Heavy battles in Gaza City on eve of new truce talks
Hamas has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deliberately stepping up battles in Gaza City and far-southern Rafah to...Geostrategy
Israel says negotiators to hold fresh Gaza truce talks next week
Jerusalem, Undefined - Israel said Friday that "gaps" remained with Hamas on how to secure a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release...Geostrategy
Israel closes borders to all foreigners over Omicron
It was only four weeks ago that Israel reopened its borders to foreign tourists after a prolonged closure due to...Israeli citizens will be required to present a negative PCR test and quarantine themselves for three days if they have been vaccinated
The number of days of quarantine goes up to seven if they have not been vaccinated
Netherlands to help Unesco fund Lebanon media to cover polls
The Netherlands will provide support to the Lebanese media to ensure access to and delivery of reliable information for voters.The project is expected to support “free, plural, and fair elections in Lebanon”
The funds are expected to be allocated by Unesco over the next few months
Algeria election another test for president Tebboune
Tebboune has vowed to reform state institutions inherited from Bouteflika, who died in September at the age of 84.Tebboune launched a 17-member committee in January 2020 to draft a new constitution for Algeria
After a contentious election denounced by the country’s protest movement, Tabboune became the president of Algeria
Iraq, Turkey discuss financial and banking relations
Governor of Central Bank of Iraq called on his Turkish counterpart, to "provide facilities to Iraqi banks in a way...Governor of Central Bank of Iraq called on his Turkish counterpart to facilitate the settlement of the trade balance between the two countries
His Turkish counterpart said that the Central Bank of Turkey was "ready to open the doors of cooperation and facilitate banking operations between the two countries."
Arab countries ban travel from African nations
The United States and several European countries have taken similar steps, banning travel from at least seven southern African countries....MENA countries have blocked travel from seven southern African nations as a precautionary measure
The countries are South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, and Eswatini
Dubai introduces ‘electronic notary public’ after amending the law
Dubai has introduced an automated system that performs the duties of the notary public without human interference and does away...The automated notary public has been introduced as part of Dubai’s smart government transformation.
Companies providing notary public services are now required to inform Dubai Courts about licensed individual notaries public working in the company.
Saudi Arabia to allow expats of six countries direct entry from Dec. 1
Saudi Arabia will allow direct entry of fully vaccinated expatriates from Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Vietnam, India and Egypt from December...People from Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Vietnam, India and Egypt need not spend 14 days in transit outside their countries before entering the kingdom.
They will have to spend a five-day quarantine regardless of their vaccination status.
Iran official visits Kuwait and UAE ahead of Monday’s nuclear talks
The visit by Ali Bagheri, Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator, is the first to Gulf Arab states by an official of...Talks to restore the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers are due to resume in Vienna on Monday.
The deal has been gradually disintegrating since former US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018.
UAE general wins Interpol presidency for a 4-year term
Major General Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi of the United Arab Emirates has been elected as the new President of Interpol, according...He was elected by Interpol representatives (from its 140 member states) at a meeting in Turkey on Thursday
The appointment makes him the first candidate from the Middle Eastern region to be elected into the position since the founding of Interpol
Kuwait MP Hamad Al-Matar elected Inter-Parliamentary Union panel’s member
Kuwaiti MP Dr Hamad Al-Matar has been elected as a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)'s Committee on Sustainable Development,...Al-Matar would be one of 18 members of IPU's Committee on Sustainable Development from across the world.
Arab parliamentarians elected Al-Matar at a meeting that discussed the Palestine question also.
