Brics special envoys on middle east meet

Peace proposals that ignore “the resolutions of the Arab summits, resolutions of the UN Security Council, and international legitimacy, primarily the approval of the Palestinian people and the president’s signature, will be doomed to failure,” Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said in a statement on Saturday. … [Read more...] about Palestinians: Trump Envoys’ Middle East Trip ‘Waste of Time’

Regional officials are now weighing how to handle Riyadh and how they will shift their approach if the kingdom ― the dominant force in the Arab world ― becomes increasingly preoccupied with domestic struggles and grows isolated internationally. Egyptian officials are quietly questioning the prince’s handling of the crisis, Khatib said. But on Monday night, Cairo offered its latest signal of support when Egypt’s foreign minister flew to Riyadh carrying a message from President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman. … [Read more...] about How Saudi-Friendly Middle East Dictators Are Handling The Jamal Khashoggi Scandal

China’s communist leader Xi Jinping begins a whirlwind tour of Africa and the Middle East Thursday, hoping to expand the nation’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) project throughout the continent and solidify trade deals with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE, one of China’s closest trade partners in the region, will be Xi’s first stop on a tour that will also take him to Senegal, Rwanda, South Africa and Mauritius, according to the state publication Global Times. The newspaper argues that the visit is specifically for Xi to sell OBOR projects to these countries, except for the visit to South Africa, where Xi will attend a meeting of the leaders of BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). … [Read more...] about Xi Jinping Heads to Middle East to Sell One Belt, One Road

In 1993 a statement from the Friends of Ireland in the US said: "On this St Patrick's Day, the Friends of Ireland in the US Congress join with Irish Americans... in calling for renewed efforts to achieve peace, reconciliation and justice in Northern Ireland." … [Read more...] about State papers: Ex-US President Carter mooted as potential special envoy to NI

Jordan’s Minister of State for Media Affairs Jumana Ghunaimat—who also serves as a government spokeswoman—rejected the plan on Sunday and added that it’s not up for discussion, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz. She also reiterated her country’s position that Palestinians should be able to establish an official state on their land. … [Read more...] about Palestinian and Jordanian Leaders Reject Donald Trump’s Confederation Plan for Middle East Peace