UN Security Council to vote this Thursday on full Palestinian membership
Against the backdrop of the grinding conflict in Gaza, a city largely devastated by more than six months of war...Geostrategy
Iran closed nuclear facilities in wake of Israel attack: IAEA chief
Tehran, IranIran temporarily closed its nuclear facilities over "security considerations" in the wake of its massive missile and drone attack...Geostrategy
Turkish court upholds rights leader’s life sentence
Paris-born activist and philanthropist Osman Kavala was sentenced to life in jail without the possibility of parole in April on...Kavala was first charged with funding the wave of 2013 protests that some analysts view as the genesis of Erdogan's more authoritarian posture in the latter half of his two-decade
He was best known as a soft-spoken businessman who was spending part of his wealth to promote culture and projects aimed at reconciling Turkey and its arch-nemesis Armenia
Tunisia’s Saied downplays puny poll turnout, slams critics
Saied lashed out at unnamed critics, accusing such rivals of "drowning in corruption and treachery" and of "plotting against the...Just 11.2 percent of registered voters took part in the December 17 polls for a neutered parliament, which capped Saied's overhaul of the political system
Turnout - initially announced at just under nine percent - was the lowest since the 2011 revolution that overthrew dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
Tunisian prosecutors move to try 13 judges on ‘terror’ charges
The move comes nearly seven months after President Kais Saied sacked 57 judges, accusing them of corruption and blocking enquiries...Defence lawyer Ayachi Hammami said the 13 were among 49 judges reinstated in Aug. But the justice ministry has been investigating his 13 clients for "terrorist crimes".
"This case is purely political," Hammami said. The accused judges are to appear before the Supreme Judicial Council (CSM) on January 24, he told AFP.
Saudi Arabia seizes 30 tons of mildly narcotic shrub khat
Khat, or qat, is a leaf which is packed into the cheek and slowly chewed, releasing chemicals similar to amphetamines...Saudi border authorities seized 29.2 tons of khat in the country's south, near the border with Yemen, as well as in the north, near Jordan.
More than 360 smugglers were arrested, most of them Yemeni but also some Ethiopians and Saudis, SPA said.
Rare hail brings winter white to desert hotspot Kuwait
Kuwait City, Kuwait--Kuwait, one of the hottest countries on Earth, has been hit by a rare hail storm that delighted children...Pictures and videos of southern roads partially blanketed in hail and ice spread online to celebrate the rare weather event.
Kuwait's meteorological department said precipitation since Tuesday had reached up to 63 millimetres but that the weather was clearing up.
Israel thanks Morocco for protecting Jews during Holocaust
The letter from Herzog - marking two years since Morocco normalized ties with Israel - was the first occasion an...Herzog mentioned Jews settling in Morocco following their expulsion from Spain in late 15th century, before noting Morocco's protection of Jews during World War II
Rabat cut relations with Israel in 2000 following the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada but in December 2020, the two countries formalized ties
World economy faces more pain in 2023 after a gloomy year
Economists expect Germany and another major eurozone economy, Italy, to fall into recession. Britain's economy is already shrinking. Rating agency...Many countries are now grappling with cost-of-living crises because wages are not keeping up with inflation
Consumer prices in the Group of 20 developed and emerging nations are expected to reach eight percent in the fourth quarter
Israeli envoy to Turkey presents credentials to Erdogan
Turkey, too, has appointed an ambassador to Israel. A presidential decree in November named Sakir Ozkan Torunlar to the post,...Bilateral relations between Israel and Turkey began to fray in 2008 following an Israeli military operation in Gaza
Despite past tensions between the two, Erdogan last month congratulated Benjamin Netanyahu on his victory in the general election
Iran to show ‘no mercy’ toward opponents of Islamic republic: Raisi
The "riots", as Tehran generally refers to them, were triggered by the September 16 death in custody of Iranian-Kurdish Amini,...Iranian officials say hundreds of people have been killed, including members of the security forces, and thousands have been arrested nationwide
Iran has accused hostile foreign powers, including the United States and some European countries, of stoking the unrest
Russia to ban oil sales to countries complying with price cap
The price ceiling of $60 per barrel agreed by the European Union, G7 and Australia came into force in early...It added that the ban may be lifted in individual cases on the basis of "special decision" from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia has said the cap will not affect its military campaign in Ukraine and expressed confidence it would find new buyers.
