Iran calls for ‘international community response’ after Israel’s Syria attack
In a statement, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani "strongly condemned" the attack and said that Iran "reserves the right...Geostrategy
Israeli troops leave behind trail of destruction at Gaza hospital
Palestinian Territories - Israeli forces on Monday pulled out of Gaza's largest hospital complex after an intensive two-week military operation,...Geostrategy
UAE Federal National Council speaker, Chinese Ambassador, discuss bilateral ties
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council (FNC) Saqr Ghobash, and the Chinese Ambassador to the...The two sides discussed a range of issues of mutual concerns, and ways of developing the overall bilateral ties between the two countries
Ghobash said that the bilateral cooperation between the UAE and China is a model of an ideal partnership based on friendship and mutual respect
Israeli forces kill two Palestinians in occupied West Bank
Jerusalem, Undefined - Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Israel's defense minister Yoav Gallant said....A senior Palestinian official told AFP that he had been informed of the death of the two Palestinians, who were not immediately identified.
Violence has surged in the region over the last week as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Jewish Passover and Christian Easter coincided.
9 Arab nations to discuss Syria ties at Saudi Arabia meet on Friday
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, diplomatically isolated since the start of the Syrian war in 2011, has visited the UAE and...Saudi Arabia announced last month that it has started talks with Damascus about resuming consular services.
Syria was expelled from the Arab League over the crackdown on pro-democracy protests that unleashed the war.
Yemen prisoner swap to start Thursday as peace hopes rise
Nearly 900 prisoners, most of whom were fighting with Houthi rebels, will be flown between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, which...Houthis will release 181 prisoners, including Saudis and Sudanese, in exchange for 706 detainees held by government forces, according to a pact reached last month in Switzerland.
Yemen's six-month, UN-brokered truce that officially lapsed in October is still largely holding, providing respite for a population of 30 million that is mostly dependent on aid.
Germany to shut down last three remaining nuclear plants
At a time when many Western countries are ramping up nuclear power in their transition to greener energy sources, Europe's...The exit decision was popular in a country with a powerful anti-nuclear movement fuelled by fears of Cold War conflict and disasters such as Chernobyl
The three final nuclear plants provided six percent of Germany's energy last year, compared with 30.8 percent from all nuclear plants in 1997
Algeria moves to further curb press freedom with new law
The new law would ban Algerian media outlets from receiving funding or "direct and indirect material aid" from abroad, under...Parliament's lower house approved the bill on March 28 and on Monday the upper house began debating it, with a vote expected Thursday
Earlier this month an Algiers court sentenced prominent journalist Ihsane El Kadi to three years in prison for "foreign financing of his business"
UAE and Malta sign MoUs to deepen ties in maritime, sports fields
Abu Dhabi, UAE-- The UAE and Malta have signed three memoranda of understanding in areas of maritime affairs, youth, and...The two ministers discussed ways of deepening cooperation and partnership between the two countries
The foreign minister of Malta expressed hope to build bilateral relations with the UAE in various field while applauding the UAE's achievements
Israel’s Netanyahu vows to restore security as violence surges
The day after Israeli police on Wednesday stormed the prayer hall of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque -- Islam's third-holiest site --...Heavy clashes, shootings, rocket strikes and a car-ramming attack have marred a period when the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coincides with the Jewish Passover and Christian Easter
The latest casualties were a Palestinian teenager and a British-Israeli mother who succumbed on Monday to injuries from a West Bank gun attack that earlier killed her two daughters
Saudi envoy to Yemen travels to Houthi-held capital to ‘stabilize truce’
The Saudi ambassador's visit seeks to support the prisoner exchange and also to explore venues of dialogue to reach "a...The Saudi ambassador's visit seeks to support the prisoner exchange and also to explore venues of dialogue to reach "a sustainable, comprehensive political solution"
Last week, a Yemeni government source told AFP that the Saudis and Houthis had agreed in principle on a new six-month truce to pave the way for talks
Iran plans to strengthen penalties for violence against women
TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran's parliament has adopted proposals to toughen penalties for perpetrators of violence against women which could be voted...The text or the draft bill, which can still be modified, could be formally promulgated into law in the coming months.
The text allows the judiciary to provide married women with a permit to leave the country even if their husband prevents them from travelling abroad.