along with its proxies might attack Israel...Business Economy Geostrategy
Iraq and Turkey foreign ministers hold talks on water supply, oil
The foreign minister's visit is also intended to pave way for Turkish President's trip to Baghdad for which a date...The level of water in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers has seen an alarming reduction in the last few years
The two ministers also talked of the imminent resumption of oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan to Turkey
Dubai Customs foils two attempts to smuggle 171,600 pills
DUBAI, UAE - The Customs Intelligence Management within Dubai Customs has successfully thwarted two separate attempts to smuggle controlled drugs...In the first operation, a shipment consisting of three parcels concealed 96,600 pills of the controlled medication Cipralex, weighing 57 kg.
The second operation revealed 75,000 capsules of the prohibited drug Pregabalin, weighing 64 kg and distributed across three parcels.
UAE, KSA optimistic as BRICS leaders weigh expansion
South Africa has revealed potential BRICS expansion plans at the Johannesburg summit, with keen interest shown by Middle Eastern nations,...South Africa revealed potential BRICS expansion plans at the Johannesburg summit, with keen interest shown by Middle Eastern nations, notably UAE and Saudi Arabia
Analysts suggest that BRICS' potential expansion could strain relations with major powers, highlight the bloc's diverse appeal, but also raise concerns about diluted influence
Russian army officials visit Libya after invite from pro-Moscow Haftar
Haftar, who backs the country's eastern administration, is close to Russia's private Wagner mercenary group, whose troops guard military and...It said the visit, led by Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov, was organized after talks with Libya at the Army-2023 expo and Moscow Conference on International Security.
Wagner maintains a strong military presence in Africa, where it has partnered with several nations, including Mali and the Central African Republic.
4 children rescued from cable car in Pakistan
Military helicopters and zipline experts rescued four children from a group of eight people trapped for hours in a stricken...Six children and two adults spent almost 12 hours trapped inside the chairlift at a height of up to 1,200 feet (350 metres) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan.
A video of the first rescue showed a teenager in a harness hanging at the bottom of a swinging rope under a helicopter as crowds cheered with relief.
Former Thai PM Shinawatra jailed after return from exile
Hundreds of supporters lined the streets as the former Manchester City owner was taken to the Supreme Court. There, he...The divisive billionaire landed in a private jet at Bangkok's Don Mueang airport at 9 am (0200 GMT), to be greeted by supporters
While Thaksin was being processed by the courts, his party formally nominated Srettha as its PM candidate in parliament
Saudi Arabia accedes to United Nations’ CISG convention
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia has officially acceded to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale...Saudi Arabia became the 96th State Party to the Convention. The Convention will enter into force for Saudi Arabia, except for its part III, on 1 September 2024.
The CISG establishes a comprehensive code of legal rules governing the formation of contracts for the international sale of goods and the obligations of the buyer and seller.
Cheap goods flood ‘Daglo’ markets after Sudan looting
During more than four months of deadly conflict between Daglo's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the regular army, the paramilitaries...While not directly linked to the RSF in any way, the "Daglo" market has come to be known by that name in a wink at the looting associated with fighters loyal to paramilitary chief
The market lies on the main road linking Khartoum and the city of Wad Madani, where many residents of the capital displaced by the fighting have found shelter
Two fighters killed in Israeli strikes near Damascus: NGO
Israel, during more than a decade of civil war in Syria, has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory,...Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said "two pro-regime fighters were killed in Israeli strikes against military positions"
Syria's official news agency had said earlier that the country's air defences had intercepted "hostile targets" in the Damascus area
Syrians rally against poor economic conditions in government-held areas
Beirut, Lebanon - Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets again on Monday in Syria's southern city of Sweida, local media...Days of rare protests have erupted in the south after the government lifted fuel subsidies last week, dealing a blow to Syrians.
"We've had enough, the Syrian people are suffocating," one activist in Sweida said on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
