Saudi hosts urge pilgrims to stay indoors during hajj high point
Makkah, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi authorities have asked pilgrims performing the hajj to remain in their tents for several hours...Geostrategy
Hey chatbot, is this true? AI ‘factchecks’ sow misinformation
Washington, United States -- As misinformation exploded during India's four-day conflict with Pakistan, social media users turned to an AI chatbot...Technology Geostrategy Global Tech & Media
US-funded Arabic network ends broadcasts after Trump cuts
The network went on air in 2004, when US officials were complaining about coverage of the Iraq war from Qatar-backed...But it has faced stiff competition from Al-Jazeera as well as Al-Arabiya, which is funded by Saudi Arabia, and more recently UAE-backed Sky News Arabia.
The Trump administration, in part of a sweeping cost-cutting drive led by Elon Musk, in March said it was ceasing all financial transfers for US government-supported media.
Osaka Expo 2025 opens: World gathers amidst hope and global tensions
From quirky Hello Kitty algae sculptures to demonstrations of flying vehicles and lunar samples, the Osaka Expo offers a fascinating...Encircling dozens of national pavilions is the Grand Ring -- recognized by Guinness World Records as the planet's largest wooden architectural structure.
So far 8.7 million advance tickets have been shifted, below the pre-sales target of 14 million.
US in hurry for nuclear deal, Iran says after high-stakes, rare direct talks in Muscat
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who briefly spoke face-to-face with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff during the indirect meeting in Oman,...The long-term adversaries, who have not had diplomatic relations for more than 40 years, are seeking a new nuclear deal after Trump pulled out of an earlier agreement
Araghchi, a key architect of the 2015 accord, and Witkoff led the delegations in the highest-level Iran-US nuclear talks since the previous accord's collapse
Turkey accuses Israel of seeking to ‘dynamite’ Syria ‘revolution’
Ankara, Turkey -Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel on Friday of sowing divisions in Syria in a bid to...Turkey is a key backer of Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose Islamist group HTS led the rebel coalition that ousted Assad in December
Erdogan's latest comments came as officials from Turkey and Israel began talks this week aimed at easing tensions over Syria
Hamas armed wing releases video showing hostage alive
Hamas's armed wing released a video on Saturday showing a hostage alive in Gaza, whom Israeli media widely identified as...The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades published the more than three-minute clip showing the hostage seated in a small, enclosed space
During a recent ceasefire that ended on March 18 when Israel resumed air strikes on Gaza, militants released 33 hostages, among them eight bodies
Diplomatic flashpoint: US-Iran nuclear talks amid sanctions, military warnings and mutual suspicion
Iran seeks a "real and fair" agreement with Washington on its nuclear programme, a senior aide to supreme leader Ayatollah...Longtime adversaries Iran and the United States are set to hold talks on Saturday aimed at reaching a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme
US President Donald Trump last month wrote to Khamenei urging negotiations, but warning of possible military action if Iran refuses
Gaza rescuers say family of 10 killed in Israel strike
A UN rights office report also warned that expanding Israeli evacuation orders were resulting in the "forcible transfer" of people...Ten people, including seven children, were killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted the Farra family home in central Khan Yunis, Gaza civil defense officials said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced Israel, saying: "If this is not barbarism, I ask you, what is it?"
UN shipping body approves first global carbon pricing system
From 2028, all ships will be required to use a less carbon-intensive fuel mix, or face financial penalties -- but...Those who do not meet the guidelines will have to pay annually for every ton of greenhouse gas emissions that exceeds the targets set.
A majority of members, 63 states, voted for the carbon pricing system, including the European Union, Brazil, China, India and Japan.
In skies, as on land, European forces face gaps if US pulls back
Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Fighter jets from the United States, France, Finland and Germany roar into the skies from a Dutch...Since returning to office, US President Donald Trump has sowed doubt over Washington's commitment to underpinning European security
But if Trump does decide to withdraw US forces, there are fears that could leave European militaries struggling to plug gaps in key areas
Bridges in the Gulf: wealthy states mediate crisis after crisis
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - When US and Iranian negotiators meet in Oman on Saturday they will be just the...Oman is a long-established venue for Iranian talks, while promoting peace is a pillar of Qatar's foreign policy and even enshrined in its constitution
More recently Saudi Arabia has caught on, hosting Ukraine ceasefire talks including the latest round in a lavish hotel in Riyadh last month
