Asif Ali Zardari: ‘Artful dodger’ returns as Pakistan president
He has spent more than 11 years in jail, a long time even by the standards of Pakistani politicians, with...Geostrategy
Muslims pray for end to Palestinian suffering as Ramadan nears
Other parts of the Islamic world may be grappling with their own challenges, from conflicts to high inflation. But many...Geostrategy
World Bank pledges $37 million to help Lebanon teachers
The World Bank on Thursday said it agreed with its partners to repurpose $37 million in funds to help Lebanon's...The "exceptional" financing, which is valid only for the 2021-2022 academic year, came at the request of Lebanon's government, the bank said.
Public school teachers who were already underpaid before the onset of the economic crisis two years ago have since been pushed deeper into poverty.
UN will support Iraq’s efforts for development, prosperity: Official
The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, has said the UN will continue supporting...Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, says 2021 was an important year for Iraq.
Hennis-Plasschaert said many challenges remain although there have been achievements too.
Libya delays long-awaited election seen as key to peace
The election, intended to go hand-in-hand with parliamentary polls, was part of a United Nations-led peace process.The election, intended to go hand-in-hand with parliamentary polls, was part of a United Nations-led peace process.
The political uncertainty has raised tensions on the ground across Libya, which is controlled by an array of armed groups
Iran announces anti-missile system for its tanks
On Tuesday, Iran's military fired several missiles from land and sea as part of the five-day exercise.On Tuesday, Iran's military fired several missiles from land and sea as part of the five-day exercise
The United States said it was preparing "alternatives" in case negotiations to revive a deal to curb Iran's nuclear programme collapse in Vienna
Morocco sees room for ‘return to normal’ in German ties
Berlin's foreign ministry called Morocco an "important link between North and South, politically, culturally and economically".It also said Morocco "plays...Rabat in March said it was suspending contacts with the German embassy in the North African kingdom over "deep misunderstandings" on "issues fundamental for Morocco"
Germany's criticism of former US president Donald Trump's recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara was among the apparent points of friction
Morocco marks anniversary of renewed ties with Israel
Morocco and Israel have marked the first anniversary of the US-sponsored resumption of diplomatic relations between them.The rapprochement was part of a string of normalization deals between Israel and several Arab countries
It was brokered by the administration of then US president Donald Trump and known as the Abraham Accords
US top official confers with Israel, Iran on nuclear deal
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's government has called for a halt to international efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal....Negotiations to restore the pact known as the Joint Collective Plan of Action resumed in November
Washington was a party to the original agreement, but withdrew under president Donald Trump in 2018
Qatar and Iraq discuss cooperation in transportation sector
Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, and Minister of Transport of the Republic of Iraq Nasser Hussein Bandar...The total number of passengers who used the Doha Metro during the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 exceeded 2.5mn with an average of 130,000 passengers daily.
According to Qatar Rail, the Doha Metro operated 50,000 trips during the tournament, covering 885,000km, and the average time between trains was 2.5 minutes
Queues grow longer at Istanbul’s discount bread shops
The queues are a worrying sight for Turkey's veteran President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is trying to fight inflation by...Countries usually raise borrowing rates to slow spending and bring down prices -- a policy mix the Turkish leader, a pious Muslim, rejects citing Islamic laws against usury.
One newspaper claimed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was playing a "dirty game" by shutting down many of the discount bread shops, making the queues longer at existing ones.
Turkey authorizes use of domestically developed Turkovac vaccine
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday announced the emergency use approval of Turkey's first domestically-developed coronavirus vaccine. In June, Turkovac...In June, Turkovac entered Phase III trials involving 40,800 participants in Turkey. No official data about its efficacy have been released.
Developers said the Turkovac vaccine works along the same scientific principles as China's CoronaVac, which Turkey has been using since the start of the year.
