Sweden Quran burner arrested in Norway, faces deportation
OSLO, NORWAY – An Iraqi refugee in Sweden who stoked international outrage by repeatedly desecrating the Quran last year has been...Geostrategy Global
Taiwan suffers from biggest earthquake in 25 years
NEW TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN - Liu watched intently as rescuers carefully picked their way through the remains of a warehouse that...Culture & Society Geostrategy
Canada expels Chinese diplomat, Beijing threatens retaliation
China said it had filed an official protest over breaches of international law and diplomatic norms, and accused Canada of...Candian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly declared the diplomat "persona non grata" and said "Canada would not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs"
According to a source familiar with the matter, Zhao Wei, an official at the Chinese consulate in Toronto at the heart of the affair, has been asked to leave Canada
Top Palestinian fighter among 12 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza
According to the health ministry of the Hamas-ruled Gaza, 12 people were killed, including women and children. Among the deceased...The Israeli attack on Gaza comes less than a week after Islamic Jihad declared an Egypt-brokered truce, in the wake of a fresh surge in violence
Cross-border fire between Israel and Gaza fighters raged in the wake of the death in Israeli detention of Khader Adnan, who was on hunger strike for 87 days
EU cancels Europe Day reception in Tel Aviv over Ben-Gvir participation
the EU delegation to Israel said it would still celebrate Europe Day on Tuesday but regretted that "this year we...Ben-Gvir, who has a history of inflammatory remarks about Palestinians, was charged more than 50 times in his youth with incitement to violence or hate speech.
Israeli government officials confirmed on Monday that Ben-Gvir "was designated (by the government) to attend the EU event".
TRENDS poll: Saudi-Iranian thaw raises stability hopes
A majority of the people who voted in a TRENDS poll see the China-brokered deal between the two countries as...Fifty-nine percent of the voters said the agreement would improve the situation, while 24 percent voted 'no'. The rest are not sure if the deal will be positive for the region.
The majority of the voters were in the 20-29 age group (41.3 percent), followed by 30-39 years (37.3 percent), 40-49 years (13.5 percent) and the rest were 50 and above.
ADFD finances US$30m sustainable water project in Mauritania
ABU DHABI, UAE -Â Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has signed an agreement with the government of Mauritania to...The total value of the project, financed by several Arab and international financing institutions, is US$320 million.
The main objective of the project is to provide potable water to around 92 cities and villages in Mauritania.
Iran seeks end to repeated delays for restoring nuclear deal
In March, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi visited Tehran after his agency's inspectors in the country found...In 2018, US had pulled back from a 2015 nuclear deal that gave relief to Iran from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
An agreement "is possible both in term of the technical and political aspects", Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said.
UAE Federal Treasury Sukuk Program appoints ADIB as primary dealer
ABU DHABI, Â UAE - Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), a leading Islamic financial institution, has been appointed as a primary...This new program has been launched by the federal government of the UAE, through the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
The program aims to issue Sukuk through Shariah-compliant structures as approved by the Higher Shari’ah Authority.
Air strike kills drug trafficker in Syria, says war monitor Â
BEIRUT, LEBANON - An air strike killed a major drug smuggler and his family in southern Syria on Monday, a war...Jordan's army had said last year that drug trafficking from Syria into Jordan had become "organized".
Jordan has previously launched strikes targeting drug smugglers in Syria, some dating back to 2014.
China pivot to Central Asia: Xi to host first summit with regional countries
The summit in the city of Xi'an is the first of its kind, according to Chinese state media, and will...Leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are expected to attend the China-Central Asia Summit from May 18 to 19, said China's foreign ministry
The summit in the city of Xi'an is the first of its kind, according to Chinese state media, and will focus on strengthening economic and diplomatic ties with Beijing
Saudi crown prince holds talks with US, UAE, Indian NSAs on regional connectivity, link to South Asia Â
The participants are reported to have discussed the broad contours of the massive joint project to build railway, maritime and...The participants discussed the broad contours of the massive joint project to build railway, maritime and road connectivity in the larger region
They also deliberated ways to strengthen relations and ties between their countries in order to enhance growth and stability in the regionÂ