Your regional news round-up
- Gaza militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab, who opposed Hamas in the strip, has been shot and killed during an attempt to "resolve a dispute", his group confirmed.
- Chaos has erupted among government agencies in Iraq after Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis appeared briefly on a list of terrorist groups facing sanctions, before it was quickly retracted. A terrorist listing against Iranian allies with connections in Iraq would be a surprise move.
- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has announced that a new round of direct talks will be held with Israel this month, reiterating that only security issues will be discussed in the civilian-led negotiations.
- The announcement came after Israel struck several Lebanese border villages on Thursday, hours after the first round of talks.
- Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara met members of a UN Security Council delegation in Damascus on Thursday, a month after the council voted to remove him from its sanctions list.
Other developments
- Forces loyal to Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) said they had seized control of oilfields in the eastern province of Hadhramaut.
- Sudan's Rapid Support Forces paramilitary has turned its attention to Al Obeid in northern Kordofan, seeking to build on recent battlefield gains. Witnesses reached by The National in Al Obeid reported thick grey clouds rising over the city following drone strikes, and artillery shelling targeting a barracks that houses the army's 5th Division.
- Two drones were used to attack the major Khor Mor gasfield in the Kurdistan region of Iraq last week, with one striking the field and the other missing the target, a government investigation found.
- Four countries withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest after organisers opted not to vote on Israel's future participation, allowing it to take part in next year's event.
More goings-on
- The International Monetary Fund on Thursday welcomed Saudi Arabia recalibrating its Vision 2030 spending as the kingdom seeks to narrow its fiscal deficit.
- Structural reforms, artificial intelligence readiness and co-operation in digital infrastructure are critical to bolstering Gulf countries' economic diversification and digital transformation, the World Bank said in its latest report.
- The Palestinian embassy in London has requested police protection and assistance from the UK government after its premises were vandalised by pro-Israel demonstrators.
Happening today
- UNSC delegation visits Lebanon
- Oil and gas exhibition in Damascus
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosts Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
- UN Security Council discusses Syria and Israel
Top picks from The National
Dispatch: ‘A mother never gives up’ - families of Syria’s disappeared demand answers a year after Assad's fall
The danger is still here': Gazans increasingly anxious over delay to ceasefire's second stage
Podcast: One year since Assad’s fall, where is Syria today?
This newsletter was compiled by Mohamad Ali Harisi, Foreign Editor.
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