Lebanon parliament speaker calls for dialogue over Hezbollah weapons
Beirut, Lebanon -- Lebanon's Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, an ally of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, called on Sunday for dialogue...Geostrategy
US to deny visas to Palestinian officials at UN summit as France pushes statehood recognition
The extraordinary step further aligns President Donald Trump's administration with Israel's government, which adamantly rejects a Palestinian state and has...Geostrategy
Syrian presidency announces agreement to integrate Kurdish institutions
The Syrian presidency announced on Monday an agreement with the head of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate...Syria's new authorities under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa have sought to disband armed groups and establish government control over the entirety of the country
The new accord, which is expected to be implemented by the end of the year, comes after days of violence in the heartland of Syria's Alawite minority
Jeddah Talks: Ukraine accepts US proposal of 30-day ceasefire with Russia
The positive response from Ukraine prompted President Donald Trump's administration to lift a freeze on military aid and to predict...We'll take this offer now to the Russians and we hope they'll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court: Marco Rubio
"I want to thank President Trump for the constructive conversation between our teams," says Zelensky
Hamas sees ‘positive’ signs for ceasefire talks as Israel cuts Gaza electricity, blocks aid flow
In a statement, Netanyahu's office said that Israel had accepted an invitation from US-backed mediators and would "send a delegation...Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel would send a delegation to Doha on Monday for truce talks
Israel has said it wants to extend the first phase until mid-April, Hamas has insisted on a transition to the second phase
Hamas pushes for phase two of Gaza truce talks
Hamas said its representatives met with mediators in Cairo at the weekend, emphasizing the need for humanitarian aid to re-enter...The high-level delegation also stressed the need for "moving directly to begin negotiations for the second phase" of the deal, which will lay the groundwork for a ceasefire.
Hamas's demands for the second phase include a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an end to the blockade, the reconstruction of the territory and financial support.
Muslim nations meet in Jeddah to unite against Trump’s controversial Gaza takeover proposal.
Trump's plan has already united Arab countries in opposition, with Saudi Arabia also hosting Arab leaders two weeks ago to...At Tuesday's summit in Cairo, Arab leaders backed the proposal to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority
However, the plan, which does not outline a role for Hamas, which controls Gaza, was rejected by both the United States and Israel
Ukraine, US delegations to meet in Jeddah next week: Saudi
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia on Friday welcomed a meeting between the United States and Ukraine due next week...Saudi Arabia last month hosted a Russian-American meeting -- the first high-level talks between the two governments since the Ukraine war began in 2022.
Relations between the US and Ukraine have rapidly deteriorated after an explosive meeting at the White House led to Washington cutting off military aid and intelligence sharing.
UNRWA warns Israel’s West Bank operation aligns with annexation ‘vision’
The Israeli operation, which the military says targets militants in the northern West Bank, was launched shortly after a truce...Israeli forces carry out regular raids targeting militants in the West Bank, occupied since 1967, but the ongoing operation since late January is already the longest in two decades
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said troops would remain for many months in the evacuated camps to "prevent the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism."
Hamas says Trump’s ‘DEAD’ threat to Gaza undermines ceasefire
"Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you...Trump said later he was "sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job" as his administration expedites billions of dollars in weapons.
"These threats complicate matters regarding the ceasefire agreement and encourage the occupation to avoid implementing its terms," said Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasim.
Building futuristic sustainable urban cities starts from the underground up
Underground innovation, digitization, and AI are vital for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future cities, says Sam Wiffen, director and founder...By 2050, the population of the world’s cities is expected to double from the World Bank’s current estimate of 4.4 billion people.
Modern citizens are increasingly dissatisfied with urban living characterized by overcrowding, noise pollution, environmental challenges, poor infrastructure, inadequate responses.
Arab leaders propose Gaza reconstruction under Palestinian Authority, reject Trump’s takeover plan
The prospect of the Palestinian Authority (PA) governing Gaza remains far from certain, however, with Israel having ruled out any...Tuesday's Arab League summit in Cairo offered an alternative with the adoption of a "comprehensive Arab plan."
It announced the establishment of a trust fund to pay for the territory's reconstruction, and urged the international community to back it
