Israel’s Netanyahu may have tough time saving judicial plan
March 28, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put his contentious judicial overhaul plan on hold this week, he vowed to pass the package through parliament “one way or another.” But he may have a hard time keeping that promise.
Amnesty: West’s ‘double standards’ fuel Mideast repression
March 28, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — A leading international rights group on Tuesday decried what it said were double standards by Western countries that have rallied behind a “robust response” to Russia's invasion of Ukraine but remain “lukewarm" on issues of human rights violations in the Middle East.
US, UK sanction 6 Syria-linked amphetamine traffickers
March 28, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. and U.K. on Tuesday slapped sanctions on four Syrians and two Lebanese involved in manufacturing and trafficking the amphetamine drug Captagon, the two governments said. The six include cousins of Syrian President Bashar Assad and notorious Lebanese drug lynchpins.
How Netanyahu judicial plan sparked massive unrest in Israel
March 28, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial overhaul unleashed the most intense social unrest in Israel in decades before he announced Monday that he would delay the plan.
Freed ‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero in Qatar, heading to family in US
March 28, 2023 GMTNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The man who inspired the film “Hotel Rwanda” and was freed by Rwanda last week from a terrorism sentence has arrived in Qatar on his way to reuniting with family in the United States.
UN-backed probe cites crimes against humanity in Libya
March 27, 2023 GMTGENEVA (AP) — U.N.-backed human rights experts said Monday there is evidence that crimes against humanity have been committed against Libyans and migrants in chaos-stricken Libya, including women being forced into sexual slavery.
Israel’s Netanyahu: Mossad helped Greece uncover terror plot
March 28, 2023 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Tuesday said his country's intelligence agency Mossad helped Greece prevent a terrorist attack planned against at least one Jewish site in Athens.
Indonesia’s stance on Israel overshadows world soccer event
March 28, 2023 GMTJAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia could lose its chance to host a global youth soccer tournament, and its chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, after refusing to welcome a team from Israel.
FIFA canceled an important preparatory step after regional governors and protesters demanded Israel's team be excluded, and the tournament, planned for May 20-June 11, appears to be on hold.
Saudi National Bank chair resigns after Credit Suisse storm
March 27, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The chairman of Saudi National Bank has resigned for “personal reasons,” a regulatory filing said Monday, just after his comments on Credit Suisse sent that firm's stock cratering and ultimately saw rival UBS to acquire the firm.
Lebanon changes unpopular move to delay daylight saving time
March 27, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister reversed an unpopular decision made by his office to delay the start of daylight saving time by a month, saying Monday the Cabinet decided to implement the change in two days.
Netanyahu delays judicial overhaul after mass protests
March 28, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Bending to a wave of mass protests, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed his contentious judicial overhaul plan Monday and said he wanted "to avoid civil war” by making time to seek a compromise with political opponents.
Spiking violence strains sectarian ties in Iraqi province
March 27, 2023 GMTMUQDADIYAH, Iraq (AP) — Hussein Maytham and his family were driving past the palm tree grove near their home after a quiet evening shopping for toys for his younger cousins when their car hit a bomb planted on the moon-lit road.
Saudi Aramco to invest billions in Chinese petrochemicals
March 27, 2023 GMTRIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil giant Aramco will invest billions of dollars in China's downstream petrochemicals industry, including the construction of a new refinery, the company said in deals announced Sunday and Monday.
Iraqi parliament passes controversial vote law amendments
March 27, 2023 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi lawmakers passed early Monday controversial amendments to the country's election law that could undermine the chances for smaller parties and independent candidates to win seats in future polls.
Mass protests erupt after Netanyahu fires defense chief
March 27, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Tens of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets of cities across the country Sunday night in a spontaneous outburst of anger after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly fired his defense minister for challenging the Israeli leader's judicial overhaul plan.
Rushed daylight-saving decision puts Lebanon in 2 time zones
March 27, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — The Lebanese government’s last-minute decision to delay the start of daylight saving time by a month until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan resulted in mass confusion Sunday.
Group says Libyan coast guard fired shots over rescue ship
March 26, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Libya’s coast guard fired warning shots over a humanitarian vessel as it attempted to rescue a rubber boat carrying migrants off Libya's coast, a sea rescue group said. The coast guard went on to return some 80 Europe-bound migrants to Libyan soil.
29 dead, 11 rescued off Tunisia in migrant boat sinkings
March 26, 2023 GMTTUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Boat sinkings off the coast of Tunisia over the weekend killed at least 29 people from countries in sub-Saharan Africa who were trying make the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea to Italy, the Tunisian National Guard said Sunday.
Israeli FM: UAE pardons Israeli citizen after drug sentence
March 26, 2023 GMTTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli officials said Sunday the United Arab Emirates has pardoned an Israeli woman after initially sentencing her to death for drug possession, a case that tested the nascent ties between the two countries.
Israel: 2 soldiers wounded in West Bank drive-by shooting
March 25, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said two soldiers were wounded, one severely, Saturday evening in a drive-by shooting in the occupied West Bank, the latest in months-long violence between Israel and the Palestinians.
Israeli defense minister calls for halt to judicial overhaul
March 25, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's defense minister became the first ally in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition to break ranks on Saturday as he called for an immediate halt to the far-right government's contentious plan to overhaul the country's judiciary.
Ruling halts oil exports from Iraq’s Kurdish area via Turkey
March 25, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Iraqi officials announced Saturday that Baghdad has won an international arbitration case that will halt oil exports from the semi-autonomous Kurdish region by way of Turkey.
Officials in Baghdad and Irbil, the seat of the Kurdish regional government, have long been at odds over sharing of oil revenues.
Yemen rebels restrict humanitarian flights arriving in Sanaa
March 25, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they were imposing severe restrictions starting Saturday on U.N. and other humanitarian flights arriving in the capital, Sanaa.
The Houthi-run Civil Aviation Authority said no humanitarian flights would land in Sanaa between March 25-30.
Iran-backed fighters on alert in east Syria after US strikes
March 25, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Iran-backed fighters were on alert in eastern Syria on Saturday, a day afte r U.S. forces launched retaliatory airstrikes on sites in the war-torn country, opposition activists said.
UN nuclear watchdog says missing Libya uranium found
March 25, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — U.N. inspectors visiting southern Libya found drums containing natural uranium reported missing earlier this month in the chaos-stricken country, the U.N.
Rwanda frees Paul Rusesabagina of ‘Hotel Rwanda’ fame
March 25, 2023 GMTKIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Rwanda's government has commuted the 25-year sentence of Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the film “Hotel Rwanda” for saving hundreds of countrymen from genocide but was convicted of terrorism offenses years later in a widely criticized trial.
Biden: US will ‘forcefully’ protect personnel in Syria
March 24, 2023 GMTOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — President Joe Biden said Friday that the U.S. would respond “forcefully” to protect its personnel after U.S. forces retaliated with airstrikes on sites in Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard following a suspected Iranian-linked attack Thursday that killed a U.S.
5 killed in west Sudan tribal violence, rights group says
March 24, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Two days of tribal violence in western Sudan's long-troubled Darfur region killed at least 5 people, tribal leaders and a rights group said Friday.
The violence between African Masalit tribesmen and Arab shepherds in West Darfur erupted Thursday after two armed assailants fatally shot a merchant in a remote area, leaders from both groups said.
Reports: Islamic State kidnaps dozens in Syria, dead found
March 24, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Members of the Islamic State group have kidnapped dozens of people in a central province and the bodies of some have been found with their throats slit, an opposition war monitor and pro-government media reported Friday.
Watchdog: Israel promotes bids for 1,000 settlement homes
March 24, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government authorized construction bids for over a thousand new homes in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, a watchdog group reported Friday, despite an Israeli pledge to halt settlement construction as part of efforts to curb a deadly wave of violence in the territory.
Macron’s office: Algeria envoy returning to Paris, spat ends
March 24, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — Algeria’s ambassador to France, recalled home in February, will be returning to his post in the coming days, President Emmanuel Macron’s office said Friday in a sign that the latest diplomatic spat between the two countries has been resolved.
LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr issues warning to users in Egypt
March 24, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — A popular gay social networking application said Friday that it is issuing a warning to its users in Egypt, as police impersonate community members to target LGBTQ+ individuals.
Users in Egypt will see the following warning appear in Arabic and English when they open the app:
Rare anti-Houthi protests in Yemen after activist’s death
March 24, 2023 GMTKHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Rare protests have erupted against Yemen’s Houthi rebels following the funeral of a popular critic found dead after he was detained by the group.
Videos posted on social media showed hundreds of angry demonstrators carrying the body of Hamdi Abdul Razaq through the streets of Ibb province on Thursday.
Protesters greet Netanyahu as he meets UK leader in London
March 24, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held talks with Benjamin Netanyahu in London on Friday as protesters shouting “Shame!” in Hebrew demonstrated against the Israeli leader’s right-wing policies and his plans to overhaul the country’s judiciary.
Poland honors citizens who helped Jews during Holocaust
March 24, 2023 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish President Andrzej Duda took part in nationwide observances Friday to honor Poles who risked — and often lost — their lives trying to save Jews from the Holocaust during the Nazi German occupation of Poland.
Israeli AG warns Netanyahu broke law on conflict of interest
March 24, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's attorney general on Friday warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he has violated the country's law on conflict of interest, which barred him from direct involvement in his government's divisive plans for a judicial overhaul while standing trial for corruption.
Saudi Arabia, Syria may restore ties as Mideast reshuffles
March 24, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Saudi Arabia is in talks with Syria to reopen its embassy in the war-torn nation for the first time in a decade, state television in the kingdom reported late Thursday, the latest diplomatic reshuffling in the region.
Netanyahu vows to unite Israel but opponents dismiss pledge
March 24, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday vowed to “mend the rift” in a nation deeply divided over his proposed overhaul of the country’s judiciary. But he offered no details on how he intends to do so and gave no indication that he would slow down the plan.
Why the religious fast for Ramadan, Lent and other holy days
March 23, 2023 GMTMuslims around the world are welcoming the start of Ramadan, a month of fasting, increased worship, heightened charity, good deeds and community.
Ramadan starts in Mideast amid high costs, hopes for peace
March 23, 2023 GMTKHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Hundreds of millions of Muslims began the first daily fast of Ramadan on Thursday, as parts of the Middle East approached crucial junctures in high-stakes peace negotiations during the holy month, traditionally a time of reconciliation.
IMF warns without reforms, Lebanon could see hyperinflation
March 23, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — The International Monetary Fund gave a grim assessment Thursday of Lebanon’s prospects for getting out of its deepening financial crisis, saying that without reforms, the country is headed for hyperinflation.
Iraq WMD failures shadow US intelligence 20 years later
March 23, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — In his U.S. Capitol office, Rep. Jason Crow keeps several war mementos. Sitting on a shelf are his military identification tags, the tailfins of a spent mortar and a piece of shrapnel stopped by his body armor.
Palestinian killed in Israeli military raid in West Bank
March 23, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian militant during a raid in the northern West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian health officials said, the latest escalation of violence in what has been the deadliest start of a year for Palestinians in the occupied territory in more than two decades.
Netanyahu seeks to soothe US concerns over settlement repeal
March 23, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to back down on Wednesday, saying his government has no intention of returning to four abandoned settlements in the occupied West Bank under a law that was repealed by parliament this week.
Palestinians and Israelis clash at UN over Netanyahu actions
March 23, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Palestinians and Israel clashed over the future intentions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far right-wing government at a U.N. Security Council meeting Wednesday, with the Palestinian U.N.
Israeli leader halts bill against Christian proselytizing
March 22, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said he would prevent the passage of a proposal by a powerful ally in his governing coalition to punish Christian proselytizing with jail time.
US review of Afghanistan withdrawal to be released in April
March 22, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The results of the long-delayed government review of the chaotic U.S.
Yemen: Fighting kills 16, endangering peace efforts
March 22, 2023 GMTSANAA, Yemen (AP) — Renewed fighting has erupted in central Yemen, killing at least 16 forces, security and health officials said Wednesday.
The flare-up of violence comes after diplomats and leaders expressed new hope for peace efforts in the war-torn country in the days leading up to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
One of the oldest surviving Bibles could be yours — for $30 million
March 22, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — One of the oldest surviving biblical manuscripts, a nearly complete 1,100-year-old Hebrew Bible, could soon be yours — for a cool $30 million.
The Codex Sassoon, a leather-bound, handwritten parchment tome containing almost the entirety of the Hebrew Bible, is set to go on the block at Sotheby’s in New York in May.
Israeli foreign minister visits Poland to restore ties
March 22, 2023 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — The foreign ministers of Israel and Poland hailed a meeting they had Wednesday as a breakthrough in restoring a relationship that has been badly damaged for years due to disagreements over how to remember Polish behavior during the Holocaust.
Syria says Israel attacked Aleppo airport, no casualties
March 22, 2023 GMTDAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — An Israeli airstrike early Wednesday targeted the international airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, causing material damage and putting it out of service, Syria's state news agency reported.
Holy month of Ramadan begins for Muslims across the world
March 22, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began at sundown on Wednesday, as the faithful prepared for a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting intended to bring them closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate.
Israeli army admits to covert influence campaign in Gaza war
March 22, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Days into Israel’s devastating war with Gaza militants in 2021, the Israeli army began deploying keyboard warriors to a second front: a covert social media operation to praise the military’s bombing campaign in the coastal enclave.
Hezbollah chief refuses comment on infiltration into Israel
March 22, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — The leader of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group refused to comment directly Wednesday on last week’s killing of a man suspected of entering Israel from Lebanon. He said the Iran-backed group's silence is part of a psychological war.
World Bank approves $7 billion loan to support Egypt reforms
March 22, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — The World Bank said Wednesday it approved a $7 billion loan to support Egypt’s push to empower the private sector and enhance its efforts to combat the impacts of climate change.
The loan, approved Tuesday by the World Bank’s board of executive directors, is separate from a bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund, which Egypt secured in December.
Tear gas, clashes as Lebanon protesters try to storm govt HQ
March 22, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese security forces Wednesday fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters, mainly retired soldiers, who tried to break through the fence leading to the government headquarters in downtown Beirut.
Building collapse in Qatar’s capital kills 1, search ongoing
March 22, 2023 GMTDOHA, Qatar (AP) — A building collapsed Wednesday in Qatar's capital, killing at least one person as searchers clawed through the rubble to check for survivors, authorities said.
Qatar's Interior Ministry described the building as a four-story structure in Doha's Bin Durham neighborhood.
Kurds remain biggest winners from US-led invasion of Iraq
March 22, 2023 GMTIRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Complexes of McMansions, fast food restaurants, real estate offices and half-constructed high-rises line wide highways in Irbil, the seat of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq.
Muslim authorities say Ramadan fasting to begin Thursday
March 22, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Muslim authorities in Saudi Arabia and several other Middle Eastern countries say this year's fasting month of Ramadan will begin Thursday based on the expected sighting of the crescent moon.
Saudi Arabia frees American imprisoned over critical tweets
March 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A 72-year-old American imprisoned more than a year in Saudi Arabia over tweets critical of the Saudi crown prince was back with family members in Riyadh on Tuesday, but it remained unclear whether the kingdom would drop a travel ban to allow him to return home to Florida.
Protests in Lebanon as pound hits new low against dollar
March 21, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Protesters closed down major roads in parts of Lebanon on Tuesday after the Lebanese pound briefly hit a new low amid a historic economic crisis that seemingly has no end in sight.
The Lebanese pound lost more than 15% of its value on Tuesday alone, tanking to more than 140,000 pounds to the dollar.
Israel repeals 2005 act on West Bank settlement pullout
March 21, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli lawmakers on Tuesday repealed a 2005 act that saw four Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank dismantled at the same time as Israeli forces withdrew from the Gaza Strip.
Killing of Kurds in northern Syria sparks protests, tensions
March 21, 2023 GMTJINDERIS, Syria (AP) — Thousands of Kurds took to the streets of the earthquake-ravaged Syrian town of Jinderis on Tuesday to protest the killing of four men as they lit a fire to celebrate the Kurdish new year the night before.
US announces sanctions on Iran drone procurement network
March 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The United States said Tuesday it is imposing a new round of sanctions on Iranian firms and people accused of procuring equipment used for Iranian drones.
Yemeni rebels sentence activists to prison for criticism
March 21, 2023 GMTSANAA, Yemen (AP) — A court in Yemen's rebel-held capital on Tuesday sentenced four activists to prison terms, ranging from six months to three years, over their criticism of the Iran-backed rebels on social media, a lawyer said.
Top Israeli minister: ‘No such thing’ as Palestinian people
March 21, 2023 GMTTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A firebrand Israeli minister claimed there’s “no such thing” as a Palestinian people as Israel's new coalition government, its most hard-line ever, plowed ahead on Monday with a part of its plan to overhaul the judiciary.
US aid worker and French journalist freed in West Africa
March 20, 2023 GMTNIAMEY, Niger (AP) — An American aid worker and a French journalist kidnapped and held by Islamist extremists were freed and flown to Niger's capital Monday, four days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the country.
3 Kurds reportedly shot dead celebrating new year in Syria
March 20, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Turkey-backed opposition fighters in Syria fatally shot at least three ethnic Kurds who were celebrating a holiday late Monday by lighting fires, Syrian opposition activists and pro-government media said.
Yemeni sides say deal reached to free nearly 900 prisoners
March 20, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s warring sides said Monday they agreed to release nearly 900 prisoners of war in a U.N.-brokered deal amid international efforts to end the yearslong conflict.
The deal on a prisoner exchange capped 10 days of intensive talks in Switzerland between Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthi rebels.
Palestinian commander killed in Syria buried in refugee camp
March 20, 2023 GMTDAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A commander of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad killed in Syria in what the group described as an assassination by Israeli agents was buried on Monday at a Palestinian refugee camp in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Qatar: 4,000 World Cup huts sent to quake-hit Turkey, Syria
March 20, 2023 GMTQatar has sent 4,000 cabins built to house fans at last year's World Cup to earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria, authorities said Monday.
The Associated Press watched as the latest batch of pre-fabricated cabins was loaded onto a cargo ship in the Persian Gulf.
Lebanon to construct new terminal at Beirut airport
March 20, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon will construct a $122 million terminal at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport to be operated by a leading Irish airport company when it's completed in four years, officials said Monday.
Their world was the oyster: Oldest pearl town found in UAE
March 20, 2023 GMTSINIYAH ISLAND, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Archaeologists said Monday they have found the oldest pearling town in the Persian Gulf on an island off one of the northern sheikhdoms of the United Arab Emirates.
EU targets top Iran body, 8 officials over rights abuses
March 20, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on Iran’s Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution and 8 officials, including judges, lawmakers and clerics accused of links to the security crackdown on protesters.
Dozens in Indonesia protest Israel’s presence at U-20 Cup
March 20, 2023 GMTJAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Dozens of conservative Muslims marched in Indonesia's capital on Monday to protests Israel's first-ever participation in the FIFA World Cup Under-20 in Indonesia.
The world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation is hosting the U-20 World Cup from May 20 to June 11 in Indonesia’s six major cities.
Biden calls Israel’s Netanyahu with judicial plan ‘concern’
March 19, 2023 GMTWILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express "concern” over his government’s planned overhaul of the country’s judicial system that has sparked widespread protests across Israel and to encourage compromise.
Israel, Palestinians aim to curb violence as holiday nears
March 19, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Israel and the Palestinians pledged Sunday at a meeting in Egypt to take steps to lower tensions ahead of a sensitive holiday season — including a partial freeze on Israeli settlement activity and an agreement to work together to “curb and counter violence.”
Syria’s Assad in UAE to mark ongoing thaw in relations
March 19, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, his first visit to the wealthy Gulf country since the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last month.
Netanyahu urges military chief to contain reservist protest
March 19, 2023 GMTTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the military's chief of staff on Sunday to contain a wave of protest from within the ranks over a contentious government plan to overhaul the judiciary.