Turkey, Azerbaijan hope for ‘lasting peace’ in South Caucasus
Years of diplomacy between the Caucasus rivals Azerbaijan and Armenia had failed to reach a breakthrough, but negotiations have resumed...Geostrategy
Harris bats for nuance on Gaza, Palestinians’ right to ‘freedom, self-determination’
Harris also pledged to "always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself." Some pro-Palestinian activists, who rallied on the...Geostrategy
ADGM’s Registration Authority fines two firms for audit failings
ABU DHABI, UAE – The Registration Authority (RA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market has fined Baker Tilly Middle East Limited...The RA fined Baker Tilly US$50,000 and Sturgeon US$12,500 for serious failings and gaps in the financial audit
The RA expects ADGM firms to conduct and prepare audit reports in accordance with professional standards.
Shipping insurance rates soar on Red Sea missile attacks
Maritime container transport has sunk by almost one third so far in 2024 compared with a year earlier, according to...The Houthis have carried out relentless attacks since November on shipping transiting the Red Sea, a maritime hub through which 12 percent of global trade usually passes
Premiums for ships have "increased significantly" following the Houthi attacks, according to Frederic Denefle, head of Garex, a French firm specialized in marine risk insurance
Jordan, Oman sign agreements to ramp up investments
Amman, Jordan--Jordan and Oman have signed a raft of agreements to boost direct investment in both the countries. The first...In 2022, Jordan exported $70.2 million worth of goods to Oman, while Jordan imported $57.4 million worth of goods from Oman
The agreements between the two countries aim to establish partnerships for investment and trade between the two business sectors
Israel kills two Hizbollah fighters in drone strike
A security source said that an Israeli drone shot two guided missiles at the building in Kfar Rumman, near the...Hizbollah confirmed that two of its fighters had been killed by Israeli fire
The Lebanese armed group said it had fired rockets at Israel in response
Houthi missile attack damages British-owned ship off Yemen
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired two missiles at a British-owned cargo ship passing through the Gulf...The rebels, who control much of Yemen, have carried out months of attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden
The Houthis said they had also "fired a number of ballistic missiles and drones at various targets of the Zionist enemy" in the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat
Islamophobia rises threefold in UK after Israel-Hamas conflict
"We are deeply concerned about the impacts that the Israel and Gaza war are having on hate crimes and on...Tell MAMA recorded 2,010 such cases in the four months since Hamas's deadly attack against Israel on October 7 sparked the conflict
Some 901 cases occurred offline while 1,109 were online and most of the offline incidents took place in the British capital London
Palestinian gunmen kill 1 Israeli, injure 8 others in occupied West Bank
The shooters were "neutralized", police said, and an AFP photographer later saw two bodies at the scene of the attack...Israel's internal security service Shin Bet identified the gunmen as Mohammed Zawahrah, 26, his brother Kathim Zawahrah, 31, and Ahmed al-Wahsh, also 31
The attack near Maale Adumim came after two people were shot dead last Friday at a bus stop in southern Israel near the town of Kiryat Malakhi
Israel parliament rejects unilateral recognition of Palestinian state
On Wednesday, Israel's parliament backed Netanyahu's proposal of opposing any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, with 99 out of...The vote came days after media reported that US and a small group of Arab nations were working out a comprehensive plan for long-term peace between Israel and the Palestinians
Media reported that the plan would begin with a ceasefire expected to last at least six weeks, with officials hoping that an agreement could be reached before the start of Ramadan
Saudi foreign minister seeks G20 action on Gaza
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called on G20 nations to apply pressure for...Prince Faisal voiced these sentiments during the inaugural session of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Saudi minister underlined the imperative for international institutions to uphold their commitments globally and adopt clearer stances
New Palestinian leaders needed after Gaza war: opposition figure
Talks are aiming to secure a ceasefire of about six weeks starting between now and Ramadan, which is expected to...Kidwa, nephew of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, said talks are seeking not just a pause in fighting but also addressing day-after scenarios
Behind the scenes they are touching on wider post-war issues such as security, leadership reform, the creation of an independent Palestinian state, he said