Category: Middle East

UN Says Syria Agrees to Open 2 New Crossings for Quake Aid

UNITED NATIONS—Syria’s president agreed to open two new crossing points from Turkey to the country’s rebel-held northwest to deliver desperately needed aid and equipment to help millions of earthquake victims, the United Nations announced Monday. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the agreement by Syrian leader Bashar Assad to open crossing points at Bab Al-Salam and…


Struggle to Get Aid to Turkey and Syria After Massive Quake

JINDERIS, Syria—Aid agencies and governments stepped up efforts Tuesday to send help to parts of Turkey and Syria devastated by an earthquake, but a week after the disaster many of those who lost their homes were struggling to meet basic needs, like finding shelter from the bitter cold. The situation was particularly desperate in Syria,…


Hong Kong Chief Executive Shows Interest in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM Project

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said that Hong Kong can play a crucial role in providing funds for the NEOM project, a smart city being built in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. The NEOM project has been accused of human rights violations and being a city of surveillance. In 2022, three former indigenous…


Chinese Balloon Spotted Last Fall Over Middle East, Top Air Commander Says

A Chinese balloon was spotted floating over the Middle East by the U.S. forces stationed there last fall, but didn’t prompt any attempt to get a closer look at it, the top air commander for the region said Monday. In the latest revelation of what appears to be a part of Chinese communist regime’s global…


Iranian President Raisi to Visit China to Shore Up Ties

BEIJING—Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will meet with his counterpart Xi Jinping during his three-day trip in China starting Tuesday, as the two U.S. rivals seek further cooperation. China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the announcement Sunday, saying Raisi’s visit was at Xi’s invitation. Raisi will meet with Xi and their delegations will sign cooperation…


Turkey Quake Rescuers Still Finding ‘Miracle’ Survivors as Death Toll Grows

Rescuers in Turkey pulled several people alive from collapsed buildings on Monday, a week after the country’s worst earthquake in modern history, but hopes of many more survivors were fading. Stories of near-miraculous rescues have flooded the airwaves in recent days, including many that were broadcast live on Turkish television and beamed around the world….


Australia’s Ambitious Foreign Policy Agenda Looks to Engage More With Africa

Australia is seeking to engage more with Africa, with the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Tim Watts telling African-Australian community leaders that the current Labor government has set an agenda to develop more ties with African countries. Speaking at the Dr Apollo Nsubuga-Kyobe Memorial Lecture at La Trobe University in Melbourne on Feb. 11, Watts said…


Australia’s Ambitious Foreign Policy Agenda Looks to Push Engagement With Africa

Australia is seeking to engage more with Africa, with the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Tim Watts telling African-Australian community leaders that the current Labor government has set an agenda to develop more ties with African countries. Speaking at the Dr Apollo Nsubuga-Kyobe Memorial Lecture at La Trobe University in Melbourne on Feb. 11, Watts said…


Turkey Probes Contractors as Earthquake Deaths Pass 36,000

ANTAKYA, Turkey—Turkish authorities are targeting contractors allegedly linked with buildings that collapsed in the powerful Feb. 6 earthquakes as rescuers found more survivors in the rubble Sunday, including a pregnant woman and two children, in the disaster that killed over 36,000 people. The death toll from the magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 quakes that struck nine…


Rescuers in Turkey Dig to Rescue Family a Week After Earthquake as Death Toll Rises to Nearly 36,000

ANTAKYA/ELBISTAN, Turkey—Rescuers in Turkey pulled out several people alive from collapsed buildings on Monday and were digging to reach a grandmother, mother, and daughter from a single family, a week after the country’s worst earthquake in modern history. With hopes of finding many more survivors in the rubble fast fading, the combined official death toll…