GENEVA, June 18. /TASS/. High representatives of the countries acting as guarantors of ceasefire in Syria – Russia, Iran and Turkey – meet in Geneva on Monday to discuss the setting up of the Syrian Constitutional Committee with the special envoy of the UN Secretary General for Syria, Staffan de …

Arthur Blok has been appointed as the new Executive editor-in-chief of the Levant News website. Blok replaces Dr. Haytham Mouzahem who will focus now on his research work at the Beirut Center for Middle East Studies, from which he also the director and founder. The Dutch-Lebanese born journalist had a …

  By Edith M. Lederer | AP —  UNITED NATIONS — Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly criticized Hezbollah for operating as the most heavily armed militia and a political party in Lebanon and urged the militant group to halt military activities inside and outside the country, including in Syria. In a report …

By Dr. Haytham Mouzahem — First appeared on al-Mesbar Studies and Research Centre — The “Arab Spring” revolutions lent an unprecedented opportunity for the Muslim Brotherhood movement to emerge from secrecy and take political power, whether by ballot or by bullet, in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and elsewhere. Indeed, the Brotherhood …

A U.S. Air Force U-2 spy plane prepares to land as South Korea and the United States conduct the Max Thunder joint military exercise at the Osan U.S. Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, Wednesday, May 16, 2018. North Korea on Wednesday canceled a high-level meeting with South Korea and …

Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, and a senior Lebanese economic delegation, led by Mohammad Shuqair, chairman of the Lebanese Economic Authorities, discussed the ongoing economic and commercial ties between the UAE and Lebanon across a range of sectors. as well as their potential future development. They also …

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and the OCP Group of Morocco (OCP) are planning to explore the phased creation of a new global fertiliser joint venture to boost their presence globally and extend their partnership further. The two companies already have a partnership established through the existing long-term …

Dubai tops the world commodity index unveiled in London on Tuesday as part of Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre’s (DMCC) Future of Trade report. The index is based on a country’s location and trade partnerships, its resource endowment, and its institutional factors, DMCC CEO Gautam Sashittal said in an interview before the …

Volcanoes are full of tricks. They can build to a major eruption in a crescendo of shudders and spatters or explode with almost no warning. They can lie in wait under a magnificent snowcap, the centerpiece of a landscape of beauty that they could obliterate tomorrow, or in 10,000 years, …

Ahead of another day of protests, the death toll for those killed by Israeli forces at the Gaza boundary fence climbed to 61 on Tuesday after an infant died overnight from tear gas inhalation along with two others, according to local health officials. Monday’s protests saw a level of bloodshed not seen …

Uber says it is taking steps to help reduce the culture of silence around sexual violence on its platform in the wake of a CNN investigation into sexual assaults and abuse by Uber drivers. The rideshare company said Tuesday it will no longer force passengers who allege that they have …

Dozens killed in Gaza as US Embassy opens in Jerusalem. It was the deadliest day there since a devastating 2014 cross-border war: Here are the events as they happened. (With inputs from agencies) UAE aid for those injured in Gaza The UAE has allocated $5 million worth of emergency medicines …

The contribution of the Islamic economy to Dubai’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased from 7.6 per cent in 2014 to 8.3 per cent in 2016, registering a growth rate of 14 per cent, according to Dubai Statistics Centre, a strategic partner of Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC). In 2016, …

Mahmoud Wahid’s efforts in helping and providing shelter for over 1,000 homeless elderly in Egypt made him win the title of the Arab world’s biggest “hope maker.” Mahmoud Wahid, winner of the Arab Hope Makers project 2018, talks about how he plans to spend the prize of Dh1 million on …

Your decision to move the American embassy to occupied Jerusalem will certainly not change facts on the ground. Arabs and Muslims, particularly the Palestinians, will continue to cry: “Jerusalem is an Arab city and will remain so for all the world’s Muslims and Christians.” You have chosen, Mr President, a …

By Madeeha Araj,   “Pay the Price Jewish Organizations” keep attacking Palestinian citizens at their homes in the Doma village, south of Nablus, which is still suffering the crime of burning a whole family, as the Israeli Army Minister , Moshe Ya’lon has admitted that the perpetrators are to him, …

By: Wasan Abu-Baker* Dr. Rola Ghanem is a Palestinian contemporary novelist, from the city of Tulkarem. Her short story, Feelings Out of the Law, is a beautiful piece that creatively covers a significance topic within Palestinian society.  She is brave to bring to light social issues found in society which …

By Rashid Khalidi* With the replacement of Palestine by Israel and the expulsion of most of its Arab population in 1948, it appeared that the Zionist dream had become a reality. A Jewish state had arisen, and there was no competing Palestinian state; ethnic cleansing had produced a massive demographic …

With Ramadan approaching, it’s not a busy week for news on the local front. Internationally, the biggest headline of the week surely is US President Donald Trump’s announcement about plans to withdraw the US from the Iran nuclear deal. The Business team discusses the implications of that, with effects already …

The United States moves its embassy in Israel to occupied Jerusalem on Monday (May 14) in defiance of the Palestinians and most of the world — and likely further heightening tensions at a time of tumult in the region. US President Donald Trump is set to make good on his …

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and non-Opec members are working towards market stability and are not aiming for certain prices, UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazroui said on Sunday. “The objective of Opec and non-Opec members is to reach market stability, to have [the] market stabilised at an …

The UAE Cabinet on Sunday has approved a decision pertaining to the refund of VAT on organisations involved in organising exhibitions and conferences. The decision stipulates that facilities operating in the exhibitions and conferences sector are entitled to refund VAT imposed on the provision of services required for setting up …

Police in Fujairah summoned a couple after a video of them dancing was circulated across social networking sites in the UAE.  The police summon was cordial and the couple was given advice and guidance by the police about customs and traditions of the UAE. The UAE Cybercrime Law No. 5 of …

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) today unveiled plans to invest US $45 billion alongside partners, over the next five years, to become a leading global downstream player. The plans were unveiled at the ADNOC Downstream Investment Forum, which took place today in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The event brought …

by Wasan Abu-Baker* Anisa A. Abeytia is a writer and researcher with an interest in Syria, the Middle East, and the Refugee crises. Her work is featured in the Hill, New Arab, Orient, Net English, Middle East Monitor Fremmed, Brunei Times, and the Middle East Observer. She holds an MS …

China’s first ever domestically manufactured aircraft carrier began sea trials Sunday, as it set off from Dalian in the northeastern province of Liaoning. The 50,000 tonne vessel, when it joins the Chinese navy in 2020, will put it on par with the other leading navies in the world, giving the …

Pakistan’s decision not to allow a U.S. diplomat from leaving the country for his role in a fatal road accident has fueled tensions between the two countries. U.S. defense attache, Joseph Emanuel Hall, on Saturday planned to board an American military aircraft at the air force base near Islamabad but …

Two U.S. fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers flying near the western coast of Alaska on Friday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a statement. The incident happened at 10 a.m. Friday as the Russian jets were flying in the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) around Alaska’s …

A wave of blasts including a suicide bombing struck outside churches in Indonesia on Sunday, killing at least nine people and wounding dozens of others, police said, the latest assault on a religious minority in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country. Three separate locations in the city of Surabaya were hit …

UBS wants to ‘mirror’ the Dubai success in Saudi Arabia, according to Ali Janoudi, the company’s head of wealth management Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. UBS, which is active in wealth management, asset management, and investment banking among other businesses, currently operates out of two advisory offices …

Dubai’s tourism authority is set this week to launch a major charm offensive in China, courting some of the largest companies in the world in a bid to lure more Chinese visitors to the city. On Sunday, Issam Kazim, the chief executive of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing …

Emirates Airline on Saturday said it welcomes the conclusion of talks between the UAE and the US government after the two sides agreed to resolve the ongoing spat between American airlines and UAE carriers. The comments came after officials from the US and the UAE signed a deal on Friday …

Visa (NYSE:V), the Official Payment Services Partner of FIFA, today announced that professional footballer and face of Visa’s 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ global marketing campaign, Zlatan Ibrahimović, will return to the tournament with Visa and join football fans in Russia this summer. “I have been telling the world that …

The Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) hosted the fourth Leadership Majlis today, the year’s major communications conference in Abu Dhabi. The 2018 edition brought together almost 200 industry professionals from more than 40 organisations, to uncover the industry’s biggest challenges trends and opportunities. Speakers included senior leaders from The …

By Sajad Abedi*   In the past they said that power comes from the barrel of a gun bar? The old saying of the strategists of that time reflected the strength of a country’s military power, which consisted of the country’s mighty earthly power. Iran’s defense guidelines are organized with …

Oil tanker owners are facing a nervous wait to find out whether they can carry on doing business with Iran after President Trump said on Tuesday he was reinstating a raft of sanctions against the country. The return of sanctions is likely to have “significant ramifications” for maritime trade with …

Iraq began voting Saturday in its first parliamentary election since declaring victory over Daesh, with the country hoping to shore up a fragile peace and rebuild. Polling stations opened around the conflict-scarred nation under tight security as fighters still pose a major security threat despite a sharp fall in violence. …

DP World Group CEO, Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem met with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday to explore future opportunities for economic cooperation. DP World is playing an advisory role in the development the Alyat Free Trade Zone a future business hub, part of a network of planned …

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple is on the verge of becoming the first $1 trillion publicly listed U.S. company, but even if it gets there, it could soon be overtaken as Amazon.com surges from behind. Started in the garage of co-founder Steve Jobs in 1976, the iPhone maker’s annual revenue …

Malaysia’s king has agreed to pardon Anwar Ebrahim, the country’s newly installed prime minister said on Friday, paving the way for the jailed opposition leader to return to politics and potentially become premier. It was the latest dramatic development after Mahathir Mohamad’s opposition alliance inflicted a shock defeat on the …

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate halt to “all hostile acts” to avoid “a new conflagration” in the Middle East after Israeli forces bombed Iranian targets inside Syria. Guterres’ comments came as a calm night followed intense attacks on parts of Syria by Israel. Israel said the strikes …

Kuwait and the Philippines signed a deal on Friday to regulate domestic workers, after a dispute between the two countries led to a ban on Filipino workers in the Gulf state. “A short time ago we signed an agreement between the two countries on the employment of domestic workers,” Foreign …

Dana Gas PJSC has reached an agreement with key holders of $700 million (Dh2.6 billion) of its Islamic bonds to restructure the securities, two people with knowledge of the matter said, possibly ending a legal battle that has unnerved the Islamic finance industry. A committee representing sukukholders, which include BlackRock …

The UAE Cabinet on Thursday added nine Iranian individuals and entities to the approved list of terrorism supporters. The move, which was taken according to the Cabinet decision No.24 of 2018, comes in line with the UAE’s keenness to target and disrupt networks associated with terrorist financing and activities. Individuals …