Syria rejects federalism, calls on Kurdistan forces to join army ranks
Syria reiterated its rejection of federalism on Wednesday following a meeting with a Kurdish military official, calling on Kurdish forces...Geostrategy
Iran FM holds talks with Saudi Crown Prince after Tehran’s ceasefire with Israel
Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country hoped the truce would contribute to regional stability, and emphasised Riyadh's position...Geostrategy
UN finds Hamas’ list of death toll in Gaza shelling ‘credible’
"In the past, the five, six cycles of conflict in the Gaza Strip, these figures were considered as credible and...The fatalities in Gaza are the highest since Israel withdrew from the Palestinian territory in 2005.
A UN official said 57 UNRWA staff had been killed since the conflict began, explaining how the agency's toll reflected the broader casualty rate in Gaza.
COP28 summit targets 68% cooling emissions cut by 2050
"Without policy intervention, direct and indirect emissions from air conditioning and refrigeration are projected to rise 90 percent above 2017...Cooling methods currently account for over seven percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations
The UN has said there are already an estimated 3.6 billion cooling appliances being used globally, but that figure is expected to soar
Saudi Arabia selected as member of UN’s AI Advisory Body
New York, United States-- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres Friday announced the selection of Saudi Arabia to the UN Advisory...UN Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence (AI) consists of 39 members representing government and private and civil-society organizations.
Shura Council member Dr. Latifa bint Mohammad Al-Abdulkareem will represent the Kingdom at the UN AI Advisory Body.
Palestine’s Abbas expected in Moscow for talks with Putin soon: Russian diplomat
Moscow, Russia - Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will soon visit Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a senior...Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to say exactly when Abbas would arrive
He surmised that the two leaders would primarily discuss the situation in the Middle East
Hamas says 50 hostages dead in Israeli strikes on Gaza
Jerusalem - Hamas's armed wing said on Thursday that "almost 50" Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip since the...Earlier, the Israeli army said 224 people were abducted by militants during the attack that left 1,400 people, mostly civilians, dead.
"We have informed the families of 224 hostages. This number is changing based on the intelligence we obtain," military spokesman Daniel Hagari said
India shocked at Qatar death penalty for 8 ex-naval officers
NEW DELHI, INDIA - India said on Thursday that eight of its citizens had been sentenced to death by Qatar in...India said it would "take up the verdict with Qatari authorities" and would continue to "extend all consular and legal assistance" to the prisoners.
“We have initial information that the Court of First Instance of Qatar has today passed a judgement in the case,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
7,000 Palestinians killed in 20 days of Israeli bombardments: Ministry
Hamas released a list of around 7,000 names of people in Gaza it said had been killed in Israeli strikes....Israel has cut off Gaza's supply corridors for water, food and other necessities, and fewer than 70 relief trucks have entered the territory since war began.
More than 90 percent of medicine stocks and supplies have been depleted, according to Mohammed Abu Selmeya, head of Gaza City's Shifa hospital.
FII7 concludes, WAVE launched on Day 3 to boost ocean regeneration
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The seventh Future Investment Initiative Institute forum, which concluded in Riyadh on Thursday, saw the attendance...WAVE will serve as a platform, connecting diverse stakeholders across geographies, industries, and sectors, to amplify their collective efforts.
It will launch a set of programs to raise awareness, establish a digital information hub, accelerate innovations, support scientific efforts.
Dubai among top 25 global cities for third consecutive year
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai has retained its leading position in the MENA region on Kearney's Global Cities Index, ranking 23rd...Average GCI scores have remained steady following several years of decline, with cities in the Middle East and Africa improving markedly.
Riyadh, Muscat and Doha improving their overall rankings by nine, eight, and seven, respectively.
Crypto crackdown intensifies on Hamas finance
Israeli and US authorities have intensified their financial hunt into Hamas in recent days as they track illicit funds via...Crypto addresses identified by Israel as being linked to Hamas received about $41 million between August 2020 and July 2023, according to Israeli analytics
Other crypto addresses linked to Islamic Jihad received in excess of $154 million between October 2022 and September 2023, with some still active
