PA alone must be in charge of post-war Gaza, say France, Egypt and Jordan
Cairo, Egypt -- The leaders of France, Egypt and Jordan on Monday said the Palestinian Authority alone must be in...Geostrategy
Macron to hold summit with Egyptian, Jordanian leaders as Israel pushes to seize Gaza territory
Meanwhile, a video recovered from the cellphone of an aid worker killed in Gaza alongside other rescuers shows their final...Geostrategy
15 Tunisian migrants missing after Europe bound boat capsizes
Tunis, Tunisia - Fifteen Tunisian migrants are missing after their boat sank in the Mediterranean during an attempt to reach Europe,...The boat carrying 19 Tunisians sank Monday night, said a statement by Tunisia's National Guard, which oversees the coastguard.
Four migrants were rescued by a fisherman after the boat sank, while the search for the remaining 15 continued Wednesday morning.
Dozens of Iraqi policemen arrested after convict escapes custody
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - A former Iraqi religious official convicted of corruption has escaped police custody, prompting the arrest of more than...Saad Qambash was once head of Iraq's Sunni Waqf, and had been jailed for four years earlier this month for fraud.
Investigating authorities had uncovered "documents" as evidence leading to the arrest of those involved.
Millions of Indonesians travel home in annual Eid exodus
Jakarta, Indonesia -- On motorcycles, cars, buses, planes or by boat, millions of Indonesians are travelling to their hometowns in the...This year marks the first "mudik", as the annual exodus is known, since Covid-19 restrictions were removed at the end of 2022 in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.
Indonesia's transport ministry has predicted up to 123 million people will travel for Eid this year, up from 85 million estimated to have made the trip last year.
India set to overtake China as world’s most populous country: UN
India's population will be 1.4286 billion compared to China's 1.4257 billion at mid-year, the United Nations Population Fund's State of...India has no recent official data on how many people it has because the census, due in 2021, was delayed due to coronavirus.
Critics say the government is deliberately delaying the census to hide data on contentious issues such as unemployment ahead of national elections next year.
Step aside US: China’s road to global leadership goes through Middle East
If China successfully mediates the Israel-Palestine peace talks, it will cement its status as a global peacemaker, a role that...Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has expressed readiness to help facilitate peace talks between Israel and Palestine
He made separate phone calls to Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers, emphasizing China's push for peace talks
Afghans below poverty line doubled under Taliban, says UN
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) released on Tuesday a stark new assessment of 2022 data estimating 34 million Afghans...Vast foreign subsidies were halted and aid programs dramatically cut back after the US-backed republic fell in 2021.
"Some have been compelled to sell their homes, land, or assets that generate income," the UNDP report said.
Israeli army shoot, injure seven during West Bank raid
NABLUS, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - Israeli forces shot and wounded seven people in a raid Tuesday in the occupied West Bank, the...The Palestine health ministry reported "six minor injuries from live fire" reached Jenin governmental hospital.
There was no immediate confirmation of the identity of those wounded in Jenin, a hotbed for Palestinian armed groups.
Middle East thaw: Now Qatar and UAE to reopen embassies
"The technical committees are now doing their work in this context, and it is expected that there will be exchange...The two countries re-established relations in Jan 2021, after the UAE took part in a nearly four-year Gulf blockade of Qatar, but they are yet to restore the diplomatic missions.
Opening the embassies would be just the latest in a series of reconciliatory steps for Gulf relations since heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Iran moved to restore ties last month.
Sound Saudi-Syria relations should be norm, says Bashar al-Assad
The Syrian president met with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in Damascus. This is the first visit to...Assad was politically isolated in the region since the conflict began but Saudi-Iran rapprochement has shifted regional relations.
Assad and Prince Faisal discussed steps to "achieve a comprehensive political settlement that... contributes to Syria's return to the Arab fold," the Saudi foreign ministry said.
Civil Society groups under ‘severe restrictions’ in Libya, says HRW
TRIPOLI, LIBYA - Libyan authorities have imposed "severe restrictions" on local and international civil society groups, obstructing their work in the...The rights watchdog said authorities must take step like adoption of a "civil society organization law that guarantees the right tot freedom of association."
Human Rights Watch called for a reform of the penal code, and “redefining criminal acts to exclude peaceful exercise of the right to express opinions."
