Israeli police stormed into the Al-Aqsa mosque on Wednesday to dislodge what it calls agitators in a move condemned as an "unprecendented crime" by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The movement which rules the Gaza Strip appealed to Palestinians in the West Bank "to go en masse to the Al-Aqsa...

The French leader's aims include preserving and rebalancing China's trade ties with Europe as well as safeguarding French interests in the Asia-Pacific region, where Paris sees itself as a player due to its overseas territories and military deployments. On the eve of his visit, Macron discussed his trip to China...

Former US president Donald Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records stemming from three pre-election hush-money cases. A New York judge released Donald Trump from custody without any pre-trial restrictions at a historic arraignment.

Damascus, Syria - An Israeli air strike on Tuesday killed two Syrian civilians, state media reported, the fourth such attack on government-held areas of the war-torn country in less than a week. During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its...

A joint statement issued after the tenth US-EU Energy Council in Brussels said competitive, liquid and transparent global energy markets remain critical to ensuring a reliable, sustainable, affordable, and secure energy supply for Europe to serve the transition to climate neutrality. The Council asked Russia to withdraw its forces from...

TEHRAN, IRAN - Twenty Iranian schoolgirls were hospitalized Tuesday after the latest in a mysterious wave of poisoning attacks that have sickened thousands of pupils, state media reported. The girls were treated after suffering shortness of breath, in Tabriz, capital of the northwestern province of East Azerbaijan, reported the news agency...

Dozens of women who had fled deadly violence in Iraq found a home in a Jordanian church where, without work, they learn skills to earn a living.

Amid tight security in New York City, the 76-year-old former president will make an unprecedented appearance before a New York judge on Tuesday to answer criminal charges that threaten to throw the 2024 White House race into turmoil. He is the first sitting or former American president to be criminally...

Speaking alongside Prime Minister Najla Bouden, the president said the reports reflected "a level of madness never seen before in Tunisia". Earlier on Monday, Ahmed Nejib Chebbi of the National Salvation Front opposition coalition told journalists: "We ask the government to address the Tunisian people and say if the president...

TUNIS, TUNISIA - Tunisia's main opposition coalition pressed the government on Monday to explain days-long public "absence" of President Kais Saied, saying it had information that he was sick. Saied, 65, has not appeared in public or held any meetings since March 22, according to posts on his Facebook page -...

The Kremlin said oil output cuts by Russia, Saudi Arabia and other major producers that have caused prices to soar are "in the interests" of global markets. The surprise move on Sunday came as oil prices have cooled in recent months after soaring last year following the start of the...

Israeli forces have carried out a number of deadly raids in the The raid came two days after a peak in violence that saw two killed in confrontations with Israeli forces, amid fears of escalation in the conflict during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In a Monday statement, the...

BEIJING, CHINA - Chinese authorities have begun an investigation into leading US memory chipmaker Micron Technology, a decision Beijing's foreign ministry said Monday was intended to "safeguard national security". The probe escalates an already fierce battle between Beijing and Washington for supremacy in the field of semiconductors as broader bilateral relations...

Analysts warn that the economy may start heating up as the government rebuilds huge swaths of Turkey's southeast that were hit by a massive earthquake in February in which more than 50,000 people died. Erdogan, who will try to extend his rule into a third decade in the May 14...

Sunday's attack comes amid increased Israeli air strikes on Syria. The air strike near the western Syrian city of Homs was Israel's third since early Thursday, after the capital Damascus was targeted that morning and early Friday.

As part of the Artemis program, NASA aims to send astronauts to the Moon in 2025 -- more than five decades after the historic Apollo missions ended in 1972. Besides putting the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, the US space agency hopes to establish a...

The king touted a longtime commitment to preserving "peace and harmony" at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound -- Islam's third holiest site which Jordan administers. It is built on top of what Jews call the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site. On Friday, Israeli police shot dead an Arab Israeli medical student...

The Israeli government approved a decision to form a national guard, officials said, which opponents warn would function as a "private militia" of firebrand National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. A statement from Ben-Gvir's office said the guard, which would operate under his ministry, would deal with "emergency scenarios, nationalistic crime,...

Improved farming techniques, better desalination technologies, awareness campaigns and global cooperation can mitigate the regions problems caused by water scarcity.

According to FII CEO Richard Attias, the report on the Global Priority Summit will be ready by October 2023, and it will showcase how countries worldwide are transforming by implementing strategies that prioritize citizens' concerns such as job creation, inflation, and healthcare. Attias emphasized that their responsibility as a non-profit...

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the strikes targeted several military positions of Syrian government forces and pro-Iran groups in Homs. The NGO said explosions rocked the city and a fire broke out in a research centre, with ambulances heading to the scene of the...

Kyiv, Ukraine--Ukraine on Saturday branded Russia's presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of April "a slap in the face", joining a chorus of outrage from Western countries. Moscow assumes the presidency as part of its monthly rotation between the Security Council's 15 member states, with ties with the...

Israeli police said they shot dead an Arab Israeli who grabbed a gun from an officer and fired it in a scuffle in the Old City of Jerusalem. Police said the attack took place around midnight near the Chain Gate, an access point to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Israeli-annexed...

Iranian authorities ordered the arrest of two women, the judiciary said after a viral video appeared to show them being attacked by a man for not wearing the hijab. Video footage widely shared on social media in Iran appeared to show the two women customers, who were not wearing hijab...

ROME, ITALY  -  The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a US$23.7 million contribution from the Norwegian government to scale up its response to humanitarian crises and emergencies. The contribution represents the largest single un-earmarked funding of its kind to date. The funds will be...

Athens, Greece--Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday called on the European Union to "seriously consider" providing financial aid to help extend an anti-migrant steel fence along the border with Turkey. "I think it's about time for the EU to seriously consider providing European funds for these types of projects," the...

Washington, United States--President Joe Biden on Friday called for Russia to release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is being held on espionage charges, while rebuffing a call from the paper's editorial board to expel Russian journalists from the United States. Asked by White House reporters what his message was...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--The UAE has dispatched a plane carrying 38 tonnes of urgent medical and food supplies to Afghanistan to meet the needs of thousands of Afghan families affected by earthquakes that recently struck northeastern Afghanistan. The earthquakes resulted in numerous deaths and injuries and destroyed basic infrastructure. The provision...

Tehran, Iran--An officer from Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards was killed in Israeli air strikes on Syria early on Friday, a website affiliated with the Guards said. During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah...

TOKYO, JAPAN -  Japan on Friday unveiled planned export controls on 23 items used to make semiconductors, following US pressure for countries to restrict Chinese access to the technology. The move was immediately slammed by Beijing, which warned against moves that "politicize, instrumentalize and weaponize" trade. It comes as Tokyo confirmed...

Two weeks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly backed its bid, Turkish lawmakers unanimously supported Finland's membership of the US-led defense alliance after the Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Turkey was the final NATO nation to ratify the Nordic country's accession, which NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said will make the "NATO...

Syria's foreign ministry condemned the strikes, accusing Israel in a statement of trying to "escape internal divisions", as the country faces a severe domestic crisis over controversial judicial reforms.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia has agreed to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a "dialogue partner", state media reported on Wednesday, the latest indication of closer political ties with China. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 as a political, economic and security organization to rival Western institutions....

"Advancing the economic status of women and girls is not only a matter of human rights, justice, and fairness -- it is also a strategic imperative that reduces poverty and promotes sustainable economic growth," the office of US VP Kamala Harris said.

Riyadh's move to partner with the bloc comes less than three weeks after the unveiling of a landmark China-brokered reconciliation deal with Iran to restore full diplomatic relations that were severed seven years ago.

A case in point is the royal palace's reaction after the opposition Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) "deplored" the Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita for allegedly defending Israel publicly, even as it commits "criminal aggression against our Palestinian brothers". King Mohammed VI's office hit back, accusing the PJD of voicing...

The two sisters of Somali origin clandestinely left Norway for Syria in late 2013, aged 16 and 19, to join a popular uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, as they would later explain in an e-mail exchange. Norwegian writer Asne Seierstad recounted their experiences in a book.

Asked if Israel's democracy is at an inflection point -- a phrase Biden frequently uses to describe the danger facing democracies worldwide -- the US president said: "I don't know that they're at an inflection point but I think that's a difficult spot to be in and they've got to...

Berlin, Germany - Germany's anti-cartel watchdog said Tuesday it was examining if it needed to place US giant Microsoft under close watch for any possible abuse. The Federal Cartel Office said it was taking a first step to see if Microsoft is of "paramount significance across markets". If this is found...

Genome programs will also help create new economic opportunities in the UAE by attracting partnerships in fields such as artificial intelligence, advanced medical care, pharmaceuticals, and research and technology.

The newly-elected head of the Scottish National Party (SNP) joins the growing ranks of leaders from Britain's old imperial possessions who are remaking the face of UK politics. Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is the Hindu son of parents whose familial roots lie in India.

Moscow, Russia--Russian oil sales to India surged more than twentyfold last year as European buyers turned to other markets following the conflict in Ukraine, Russia's deputy prime minister said Tuesday. Russia shifted its oil exports to India and China last year as European Union nations sought to end their reliance on...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--A bus ferrying pilgrims to the holy city of Mecca burst into flames after a collision on a bridge on Monday, killing 20 people and injuring more than two dozen others, Saudi state media reported. The incident in the southern province of Asir highlights persistent challenges to safely transporting...

Calling for "constructive discourse" from the European Union after many leaders warned the country is facing a crisis that could impact the 27-member bloc, Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar said that he had invited the European side to "show more understanding of this particular phase through which our country is...

Rusesabagina was released late Friday after 938 days in prison under an accord, mediated by Qatar, between the US government and Rwanda. Reportedly in fragile health, Rusesabagina stayed at the Qatar ambassador's residence in Kigali before flying to Doha. Qatar authorities did not immediately confirm his arrival in the Gulf...

The White House said commercial spyware poses a distinct intelligence threat to the United States and has been found on the phones of 50 US officials overseas. In addition, a number of foreign governments have used it "to facilitate repression and enable human rights abuses."

The government argues the changes are needed to rebalance powers between lawmakers and the judiciary. Yoav Galant, the former defence minister and long-time ally of Netanyahu, earlier called for a halt to the reforms -- with lawmakers due to vote this week on a central part of the proposals, which...

Beirut, Lebanon - A last-minute decision in Lebanon to delay daylight savings by a month has been met with opposition from the influential church, leaving the small country divided between two time zones. Wracked by a crippling economic meltdown and political deadlock, a seemingly odd question was added on Sunday to...

Several shipwrecks have left dozens of migrants dead in the country that serves as a key conduit for migrants seeking to reach nearby European shores. It comes after President Kais Saied made an incendiary speech last month, accusing sub-Saharan Africans of representing a demographic threat and causing a crime wave...

ARBIL, IRAQ - Authorities in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region announced on Sunday a November date for legislative elections which had been postponed by a year due to disputes between two major parties. The regional parliament had voted in October to extend its term and reschedule the vote amid disagreements between the...