Hamas says Israel wants ‘endless’ truce negotiations
Hamas had told mediators it "cannot agree to a deal that doesn't that does not secure... a permanent ceasefire and...Geostrategy
Gaza mediators urge Israel, Hamas to accept truce plan
Rafah, Palestinian Territories - Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators called on Israel and Hamas Saturday to "finalise" the truce deal outlined...Geostrategy
Cementing ties: Iran invites Saudi Arabia’s king to visit Tehran
The two countries had severed ties seven years ago after Saudi Arabia executed a revered Saudi shia cleric Sheikh Nimr...The two Middle East powerhouses had held several rounds of dialogue in Iraq and Oman before reaching the agreement to mend ties on March 10 in China.
Saudi delegation to visit Iran to discuss the reopening of the embassy and consulate. Iranian officials say diplomatic mission likely to open before May 9.
After major Yemen prisoner swap, another 104 released: ICRC
A day after a major prisoner exchange, more than 100 prisoners of war were flown from Saudi Arabia to Yemen...The exchange and the truce negotiations come a month after Gulf heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish diplomatic ties
The release of 104 captives, days before the major Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, takes the total number to 973 freed since Friday
US raid in Syria targets senior IS leader: Centcom
Beirut, Lebanon--A US helicopter raid on Monday targeted a senior Islamic State group leader in Syria suspected of plotting attacks in...A US Central Command statement said that the target of the strike was "responsible for planning terror attacks in the Middle East and Europe"
The strike, according to the Observatory, a Britain-based war monitor, killed the main target and two other fighters
More than 40 people killed in Syria attacks blamed on IS
The Observatory, which has a wide network of sources on the ground in Syria, said fighters riding motorbikes also attacked...Since February, more than 240 people have been killed in IS attacks targeting truffle hunters or by landmines left by the extremists
Remnants of explosives laid by all sides in the conflict are now claiming more lives in Syria than anywhere else in the world, says the UN
UN denounces Sudan clashes, demands ‘swift justice’ over killings
Denouncing clashes in Sudan that have left dozens of civilians dead including three workers of the World Food Program, UN...The UN Security Council, according to diplomatic sources, is planning to discuss the situation in Sudan at a closed-door meeting on Monday.
FIghting between the Sudanese armed forces and a rival paramilitary, the Rapid Support Forces, have left at least 56 civilians dead
10 Iranian soldiers sentenced for downing of Ukrainian plane
Iran's judiciary had said in November 2021 that a trial had opened in Tehran for 10 military members in connection...A commander received 10 years in prison and nine others were sentenced to between one and three years.
Iranian forces shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 shortly after its takeoff from Tehran on January 8 that year.
WFP stops Sudan operation after three members killed in violence
The UN's food agency said it was suspending work in Sudan after three staff were killed in the Darfur region,..."While we review the evolving security situation, we are forced to temporarily halt all operations in Sudan," said a WFP official.
Fighting in Sudan raged for a second day in battles between rival generals who seized power in a 2021 coup.
Ukrainian foreign minister to discuss ‘bolstering ties’ during Iraq visit
In February this year, the Iraqi foreign minister reiterated Baghdad's support for a ceasefire and negotiations to end the war...Ukrainian minister Kuleba is due to hold talks with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein as well as Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani.
Iraq maintains good economic ties with both Kiev and Moscow, and has adopted a neutral stance since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Iraq invites Turkey, Iran to discuss water share issue Â
BAGHDAD, IRAQ -Â Iraq's Minister of Water Resources Aoun Diab said on Sunday that the releases of the Tigris River...Iraq's Minister of Water Resources said that an invitation was extended to the Iranian Minister of Energy to attend the third Baghdad Water Conference.
Iraq invited the Turkish delegation for the purpose of continuing discussions on activating the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries.
Iran seals 150 businesses for ‘disrespecting’ headscarf obligation
The closures were announced a day after police said they have now implemented a plan to deal with women who...The crackdown comes after the number of women defying the code has risen since a protest movement triggered by the death in custody last year of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini.
Last week, police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said those who remove their headscarves would be identified using "smart equipment".
