Saudi Arabia and Qatar to settle Syria’s World Bank debt
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced on Sunday that they would settle Syria's debt to the World...Economy Geostrategy
Hamas says open to 5-year Gaza truce, one-time hostages release
Cairo, Egypt - Hamas is open to an agreement to end the war in Gaza that would see all hostages...Geostrategy
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.
Morocco king turns 60 as challenges abound in kingdom
The monarch is credited with effectively maintaining stability in a volatile region -- in part through suppressing criticism -- as...Since his coronation following the death of his father, the monarch has retained a firm grip on economic policy, foreign affairs, and defence and security in his country
On the international stage, Mohammed VI has diversified partnerships that were once primarily focused on former colonial ruler France and other European nations
Taiwan says 42 warplane incursions after launch of China military drills
China announced earlier Saturday that it had "launched joint air and sea patrols and military exercises of the navy and...Twenty-six of the warplanes involved crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the island's ministry of defence said in a statement
Eight vessels also participated in the drills, which Chinese state media said were intended to simulate "real combat conditions", the ministry said
BBC, Guardian journos among 54 UK citizens in Russia’s stop-list
Moscow, Russia - Moscow has expanded its stop-list as a retaliatory measure barring 54 UK citizens from entering Russia, the...The list now includes Lucy Frazer, UK secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, "who is promoting Russia’s international sports isolation."
Other UK nationals on the list include journalists from the BBC, Guardian Media Group, the Daily Telegraph, as well as Karim Khan, prosecutor with the ICC
Turkish Cypriot forces assault Cyprus peacekeepers: UN
The confrontation occurred in Pyla, an ethnically mixed village in the UN-patrolled area between the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus...EU condemned the incident, as well as Britain, France and US, who in a joint statement expressed "serious concern at the launch of unauthorised construction" of the road
Authorities in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, who say the road project is aimed at easing the plight of its people, dismissed the UN mission's allegations
India and Saudi Arabia discuss visit of Crown Prince to India
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - India and Saudi Arabia are in discussions regarding a state visit by Crown Prince Mohammed bin...The discussions are said to be centered around the Crown Prince's visit after the G20 summit on September 9-10 which he would also be attending
Saudi Arabia is a major supplier of oil to India, and the two countries have been working to develop renewable energy projects together
