Jordan
Here's how Jordan's royal wedding will reverberate across the region and beyond | AP News
The Middle Eastern country of Jordan is set to host its biggest royal wedding in years on Thursday as the country’s young Crown Prince Hussein exchanges vows with Rajwa Alseif, daughter of one of Saudi Arabia’s wealthiest and most influential families.
The Muslim World
UN: Staggering 15.3 million Syrians, nearly 70% of population, need aid | AP News
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — For the first time in Syria’s 12-year war, people in every district are experiencing some degree of “humanitarian stress,” and a staggering 15.3 million — nearly 70% of the population — need humanitarian aid, the United Nations said Tuesday.
Blast in east Lebanon kills 5 in base controlled by Palestinian faction, Israel denies role | AP News
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A blast early Wednesday at a military base controlled by a Syria-backed Palestinian faction in eastern Lebanon killed five Palestinian militants and wounded 10 others, according to two Palestinian officials with the group.
Qatar's prime minister reportedly meets with Taliban's supreme leader in Afghanistan | AP News
The supreme leader of the Taliban met in Afghanistan with Qatar’s prime minister this month. The meeting May 12 is the first-such publicly known meeting between the Taliban’s reclusive leader and a foreign official. Al Jazeera English reported on the meeting Wednesday. It said Haibatullah Akhunzada met Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on May 12 in Afghanistan’s southern city of Kandahar, the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban. Qatari government officials declined to discuss the meeting, which Reuters first reported. The Taliban did not respond to requests for comment, and the U.S. State Department declined to comment.
Turkey elections: What to expect from newly emboldened Erdogan - BBC News
Voters in the strategic Nato country opted for a seasoned autocrat - rather than an untested democrat.
Efforts to defuse Kosovo crisis intensify amid more protests | AP News
International efforts to defuse a crisis in Kosovo intensified as ethnic Serbs held more protests in a northern town where clashes with NATO-led peacekeepers left dozens injured. The tension has sparked fears of renewed conflict in the troubled region. Hundreds of Serbs reiterated at a rally Wednesday that they want the Kosovo special police and ethnic Albanian officials who were recently elected to mayor's offices to withdraw from northern Kosovo. Meanwhile, European Union officials met with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti. The leaders of France and Germany announced plans to meet Thursday with top Serbia and Kosovo officials.
Imran Khan: Ex-Pakistan PM tells BBC crackdown on party is 'untenable' - BBC News
Pakistan's ex-leader says he will wait and see what happens as his party colleagues are arrested and he may be, too.
Secular Winter
Thousands to march in Jerusalem Pride parade, first under Israel's most right-wing government ever | AP News
JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of people are to march in Jerusalem's Pride parade on Thursday, an annual event that is taking place this year under Israel’s most right-wing government ever, stacked with openly homophobic members.
NATO presses Turkey to approve Sweden's membership, eyes Ukraine security plan as summit looms | AP News
NATO is ramping up pressure on member nation Turkey to drop its objections to Sweden's membership. The military organization is also looking at boosting Ukraine's non-member status in the alliance and preparing a framework for security commitments that it can offer once the war with Russia is over. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that the alliance wants to bring Sweden into the fold by the time allied leaders meet in Lithuania next month. He says the allies hope to make progress on long-term funding and the security plan for Ukraine at the same event. NATO must agree unanimously for countries to join. Turkey’s government accuses Sweden of being too lenient on terrorist organizations.
General News
Putin overshadows BRICS talks as South Africa mulls arrest warrant options | Reuters
A meeting of foreign ministers from the BRICS countries in South Africa on Thursday was overshadowed by questions about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would be arrested if he attended a summit of the five-nation bloc in August.
Finance and Economy
OPEC+ unlikely to deepen oil supply cuts at June 4 meeting, sources say | Reuters
OPEC and its allies are unlikely to deepen supply cuts at their ministerial meeting on Sunday despite a fall in oil prices toward $70 per barrel, four sources from the alliance told Reuters.
Quds Matters
Israelis revive flashpoint West Bank settlement | Jordan Times
BURQAH, Palestinian Territories — Israelis started reviving a flashpoint outpost settlement in the occupied West Bank on Monday, AFP journalists said, constructing a building at the site which has drawn international attention.Using a truck, diggers and an earth roller, work got underway to erect a portable building at the northern West Bank site.AFP journalists saw Israeli soldiers guarding around 20 people carrying out construction work at the Homesh site, which Israel evacuated nearly two decades ago.