Category: 2. Middle East

At least four banks will get relief from Tokyo as Japan today decided to partially lift sanctions on Syria, NHK News reported.

Top Japanese government spokesman Hayashi Yoshimasa told reporters that Tokyo should “support positive efforts in Syria and help improve the lives of its people, who have been worn down by years of crisis, while remaining in step with the international community.”

Tokyo’s move follows after the US and the EU lifted sanctions on…

Air traffic at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport was temporarily halted yesterday evening after the Israeli army announced it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen.

This marks the sixteenth missile that the Houthi group claimed to have launched towards Israel in May, in addition to six drones, according to figures compiled by Anadolu based on Houthi statements.

Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported that air traffic at Ben Gurion International Airport…

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is expected to set sail for Gaza on Sunday aboard a humanitarian ship, alongside other campaigners, in protest against the ongoing Israeli war and siege on the Strip.

The voyage is organised by the Freedom Flotilla, a coalition of groups opposing the Israeli blockade that was imposed on Gaza in 2007 and which was tightened on 2 March banning the entry of all food, water and medicines.

Rima Hassan, a member of the…

The mother of jailed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah has been admitted to hospital after 242 days of hunger strike in protest at her son’s imprisonment in Egypt, her family announced yesterday.

Laila Soueif, 69, began her hunger strike on 29 September 2024 – the day her son was expected to be released after completing a five-year prison sentence.

On Monday, she was taken to hospital in London after her blood sugar levels dropped sharply, a…

For decades, civil servant Zayed al-Ghamdi’s social circles in Saudi Arabia were more than predictable, bound by routine and kinship in a country where societal divisions have rarely been challenged. Then came the metro.

A decade after breaking ground, Riyadh’s gleaming new metro opened in December, offering the capital’s eight million residents an alternative to roads chronically clogged by its two million cars.

A quicker commute is not the only difference: for the first time, the wealthy are…

The Japanese prime minister and the Kuwaiti crown prince today called for a two-state solution amid Israel’s continued bombing of Gaza.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah met in Tokyo and discussed bilateral and regional issues, according to a statement issued from the Prime Minister’s Office.

“Prime Minister Ishiba expressed his respect for Kuwait playing an important role in the regional peace and…

The White House said Thursday that Israel had accepted US President Donald Trump’s proposal for a Gaza ceasefire, while discussions were “continuing” with Hamas.

The Palestinian militant group had earlier said it was examining a new deal proposed by Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, while there was no immediate confirmation from Israel.

“I can confirm that Special Envoy Witkoff and the president submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas, that Israel backed and supported. Israel signed off…

Saudi Arabia is using smart technologies and AI-driven platforms to provide services to nearly two million Muslim pilgrims during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.

The country’s authorities unveiled several smart digital services to make the soul-searching journey easier for the pilgrims.

One of these services is Manarah 2, an AI robot serving in over 20 languages, which will provide real-time information and assistance for any inquiries by the pilgrims in key…

The acting UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Sigrid Kaag, has said that the United Nations will not take part in any mechanism for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza if it violates core humanitarian principles, especially neutrality and independence.

In her briefing to the UN Security Council yesterday, Kaag warned that civilians in the enclave are facing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, stressing: “Israel must halt its…