With Trump’s presidency, expect pro-Israel policies to replace Biden’s nuanced approach in Middle East relations
Trump’s return could shift US policy on Israel, with his Republican Party's pro-Israel stance and his preference for "America First"...Geostrategy
Donald Trump ramps up transition moves with key appointments
President-elect Donald Trump is tapping loyalists for several key posts after signaling his desire to have his cabinet confirmed without...Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia adopts online registration for Hajj to combat scams
Saudi Arabia has required would-be hajj pilgrims from many Western countries to apply for visas via a government portal online,...It applies to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia, an official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Previously, pilgrims could register via travel agencies that organised hajj trips, a system that sometimes led to scams, with "fake agencies" making off with victims' money.
Germany, UAE can jointly invest in ‘new economy’, says top diplomat
Germany and the UAE as strong economic partners will continue trade but they can make joint investments in the 'new...Germany and the UAE as strong economic partners will continue with their trade in the traditional economy
Both the countries can make joint investments in the 'new economy' that will help achieve their net-zero targets
Another sandstorm brings Iraq to a halt as airports shut
President Barham Saleh warned that tackling climate change "must become a national priority for Iraq as it is an existential...It was the tenth duststorm since mid-April to hit Iraq, which has been battered by intense droughts and soil degradation.
Officials at Baghdad airport announced the temporary suspension of flights for a few hours before they were restarted.
Israel urges nationals to leave Turkey over Iran ‘attack threat”
Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Monday urged citizens in Turkey to leave "as soon as possible" over threats that...The Islamic republic claimed Israel was responsible for the killing of Revolutionary Guards Colonel Sayyad Khodai, who was shot dead outside his Tehran home on May 22.
Israel was also blamed for air strikes last week on the Damascus International Airport, which caused major damage two runways.
Two Iran aerospace officials ‘martyred while on mission’
Ali Kamani, a member of the Guards aerospace division was "martyred" in the city of Khomein in Iran's central Markazi...Ali Kamani, a member of the Guards aerospace division was "martyred" in the city of Khomein in Iran's central Markazi province, Fars said, quoting a Guards statement
In a separate incident, Mohammad Abdoos, 33, an aerospace staff member, died in the northern Semnan province on Sunday while on a "mission", Fars added
IAEA urges Tehran to restart the halted nuclear talks ‘now’
The International Atomic Energy Agency on Sunday urged Iran to resume talks "now" to avoid a crisis that could make...Twenty-seven surveillance cameras "have been removed," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in an interview broadcast Sunday by CNN
The 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, gave Iran relief from crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear activities
Ex-PM says Putin ‘out of it’, Ukraine war could last two years
He was Vladimir Putin's first prime minister but Mikhail Kasyanov never in his worst nightmares imagined that his former boss...The 64-year-old said that like many other Russians he did not believe in the weeks ahead of the war that it would actually happen
Kasyanov only understood that Putin was not bluffing when he saw him summon the country's top leadership for a meeting of the security council
Iraqi MPs from firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr’s bloc resign: official
Iraqi lawmakers from firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr's bloc resigned Sunday, the parliamentary speaker said, in a move ostensibly designed...Parliament in Baghdad has been in turmoil since October's general election, and negotiations have failed to forge a majority
Sunday's move puts the onus for forming a government on the 83 lawmakers of the rival Coordination Framework
UN asks for guarantees in Lebanon after troops threatened
The UN's mission in Lebanon called Sunday for the country's military to guarantee the security of its peacekeepers, alleging personnel...The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has long been deployed in the country's south -- a stronghold of the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah
Lebanese authorities have not commented on Saturday's incident
Qatari, Swiss firms discuss investment prospects in medical tourism
The two countries will celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2023, which includes organizing events like car exhibitions, and...Ambassador of Switzerland to Qatar, Edgar Dorig, said there are various opportunities to enhance Qatari-Swiss cooperation in multiple sectors.
He noted that the volume of trade between the two countries rose to more than QR 5 billion in 2021, witnessing an increase compared to 2020.
