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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Saudi Arabia calls Makkah security ‘Red Line’ after Houthi drone intercepted
Hormuz shipping traffic meanwhile fell to four, while US lawmakers again seek to curb military action as Iran war costs...
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Iran says open to US nuclear talks, rejects missile curbs
Security chief Ali Larijani said Tuesday that Iran was open to nuclear talks with the United States but ruled out...
- "The path for negotiations with the US is not closed; yet these are the Americans who only pay lip service to talks; and they wrongly blame Iran for it," said Larijani
- The remarks came days after the United States welcomed a move by European powers to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran but said it remained "available for direct engagement with Iran".
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Gaza mother hopes Venice film about final moments of slain child helps end war
The mother of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, hopes that a film about...
- Rajab's body was recovered from a car riddled with bullets in Gaza City days after she was last heard from, in a desperate, hours-long phone call to the Palestinian Red Crescent
- She had made the emergency call after her family's car came under fire during an attempt to flee Gaza City amid an Israeli advance in the Palestinian territory's north
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Post SCO summit, Kim, Putin at Xi’s side for massive China military parade in Beijing
In unprecedented scenes, Xi shook both their hands and chatted with the pair as they walked down a red carpet...
- In unprecedented scenes, Xi shook both their hands and chatted with the pair as they walked down a red carpet towards Tiananmen Square, with Putin to Xi's right and Kim to his left
- Thousands of people sang patriotic songs, and there was a gun salute as the showpiece extravaganza to mark 80 years since the end of World War II got underway
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France issues arrest warrant for Syria’s Assad over 2012 journalist killings: lawyers
Paris, France -- French judicial authorities have issued arrest warrants for ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and six other top...
- British photographer Paul Conroy, French reporter Edith Bouvier and Syrian translator Wael Omar were wounded in the attack on the informal press center where they had been working.
- Assad escaped with his family to Russia after being ousted by Islamist rebels at the end of 2024 although his precise whereabouts have not been confirmed.
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Post SCO summit, China’s Xi and Russia’s Putin start talks in Beijing, says state media
The Chinese and Russian leaders criticised Western governments during the summit on Monday, where Xi slammed "bullying behaviour" from certain...
- "In the morning of September 2, President Xi Jinping met with Russian President Putin... in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing," state broadcaster CCTV reported
- World leaders including North Korea's Kim Jong Un have gathered in China's capital for the showcase of Beijing's might on Wednesday
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Hamas rejects reported plan for US takeover of Gaza and relocation of its residents
Hamas denounced on Monday a plan reportedly being considered by US President Donald Trump for the United States to take...
- The Washington Post reported on Sunday that the White House was considering a plan that would see Gaza become a trusteeship administered by the United States
- The goal would be to transform the territory into a tourism magnet and high-tech hub, according to the US newspaper, which cited a 38-page prospectus for the initiative
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Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ‘strongly condemns’ civilian toll in Gaza
The 10-member SCO said they also strongly condemned US and Israeli strikes on Iran in June, in the statement issued...
- Member states express deep concern over escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict, call for comprehensive, lasting ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian aid.
- They said Israeli and US military aggression on Iran violated international law and UN Charter principles.
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US would control Gaza, displace all its people under Trump’s new plan: report
The entire population of Gaza would be relocated and the United States would take control of the Palestinian territory under...
- The enclave reduced to rubble in Israel's war prompted by the Hamas attack of 2023 would be transformed into a trusteeship administered by the United States for at least 10 years
- Another goal of the plan modeled on President Donald Trump's stated vision of making it the "Riviera of the Middle East" is to transform Gaza into a tourism resort
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Leaders gather in China for SCO summit ceremony, Xi slams ‘bullying’ behaviour in world order
The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus -- with 16 more countries affiliated...
- The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus -- with 16 more countries affiliated as observers
- More than 20 leaders including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his Turkish counterpart Erdogan are attending the bloc's largest meeting since its founding in 2001
Geostrategy
Putin and Modi in China for summit hosted by Xi
President Xi Jinping gathered the leaders of Russia and India among dignitaries from around 20 Eurasian countries on Sunday to...
- The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus -- with 16 more countries affiliated as observers
- Russian President Vladimir Putin touched down in Tianjin on Sunday with an entourage of senior politicians and business representatives
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....
Geostrategy
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US expands Iran sanctions as pressure campaign intensifies
The U.S. Treasury said the sanctions cover 12 entities, including companies based in the Marshall Islands, the United Arab Emirates...
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Hezbollah dismisses US-brokered truce, insists on comprehensive ceasefire
The Arab League, meanwhile, warned that Israeli occupation policies and military actions across Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian territories undermine peace...
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Trump says deal to end Iran conflict could be reached soon
Trump also told aides he would not resume all-out war with Iran unless Tehran killed U.S. troops, while U.S. Central...
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Trump signs order allowing US Govt access to AI models before public release
The measure establishes a new cybersecurity clearinghouse involving federal agencies and industry partners, reflecting growing concerns about advanced AI systems'...
- Companies may voluntarily provide government access to advanced AI models for cybersecurity testing up to 30 days pre-release.
- Debate within Trump's administration highlighted tensions between AI safety concerns and maintaining competitiveness against China.
Geostrategy
Oil climbs and equities diverge as progress on Middle East peace remains elusive
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, meanwhile, said it had launched missile and drone attacks against the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth...
- Asian technology shares surged as semiconductor stocks advanced, helping investors look beyond geopolitical developments and oil volatility.
- U.S. Central Command said Iranian missiles targeting regional neighbours failed or were intercepted by allied air-defence systems.
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Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue amid new round of talks in US
The meeting in Washington follows U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that he had received commitments from both sides aimed at...
- Lebanon's public university postponed examinations after an Israeli strike killed two students and their father in south Lebanon.
- MSC said a vessel was hit at Iraq's Umm Qasr port, with all crew members remaining unharmed.