The European Union has frozen Russian assets worth around $16.9 billion since Moscow invaded Ukraine, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said in an interview. The figure has risen from the roughly $13.7 billion from oligarchs and other entities that Reynders in July announced the EU had frozen, mainly in five...

AMMAN, JORDAN - Amman is scheduled to host the Seventh International Investment Forum for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in MENA on Sunday, organized by the Arab Renewable Energy Commission(AREC), with Arab and international participation. In a statement Saturday, AREC's Secretary-General, Mohammed Taani, said the forum will discuss over three...

Jordan's cabinet reshuffle is a mandate for the government to work within the Kingdom's three modernization tracks, launched at the beginning of the country's bicentennial, Minister of Government Communications Faisal Shboul said.

Elected to parliament in April 2021, Ben-Gvir heads the Jewish Power party and has spent years campaigning for the extreme right. His platform includes supporting the Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank, home to 2.8 million Palestinians, and the forcible transfer of some of the country's Arab-Israeli population.

Cyprus, which has aspirations of becoming a major energy player in the eastern Mediterranean, has a key exclusive economic zone, divided into 12 blocks and potentially rich in gas. "The cooperation with Cyprus is not like the cooperation with the Israelis, the enemy state," said Elias Bou Saad, deputy speaker...

Taking a serious note of German Interior Minister's comments casting doubt on whether the Gulf state should host the football World Cup, Qatar has summoned Germany's ambassador to lodge a protest. Calling the comments as "unacceptable and provocative, Qatar demanded a clarification.

DUBAI, UAE - The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) to enable exchange of information between the two authorities. The MoU was signed by Chief Executive of the DFSA Ian Johnston and Chairman of the BSEC...

Prince Faisal bin Farhan hailed the "historical and solid relationship" between the major oil exporter and Beijing after talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi."Our meeting today comes at an important time, as it precedes the expected visit of the Chinese president to the kingdom," Prince Faisal told the Al...

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's 21-member cabinet is expected to face myriad challenges. The oil-rich but war-ravaged country is plagued by endemic corruption, rampant unemployment and decaying infrastructure. "Our ministerial team will shoulder the responsibility at this critical period, in which the world is witnessing tremendous political and economic changes...

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria Karl Nehammer met in Abu Dhabi Thursday to explore opportunities to further enhance bilateral ties in light of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that exists between the two countries.

Jerusalem, Undefined—Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday claimed Israel's foe Lebanon de-facto "recognizes" the Jewish state, due to a sea border deal the two states are set to sign imminently. "This is a political achievement -- it is not every day that an enemy state recognizes the State of Israel, in...

The UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of Egypt have met recently on several occasions.

At least 15 people were killed Wednesday in an attack on a key Shiite Muslim shrine in southern Iran, state media said, with the Islamic State group claiming the assault. The attack carried out by an armed "terrorist" during evening prayers at the Shah Cheragh mausoleum in the city of...

Continuing with its belligerence toward Syria, Israel attacked many positions near Damascus in the early hours of Thursday, in the third such attack in less than a week. According to the Syrian defense ministry, Israel attacked from the direction of the occupied Palestinian territories targeting several positions in the vicinity...

Iran's foreign ministry announced in a statement sanctions against eight institutions and 12 individuals based in the EU for "supporting terrorist groups", "inciting violence" and "provoking riots, violence and terrorist acts" in the Islamic republic.

Jerusalem---Gas production has started at Karish, an offshore field at the centre of a maritime border deal between Israel and Lebanon, London-listed Energean said Wednesday. "Gas is being produced from the Karish Main-02 well and the flow of gas is being steadily ramped up," a statement from the company said....

"The current transition plan isn't working. We are still dependent on coal. We need to have a new consensus on the transition to renewable,” Amin Nasser added.

Calling for tough action against Iran, president of Israel has shared intelligence with the United State to prove that Tehran supplied drones to Russia that have reaped destruction in Ukraine. In this connection, President Isaac Herzog held talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on a visit to Washington.

Israel, with its turbulent politics, heads back to the polls next Tuesday, for the fifth general election in less than four years. Historically, Israeli voting patterns have been shaped by religious and ethnic affiliation and, most importantly, views on the Palestinian conflict. But this time, ahead of the November 1...

Libya has signed two defense deals with Turkey, building on a 2019 agreement that had seen the latter claim large and potentially gas-rich areas of the eastern Mediterranean, angering Greece, France and the European Union. The deal was signed with Libya's Tripoli-based prime minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah.

The International Criminal Court has opened an investigation into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, expected to focus in part on possible war crimes committed during the 2014 conflict in Gaza. The probe is supported by the Palestinian Authority, but Israel is not an ICC member and disputes its jurisdiction.

Tehran prosecutor Ali Salehi said that indictments have been issued for 315 people on charges of "congregating and colluding with the intention of acting against the country's security", "propaganda against the system" and "disturbing public order".

Already governed by a caretaker cabinet, crisis-hit Lebanon is hurtling towards an imminent power vacuum, with just days before the current president's term finishes at the end of the month. Aoun was elected in 2016 after a more than two-year vacancy at the presidential palace, as lawmakers made 45 failed...

The EU's 27 member states have been squabbling for months over measures to lower energy bills as winter nears.

The protest was organized by the country's main trade union, the UNTM, which is close to the Justice and Development Party (PJD). The PJD was routed in legislative elections in September 2021, when the liberal RNI party -- led by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch -- performed well.

The UAE Foreign Minister stressed that the trade growth didn’t reflect the “true potential” of the two countries.

Publishing a video of the action on Twitter, the environmental protest group Last Generation wrote: "If it takes a painting –- with #MashedPotatoes or #TomatoSoup thrown at it -– to make society remember that the fossil fuel course is killing us all: Then we'll give you #MashedPotatoes on a painting!"

Tehran, Iran— Iran announced Sunday a contract with Russia to supply it with 40 turbines to help its gas industry amid Western sanctions over Moscow's war in Ukraine, local media reported. Iran's "industrial successes are not limited to the fields of missiles and drones," Iranian Gas Engineering and Development Company's CEO,...

Declaring an end to his bid for the UK top job, former UK PM Boris Johnson said that he had reached the decision reluctantly after recognizing he would not be able to lead "a united party in parliament." He had cut short a Caribbean holiday to return to Britain to...

Welcoming the report brought out by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the Arab League has praised the efforts and the findings of the report, documenting Israeli violations against Palestinians, and holy sites in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, many experts believe that Washington is shifting its attention and resources to the "priority theatre" of the Indo-Pacific. But as the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, the GCC countries are expected to play a more significant role in the ongoing Asianization of the global...

A group called Black Reward on Friday issued an ultimatum on Twitter, threatening to release documents on Tehran's nuclear programme unless all "political prisoners, prisoners of conscience and people arrested in the recent protests" were released within 24 hours.

In all three calls, Russian defense minister Shoigu conveyed "concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a 'dirty bomb'".

AMMAN, JORDAN - Jordan will Monday host the 2022 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mediterranean Conference, organized by North Macedonia, Chair of 2022 Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation Group and the OSCE Secretariat/External Co-operation Section. The two-day meeting in the Dead Sea region will bring together representatives from...

The visit is expected to last a few hours on Nov 14, and the Saudi Crown Prince and the Indian PM Narendra Modi are expected to depart for Bali to attend the G-20 summit, The Hindu reported and added that India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar had conveyed Modi’s invitation to...

Sunday's announcements came after a week-long Congress of 2,300 hand-picked party delegates during which they endorsed Xi's "core position" in the leadership and approved a sweeping reshuffle that saw Li and other former Xi rivals relegated.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia— Saudi Media Minister Majid Al-Qasabi has called for developing a trust-based road map with clear mechanisms to advance joint Islamic action. The minister was speaking at the 12th session of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul on Saturday. He...

Weeks after leaving office, former prime minister Boris Johnson, who returned from a Caribbean holiday, aimed to launch an audacious political comeback. Johnson met with Rishi Sunak to discuss the race, as the feuding pair who once headed Britain's government were poised to battle for the leadership of their fractured...

With dozens dead in demonstrations all across the country during the last several weeks, Iran now says that "riots" over the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody have reached their final days. Amini was arrested for allegedly violating the country's strict dress code for women.

Traditionally, GCC trade was focused on the West. However, now it is moving to the East. This eastward shift is not too surprising given the continuing travails of many developed Western economies. With the sluggish recovery from the financial crisis in the EU and the US, Gulf economies have had...

Chinese President Xi Jinping locked in support for a historic third term in power at the Communist Party's Congress, but the dramatic removal of his predecessor from the event stole the headlines. At the end of the week-long gathering in Beijing, China's ruling party approved a sweeping reshuffle allowing Xi...

TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran on Saturday accused the United States of seeking to gain concessions in nuclear talks aimed at restoring the 2015 agreement, by supporting protests over Mahsa Amini's death. The Islamic republic has been rocked by demonstrations that flared over the death of the 22-year-old Amini on September...

Energy restrictions were "forcibly applied" in several regions, including the capital Kyiv and its surrounding region, Ukrenergo said. In western Ukraine, electricity and water supplies were disrupted in parts of the Volyn region, according to its governor. The city of Khmelnitskyi was without power and the city council called on...

Several Western countries are calling for an "impartial" investigation into Iranian drones they say Russia is using in the war in Ukraine. In their letter, France, Britain and Germany said they would "stand ready to support the work of the Secretariat in conducting its technical and impartial investigation."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday he warned France about the cement company Lafarge's ties to terror groups in northern Syria. "When I explained how the cement giant called Lafarge supported terrorist organisations in northern Syria... the French did not understand," he said. Erdogan said he had also informed...

Tensions escalated again in the Middle East, when Syria shot down missiles over Damascus fired by Israel, the first such attack in more than a month. Syria's official news agency SANA said that Syrian air defenses had intercepted Israeli missiles over Damascus and the southern region.

The conflict erupted in 2014 when the Huthis seized the capital Sanaa, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year to prop up the internationally recognised government. Hundreds of thousands of people have died as a direct or indirect result of the conflict, according to the United Nations, which...

A planned underwater energy pipeline linking Barcelona in Spain and Marseille in France could take up to seven years to build, Spain's energy minister said.

Authorities also said they had detained 48 people, including six already wanted for allegedly "joining a gang in order to illegally cross borders". The interior ministry had announced the arrests of more than 1,300 suspected people traffickers, both Tunisian and of other nationalities, in recent days.

The agreement was signed during DEFEXPO 2022, the Land, Naval and Homeland Security Systems Exhibition, which is being held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.