Iran FM threatens ‘even stronger’ retaliation to any attack
"Our reaction to any attack by the Zionist regime is completely clear," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in the...Geostrategy
Updates: President Biden says ‘discussing’ possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities
Oil prices shoot up as Biden suggests that Israel might target Iranian oil facilities, while GCC Arab states, including Qatar,...Geostrategy
A Macron walkover? Moody French voters may need convincing
This time, a series of polls have suggested Macron would win 51 to 54 percent against 46 to 49 percent...Overall, the far-right veteran, fighting her third presidential campaign, scored highest among voters aged 25-34, at 30 percent.
Macron did best only among voters aged 50 and older, though that demographic is historically more likely to go to the polls.
Russia’s alarming hold over German energy infrastructure
The war in Ukraine has exposed not only Germany's dependence on Russian gas, but also the large share of Russian...The German subsidiaries of Russian giants Gazprom and Rosneft are key players in the energy landscape of Europe's biggest economy
Gascade, one of the largest gas distribution network operators in Germany, is 50.03-percent owned by Gazprom Germania
Polisario breaks ties with Spain as Western Sahara crisis deepens
Spain on March 18 said it had agreed to publicly recognize Rabat's autonomy plan — a longtime demand from Morocco...Morocco sees the Western Sahara as an integral part of the kingdom and proposes autonomy for the region
The Polisario waged a long and armed struggle for independence from Morocco before reaching a ceasefire in 1991
Qatar gives $5m to Ukrainian refugees, reminds world of Syrian, Palestinian refugees
Al Khater reiterated Qatar's call for an immediate cessation of military action in Ukraine and securing humanitarian corridors to ensure...Al Khater reiterated Qatar's call for an immediate cessation of military action in Ukraine and securing humanitarian corridors to ensure aid access
She called for resolution of the dispute through constructive dialogue and diplomatic methods, and avoiding what can lead to further escalation
Israel ‘on offensive’ after Tel Aviv attacks, Jenin camp on alert
Israeli forces Sunday raided the flashpoint West Bank district of Jenin, home of gunmen who launched two recent deadly attacks...Israeli authorities demanded that Fathi Hazem -- the father of the late 28-year-old Tel Aviv shooter who killed three Israelis -- turn himself in
Tensions have surged in the West Bank during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, leading to 11 days of devastating conflict
France votes with Macron seeking new term in tight election
Flash opinion polls conducted in the wake of first-round voting in France's presidential election Sunday forecast that Emmanuel Macron will...Macron advanced to the run-off against Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader who is again forecast by polls to qualify for the second round this year.
Polls suggest a repeat of the Macron-Le Pen contest would be much closer this year, in line with a rightward drift among the French electorate in recent years.
Iran FM says US ‘imposing new conditions’ in nuclear talks
Iran's foreign minister said Sunday that Washington is "imposing new conditions" in the negotiations to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement."On the issue of lifting sanctions, they (the Americans) are interested in proposing and imposing new conditions outside the negotiations," IRNA quoted the minister
Iran has been engaged for a year in negotiations with France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China directly, and the US indirectly in the Austrian capital to revive the deal
Defiant Tunisians rally against President’s power grab
More than a thousand Tunisians rallied Sunday decrying what they said was a power grab by President Kais Saied and..."Get out," protesters in the capital Tunis shouted at a rally organized by the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party that dominated the now-dissolved parliament
"The people want to dismiss the president," the crowds chanted, many waving national flags. "Down with the coup"
Bonded by war, Syria rescuers offer tips to Ukraine
In a bombed-out building in northwest Syria, rescue workers who for years have braved Russia's war strategies film a tutorial...The video which offers a range of other rescue initiatives is the latest example of how Syrians are mobilizing to share with Ukrainians knowledge gleaned from war
"As first responders, we believe that we can share our experiences in Syria with humanitarian aid workers in Ukraine," volunteer rescuer Ismail al-Abdullah tells the camera
Syria again accuses US of stealing oil through Iraq
Syria has over the past few months repeatedly accused the US of using its forces to steal oil from its...Local sources in the Yarubiya countryside said that US forces on Saturday brought out a convoy of 60 vehicles
This, they said, included a number of trucks and tens of tanks loaded with ‘stolen Syrian oil’ being taken to Iraq
