Blinken promotes Gulf Arab defence in sign to Israel and Iran
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Monday for tighter defence integration among Gulf Arabs in response to Iran, part...Geostrategy
Ahead of feared Rafah invasion, Palestinians mourn bombardment dead
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said Israel's war cabinet was meeting Thursday "to discuss how to destroy the last battalions...Geostrategy
France repatriates 15 women, 32 children from Syrian jihadist camps
The children returned to France on Tuesday were at the Roj camp in northeast Syria under Kurdish administration, about 15...Rights groups have been pressing for years for France to take back the wives and children of fighters held in the camps since the IS group was ousted from the country in 2019
The lawyer who published the UN torture committee ruling, Marie Dose, said 150 French women and children were being held in the Syria camps before Tuesday's repatriation
Iran vows response to new EU, UK sanctions over protests
The EU and Britain on Monday slapped another round of sanctions on Iran which has been rocked by protests since...Iran's warning of tit-for-tat measures comes after relations deteriorated sharply, with the EU and Britain ramping up sanctions over the country's response to the protests
The EU imposed its fourth round of sanctions against Tehran since the protests started, placing 37 more Iranian officials and entities on an asset freeze and visa ban blacklist
UN faults climate change for jump in human trafficking risks
The UN drugs agency noted that an increase in cases of human trafficking had been observed in Bangladesh and the...The continuing war in Ukraine is also another risk factor for increased human trafficking, UNODC said
The UN report is based on data from 141 countries collected from 2017 to 2020, and the analysis of 800 court cases
Morocco votes to review ties with European Parliament
Morocco's Parliament "decided to reconsider its relations with the European Parliament and submit them for an overall evaluation," said Rachid...Members of both houses of Morocco's parliament met in the capital Rabat for a joint session in response to the non-binding European text adopted on Thursday
In a statement later, they called the European resolution "an unacceptable attack against the sovereignty, dignity and independence of judicial institutions in the kingdom
Kuwait’s government resigns, three months after taking power
Three months after it was sworn in, Kuwait's government tendered its resignation in the wake of disputes with lawmakers, plunging...The official news agency said that the prime minister submitted the cabinet's resignation to Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah,
The government was sworn-in in October with fighting corruption among its priorities, after the opposition reaped major gains in parliamentary elections
EU puts 37 more Iran officials and entities on asset, visa blacklist
The EU has already imposed sanctions on more than 60 Iranian officials and entities over the crackdown on protestors, including...The bloc targeted the minister of sports and the command of the Revolutionary Guards in 12 regions of Iran in its fourth round of sanctions.
Hard-line lawmakers, senior state media officials and the head of the body setting the country's strict "morality" rules were also added to the list.
WHO seeks $2.5bn for health emergency responses in 2023
The World Health Organization appealed for US$2.54 billion for its work in 2023 to help millions of people facing health...The WHO was currently responding to 54 health crises around the world, 11 of which were ranked as the highest-possible level emergency.
The United Nations has estimated that a record 339 million people worldwide will need some form of emergency assistance in 2023.
Rights group warns West Bank could be new Gaza with Israeli restrictions
"By making it harder for people to spend time in the West Bank, Israel is taking yet another step toward...The regulations, which have faced waves of condemnation from the European Union and United States, have also been clouded by uncertainty.
Israeli has said the rules, which came into force in October, are aimed at clarifying the procedures surrounding West Bank entry.
Beirut blast probe suspended due to political pressure restarts
The August 4, 2020 explosion at the Beirut port killed more than 200 people and destroyed swathes of the capital...."Judge Tarek Bitar has decided to resume his investigation," the official told AFP, adding that he ordered the release of five detained suspects.
Among those charged by Bitar were Lebanese general security director Abbas Ibrahim and state security chief Tony Saliba.
Lebanon population set to decline in 2023
A survey published by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia says poverty levels can reach 36 percent...The combined population of the 22 Arab countries in 2021 was around 407-420 million.
Most of this population is concentrated in and around major urban areas.
