Airlines suspend or reduce flights in Middle East after Iran strikes
British Airways cancelled flights between London's Heathrow Airport and Dubai and Doha on Sunday following the US strikes on Iran....Geostrategy
Massive US bunker-buster bombs make combat debut in Iran strikes
The US military says the GBU-57 -- also named Massive Ordnance Penetrator -- is designed to penetrate up to 200...Geostrategy
G20 nations fall short of common plan on fossil fuels
NEW DELHI, INDIA - Energy ministers from the group of 20 nations meeting in India on Saturday failed to agree...The failure to reach agreement in Goa comes despite G7 leaders agreeing in Hiroshima in May to "accelerate the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels".
G20 host nation India is itself only pledging to reach net zero by 2070, 20 years later than the commitment made by many other countries.
Israeli reserve troops warn government over judiciary overhaul
JERUSALEM- More than 1,100 Israeli air force reservists -- including fighter pilots -- threatened to suspend volunteer service as protests...At least 1,142 air force reservists declared their intention to suspend volunteer service if parliament passes the bill next week.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government unveiled in January the plans to limit the judiciary's powers.
Arab-Indian Chamber of Commerce to be unveiled soon
NEW DELHI, INDIA - A Joint Arab-Indian Chamber of Commerce is to be “activated” soon.This was announced in the “Delhi...This was announced in the “Delhi Declaration” at the conclusion of the sixth India-Arab Partnership Conference in New Delhi
Setting up of the Chamber was decided during an earlier session of the India-Arab Partnership Conference held in Muscat
Israeli army shoot Palestinian dead in occupied West Bank
NABLUS, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - Israeli forces have shot dead a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said on Saturday,...Fawzi Mukhalifa, 18, "was killed by the occupation (Israeli) bullets in the town of Sebastia" late on Friday, the Palestinian health ministry said.
The army said troops had responded to "a car ramming attempt by firing towards the suspects who were in the vehicle. The driver was neutralized".
UAE plays an active role in shaping better future for societies, says minister
NEW DELHI, INDIA – The UAE is committed to playing an active role in global efforts to shape a better...The UAE is also committed to enhancing human resources’ contribution to sustainable development.
The minister applauded all G20 members for “their dedication and commitment to the objectives and vision of the forum.”
Suspect identified in UN personnel’s killing in Yemen, says official
DUBAI, UAE - Authorities in Yemen have identified a suspect in the killing of a World Food Program official in the...Moayad Hameidi, the head of the UN food agency's office in Taez, was killed in a shooting on Friday in the nearby city of Turbah.
Taez is controlled by the government but is surrounded and blockaded by areas under Houthi control.
Nations look to sign deep sea mining rules by 2025
The member nations of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) agreed on a two-year roadmap for the adoption of deep sea...The ISA Assembly and its 167 member states next week will discuss a "precautionary pause" in mining, supported by about 20 countries
Scientists believe deep sea mining can destroy habitats and species that may still be unknown but are potentially vital to ecosystems
Bahrain and US assert commitment to freedom of maritime navigation
Dubai, UAE-- Bahrain and the US have reaffirmed their commitment to freedom of navigation in international waters. They reiterated the...Both the countries noted the importance of safe passage for commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and denounced acts putting freedom of navigation at risk
They also pledged to combat climate change through the deployment of clean energy sources and innovations such as carbon-capture technologies
Gulf economies pivot towards China: Multi-billion dollar investments strengthen relations
Economic ties between China and the Gulf region's largest economies, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have surged since President Xi...The value of Gulf companies' acquisitions and investments in China this year increased by more than 1,000 percent yearly to $5.3 billion
Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund, the "Mubadala Investment Company," is expanding its operations in China to attract investments
Quran burning: Iraqis, Iranians rally as Swedish diplomats leave Baghdad
Baghdad, Iraq -- Demonstrators marched in the Iraqi and Iranian capitals Friday to denounce Sweden's permission for protests that desecrate the...Sweden on Friday cited security concerns in a decision to relocate embassy staff after protesters stormed its embassy compound in a pre-dawn attack this week.
In Lebanon, the leader of the pro-Iran Hezbollah movement Hassan Nasrallah called for expulsion of the Swedish envoy there and the recall of Lebanon's ambassador to Sweden.
