Trump hails productive Iran talks as Tehran says conditions conveyed to US through Qatar
Iran seeks end to the war on all fronts, a halt to “acts of aggression”, an end to the naval...
Geostrategy
Iran war cost Arab economies $150bn in the first month alone, UN official says
Meanwhile, Trump says: “Do I want to go in and annihilate them, or do I not? It’s a big decision....
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Russia says Ukraine peace talks with Kyiv on pause as NATO bolsters defences
Russia said Friday that peace talks with Kyiv were on "pause" as President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that his Russian counterpart...
- Despite Trump forcing the warring sides to hold direct talks and hosting Putin in Alaska, there has been no significant progress towards ending the war
- Russia's army has gained territory and Putin has vowed to carry on fighting if his peace demands -- including Ukraine ceding yet more land -- are not met
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Fifty reported dead in Gaza as Israel steps up attacks to capture main city
Israel has said it intends to capture the territory's largest urban centre, which it describes as one of the last...
- Israel has said it intends to capture the territory's largest urban centre, which it describes as one of the last strongholds of the Palestinian militant group Hamas
- The United Nations and members of the international community have warned against the assault for fear it will worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza City
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Jailed Istanbul mayor in court over ‘falsified degree’
Istanbul's jailed opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu went on trial Friday on charges of falsifying his university degree.
- The mayor is a popular figure, regarded as the only politician capable of beating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the ballot box
- He was detained on March 19 and jailed several days later as part of a corruption investigation, a move that sparked Turkey's worst street protests in over a decade
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China urges ‘dialogue’ with US over TikTok: ministry
Beijing, China -- China urged the United States on Friday to address their TikTok dispute through dialogue, as top leaders...
- The deadline for the popular app to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned in the United States is September 17, after President Donald Trump extended it for the third time.
- A federal law requiring TikTok's sale or ban on national security grounds was due to take effect the day before Trump's January inauguration.
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UN General Assembly votes for Hamas-free Palestinian state
The text was adopted by 142 votes in favor, 10 against -- including Israel and key ally the United States...
- It also calls for "collective action to end the war in Gaza, to achieve a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the effective implement
- The New York Declaration includes discussion of a "deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission" to the battered region.
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UAE summons Israel envoy over ‘cowardly’ Qatar attack, condemns Netanyahu’s statements
The UAE, along with Bahrain, was the first Gulf country to normalize ties with Israel in 2020 and has been...
- Friday's rare summoning was the strongest in a chorus of condemnations as anger boils in the Gulf over Israel's strike on a region long shielded from Middle Eastern conflicts.
- The rebuke comes amid a diplomatic frenzy over the attack with an emergency Arab-Islamic summit planned in Doha to discuss a regional response to the attack.
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Iran says enriched nuclear material ‘under rubble’ of facilities hit during Israel war
Tehran, Iran - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that enriched nuclear material remained "under the rubble" of facilities...
- "All of our material is... under the rubble of the bombed facilities," said Araghchi in an interview, adding that Iran's Atomic Energy Organization was assessing the condition
- The remarks came after Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed a new cooperation framework on Tuesday
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UN Security Council to meet over drone raid in Poland blamed on Russia
The UN Security Council announced it would hold an emergency meeting Friday to discuss discuss violations of Poland's airspace, a...
- Poland said the incident was not accidental, branding it an "unprecedented" attack on Poland, NATO and the European Union
- Stray Russian drones and missiles have entered the airspace of NATO members including Poland several times since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022
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At major settlement project ceremony in West Bank, Israel PM vows ‘there will be no Palestinian state’
"We are going to fulfil our promise that there will be no Palestinian state, this place belongs to us," Netanyahu...
- "We are going to fulfil our promise that there will be no Palestinian state, this place belongs to us," Netanyahu said at the event in Maale Adumim
- "We will safeguard our heritage, our land and our security... We are going to double the city's population." The event was streamed live by his office
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Hamas says US ‘accomplice’ in Israel Qatar attack as funerals held
"This crime was... an assassination of the entire negotiation process and a deliberate targeting of the role of our mediating...
- In Doha, tight security surrounded the mosque where prayers were held as the Gulf state's ruler joined mourners.
- One coffin bearing a Qatari flag and five others bearing Palestinian flags were brought into the mosque, live footage from Qatar television showed.
Trump hails productive Iran talks as Tehran says conditions conveyed to US through Qatar
Iran seeks end to the war on all fronts, a halt to “acts of aggression”, an end to the naval...
Geostrategy
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Israeli strikes on Lebanon kill dozens
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Millions join ‘No Kings’ protests across US
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Vance says Hormuz reopening details pending as Israel vows to stay in seized territories
Fresh questions emerged over implementation of the US-Iran agreement as negotiators grappled with security guarantees, territorial disputes and unresolved nuclear...
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GCC youth population tops 23.5m as workforce presence expands
Dubai, UAE -- More than 23.5 million people aged between 15 and 34 lived across the Gulf Cooperation Council countries...
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US and Iran agree to ‘immediate’ end to military operations, will sign MoU in Switzerland
The content of the agreement, which follows weeks of fraught negotiations and periodic threats from Trump of fresh hostilities unless...
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Iran says draft accord to end the war could be signed within days
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the proposed framework would address issues including the U.S. naval blockade and the future...
- Araghchi said Tehran wanted any agreement to allow Iran to charge ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz for what he described as services provided during passage.
- Iran introduced a toll system during the conflict, a move the United States and several other countries have argued violates international law.
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Middle East conflict slows global growth outlook, World Bank says
Most economies saw forecasts downgraded as rising energy costs, inflation and borrowing expenses create fresh challenges for growth and development...
- World Bank is making up to $60 billion available immediately through existing instruments to support affected countries.
- More than 30 countries are working with the institution to strengthen preparedness and enable rapid crisis responses.
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Trump halts Iran attack plans as talks gain momentum, keeps naval blockade intact
Speaking at an Oval Office event, Trump said Washington had achieved a "great settlement" and expressed confidence that an agreement...
- Iran says negotiations have advanced but warns inconsistencies in US positions continue to complicate the process.
- Iran has insisted that any broader settlement should also address fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, a condition that appears unlikely to be accepted by Israel.