Netanyahu assures Biden, Iran counterstrike will only target military sites as war spreads to Lebanon and Gaza
US officials, citing Netanyahu’s pledge, reported relief in Washington as Israel’s counterstrike on Iran will not target oil or nuclear...Geostrategy
European Mediterranean states to discuss Middle East, migration
Leaders from nine European countries around the Mediterranean Sea are set to meet in Cyprus on Friday October 11 to...Geostrategy
Iran summons Sweden’s envoy over trial of former official
Iran said it had summoned Sweden's ambassador following a request by prosecutors in the Nordic country for life imprisonment for...The foreign ministry in Tehran late Sunday "strongly condemned" the arrest and trial of Hamid Noury, 61, as "illegal"
Noury, who has been on trial in Stockholm since last August, faces charges including crimes against humanity
May Day holiday marred by clashes in Turkey, France
Police and protesters clashed in Turkey and France during May Day rallies on Sunday, as tens of thousands marched across...European rallies sparked the most controversy with Turkish protesters gathering at Istanbul's Taksim Square, an area synonymous with anti-government protests
City officials said the group refused to disperse and 164 were detained, with government-approved rallies elsewhere in Turkey passing off peacefully
Qatar calls on Chad to delay national peace dialogue
Qatar, which has been leading tense mediation between Chad’s military government and opposition rebels for six weeks, on Sunday called...More than 40 opposition groups and the military government have had delegations in Doha since March 13 when the preliminary talks officially opened
Opposition groups are demanding that Deby rule himself out of the elections that the military leader has said will be held this year
Morocco FM, Kosovo counterpart discuss ties, regional developments
The two top diplomats stressed their keenness to continue joint action that brings together Amman and Pristina.The two top diplomats stressed their keenness to continue joint action that brings together Amman and Pristina
“Respecting the historical and legal status quo is the only way to restore calm in the holy city”, Safadi said
Palestinians warn against plans to weaken their UN agency
A proposal by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees to delegate some services to other United Nations agencies has sparked...The agency has long been a target of Israeli criticism, with accusations it has fuelled the conflict in part by teaching anti-Zionist messages at its schools
The agency tasked with assisting Palestinians who were forced from their homes during the war surrounding Israel's creation has faced a funding crunch for years
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to discuss extending term of $3 bn loan
The latest sign of support follows a visit to Saudi Arabia by new Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who has inherited...In recent years, Saudi has provided Pakistan with $4.2 bn of support in the form of the $3 bn loan deposited with the central bank as well as $1.2 bn in deferred oil payments.
Saudi Arabia also pledged "to further enhance the financing of petroleum products" at a time when the South Asian country is suffering from frequent power cuts.
Afghan supreme leader makes rare appearance at Eid prayers
Afghanistan's supreme leader appeared publicly for only the second time in six years on Sunday, telling worshipers celebrating Eid al-Fitr...Speaking just two days after a bomb ripped through a mosque in Kabul, an atmosphere of heightened security surrounded the man introduced as Hibatullah Akhundzada
Dozens of civilians have been killed in the primarily sectarian attacks -- some claimed by the Islamic State group -- targeting members of the Shiite and Sufi Muslim communities
OFID to finance $14.3 million for Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline’s study
Morocco and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) have signed the pact on the partial funding of the second...Co-funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the study consists in preparing the documentation for the implementation of the NMGP project.
The project is intended to be a catalyst for the economic development of the North-West African region.
Iraq seizes more than 6 million captagon pills in drug bust
Iraqi security forces said Saturday they had broken up a drug trafficking ring and seized more than six million pills...Iraq's northwestern neighbor Syria is the Middle East's main captagon producer, and its southern neighbor Saudi Arabia the main consumer.
Trade in captagon in the Middle East grew exponentially in 2021 to top $5 billion, posing an increasing health and security risk to the region, a report said earlier this month.
Turkey envoy meets Zelensky in Ukraine amid mediation
Turkey hosted a meeting between Moscow and Kyiv negotiators in Istanbul and another between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and...There were no immediate details about the content of the Turkish envoy’s meetings in Kyiv
Ankara has been mediating between Ukraine and Russia in efforts to end the war in Europe
