Israel PM and defence minister clash over Gaza hostage deal
"When Gallant adopts the anti-Israel narrative, he harms the chances of reaching a hostage release deal," Netanyahu said, adding that...Geostrategy
Israel faces anger over Gaza school strike rescuers say killed 93
Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the civil defence agency, said 11 children and six women were among the 93 who died...Geostrategy
Tens of thousands of Canadians flee homes as wildfires spread
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had spoken with British Columbia Premier David Eby about the "rapidly evolving and incredibly...Kelowna, a city of 150,000, was choked with thick smoke as it became the latest population center hit in a summer of dramatic wildfires across Canada
About 40 flights carrying around 3,500 passengers from Yellowknife have arrived in Calgary, said officials in the city, which has made nearly 500 hotel rooms available
United Nations exhorts Yemen rebels to release UN staff
According to the UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, since the workers were arrested on November 5 and 7 in the rebel-held...The employees of Yemeni nationality have been held with no explanation and in violation of their international immunity
Earlier Houthi rebels that are holding them gave assurances that the two would be released but they remain in detention
Yemen war casts gloom on historic ‘Old Sanaa’
A UNESCO World Heritage site for nearly four decades, the Old City has been classified as "in danger" since 2015,...UNESCO World Heritage site for nearly four decades, the Old City has been classified as "in danger" since 2015, shortly after Saudi Arabia spearheaded a military intervention
Inhabited without interruption for more than 2,500 years, the area's iconic mosques and burnt-brick tower-houses have faced both direct threats from air strikes and indirect threat
UAE takes part in G20 joint health-finance ministers meeting  Â
GANDHINAGAR, INDIA - Minister of State for Financial Affairs Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs...The meeting discussed the progress made by the Joint Finance and Health Task Force (JFHTF) this year.
The UAE participated in the three meetings that the Task Force held this year under the G20 Finance Track.
Two Israelis killed in West Bank shooting, says army
RAMALLAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - Two Israeli civilians were killed in a suspected shooting attack in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the..."A suspected shooting attack was carried out at a number of Israeli civilians in the area of the town of Huwara," an army statement said.
The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since early last year, with a string of attacks by Palestinians on Israeli targets.
Turkey slams ‘unacceptable’ UN approach to Cyprus row
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Turkey's ruling party spokesman on Saturday criticized UN peacekeepers for blocking the construction of a controversial road in...The UN mission on the east Mediterranean island said its peacekeepers were assaulted as they tried to block "unauthorized construction work" near Pyla.
Omer Celik, spokesman for Turkey's ruling AKP party, defended the construction of the road and slammed the "unacceptable" attitude of the UN peacekeepers.
WHO launches global initiative on digital health supported by G20 Presidency
GANDHINAGAR, INDIA - The World Health Organization (WHO) and the G20 India presidency announced a new Global Initiative on Digital...WHO serves as the secretariat for strategy implementation to fast-track digital health system transformation.
The new Global Initiative on Digital Health is one of the key deliverables of India’s G20 Presidency.
Egyptian President Sisi pardons jailed activist Ahmed Douma
Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma, a leading figure of the country's 2011 uprising who has spent the last decade behind bars,...A court in 2019 had sentenced Douma to 15 years in prison on charges of clashing with security forces in the capital two years earlier.
Egypt's top appeals court later in 2019 upheld the 15-year sentence, which also included a fine of US$372,000.
Iran president meets diplomat freed by Belgium in prisoner swap case
TEHRAN, IRAN - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has met with diplomat Assadollah Assadi, recently freed by Belgium in a high-profile prisoner...The Iranian diplomat was sentenced in Belgium to 20 years in prison for his role in a plot to blow up an Iranian opposition event in 2018 in Paris.
The diplomat was liberated on May 26 in an Oman-mediated exchange that saw Iran releasing Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele.
Over 113 Emirati projects in Ethiopia, trade exceeds $6bn, says UAE envoy
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA - UAE Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Mohammed Salem Al Rashidi said that the...Masdar signed a joint development agreement with the Ethiopian government in January 2023 in Abu Dhabi to develop two solar power plants.
Ethiopia is a key investment partner for the UAE in East Africa, as it has a large and emerging consumer market of over 100 million people.
