Military confrontation ‘almost inevitable’ if Iran nuclear talks fail, says French foreign minister
Western countries including the United States have long accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapon, which Tehran has denied, insisting...Geostrategy
Iran will have ‘no choice’ but to acquire nuclear weapons if attacked, Khamenei adviser to UNSC
The message was sent to the UN Security Council in a letter by Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani which...Geostrategy
Israeli judicial reforms: Netanyahu vows unity as protests linger
Netanyahu, in a televised address, said he was determined to advance the reforms but wanted to reach a solution acceptable...Thousands of Israelies rallied against proposed judicial reforms in Jerusalem outside Netanyahu's residence as well as in the northern city of Haifa
Israeli prime minister says the proposed changes are necessary to diminish the powers of the Supreme Court, which they argue has become politicized
US airstrikes in Syria kill eight pro-Iran fighters after contractor death
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that at the direction of President Joe Biden, he had authorised "precision airstrikes tonight...On Friday, Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said eight people had been killed by US strikes
Two of the US service members wounded on Thursday were treated on site, while the three other troops and one US contractor were medically evacuated to Iraq
UN warns funding shortfall can slash support for Yemen children
Warning that it could be left with no option but to cut support for children in Yemen without a funding...According to some estimates, some 11,000 children are known to have been killed or maimed since the conflict escalated in 2015
The UN says that fighting in Yemen has sparked off what it describes as one of the world's worst humanitarian tragedies
After Iran deal, KSA in talks with Syria to resume consular services
Riyadh has been hinting at a rapprochement with Syria for weeks. It sent aid to both rebel-held and government-controlled parts...The report gave no timeline for the move, which would mark the latest Saudi step towards mending rifts with regional rivals
Earlier this month, a Chinese-brokered deal was announced to restore diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran
Israeli parliamentarians adopt strict limits on removing PM
Israeli parliament approved legislation restricting grounds for declaring a premier unfit for office, a move the opposition has called a...Lawmakers voted 61 against 47 to approve an amendment to one of Israel's Basic Laws specifying the conditions to declare a prime minister unfit for office.
The previous version of the law stated that a premier could be declared incapacitated, but did not specify on what grounds or the necessary steps.
Eco-friendly goods buck global downward trade slide: UNCTAD
Trade in such goods grew by around four percent in the second half of 2022, with their combined value hitting...Global trade surged to a record $32 trillion in 2022 before reversing course in the second half of the year amid deteriorating economic conditions and swelling uncertainties.
UNCTAD said it expected green industries to boom further as countries scale up their efforts to cut emissions and battle global warming.
Saudi, Iran foreign ministers hold Ramadan call, vow to meet ‘soon’
Reaffirming their resolve to implement a landmark bilateral reconciliation deal, the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers spoke by phone to...The Saudi foreign ministry in a statement said the bilateral meeting to be held soon would pave the way for the reopening of embassies and consulates
The reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran has the potential to reshape relations across the region hit by turbulence for decades
Algeria dismantles Syria-Europe international trafficking network
In a crackdown on organized crime, Algeria has dismantled an international network specializing in trafficking people through Algeria to Europe,...According to new reports, the Algerian police uncovered a network transporting the migrants to Benghazi airport in Libya during a five-month probe
The police also reportedly impounded more than $11,000 along with almost 9,000 euros during the operation
Quake-hit Syrians brace for subdued Ramadan
Now displaced in the rebel-held countryside of northern Syria, she places on the bare ground of her shelter a few...The conflict, which erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of peaceful protests, cost the lives of over 500,000 people
The United Nations warned last week that Syria faced "unprecedented levels of poverty and food insecurity".
No plans of reviving West Bank settlements, says Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the parliamentary vote scraps "a discriminatory and humiliating law, that prohibited Jews from living...Israeli parliament had revoked a law Tuesday that banned Jewish settlers from residing in some areas of occupied West Bank.
In 2005, the Israeli government had vacated the Gaza Strip and removed Jewish settlers from four areas of occupied West Bank.
