Sticky-fingered journalists on Air Force One put on notice
Media outlets pay for the journalists to fly on the government plane with US president, along with the meals and...Geostrategy
IMF approves US$820m as part of Egypt bailout
The IMF action, repeatedly postponed and eagerly awaited by the Egyptian government, arrives at a time of mounting difficulties for...Geostrategy
Israel delays, amends new West Bank travel rules after outcry
The planned rules had stipulated that foreign passport holders notify Israeli authorities within 30 days of starting a relationship with...The original text had also said foreign spouses of Palestinians would initially be granted three- or six-month permits
The requirement to remain outside the West Bank for six months does not appear in the draft published on Sunday
Turkish warship docks in Israel in sign of warming ties
In the wake of months of diplomatic warming between the two countries, a Turkish warship docked in Israel over the...Relations were frozen in 2010 after the deaths of 10 civilians following an Israeli raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, carrying aid into Gaza
Israel and Turkey announced on August 17 the full restoration of relations and the return of ambassadors to both countries
Iraq parliament staff resume work after weeks-long hiatus
The development came as speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi suggested an agenda for an upcoming national dialogue session following an 11-month political...The protesters had staged a sit-in outside the assembly for weeks after initially storming it to demand fresh elections and the dissolution of parliament.
They pulled out last Tuesday following nearly 24 hours of violence pitting them against the army and Iran-backed factions that left more than 30 Sadr supporters dead.
Russia sanctions not working, says Italy far-right leader
The leader of Italy's far-right League party, Matteo Salvini, has sparked debate by saying that the unprecedented sanctions the West...Skyrocketing energy prices since the start of the war in Ukraine have wreaked economic pain on countries.
Someone in Europe has made a bad calculation. It is essential to rethink the strategy to save jobs and businesses, said Matteo Salvini, a far right leader in Italy.
Iran announces defence system against chemical, biological threats
The Iranian defense ministry has "provided 51 cities in the country with the necessary installations and equipment for passive defense,...The announcement comes as Iran is engaged in negotiations to revive its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that granted the Islamic republic much-needed sanctions relief.
On August 28, Israeli PM Yair Lapid said instructions had been given to the army and the Mossad spy agency to "prepare for any scenario" in the event that the deal is passed.
Blinken welcomes appointment of new UN envoy to Libya
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has welcomed the appointment by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of Abdoulaye Bathily as Special...Blinken took to Twiiter to say that US supported efforts to mediate an agreement in order to establish a constitutional framework and timeline for elections in Libya
The Security Council on Friday approved former Senegalese minister and U.N. diplomat Abdoulaye Bathily as the new U.N. envoy to Libya, ending a nine-month vacancy
UN envoy Staffan de Mistura meets with Polisario Front in Algeria
The Algerian-backed Polisario Front wants an independent state in the Western Sahara, a vast stretch of mineral-rich desert which Morocco...According to the state news agency, Italian-Swedish diplomat also met a group of Sahrawi youth and women
Under a 1991 ceasefire, the UN, which considers the Western Sahara "a non-self-governing territory", deployed a peacekeeping mission
Lebanon arrests five agents suspected of killing Syrian detainee
Shocked at the death of a Syrian detainee in custody of security officials, Lebanon has arrested five State Security agents...The State Security agents arrested Bashar Abdel Saud on August 31 and took him to an agency facility in Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon for questioning with other detainees
According to a source the agents wanted to extract a confession from the deceased suspect that he was a member of the Islamic State though he continued to deny the allegation
‘Well prepared to tackle Russia’s gas embargo’
EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said Saturday that the European Union was "well prepared" in the event of a total..."We are well prepared to resist Russia's extreme use of the gas weapon," EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said.
Russian gas giant Gazprom said Friday that the Nord Stream pipeline would be "completely" stopped until turbine is repaired.
Clean energy is key for Indonesian economy, says IEA
Indonesia has a viable path to reaching its target of net zero emissions by 2060, bringing major benefits to its...Key policy reforms and international support will be crucial to the success of the clean energy transition in the world’s fourth most populous country.
The clean energy transition offers huge opportunities for the next chapter of Indonesia’s development as it seeks to become an advanced economy by 2045.
