Hamas says no ‘major’ issues, as Gaza truce effort builds
Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate a new truce ever since a one-week halt to...Geostrategy
Israel says forces carrying out ‘offensive action’ in south Lebanon
Israeli forces are carrying out "offensive action" across southern Lebanon, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Wednesday without specifying whether ground...Geostrategy
Iran arrests three female journalists, say reports
Iranian authorities have arrested three female journalists in the past two days, local media said, amid protests triggered by the...Authorities say hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed and thousands arrested.
A media report said the three women had been transferred to Evin prison, where many of those arrested in connection with the protests are being held.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni begins Algeria visit
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and several ministers arrived in Algeria on Sunday, state media reported, ahead of meetings with...Meloni's predecessor Mario Draghi sealed a string of deals with Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in July
Tebboune said the July deal was worth $4 billion, while an Algerian official said the country would also increase gas exports to Italy
Erdogan announces elections for May 14 in Turkey
The Turkish leader said that they had agreed on an adjustment to the timetable with its junior right-wing coalition partner...The election campaign is due to start on March 10, which would give the Turkish opposition even less time to prepare
Erdogan had on Wednesday spoken of his intention to bring the election date forward to May 14, recalling the day Turkey held its first free election in 1950
Lawyers call off strike in Egypt to protest jailing of colleagues
The Egyptian Bar Association has called off a days-long strike held in protest against the jailing of six colleagues, according...The move came after an appeals court on Sunday ordered the six be released and scheduled a verdict for February 5
The association had earlier claimed there was "a clear intention" by authorities to keep the six lawyers in detention "without real justification",
Building collapse in war-damaged Syria city kills 16
ALEPPO, SYRIA - A building collapsed Sunday in Syria's war-damaged second city of Aleppo, killing 16 people including children, authorities and...Video footage shared on state television showed dozens of rescue workers at the site.
Much of Aleppo was destroyed during Syria's conflict that began nearly 12 years ago and left many of the remaining structures in a decrepit state.
Netanyahu removes interior minister after Supreme Court order
Jerusalem, Undefined - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu removed a top minister from office Sunday following a Supreme Court ruling against...Leader of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish party Shas, Deri was appointed health and interior minister last month.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled that Netanyahu "must remove Deri from his position" due to a tax evasion conviction.
Arab states boycott meeting hosted by Libya’s unity government
The snub underlines Arab divisions over the Tripoli-based government, whose legitimacy is contested by a rival administration in the war-torn...Four members sent lower-ranking ministers or ambassadors while Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit was also absent.
The unity government was the product of a United Nations-mediated peace process following the country's last major battle in 2020.
Iranian women political prisoners urge end to protester executions
PARIS, FRANCE - Thirty women political prisoners in Iran, including a Franco-Iranian academic and the daughter of a former president, on...The signatories included Franco-Iranian researcher Fariba Adelkhah.
Another is former lawmaker Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
CBUAE, Egyptian Banking Institute discuss training, cooperation
ABU DHABI, UAE - The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and the Egyptian Banking Institute (EBI) which is under...CBUAE and Egyptian Banking Institute reviewed the prospects to enhance cooperation and exchange information.
They also discussed supporting professional capabilities-building and expertise development.
Iran warns of ‘reciprocal’ action after EU labels Guards terror group
Members of the European Parliament voted on Wednesday to include the Guards on the 27-nation bloc's terror list in "light...Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that parliament would "recognize the armies of the European countries... as terrorist groups".
The Guards, formed shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, answer to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and boast their own ground, naval and air forces.
