Middle East

Photo Story: Masks with a purpose

Palestinian artist Samah Saed paints the Palestinian flag on a face mask to encourage people to wear them as a precautionary measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus disease…

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Coronavirus pandemic threatens to plunge millions in Arab region into poverty and food insecurity

COVID-19 will be responsible for pushing a further 8.3 million people in the Arab region into poverty, according to a new policy brief issued this week by the United Nations…

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First coronavirus cases confirmed in the Gaza Strip

The first two cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the densely-populated Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials said on Sunday. Two Palestinians who had travelled from Pakistan and entered Gaza…

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Coronavirus impact on Middle East grows

Coronavirus infections climbed in Middle Eastern countries on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing the total in the region past 10,000 cases, as countries took new measures to curb the spread of…

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Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem closed after suspected coronavirus case

The church built on the Bethlehem site revered as the birthplace of Jesus is to temporarily close after a suspected outbreak of the coronavirus, a church official said Thursday. The…

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Netanyahu declares victory in Israeli election

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared victory on Tuesday in Israel's third election in less than a year, after television exit polls showed him just a seat short of a governing…

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Pope Francis in Bari to address a conference entitled ‘Mediterranean: Frontier of Peace’

Pope Francis on Sunday warned against “inequitable solutions” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying they would only be a prelude to new crises, in an apparent reference to U.S. President Donald…

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Europe needs to develop an appetite for power – Borrell

The governments of the European Union states need to be willing to intervene in international crises or risk prolonging paralysis in their foreign policy, the EU's top diplomat said on…

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Top EU diplomat wants European strategy for Middle East peace

In light of US President Donald Trump unveiling of his Middle East peace plan in January, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the bloc needs to formulate a…

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Photo Story – MidEast Mourning

Thousands of Palestinians flocked to Azzun town, east of Qalqilia, to attend the funeral procession of Tareq Ahmad Badwan, 25, who succumbed to his critical injuries he sustained after being…

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Arab League reject Trump’s Middle East Plan

Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo, Egypt to discuss US President Donald Trump's plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which was formally announced last week, have rejected the proposal. In…

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Palestinian Authority cuts all ties with US and Israel

The Palestinian Authority has cut all ties with the US and Israel, including those relating to security, after rejecting a Middle East peace plan presented by Donald Trump, the Palestinian…

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Europe reacts to Trump’s Middle East peace plan

Leaders from around the world have responded with mixed reactions to US President Donald Trump's long-awaited Middle East plan unveiled on Wednesday. The proposal was released alongside Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. Palestinian…

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Palestinians reject Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan

U.S. President Donald Trump has unveiled his long-awaited Middle East peace plan on Tuesday, saying the "realistic" two-state solution is a "win-win opportunity" for both Israel and the Palestinians. But…

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Trump announces Middle East Peace plan

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday proposed the creation of a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem, dependent on Palestinians taking steps to become self-governing, in an attempt…

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Trump meets Netanyahu ahead of MiddleEast peace plan

US President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, to discuss a Middle East peace plan that has already been rejected by…

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Prince Charles called for “a just and lasting peace” in the Middle East in his visit to the Holy Land

Prince Charles went on a tour through the Palestinian territories in the West Bank for the first time in his life Friday. During the trip, the Prince of Wales visited…

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US Middle East Plan to be released next week – Trump

US President Donald Trump said he expects to release his long-awaited Middle East peace plan prior to his meeting with Israeli leaders on Tuesday at the White House. “Sometime prior to…

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Trump proposes NATO expansion into Middle East

President Donald Trump on Thursday proposed expanding NATO's membership to include Middle Eastern nations in light of recent U.S. tensions in the region with Iran. The president's suggestion came one…

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U.S. military has enough capability in Middle East for now

U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper said he believed the U.S. military had sufficient capability in the Middle East for now to deter conflict, dismissing a media report that a major…

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Japan plans to send 270 sailors to Middle East to guard ships

Japan is working on a plan to send about 270 seamen to the Middle East to guard ships supplying Japan under a law that allows military deployments for research and…

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Israel’s defence system shot down rockets from Syria

Israel's military said its missile defence system shot down four rockets fired from Syria towards Israel early on Tuesday. In a statement, the IDF said it had “identified four launches…

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Unemployment fuels unrest in Arab states: IMF

Unemployment and sluggish economic growth are fuelling social tension and popular protests in several Arab countries, the International Monetary Fund said Monday. The unrest is in turn contributing to slower…

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Japan commits itself to ease tension in the Middle East

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday he plans to do everything he can to ease tension in the Middle East and wants to talk with Iranian President Hassan…

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Merkel calls for two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestine conflict

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Thursday for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict even if this goal is "increasingly difficult to achieve." Speaking alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas…

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Hezbollah says will respond with a surprise strike against Israel, but will avoid new war

Hezbollah will respond with a "surprise" strike against Israel after drones crashed in Lebanon, but a new war remains unlikely, the Iran-backed movement said, amid heightened fears of a full-scale…

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Urgent need for ‘restraint and genuine dialogue’ in Middle East to avoid major confrontation

Briefing the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, Maria Luiza Viotti, said that “restraint and genuine dialogue are urgently needed”,…

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Pregnant in Idlib, Syria means giving birth outdoors alone

This was not how Rabaa al-Shamaa imagined the birth of her fifth child. Out in an open field near the Syrian-Turkish border, the expectant mother lay on the grass, doubled…

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US to send 1,000 additional American troops to the Middle East as tensions with Iran increase

U.S. officials say the Pentagon is sending about 1,000 additional American troops to the Middle East, as commanders try to bolster security for forces and allies in the region from…

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US to send 1,500 extra troops to Middle East

The US is to send 1,500 troops to the Middle East to counter the "ongoing threat posed by Iranian forces", the acting defence secretary says. Congress has been notified about…

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Pentagon doesn’t exclude sending troops to the Middle East

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan confirmed that the Pentagon was considering sending additional U.S. troops to the Middle East. The troops will serve as one of the ways…

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Analysis – Is the Middle East on the bring of a major showdown?

War clouds in the Middle East are thickening. A worrisome conjunction of circumstances is leading towards a possible showdown between the Axis of Resistance (Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and some Iraqi…

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US increases military presence in the Middle East as Iran tensions escalate

The US is sending a Patriot air defence missile system and a warship to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran. The USS Arlington, which transports amphibious vehicles and…

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Corporate Dispatch Morning Briefing and News Review – Monday 6th May 2019

Good morning, The aviation tragedy in Russia, the clashes in Tripoli, a cease fire in Gaza and US's warning to Iran dominate the world headlines. The political activities leading to…

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Month of Ramadan fasting for many Muslims begins Monday

Muslims in Southeast Asia and much of the Middle East will start their Ramadan fasts on Monday while those in places like India, Pakistan and Iran will likely start…

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Fresh escalation of violence between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza

A Palestinian has been killed in an Israeli air raid on the northern Gaza Strip, according to Gaza's health ministry, amid a fresh escalation between Israel's military and Gaza fighters.…

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New government appointed in Palestine

The President of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has sworn in a new government, appointing a prime minister who is seen as a loyalist from his dominant Fatah…

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HSBC appoints new CEO for Middle East, North Africa and Turkey

HSBC has appointed Martin Tricaud as new regional chief executive officer for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) region, with effect from June, 1. He succeeds Georges Elhedery…

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Morning Briefing News Review

Good morning, Your morning briefing for today with the salient news to start your day informed. Libya: Fighting escalated on Sunday around Libyan capital Tripoli as a military assault on the…

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Arab leaders issue renewed call for establishment of Palestinian State

Arab leaders meeting in Tunis have issued a renewed call for the establishment of a Palestinian state and condemned a move by the United States to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the…

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Four Palestinians killed in continuous violence on the Gaza Frontier

Israeli forces have killed four Palestinians, including three teenagers, and shot more than 40 others at gatherings on the Gaza frontier marking the anniversary of the demonstration movement, the territory’s…

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Corporate Dispatch Morning Briefing and Newspaper Review

Good morning, Malta's tourism sector, the Commons' taking control of the Brexit process, cease-fire after escalation of violence in Gaza Strip are the main news in this morning's briefing. These…

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Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and Israel reached

Hamas, the group that governs the Gaza Strip, said it reached an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Israel after an exchange of fire, but explosions in the enclave could still be heard…

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Photo Story – Middle East Turmoil

Personal items inside a damaged car near a house that suffered a direct hit from a missile reportedly fired by militant groups from the Gaza Strip in Moshav Mishmeret near…

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Corporate Dispatch Morning Briefing and Newspaper Review

Good morning, Your morning briefing provides you with the salient developments and news as reported by the main news outlets from Malta and around the world. The Latest At least…

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Manhunt on after one killed and two injured in stabbing attack in the West Bank

At least one person was killed and two others wounded in a shooting and stabbing attack in the occupied West Bank. A Palestinian suspect reportedly attacked an Israeli soldier and…

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Biblical Sea of Galilee is at 100 year low

If Jesus were alive today, he might reconsider a baptism in the river Jordan; there’s a good chance he’d pick up an eye infection. Faecal bacteria in the pungent, murky…

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The phone call which reshaped US policy in the Middle East

President Donald Trump’s declaration in a phone call with Tayyip Erdogan that he was pulling U.S. troops from Syria has stunned Turkey and left it scrambling to respond to the…

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Christmas Tree lit in Betlehem

Thousands of faithful and dignitaries have attended the lighting of the giant Christmas tree outside the Church of the Nativity in the traditional birthplace of Jesus. ABC reports that Palestinian Prime Minister Rami…

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Evening News Roundup

Good evening, This your evening news round up. Apart from the recent developments on Brexit and the Middle East, one can read the main highlights from Malta's news portals. Corporate…

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Two Israelis shot dead by Palestinian gunman in the West Bank

A Palestinian gunman shot dead two Israelis and wounded a third on Sunday in an industrial park next to a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military…

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Seven Palestinians, two children killed in latest violence in Gaza’s border

Israeli troops killed seven Palestinians, two of them children, and wounded dozens more in the deadliest day in recent weeks as Gaza’s Hamas rulers stepped up protests along the border…

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Fatal clashes in Jordan

AP/Hala Akhbar: A Jordanian official says five suspected militants are in custody after opening fire and setting off explosions that killed three members of the security forces and collapsed a multi-story…

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Israel bombs Hamas positions after rockets were fired from Palestinian enclave injured several Israelis

The Times of Israel reports that Israel’s air force bombed 12 Hamas positions across the Gaza Strip Wednesday night after dozens of rockets and mortar shells were fired at southern Israeli communities from…

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Saturday Morning Briefing

Good morning, Our Saturday morning briefing follows. The Malta Independent reports that Maria Efimova, said that ‘People connected to the Maltese government openly call for my execution’, arguing that after the…

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Israeli civilian stabbed to death near Ramallah while three Palestinians killed in separate cases

BBC: An Israeli civilian has been stabbed to death in a settlement near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. The 31-year-old victim was taken to hospital where he died of his…

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Palestine elected as presiding country of the UN Group of 77

New York Times / Al Jazeera: The state of Palestine has been elected as the presiding country of the Group of 77, the biggest bloc of developing countries at the United Nations, a move…

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