Main alliance of opposition groups and protesters says it is open to Abiy Ahmed as mediator under certain conditions. Sudan’s main alliance of opposition groups and protesters says it accepts Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as a mediator in their political deadlock with the Transitional Military Council (TMC) under certain conditions. Among opposition demands are […]

TEHERAN (AFP) – President Hassan Rouhani said Iran “never seeks war” with the US, state media reported on Wednesday (June 26) amid a spike in tensions between the two countries. “Iran has no interest to increase tension in the region and it never seeks war with any country, including (the) US,” the president said, quoted […]

JERUSALEM — Hosting an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday of the Russian, American and Israeli national security advisers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel pressed for ridding Syria of all foreign forces, in particular Iranians and their proxies across Israel’s northern frontier. With the eight-year Syrian civil war winding down, Mr. Netanyahu said, “I believe that […]

DEIR QADDIS, West Bank — The video was striking. As a young Palestinian couple’s wedding wound down in a hilly West Bank village two weeks ago, Arab men danced with ultra-Orthodox Jews from the sprawling Israeli settlement next door. Some even hoisted the skullcap- and sidecurl-wearing settlers on their shoulders. Had their taboo-breaking bonhomie not […]

MANAMA, BAHRAIN (AFP) – After a wait of two and a half years, the US administration is launching its Middle East peace plan on Tuesday (June 25) – with an economic initiative that the Palestinians are boycotting. For this most unconventional of US presidents, Mr Donald Trump’s Middle East peace-making bid is unlike decades of […]

LONDON (REUTERS, AFP) – If the United States wants Iran to offer concessions that go beyond the terms of its 2015 nuclear deal, Washington must offer incentives that also exceed those in the deal, an adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday (June 24). The comments were a rare indication from Teheran that […]

The US president hints he may seek a deal with Iran as he deploys two top envoys to the Middle East to defuse tensions. US President Donald Trump has said he is not seeking war with Iran, as he dispatched two top officials to the Middle East amid heightened tensions. “I’m not looking for war,” Trump […]

Sixty killed since raid at Khartoum sit-in, doctors say, as Security Council fails to adopt text condemning killings. Doctors in Sudan say the number of people killed since security forces stormed a protest camp in the capital has jumped to at least 60, as European countries condemned the crackdown against the pro-democracy protesters but the […]

RIYADH (BLOOMBERG) – Saudi Arabia has opened applications for a permanent residency programme designed to attract foreign investment to the kingdom, but it will cost a hefty 800,000 riyals (S$289,000). There’s also a cheaper option, with a one-year renewable residency costing 100,000 riyals. The so-called premium residencies will allow foreigners to buy property and do […]

Iran has executed a former defence ministry employee on charges of spying for the US, state media report. Jalal Hajizavar was convicted by a military court after spying equipment and documents were found at his home, according to the IRIB news agency. He reportedly worked as a contractor for the defence ministry’s aerospace organisation but […]