WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump convened his Board of Peace on Thursday with representatives from more than 40 countries and observers from a dozen more. The inaugural meeting’s focus is reconstruction and building an international stabilization force for a war-battered Gaza, where a shaky ceasefire deal persists. Trump says board members have pledged $5 billion for […]
Read MoreIran’s trade balance with Qatar shifted into surplus in the first 10 months of the Iranian year 1404 (March 2025-January 2026), driven by a significant increase in exports and a decrease in imports, according to a senior trade official. Abdolamir Rabihavi, director general for West Asia at the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPO), citing […]
Read MoreISTANBUL: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he is pleased to see steps taken in neighboring Syria to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into state structures, after a US-backed ceasefire deal late last month between the sides. In a readout on Wednesday of his comments to reporters on a return flight from Ethiopia, Erdogan […]
Read MoreAn independent United Nations body on Tuesday condemned what it described as vicious attacks based on disinformation by several European ministers against the organisation’s special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese. In the past week several European countries, including Germany, France and Italy, called for Albanese’s resignation over her alleged criticism of Israel. Albanese, an Italian […]
Read MoreThe US and Iran hold indirect talks in Geneva on 11 February aimed at resolving their long-running nuclear dispute, with little clear indication of compromise as Washington masses a battle force in the region. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will take part in the negotiations, which are being mediated by Oman, a source […]
Read MoreLONDON: The UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer met King Abdullah II of Jordan to discuss ways to support regional stability in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Downing Street said on Tuesday. The meeting was also attended by Crown Prince Hussein and focused on the continuing need to advocate for increased access for humanitarian […]
Read MoreIsrael fired airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing at least 11 Palestinians, Palestinian officials said, in what the military called a response to ceasefire violations by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Gaza medics said an Israeli airstrike on a tent encampment housing displaced families killed at least four people, while health officials said […]
Read MoreThe resumption of Iran-US nuclear negotiations in Oman represents a pivotal moment for global nuclear safety. The airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan in June 2025 showed the vulnerability of global nuclear infrastructure. It is the need of the hour that the diplomacy goes beyond uranium enrichment limits and verification measures […]
Read MoreGENEVA: A UN human rights spokesperson said on Friday she was very worried about attacks on independent UN experts after European governments criticized Francesca Albanese who is mandated to report on human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. “We are very worried. We are concerned that UN officials, independent experts and judicial officials, are […]
Read MoreWASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump threatened Iran Thursday with “very traumatic” consequences if it fails to make a nuclear deal — but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was skeptical about the quality of any such agreement. Speaking a day after he hosted Netanyahu at the White House, Trump said he hoped for a […]
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