Gulf

A story published in the Financial Times on Friday reported that Italy had quadrupled the amount of Russian crude oil it imports to 450,000 barrels per day. The dramatic increase is due to a distorting impact of sanctions against Russia, the report said.

Draghi met the press on Wednesday along with Finland's visiting Prime Minister Sanna Marin at Palazzo Chigi, the seat of Italy's government, Xinhua news agency reported. He said that Italy was willing to speed up the two applicant countries' accession procedures. Draghi said that the application for membership in the military alliance was sparked by security worries in the wake of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi had been opposed to paying for Russian gas in rubles, after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to shut off gas to "unfriendly" countries if they refused to pay for gas supplies. In late March, Italy announced Draghi discussed the situation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The leaders said then that they rejected the calls for payment in rubles, insisting that euro-denominated contracts be respected, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to a statement from the office of Prime Minister Mario Draghi, excise taxes on gasoline, diesel fuel, liquified petroleum gas, and all forms of natural gas will be lowered starting Tuesday, until at least July 8, reports Xinhua news agency.

"This measure, taken in agreement with other European and Atlantic partners, was necessary for reasons related to national security," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported. Also on Tuesday, Romania decided to expel ten Russian diplomats. Spain will expel 27 Russian diplomats and embassy staff in the next few days, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has said.

The Hebrew-language Ynet news site quoted Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani as saying that the crown prince accepted the invitation and would visit Israel "soon." During his visit to the Gulf kingdom, the first by an Israeli leader, Bennett met with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince al-Khalifa, several ministers, and representatives of the Bahraini Jewish community, Xinhua news agency reported.

His re-election, which Parliament voted with a broad majority on January 29, came after the country's major political forces failed to find a deal on a possible successor, reports Xinhua news agency. Although initially reluctant, Mattarella accepted to serve a second term citing a" sense of responsibility during the (current) health and economic emergency" linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mattarella was reconfirmed with a broad majority, namely 759 votes in favor of a total of 983 lawmakers and regional representatives actively taking part in the ballot, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Eighteen soldiers were killed today in the battle in the desert area of al-Balak al-Sharki in southern Marib," the source told Xinhua news agency late Sunday. "There were also many Houthis killed in the battle by airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led Arab coalition," he said, without providing a specific number.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met with visiting Foreign Ministers of the on Monday and they issued a joint statement after the meeting, voicing "grave concern" about Iran's regional activities and what they called "nuclear escalation", Xinhua news agency reported. Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh called the claims made through the statement "baseless" and "repetitive," according to a statement published on the ministry's website.