US in ‘around-the-clock’ push against Mideast war
Biden called King Abdullah II of Jordan, which helped down Iranian drones and missiles in an earlier showdown in April,...Geostrategy
Fears of Middle East war grow after Hamas leader’s killing
Israel on Saturday again traded fire with Hezbollah, carried out a deadly raid in the occupied West Bank, and struck...Geostrategy
Australia resumes use of term “Occupied Palestinian Territories”
Dubai, UAE - In a significant policy shift, the Australian government has announced its decision to reinstate the term "Occupied...This policy shift marks a departure from Australia's previous reluctance to use the term "occupied" or "occupation" since 2014
As the Australian government adjusts its foreign policy stance, it continues to express support for Israel
Five key factors influencing potential Israel-Saudi diplomatic deal
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - In recent days, speculation has grown about the Biden administration's attempts to broker a normalization agreement...One important component of the discussions is to boost US-Saudi ties in multiple areas, including security and civilian nuclear cooperation
Saudi Arabia seems less likely to move as quickly as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco did in the Abraham Accords, for a range of reasons
Israeli troops shoot Palestinian dead in occupied West Bank
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and its forces regularly make incursions into Palestinian communities.Mahmoud Jihad Jarad, 23, was shot dead by troops during an overnight raid on Tulkarm refugee camp in the northern West Bank.
Jarad's body was shrouded in a Palestinian flag, his head wrapped in a keffiyeh, as he was carried through the streets in a funeral procession.
Spill risk over as UN removes oil from decaying Yemen tanker
Hodeida, Yemen -- The United Nations said Friday it had successfully transferred more than one million barrels of oil from a...The milestone means that "the core aspect" of a years-long effort to address the threat posed by the Safer, often referred to as a "ticking time bomb", is now finished, the UN said
All told, the UN has priced the operation at $143 million, a fraction of the estimated $20 billion clean-up costs in the event of a spill.
Covid cases up 80 percent globally as new subvariant rises
The number of new COVID-19 cases reported worldwide rose by 80 percent in the last month, the World Health Organization...The UN agency said that nations reported nearly 1.5 million new cases from July 10 to August 6.
Many of the new cases came in the Western Pacific region, which saw infections jump by 137 percent.
Egypt dig unearths 41-million-year-old whale in desert
With an estimated length of 2.5 metres (eight feet) and a body mass of approximately 187 kilogrammes (410 pounds), Tutcetus...The team has dubbed the species "Tutcetus rayanensis" after the Egyptian boy king Tutankhamun and the Wadi El-Rayan Protected Area in Egypt's Fayoum Oasis
Fayoum Oasis, some 90 miles southwest of Cairo, boasts Wadi al-Hitan, the Valley of the Whales, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has turned up hundreds of fossils
IS attack on bus kills 23 Syrian soldiers: monitor
Despite losing their last piece of territory in Syria in 2019, IS has maintained hideouts in the vast Syrian desert...The attack killed "23 soldiers and wounded more than 10 others", some of whom in critical condition, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
Ten Syrian soldiers and pro-government fighters were killed earlier this week in an IS attack in the Raqa province, the Observatory said Tuesday
Iran says prisoners deal agreed with US: state media
Based on the agreement, five Iranian prisoners in the US and five American prisoners in Iran will be exchanged," the...All of the detained Americans are of Iranian descent, but Iran does not recognize dual nationality
Iranian state media reported that the process had begun to also release Iranian funds in a European bank
Tunisia, Libya collaborate to help stranded migrants at border
In a collaborative bid to address the migrant crisis, Tunisia and Libya have announced a shared responsibility for hundreds of...Tunisia and Libya agree to share responsibility for hundreds of migrants stranded at their border
Tunisia will take charge of 126 migrants, including children, with Libya accommodating the remaining 150-200
US, Iraq strengthen security ties; vow to defeat ISIS; set up military commission
WASHINGTON – The United States and Iraq pledged to boost security cooperation, regional stability, and the shared interest in Iraq's...Iraq, US focus on the 2008 U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement and non-combat role of U.S. forces
The two countries emphasize recognition of the support from CJTF-OIR to the Iraqi Security Forces
