Category: 2. Middle East

Oman and Russia have signed a landmark mutual visa exemption agreement for ordinary passport holders, marking a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties. The deal was announced yesterday during Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s official visit to Moscow, which also commemorated 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The visa waiver—one of ten key agreements inked during the visit—will allow citizens from both countries to enter…

ANKARA — A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 struck Istanbul, Turkey’s largest metropolis and financial center, on Wednesday, sending shockwaves through the city of more than 15 million people and prompting widespread panic.

Turkish officials urged citizens to avoid entering damaged buildings.

Turkey’s disaster management agency, AFAD, reported that the epicenter of the quake, which struck the province at 12:50 p.m. local Turkey time, was located in the Marmara Sea, about 4.2 miles…

US President Donald Trump has said that he is on the same side with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of every issue. Trump made his comment in a social media post on Tuesday, following a phone call with Netanyahu.

“I’ve just spoken to Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, relative to numerous subjects including Trade, Iran, etc. The call went very well; we are on the same side of every issue.”

According to Anadolu, the call is of great…

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced his “unwavering support” on Tuesday for the head of the Baghdad-based Chaldean Catholic Church, Cardinal Louis Sako, to succeed Pope Francis as head of the world’s 1.39 billion Roman Catholics. Al-Sudani made his comment on social media.

“We reaffirm our unwavering support for His Beatitude Cardinal Louis Raphael I Sako, the sole nominee from the Middle East, to succeed the late Pope Francis (may his…

Dismantling the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, is not on the Israeli government’s agenda at all, simply because it is not a realistic goal, according to Israeli newspaper Maariv.

“Hamas still has a fighting force comprising a significant number of members, some of whom are organised into brigades and battalions,” it pointed out. “Hamas operates based on a guerrilla warfare creed, and this complicates the Israeli army’s mission.”

An…

Human Rights Watch said in a report on Tuesday that the UAE has designated dissidents and their relatives as “terrorists” and called on Abu Dhabi to reverse this decision immediately.

The official Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on 8 January a cabinet decision to add 11 dissidents and their relatives, as well as eight companies, to its “terrorist” list for their alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is classified as a “terrorist…

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday urged Hamas to free all hostages in Gaza, saying their captivity provided Israel with “excuses” to attack the territory, as rescuers recovered charred bodies from an Israeli strike.

At least 18 people were killed across the Gaza Strip by Israeli strikes, while Germany, France and Britain urged Israel to end its blockade on aid entering the besieged territory.

Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, bringing an end to the…

Gaza’s civil defence agency on Wednesday said its crew recovered charred bodies from a school-turned-shelter for displaced people, as Israeli strikes killed 17 people in the Hamas-run territory since dawn.

Germany, France and Britain urged Israel to lift its blockade on humanitarian aid entering the besieged territory, which it imposed on March 2.

Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, bringing an end to the ceasefire that had largely paused hostilities and resulted in the…

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday urged Hamas to free all hostages, saying their captivity provided Israel with “excuses” to attack Gaza, as rescuers recovered charred bodies from an Israeli strike.

Israeli strikes killed at least 25 people across the besieged territory, while Germany, France and Britain urged Israel to end its blockade on aid entering.

Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, ending the ceasefire that had largely paused hostilities and resulted…

Two million Palestinians, a majority of whom are women and children, are undergoing collective punishment, the commissioner-general of UNRWA has pointed out.

“Hunger is spreading and deepening, deliberate and manmade,” Philippe Lazzarini told the media on Tuesday. “Humanitarian aid is being used as a bargaining chip and a weapon of war [by Israel in the Gaza Strip].”

Lazzarini insisted that Israel’s “siege must be lifted, supplies must flow in, the…