Reformist faces ultraconservative as Iran votes for president
In a contest between reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and ultraconservative Saeed Jalili, the election comes amid heightened regional tensionGeostrategy
Israel will not allow ‘winds of defeatism’ in Hamas war: Netanyahu
After a visit to troops on Monday, he said: "I saw very considerable achievements in the fighting being carried in...Geostrategy
Three Iraqi soldiers killed in country’s north, says military official
Three Iraqi soldiers were killed and four others wounded in a pre-dawn attack in the country's north blamed on the...The attack occurred in an area disputed between Iraq's federal government, which holds Kirkuk, and the country's autonomous northern region of Kurdistan.
IS groups seized swathes of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014, declaring a "caliphate" which they ruled before their defeat in late 2017.
Donald Trump terms indictment ‘fake’ in address to supporters
The 37 counts of the indictment -- released on Friday and focused on his alleged mishandling of classified materials --...In Columbus, Georgia, Trump railed against Biden and the Department of Justice and what he called a "fake indictment"
Trump has already responded to the indictment with a string of posts on his Truth Social platform calling Smith "deranged"
Desperate Syrians recycle plastic waste to make living
Recycling, in rebel-controlled Syria, is rather a grim lifeline than environmental impulse for desperate residents searching for work or items...In northern Idlib province, workers at a factory making mats and rugs churn out brightly coloured recycled plastic
The mats made from recycled plastic cost between $5 and $15, while traditional Persian-style rugs are around $100
Egypt tightens visa requirements for Sudanese fleeing war
Since the eruption of violence some 200,000 Sudanese nationals have entered Egypt, most of them through land crossings. Egyptian authorities...Cairo's foreign ministry issued a statement on Saturday announcing the new regulations, justifying the move as a crackdown on "illegal activities" including fraud
The authorities introduced visa procedures aimed at regulating "the entry of the brotherly Sudanese (people) into Egypt after more than 50 days of crisis" in their country
UAE, Turkish presidents discuss bilateral, economic relations in Istanbul
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived here on Saturday for a working visit and...The UAE and Turkish presidents discussed their shared interest in advancing sustainable economic growth and social development.
Both the leaders applauded the recent progress witnessed in UAE- Turkey relations and discussed the benefits of CEPA.
Iran’s Raisi, France’s Macron discuss ways to promote ties
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in a lengthy phone call discussed ways to promote ties,...A 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers gave the Islamic republic relief from international sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
In 2018 the United States withdrew unilaterally from the deal and reimposed sanctions, prompting Tehran to suspend implementing its own commitments.
45 governments endorse doubling energy efficiency by 2030
PARIS, FRANCE - Forty-five governments have endorsed doubling the average global rate of energy efficiency improvements by the end of...The meeting stressed as to how energy efficiency can help accelerate clean energy transition toward reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
The meeting underscored that effective policies must be fully leveraged to encourage behavior change among consumers and businesses.
UAE convenes Security Council meet, urges UN, League of Arab States to cooperate
NEW YORK, US - Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar chaired the first signature event of the UAE’s United...UAE called on UN and League of Arab States to work jointly on combating terrorism, preventing conflicts by championing the values of tolerance.
The UAE would support the work of the Security Council in reaching decisions that contribute to resolving Arab and international issues.
Sudan warring parties agree to 24-hour ceasefire: mediators
Although many ceasefires have been broken, yet the twenty-four truce is seen as a chance to give the people of...According to the UN, some two million people have been displaced from their homes, including 476,000 who have sought shelter in neighboring countries
The latest ceasefire follows US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he held discussions on Sudan with Saudi officials
Russia plans to make Iranian drones by next year, says US government
Russia is receiving materials from Iran to build a drone factory that "could be fully operational early next year," White..."The Russia-Iran military partnership appears to be deepening," Kirby said in a statement, citing US intelligence information.
Washington estimates that Russia has received hundreds of attack drones as well as related equipment from Iran to aid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
