Israeli army withdraws from Al-Shifa, Gaza health ministry
The Hamas government media office said the Israeli air strikes had provided cover for the withdrawing vehicles. The army launched...Geostrategy
Gaza ceasefire talks to resume in Cairo: Egyptian media
Reports of the new talks in Cairo came as protesters in Israel's biggest city blocked a major road Saturday following...Geostrategy
Parched Tunisia imposes water rationing, mulls prison for violators
The country's dams are at critical lows following years of drought, exacerbated by pipeline leaks in a decrepit distribution network....None of the country's major reservoirs is more than a third full, while some are at less than 15 percent, threatening Tunisia's agricultural sector.
The Tunisian Federation for Agriculture and Fisheries said thousands of hectares of farmland risked being left fallow due to the lack of rain.
Blinken affirms Israel ties, warns on peace after Netanyahu spat
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and "reaffirmed the importance of the enduring US– Israel...Joe Biden called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step back from a bid to weaken the judiciary that has set off massive protests
Netanyahu responded that he would not bow to foreign pressure but took a more conciliatory tone when he participated in a democracy summit
Japan plans export control measures for chip equipment
TOKYO, JAPAN - Japan on Friday unveiled planned export controls on 23 items used to make semiconductors, following US pressure for...The move to curb export of chip equipment comes as Japan confirmed its top diplomat will visit China this weekend.
As the second- and third-largest economies of the world, China and Japan are key trading partners.
UN to dispatch first convoy to W. Sahara mission sites since 2020
The announcement comes as UN envoy to the region Staffan de Mistura invited parties including Morocco and the Polisario Front...The oldest functioning security barrier in the world separates the Moroccan territory from land controlled by Polisario rebels
Rabat, which controls some 80 percent territory, advocates a plan for limited autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty
UN agency estimates quake hit 20% of Turkey’s food production
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said initial assessments in Turkey revealed "severe damage to agriculture, including crops, livestock, fisheries...FAO estimated the quake caused $1.3 billion in damage, through destruction of infrastructure, livestock and crops, and $5.1 billion in losses to Turkey's agricultural sector
The UN's food agency is appealing for $112 million to help quake-affected communities in Turkey, including $25 million under a wider UN appeal issued in February
With Turkey’s endorsement, Finland finally joins NATO
Two weeks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly backed its bid, Turkish lawmakers unanimously supported Finland's membership of the US-led...With some 800-mile border with Russia, Finland just has to take a few technical steps before it becomes the 31st member fo the world's most powerful military bloc
Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to the threat of NATO expanding into Ukraine as one of the main reasons for starting the war 13 months ago
Historic indictment: Trump becomes first former US president to face criminal charges
A New York grand jury has indicted former US President Donald Trump over hush money payments made to porn star...A New York grand jury has indicted former US President Donald Trump over hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign
This makes Trump the first former US president to face criminal charges, potentially disrupting his aspirations to regain office in the current presidential race
Two soldiers injured in Israeli aerial attack, says Syria
Syria's foreign ministry condemned the strikes, accusing Israel in a statement of trying to "escape internal divisions", as the country...Israel has repeatedly targeted multiple positions in Syria as the country suffers from a decade old civil war.
Syrian said the Israeli missile was launched from occupied Golan Heights and hit few positions near Damascus.
Saudi Arabia agrees to partner with China-led security bloc
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia has agreed to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a "dialogue partner", state media reported...The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 as a political, economic and security organization to rival Western institutions.
The move would grant Riyadh "the status of a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization", it said.
Turkey set to approve Finland’s NATO bid
Finland and its neighbour Sweden ended decades of military non-alignment and decided to join NATO last May. Their applications were...Turkey's ratification will leave Finland with only a few technical steps before it becomes the 31st member of NATO
Ratification is all but certain after President Erdogan ended months of negotiations and blessed Finland's candidacy