UN: Israel’s strikes on Gaza hospitals may constitute war crimes, urges independent probe
The UN's 23-page report, "Attacks on Hospitals During the Escalation of Hostilities in Gaza," documented 136 strikes on 27 hospitals...Geostrategy
Israeli strikes hit Yemen as Netanyahu fires warning
Israeli air strikes pummeled Sanaa's international airport and other targets in Yemen on Thursday, with Huthi rebel media reporting six...Geostrategy
Morocco retrieves eight migrant bodies off its coast
Moroccan authorities on Monday retrieved the bodies of eight migrants off the southern shores of the North African kingdom, local...Their inflatable boat sank near the coastal town of Akhfennir in Tarfaya province as it tried to reach Spain's Canary Islands
Almost 1,000 migrants died or were reported missing at sea in the first half of the year as they tried to reach Spain, rights group said
Rockets hit Emirati-owned gas complex in north Iraq
Three Katyusha rockets hit a gas complex in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on Saturday, a local official said, in the...In June, the site owned by UAE energy company Dana Gas was targeted three separate times by rockets that did not cause casualties or damage
The gas field lies between the cities of Kirkuk and Sulaimaniyah, in a region administered by Kurdish authorities
Saied supporters welcome vote on Tunisia constitution
Its detractors say Tunisia's draft constitution will give President Kais Saied unchecked powers, but for voter Baya, that's a welcome...Saied came under fire for giving a speech on Monday urging a yes vote for "a new republic based on genuine freedom, justice and national dignity."
Saied's opponents, including the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party that had dominated Tunisian politics since 2011, called for a boycott of vote
Bahrain joins UAE, Jordan and Egypt in industrial pact
Prime Minister of Egypt Mostafa Kamal Madbouly witnessed a signing ceremony Monday in Cairo that welcomed Bahrain as the fourth...The Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development was announced in the UAE on May 29, 2022 with an aim to empower their industrial sector.
The plan was establish large joint industrial projects, providing private sector companies with opportunities for expansion and creating job opportunities.
Natural gas a weapon of war between Russia and Europe
Natural gas has emerged as a weapon of war between Russia and Europe since Moscow's February 24 invasion of Ukraine....On February 22, 2022, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he is suspending the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project with Russia.
On March 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin bans European gas customers from paying their bills in dollars and euros.
Tunisians vote on constitution set to bolster President Saied’s rule
The referendum comes a year to the day after Saied sacked the government and froze parliament in a power grab...The new constitutional draft would enshrine a highly presidential system with no provision for removing the president from office.
President would appoint a government, could dismiss ministers unilaterally with no role of parliament in forming administration.
Will not be rushed into quick nuclear deal, says Iran
Iran said Monday it will not be rushed into a "quick" deal reviving its faltering 2015 nuclear accord with world...Iran says it will not sacrifice the country's fundamental interests with a rushed process, claiming it was being put under psychological pressure
Talks in Vienna that started in April 2021 to restore the deal have stalled since March amid differences between Tehran and Washington on several issues
Turkey summons Swedish diplomat to explain ‘terrorist propaganda’
Sweden's charge d'affaires in Turkey was summoned at the weekend to explain the use of what Ankara alleges is "terrorist...Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Sweden and Finland of being havens for Kurdish militants
Turkey's display of displeasure follows events in Sweden last week to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Kurdish uprising in northern Syria
King Abdullah of Jordan protests border attacks by Iran-tied militias
King Abdullah II protested in an interview against attacks on Jordan's borders by "militias linked to Iran", following deadly clashes...The king told Al-Rai newspaper that Jordan faces regular attacks on its borders by militias linked to Iran
The Jordanian army conducts regular anti-smuggling operations on the border with Syria, where Iran-backed fighters support the Damascus regime in a civil war that erupted in 2011
Crises make GCC, Western countries more pragmatic
An increasing number of strategic agreements are being signed with the regional players as Europe, US seek to diversify sources...An increasing number of strategic agreements are being signed with the regional players as Europe, US seek to diversify sources of energy supply, says an expert at IRIS
Relations between the US and Arab countries are dominated by pragmatism as the former wants to carry out an active diplomacy to avoid being outstripped by the rivals
