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'Potential Hijack' of Ship Off UAE is Over, Says UK Agency

The suspected hijacking of a ship in the Gulf of Oman has ended and the vessel is safe, a UK maritime security agency said on Wednesday, days after a deadly attack on a tanker in the region.

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NATO Warns Iran to Respect Shipping after Tanker Attack

The NATO alliance Tuesday condemned a deadly attack on an Israeli-operated tanker last week, and urged Iran to respect international shipping rules.

Separately, the European Union also condemned the "unacceptable" attack and "any action that would be detrimental to peace and stability in this area".   

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Israeli Court's Compromise Would Avoid Palestinian Evictions

Israel's Supreme Court has floated compromises that would block the evictions of dozens of Palestinians in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where attempts by Jewish settlers to expel them from their homes helped spark an 11-day war between Israel and Gaza militants in May.

The cases examined Monday involved four Palestinian families, numbering a total of about 70 people.

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WHO Says Tunisia Over Worst of Covid Wave but Must Speed Up Jabs

Tunisia -- which has seen the world's worst Covid-19 death toll -- may be over the peak of the latest wave but the government must still speed up inoculations, the WHO said.

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Israel Says EU Diplomat Should Not Attend Iran Inauguration

Israel's foreign ministry has said a European Union decision to send diplomat Enrique Mora to this week's inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi showed "poor judgment."

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Iran Ultraconservative Raisi Inaugurated as President

Ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi was Tuesday inaugurated as president of Iran, a country whose hopes of shaking off a dire economic crisis hinges on reviving a nuclear deal with world powers.

"Following the people's choice, I task the wise, indefatigable, experienced and popular Hojatoleslam Ebrahim Raisi as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote in a decree read out by his chief of staff.

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Saudi Intensifies Rights Crackdown after G20 Presidency Says Amnesty 

Saudi Arabia has intensified a crackdown on dissidents and rights activists after a respite that coincided with the country's G20 presidency last year, Amnesty International said Tuesday.

Saudi authorities "have brazenly intensified the persecution of human rights defenders and dissidents and stepped up executions over the past six months, following a lull... during Saudi Arabia's G20 presidency," the rights group said in a statement.

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Iran-Israel: A Shadow War with Ships  

Since February this year, Iran and its arch-enemy Israel have been engaged in a "shadow war" in which vessels linked to each nation have come under attack in waters around the Gulf in tit-for-tat exchanges.

A recap:

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Two More Tunisia MPs Critical of President Arrested

Tunisian security forces have arrested two MPs from an Islamist party opposed to a power grab by President Kais Saied, their party said.

Maher Zid and Mohamed Affes of Al-Karama have been placed in provisional detention in connection with a military investigation, party head Seifeddine Makhlouf wrote on Facebook.

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Israel's Top Court Meets on Sheikh Jarrah Evictions

Israel's supreme court was holding a hearing Monday on the case of Palestinian families facing expulsion by Israeli settlers in annexed east Jerusalem, an issue that sparked conflict in May.

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