Blinken urges Hamas to agree truce to help Gazans
A Hamas official said the group would respond "within a very short period" to a plan proposed by mediators to...Geostrategy
European, Arab ministers meet in Saudi to jump-start two-state solution
Earlier on Monday, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters he would encourage Arab leaders to put forward...Geostrategy
In Morocco, Spain PM reinforces ties after crisis
The visit comes less than a year after the Spanish leader drew a line under a year-long diplomatic crisis by...Around 20 deals were signed on Thursday to bolster Spanish investments in areas including renewable energy to education
Both countries said they were progressing in preparations to open customs offices in Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's two North African enclaves
Iraq hopes talks can resolve hitches in US$10bn Total deal
Iraq admitted it had differences with France's TotalEnergies over a US$10-billion contract, including over the distribution of investments, but expressed...The French energy giant had signed the US$10-billion contract with Iraq in September 2021.
The partnership has struggled to materialize amid reported signs of discord between the two sides.
France to host international meet on crisis-hit Lebanon
The Paris gathering is to be attended by representatives from France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. Lebanon...The political impasse has hampered efforts to lift the Mediterranean country out of its worst-ever financial crisis.
The currency has lost more than 95 percent of its market value to the dollar since 2019, and more than 80 percent of the population lives in poverty.
Israel PM in France, hopes to gain support on Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron hoping to gain support against Iran's nuclear...Netanyahu hopes that Iran's role supplying drones to Russian troops in Ukraine will prompt Western allies to drop ideas of a revival of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran holds several foreign nationals who Western governments see as political hostages.
Israel hits Gaza Strip, hours after intercepting rocket fire
Gaza City, Palestinian Territories--Israel conducted air strikes on the central Gaza Strip early Thursday, according to AFP journalists and witnesses, hours...According to local security sources and witnesses, the first strikes hit a training centre of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades
Gaza, densely populated with 2.3 million people, has been under an Israeli blockade since Hamas took power in 2007
Right educational system crucial to help students become an active partners in shaping UAE’s future
“Increasing student competence in Arabic is a top priority; it's a crucial component of the UAE's national identity,” adds Sheikh...The educational system must help students earn their university degrees in areas that are suited for their inclinations, skills, and abilities, says Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed
Increasing student competence in Arabic is a top priority; it's a crucial component of the UAE's national identity, he adds
Spanish PM in Morocco on visit to cement ties
Spain's North African enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta - which both border Morocco - have long been magnets for people...Sanchez and a dozen ministers are set to meet with top members of the Moroccan government on Thursday
They are expected to sign some 24 deals including on encouraging Spanish investment in the kingdom
SK Hynix posts record loss
The company is world's second-largest memory chip makerThe South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix reported an operating loss of $1.4 billion in the October to December period
Hynix's results come a day after Samsung Electronics said fourth-quarter operating profits plunged nearly 70 percent
Lebanese villagers fight to stem illegal logging
Lebanon, whose flag bears a cedar tree, is known for its greenery, with forests covering 13 percent of its territory.He said around 30,000 trees had been planted in the past two decades but that since September, logging had become a regular occurrence.
Lebanon has the largest juniper woods in the Middle East, according to the environment ministry, and is also home to pine, oak, cedar and fir forests.
Israel considers sending military aid to Ukraine
Israeli PM's remarks come after a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who called for calm following a...Israeli PM has confirmed that the US has shifted a little-known stockpile of artillery it stations in Israel to Ukraine and he cast the Jewish state's own operations against Iran
Netanyahu said he was asked to mediate in an unofficial role after Russia invaded Ukraine in February but did not pursue it as he was then in opposition
