Deadly chaos at Gaza aid distribution as WHO renews hospital warning
UN agencies have warned repeatedly that northern Gaza is on the verge of famine and called it a man-made crisis...Geostrategy
Polish PM Tusk warns Europe has entered ‘pre-war era’
Russia's invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago upended European leaders' sense of unshakeable post-war peace, prompting many countries...Geostrategy
After Iran deal, KSA in talks with Syria to resume consular services
Riyadh has been hinting at a rapprochement with Syria for weeks. It sent aid to both rebel-held and government-controlled parts...The report gave no timeline for the move, which would mark the latest Saudi step towards mending rifts with regional rivals
Earlier this month, a Chinese-brokered deal was announced to restore diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran
Israeli parliamentarians adopt strict limits on removing PM
Israeli parliament approved legislation restricting grounds for declaring a premier unfit for office, a move the opposition has called a...Lawmakers voted 61 against 47 to approve an amendment to one of Israel's Basic Laws specifying the conditions to declare a prime minister unfit for office.
The previous version of the law stated that a premier could be declared incapacitated, but did not specify on what grounds or the necessary steps.
Eco-friendly goods buck global downward trade slide: UNCTAD
Trade in such goods grew by around four percent in the second half of 2022, with their combined value hitting...Global trade surged to a record $32 trillion in 2022 before reversing course in the second half of the year amid deteriorating economic conditions and swelling uncertainties.
UNCTAD said it expected green industries to boom further as countries scale up their efforts to cut emissions and battle global warming.
Saudi, Iran foreign ministers hold Ramadan call, vow to meet ‘soon’
Reaffirming their resolve to implement a landmark bilateral reconciliation deal, the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers spoke by phone to...The Saudi foreign ministry in a statement said the bilateral meeting to be held soon would pave the way for the reopening of embassies and consulates
The reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran has the potential to reshape relations across the region hit by turbulence for decades
Algeria dismantles Syria-Europe international trafficking network
In a crackdown on organized crime, Algeria has dismantled an international network specializing in trafficking people through Algeria to Europe,...According to new reports, the Algerian police uncovered a network transporting the migrants to Benghazi airport in Libya during a five-month probe
The police also reportedly impounded more than $11,000 along with almost 9,000 euros during the operation
Quake-hit Syrians brace for subdued Ramadan
Now displaced in the rebel-held countryside of northern Syria, she places on the bare ground of her shelter a few...The conflict, which erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of peaceful protests, cost the lives of over 500,000 people
The United Nations warned last week that Syria faced "unprecedented levels of poverty and food insecurity".
No plans of reviving West Bank settlements, says Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the parliamentary vote scraps "a discriminatory and humiliating law, that prohibited Jews from living...Israeli parliament had revoked a law Tuesday that banned Jewish settlers from residing in some areas of occupied West Bank.
In 2005, the Israeli government had vacated the Gaza Strip and removed Jewish settlers from four areas of occupied West Bank.
UAE, Pakistan discuss ways to enhance mutual trade, investment
The UAE accounts for over 40% of Pakistan's trade with Arab countries, with non-oil exports from the UAE to Pakistan...UAE is Pakistan's leading investment partner in the Gulf and fifth at a global level, a report said at the end of 2021.
The non-oil trade between the two hit the figures of $7 bn in 2022, marking an increase of 30 percent compared to 2021.
Tear gas fired at Lebanon protest against economic meltdown
Lebanon's economic meltdown, described by the World Bank as one of the worst in recent global history, has plunged most...The Lebanese pound, officially pegged at 15,000 to the dollar, has been trading on parallel markets at more than 100,000 against the greenback.
Some protesters shouted slogans against the political elite, widely blamed for the country's financial collapse.
UN’s water report: Floods cause $650bn in damages in 19 years
UN Water forum published its report as the first major conference on the issue in nearly a half-century is set...Global water consumption has increased by about 1 percent per year over the past four decades.
Warming also intensifies and raises the frequencies of droughts, which over the same period affected 1.4 billion people.