Middle East

Israeli Defence Forces brutality | Protest sparks after an autistic Palestinian man killed

Qatar’s Ambassador to Turkey Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi says Doha welcomes any genuine initiative that would end the economic and diplomatic blockade Saudi Arabia and a number of its allies imposed on the gas-rich kingdom in June 2017. “Qatar has always been keen on maintaining the unity of Persian …

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas traveled to Jerusalem on Wednesday where he was set to voice European “concern” over Israel’s controversial annexation plans in the occupied West Bank. Maas, the first high-level European visitor to touch down in Israel since the coronavirus pandemic hit, on arrival touched elbows with his …

Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami in a phone conversation with his Iraqi counterpart Nazanin Mohammad Sheikh Mohammad said Iran is prepared to develop cooperation with Iraq. Eslami congratulated Sheikh Mohammad’s appointment as the minister of roads and urban development in the cabinet of Mustafa al-Kadhimi. He …

The irrigation and water ministers of Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt met in a virtual conference late Tuesday to discuss the resumption of trilateral talks on a $5 billion hydro dam Ethiopia is building over on the Nile River. Seleshi Bekele, Yasser Abbas, and Mohamed Abdel-Ati addressed procedural matters to resume …

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi slammed the newly-imposed sanctions against Iran, highlighting that the country will never give in to US’ unilateral measures. “Iran will not surrender with such sanctions and pressures,” he said on Wednesday in an interview with IRIB, refereeing to recent sanctions imposed by the US …

The plan offered up to the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union includes a “sovereign Palestinian state, independent, and demilitarised” with “minor modifications of borders where necessary”. Palestinians have submitted a response to the controversial US Mideast plan, which sees parts of the occupied West Bank …

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Fars province in southern Iran on Tuesday, the official IRNA news agency reported. There was no immediate information about possible casualties or damage from the quake, which hit near the town of Beyram.

An Iranian man who provided information to the U.S. and Israeli intelligence services on the whereabouts of Iran’s slain Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani has been sentenced to death, Iran’s judiciary said on Tuesday. On Jan. 3, a U.S. drone strike in Iraq killed Soleimani, leader of the Revolutionary Guards’ …

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has in a message offered his condolences over the demise of the former Leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, Ramadhan Abdullah Shallah. The Leader said “I extend my condolences on the passing away of Dr Ramadhan Abdullah to the dear …

Egyptian doctors have expressed anger in recent days, accusing the authorities of neglecting them and failing to protect and provide them with the protective equipment they need. In response, media outlets close to the government accused the doctors of treason, not sacrificing for the sake of the nation and even …

The UAE’s new academic year will start on August 30, the Minister of Education has announced. Hussain Al Hammadi said administrative and teaching staff would begin work a week earlier on August 23. It has not yet been established how lessons will be organized, although a mixture of remote learning …

The Arab League has reaffirmed its opposition to the Israeli regime’s looming controversial plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, saying the “reprehensible and illegal” move amounts to a war crime against Palestinians. The establishment of an independent Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital is the primary …

Iran’s UN ambassador says the US’ call for an extension of the UN Security Council’s arms embargo on Tehran lacks legal standing in international law. In a tweet on Saturday, Majid Takht-e Ravanchi said the US ambassador to the UN “wrongly” believes the US retains the right to initiate snapback …

Several thousand Israelis have taken to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest the regime’s highly controversial scheme to annex parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, warning that the move would lead to permanent apartheid. According to Press TV, the rally took place at Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square on Saturday …

The former head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement on Saturday died in the hospital where he was being treated. The group said Ramadan Abdullah Shalah, 62, succumbed to the disease. “We have been witnessing the struggle of the Islamic Jihad Movement since its establishment, and we remember his leadership …

Protesters poured into the streets of the Lebanese capital Saturday to decry the collapse of the economy, as clashes erupted between supporters and opponents of the Iran-backed Shiite group Hezbollah. Hundreds filled the streets in and around the protest hub of Martyrs Square in the center of Beirut, with skirmishes …

Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun called for national unity on Sunday after violence erupted in parts of Beirut between supporters of rival sectarian political parties. Lebanon maintains a fragile sectarian balance since its many religious sects fought a 1975-1990 civil war with factions often backed by regional rivals. A financial crisis …

Thousands of Lebanese protesters took to the streets on Saturday, with some throwing stones and demanding the government resign over its handling of a deep economic crisis as hardship increases. The demonstrators, many wearing face masks and carrying the national flag, converged on the main square in Beirut that was …

The Qatari FM said the government is currently consulting with the organizing committee, preparing to alter the designs of the nearly completed stadiums to adhere to health official instruction. Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the fallout that is projected to follow it for years to come, Qatar’s foreign minister …