Le Pen’s French presidency bid in jeopardy after election ban
Paris, France -- A French court on Monday threw into severe doubt far-right leader Marine Le Pen's 2027 bid for...Geostrategy
‘Day of funerals,’ Gazans mark grim Eid under Israeli strikes
At dawn, many Gazans gathered across different parts of the territory to offer traditional morning Eid prayers, an AFP correspondent...Geostrategy
Iran ready to join efforts to reconcile Syria, Turkey
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been politically isolated in the region since the start of Syria's war in 2011, triggered...Amir-Abdollahian landed in quake-wracked Latakia province before flying to Damascus, where he met Syrian Foreign Minister and the president
He discussed with Assad "Tehran joining meetings to build a dialogue between Damascus and Ankara," the Syrian presidency said
In Israel, Pentagon chief raises Iran, Ukraine concerns amid judicial reform stir
Austin's talks with his hosts were centred on the changing geopolitics of the region, which is currently roiled by rising...Netanyahu and his defence minister raised concerns Iran is developing nuclear weapons, something the Islamic republic has always denied
Austin said "diplomacy is the best way to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon", while adding the US would not allow that to happen
Poor states’ summit promised just US$1.4bn, says UN
DOHA, QATAR - Just US$1.4 billion in new loans and grants were promised at a UN summit devoted to the world's...The Doha meetings saw Saudi Arabia offer $800 million in loans to Least Developed Countries.
Qatar said it would give $60 million for UN projects and Canada $59 million for vitamin supplements in LDCs.
Grain deal not being implemented properly, says Russia
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that extending a deal that allowed grain exports from Ukraine to...Russia's military intervention saw Ukraine's Black Sea ports blocked by warships until a deal was reached for the export of grains.
The UN and Turkey-brokered deal will automatically renew on March 18 unless Russia or Ukraine object.
Tunisia President moves to dissolve elected municipal councils
The councils were seen as a key democratic gain after the 2011 revolt that sparked the Arab Spring. Saied sacked...The councils were the product of a 2018 election won by independent lists and the Islamist-inspired party Ennahdha
Over 20 political figures have been arrested in the North African country in recent weeks, mainly outspoken opponents of Saied
Violence, Israel reform protests overshadow Pentagon chief’s visit
A planned mass rally in Tel Aviv by Israeli protesters opposed to the government's controversial legal reform plans forced an...Three suspected Palestinian militants were killed by Israel's forces in the occupied West Bank, hours before the arrival of Pentagon chief.
In Tel Aviv, protesters on foot blocked a major thoroughfare near the defense ministry.
Jordan Senate, Arab Parliament speakers discuss regional issues
AMMAN, JORDAN - The Speaker of Jordan's Senate Faisal Fayez met with Arab Parliament Speaker Adel Abdulrahman Al-Asoomi and discussed...The Speaker of Jordan's Senate is heading a delegation to Cairo at the invitation of the Egyptian Senate Speaker.
The Jordan Senate Speaker stressed the need for Arab parliaments to play a more effective role in addressing the region's challenges.
UN election plan triggers backlash in split Libya
The pushback was "predictable", said Khaled al-Montasser, a professor of international relations at the University of Tripoli, as elections would...Senegalese diplomat Abdoulaye Bathily told the UN Security Council last month he planned to create a panel tasked with delivering presidential and legislative elections
But his blunt criticism of the North African country's two houses of parliament for failing to agree on elections has sparked a backlash that threatens to derail Bathily's plans
In UAE, Syria child quake victims unaware of heartbreak to come
Sham Sheikh Mohammed, who suffered severe crush injuries in a 40-hour ordeal under the rubble, has not yet been told...Sham's survival encapsulated the tragedy, hope and heartbreak of the 7.8-magnitude quake that levelled buildings across Turkey and parts of Syria last month
After rescue of Sham, in Idlib province, captured global attention, the UAE dispatched a medical aircraft to fly her and Omar to Abu Dhabi from Istanbul
Livelihoods destroyed as Lebanon fails to uphold right to electricity, says Human Rights Watch
Decades of unsustainable policies and fundamental neglect, capture of state resources by elites, alleged corruption, and vested interests cripple the...Lebanese people receive electricity for only one to three hours a day on average, while people who can afford it supplement that supply with private generators.
The electricity crisis has exacerbated inequality in the country, severely limited people’s ability to realize their most basic rights and pushed them further into poverty.
