Brussels, Belgium-- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union have held talks in Brussels in order to enhance relations between the two blocs. In this connection, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), today held a discussion session with members of the European Union (EU)...

It was the first time that Erdogan, who has been in power since 2003, has spoken about leaving office. The AKP is hoping to regain the mayorship of Istanbul in the elections later this month, having seen it taken by the opposition in 2019.

Tibetan activists are keenly aware that his death will mark a major setback in his push for more autonomy for the Himalayan region. It would deprive the cause of a Nobel Prize winner whose moral teachings and idiosyncratic humour have made him one of the world's most popular religious leaders.

Iraqi Kurds announced that polls to elect a new parliament in the autonomous region would be held in June, after they were postponed from February. The elections have been delayed several times because of differences between the two main parties in northern Iraq, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic...

Tehran, Iran - Iran began counting ballots on Saturday after a vote for parliament and a key clerical body, with local media estimating a low turnout and conservatives expected to dominate. Friday's elections were the first since widespread protests triggered by the September 2022 death in police custody of Mahsa Amini,...

WASHINGTON, US  - In a shift from tit-for-tat tariffs and strong-arm tactics to tech restrictions and investment curbs, US policy towards China has become more targeted under President Joe Biden - though still hardline. Despite differences between Democrats and Republicans, analysts expect Washington's approach to Beijing will only become tougher, whether...

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is expected to win the most seats in Thursday's vote, with analysts saying its 74-year-old founder Nawaz Sharif has won the blessing of the generals. Outside a polling station in Islamabad, 22-year-old psychology student Haleema Shafiq said she was determined to vote.

Dubai, UAE--The Arab Strategy Forum will commence in Dubai on January 3rd, 2024 to debate the intricate political and economic landscape of the Arab region. Titled "The Political and Economic State of the Arab World in 2024," the thought-provoking event will bring together prominent global leaders, strategic experts, and leading...

The European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell drew this conclusion from his discussions with a range of leaders on his tour of the Middle East. He maintained that Israel should not occupy Gaza after the current conflict ends and that the Palestinian Authority should control the besieged enclave.

Manama, Bahrain-- Bahrain and Thailand have held discussions to enhance economic cooperation in a meeting between top officials of the two countries. In this regard, Dr. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Political Affairs Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, today met Worawoot Pongprapapant, Director-General, Department of South Asian,...

Algerian news website TSA said the change came after Tebboune publicly criticised "the management of tensions connected to the availability of foodstuffs, and the implementation of certain presidential decisions". The dismissal also comes a month after Tebboune ordered the appointment of a number of new presidential advisors, in another sign...

KIRYAT SHMONA, ISRAEL - The Israeli military announced plans to evacuate the northern city of Kiryat Shmona on Friday, after days of clashes with Hezbollah fighters along the border with Lebanon. Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions have traded cross-border fire with Israel for days, after Hamas fighters attacked communities in...

CAIRO, EGYPT – Tens of thousands of protesters rallied across Egypt in support of war-torn Gaza on Friday, with large crowds flooding into Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square, an AFP correspondent and Egyptian media said. The correspondent said several thousand packed into Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the 2011 uprising that toppled...

RAMALLAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - Israeli troops killed nine Palestinians in multiple clashes across the occupied West Bank on Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said, as the death toll mounts in the territory while war rages in Gaza. At least 75 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers in the West...

Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and left over 1,400 people dead and triggered Israeli retaliatory strikes on Gaza where around 3,000 people have been killed, according to officials on both sides. "Ayman Nofal, 'Abu Ahmad', a member of the general military council , was killed" in an Israeli strike

Dubai, UAE-- CEOs from around the world consider geopolitics and political uncertainty as the greatest risk to the growth of their business — be it navigating a company’s presence in a conflict zone or attempting to navigate disrupted supply chains and manage price fluctuations. The conclusion emerged from a survey...

Israel imposed a total siege on the Gaza Strip and cut off the water supply as it kept bombing targets in the Palestinian enclave in response to the Hamas surprise assault it has likened to the 9/11 attacks. Israel has counted over 700 dead and launched strikes on Gaza that...

New York, US-- Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt have pledged to cement the partnership between themselves in order to boost cooperation in several economic and political fields. In this connection, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Expatriates Ayman Safadi participated in a tripartite meeting with his Iraqi and...

A government shutdown would put the finances of hundreds of thousands of workers at federal parks, museums, and other sites at risk, but it could also carry significant political costs for Biden, who is running for re-election. The White House wants any budget bill passed by lawmakers to include $24...

JERUSALEM - Israel offered its congratulations to Saudi Arabia on the kingdom's national day on Saturday as the two countries move closer towards a possible normalization of ties. "We send our sincere congratulations to the king, government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the occasion of the...

CAIRO, EGYPT - An Egyptian court has sentenced prominent dissident Hisham Kassem to six months in prison, his lawyer and political movement said, a move barring him from taking part in campaigning for next year's presidential election. It comes one day after Egypt's only candidate campaigning so far for the election,...

TRIPOLI, LIBYA - Over a decade of bloody power battles in Libya have resulted in vital infrastructure falling into disrepair, culminating in the catastrophic death toll in Sunday's flood, politicians and analysts have said.   Wracked by conflict and division ever since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - Baghdad has asked Sweden to extradite Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, who stoked international outrage by desecrating the Quran, he and his lawyer told AFP on Tuesday. "Iraq wants him extradited because he burnt a Quran outside the mosque (in Stockholm) in June," lawyer David Hall told AFP after...

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL- A dozen Eritrean asylum seekers were wounded by Israeli police gunfire here on Saturday after a demonstration against an Eritrean government event turned violent, police and medical sources said. Clashes began outside a south Tel Aviv venue that was set to host a pro-regime event organized by the...

Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook that the foundation should support efforts to isolate Russia and Belarus as "millions of Ukrainians suffer from an unprovoked war and the Russian regime is not punished for its crimes". Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also said he disagreed with the...

DUBAI, UAE - Bahraini authorities have agreed to offer prisoners extra rights, including more visiting hours, following a mass hunger strike that activists say is the largest in the country's history. The interior ministry late on Monday said it would "increase the duration of visitations" and was looking to raise the...

Manama, Bahrain--Bahrain and the United States have reviewed joint cooperation, partnership and strategic dialogue in the political, economic and security fields. The review came up in a meeting between Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Political Affairs Dr. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and Paul Dean, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in...

Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma, a leading figure of the country's 2011 uprising who has spent the last decade behind bars, has been granted a presidential pardon, lawyers said. "President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi... has used his constitutional powers" to pardon several prisoners including Douma, said Tarek Elawady, a member of the...

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the composition of the country’s delegation to the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). It will be led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The delegation also includes Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin, Chairman of the Federation Council’s Committee...

Former US president Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to criminal charges that he conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election and defraud the American people. Trump also said it was a 'sad day for America'.

She was appointed by the president on October 11, 2021, two and a half months after the president granted himself sweeping powers on July 25 by dismissing his then-prime minister and suspending parliament. The constitution, which Tunisian president had amended by referendum in the summer of 2022, granted the president's...

Two men set the Quran alight outside parliament in Stockholm at a protest similar to previous ones that have sparked tensions between Sweden and Middle Eastern countries. Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem kicked and stomped on the Muslim holy book, then set its pages on fire before slamming it shut.

RABAT, MOROCCO -  Morocco's King Mohammed VI has expressed hope for a return to normality and reopening of borders with North African neighbor Algeria, which cut diplomatic ties nearly two years ago. "We pray to the Almighty for a return to normality and a reopening of the borders between our two...

JERUSALEM- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to advance the government's controversial judicial reforms, which have seen his premiership marred by mass protest against the proposed overhaul. "We will come together this week and begin the practical measures," Netanyahu said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting...

The vote for the presidency, reserved for a Maronite Christian under Lebanon's delicate sectarian power-sharing system, pitted the Hezbollah-backed Sleiman Frangieh against financial official Jihad Azour, who has mainly been endorsed by Christian and independent legislators. But neither had the requisite support, with Azour garnering 59 votes and Frangieh 51...

Albany, New York-- The UAE has reiterated its resolve to strengthen economic and cultural ties with New York and the US as both countries seek to advance the transition to clean energy. The renewal of the commitment was made during a visit by Amna Binzaal Almheiri, UAE Consul General in...

Billionaire investor George Soros had handed over control of his US$25 billion empire to his younger son Alexander Soros - aka Alex. There were doubts in the market that George Soros, who is 92, will ever give up control in his lifetime, according to a report published in the Wall...

Syria's opposition urged the resumption of moribund United Nations-sponsored talks with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, who has returned to the Arab fold after years of isolation. "The international, regional and Syrian conditions provide an appropriate circumstance for the resumption of direct negotiations...," the Syrian Negotiation Commission said in...

The oil-rich country suffers from constant stand-offs between elected lawmakers and cabinets installed by the reigning Al-Sabah family. The opposition is taking part in Tuesday's vote in which 207 candidates, including 13 women, are standing, the lowest number of candidates in a legislative election since 1996.

Iran released one Danish and two Austrian-Iranian citizens it had been holding after mediation by Oman, and they are being flown to Belgium, said the country's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. This comes a week after Tehran freed a Belgian aid worker in exchange for an Iranian diplomat who was...

Strong backing for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan among Turks in Germany in last weekend's historic election has sparked renewed soul-searching about whether Berlin's attempts to integrate the minority are failing. There were scenes of jubilation in some German cities after Erdogan extended his two-decade rule in Sunday's runoff vote, with...

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he would welcome a resumption of diplomatic relations with Egypt, during a meeting with Oman's visiting Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. Ties between Tehran and Cairo soured following the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran and Egypt's recognition of Israel, the Islamic republic's sworn enemy.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan appealed for national unity Monday after winning a historic runoff election that extended two decades of his transformative rule until 2028. The 69-year-old overcame Turkey's worst economic crisis in a generation and the most powerful opposition alliance to ever face his Islamic-rooted party on his way to...

NEW YORK, US -  United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said he was "shocked" by a letter from Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, reportedly requesting the replacement of special envoy Volker Perthes amid a brutal war with paramilitaries. Guterres "is proud of the work done by Volker Perthes and reaffirms his full confidence...

Lawmakers came to blows in Iraqi Kurdistan's parliament in a dispute between the two biggest parties over the upcoming polls in the autonomous northern region. Parliamentarians were seen climbing desks and tearing up papers in a video posted to the legislature's YouTube channel, while footage shared by Iraqi media showed...

The Bahraini decision comes the day after the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia against a backdrop of unexpected rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran, brokered by Beijing. The warming of relations between the region's two great rivals has paved the way for a major diplomatic reshuffle in the Arab world.

Appearing before a large crowd of supporters, Erdogan proclaimed himself to be ready to lead the nation for another five years. The results nearly complete from Turkey's most important election showed him falling just short of the 50-percent threshold needed to win. He claimed to have won a clear majority...

Widespread public anger at the state's slow response to the tragedy leads many believe that Hatay's electors will vote differently.

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- The UAE's gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have grown 7.6 percent in 2022, shored up by economic activity across all sectors. The conclusion was made in an annual report released by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE), which said that the UAE's...

The junta said in a statement that pardons were granted to 2,153 prisoners to mark the birth anniversary of the Buddha as dozens of people turned up outside the prison to greet their relatives. Thousands of protestors and activists have been arrested since the February 2021 putsch ended the country's...