Hamas rejects ‘new’ Gaza truce conditions as Biden says deal closer than ever
Egyptian, Qatari and US mediators have been seeking to finalize details of a framework initially outlined by Biden in May,...Geostrategy
Explosions reported near two ships off Yemen
Two ships reported nearby explosions on Tuesday off the coast of Yemen, maritime security agencies said, though neither event resulted...Geostrategy
Saudi’s role in aviation security hailed at Experts Group Meeting
Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, chaired the meeting of a team of aviation security experts...Saudi Arabia chaired the meeting of a team of aviation security experts within the Middle East Aviation Security Cooperative Program.
Representatives from Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Jordan, and the observer states Qatar and Egypt participated in the meeting.
Thai PM to visit Saudi for first time since gem theft soured ties
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-cha will this week make the first visit by a Thai leader to Saudi Arabia in more...Thai-born janitor Kriangkrai Techamong stole $20 million worth of precious gems in 1989 from the home of a Saudi prince, triggering a feud between the countries.
Saudi Arabia has long accused Thai police of bungling their investigation into the theft, with allegations that the stolen gems were snapped up by senior officers.
Kuwait steps in to undo Lebanese rift with its Arab neighbors
Kuwait's foreign minister said Sunday that he has given Lebanese authorities a list of suggested measures to be taken to...The visit is part of wider efforts to restore trust between Lebanon and its Gulf Arab neighbors
Lebanon's Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib will visit Kuwait at the end of the month
Iran urges people to dress warmly to cut gas use
Iran has the world's second largest gas reserves after Russia, and the fourth largest oil reserves. Gas is almost free...The record consumption was 748 million cubic meters on November 22, 2021.
Oil Minister Javad Owji asked people to save gas consumption so that we can pass the next 10 days "without any problem".
US navy stops ship carrying ‘explosive precursor’ from Iran
The US navy said Sunday it had stopped a ship carrying 40 tons of a fertilizer that can be used...The navy said it boarded and searched the ship, which last year was caught carrying thousands of weapons and handed to Yemen's coast guard
The seizure comes at a time of high tensions in the region after a deadly drone-and-missile attack on Abu Dhabi by the Houthis prompted the Saudi-led coalition to launch air strike
Syria fighting between Islamic State and Kurds kills 120
A fierce battle raged in Syria for a fourth day Sunday between US-backed Kurdish forces and Islamic State group fighters...More than 100 insurgents late Thursday attacked the Kurdish-run Ghwayran jail in Hasakeh city to free fellow jihadists
Intense fighting since then has seen the militants free detainees and seize weapons stored at the jail, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
UAE bans use of drones, light sports aircraft after Houthi attack
The UAE has banned the use of drones and light sports aircraft from Saturday, days after Yemen’s Houthis carried out...Anyone performing these activities during that period and disregarding guidelines will be subject to legal liabilities, the Ministry of Interior said.
Those who rely on drones for work can seek permission from the authorities concerned.
Kuwaiti minister visits Beirut in first Gulf trip since rift last year
Kuwait's foreign minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah visited Beirut on Saturday, on his first trip since a diplomatic rift...Sheikh Ahmad said the ties with Beirut had not been severed, and they were now in a phase of confidence-building measures
The minister delivered confidence-building steps to Mikati and the Lebanese foreign minister and urged them to study them and determine how to proceed
South Korea pays Iran’s UN dues with frozen assets
South Korea has used $18 million of frozen Iranian assets to pay Tehran's dues to the UN, Seoul said Sunday,...The payment was made Friday in cooperation with the US and the UN after Iran made an "emergency request" to South Korea to pay the dues
Iran has more than $7 billion in funds for oil shipments frozen at two South Korean banks due to US sanctions
Turkish Cypriots head to polls amid economic crisis
The self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has been hit hard by the Covid pandemic and the plummeting value...The self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has been hit hard by the Covid pandemic and the plummeting value of the Turkish lira
Analysts said there has been a lack of interest in the poll among some 204,000 voters who were "concerned primarily with their health, safety and economic welfare"
