Trump, Zelensky meet on sidelines of pope’s funeral
US President Donald Trump on Saturday criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine in recent...Geostrategy
Trump confidant Steve Witkoff leads Iran talks amid nuclear tensions, Europe urged to rejoin diplomatic efforts
Witkoff, a businessman friend of Trump who has become his globe-trotting negotiator, last met Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday...Geostrategy
Lebanon detains 134 Europe-bound migrants near Syrian border
BEIRUT, LEBANON -The Lebanese army arrested 134 migrants near the northern border with Syria on Saturday after foiling their attempt to...130 Syrians and remaining four Lebanese nationals were taken into custody in the coastal town of Sheikh Zennad, in Akkar province.
Migrants departing from Lebanon head for Europe, with one of the of the main destinations being Cyprus, only 110 miles away.
Saudi names Nayef al-Sudairi as non-resident envoy for Palestine
Al-Sudairi, the current ambassador to Jordan, will also serve as consul general in Jerusalem, a new position announced amid speculation...Saudi Arabia does not recognize Israel and did not join the 2020 US-brokered Abraham Accords that saw the Jewish state establish ties with UAE and Bahrain.
Riyadh has repeatedly said it would stick to the decades-old Arab League position of not establishing official ties with Israel until the conflict with the Palestinians is resolved
Two dead as Europe bound migrant ship capsizes off Tunisia
Tunis, Tunisia - At least two Tunisians including a baby died when their Europe-bound boat sank Saturday off the North African...The vessel carrying 20 Tunisians went down at 2:00 am (0100 GMT) 120 meters (395 feet) from the beach in Gabes.
"Two bodies have been recovered, one of a 20-year-old man and the other of an infant," said an official statement.
US to invest $1.2 bn on facilities to pull carbon from air
The two projects -- in Texas and Louisiana -- each aim to eliminate one million tons of carbon dioxide per...Direct Air Capture (DAC) techniques focus on that CO2 emitted into the air, which is helping to fuel climate change and extreme weather.
Each of the projects will remove 250 times more CO2 from the air than the largest carbon capture site currently in operation, the Energy Department said.
Riyadh to host Peace and Sport Middle East Forum in Oct
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- For the first time, Riyadh will host the Peace and Sport Middle East Forum, powered by...The forum will be held under the theme, “Sport is an answer for peace”, at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh-based Diplomatic Quarter
The kingdom will be hosting several big sporting events as it aims to attract foreign interest as it diversifies its economy away from oil
Australia resumes use of term “Occupied Palestinian Territories”
Dubai, UAE - In a significant policy shift, the Australian government has announced its decision to reinstate the term "Occupied...This policy shift marks a departure from Australia's previous reluctance to use the term "occupied" or "occupation" since 2014
As the Australian government adjusts its foreign policy stance, it continues to express support for Israel
Five key factors influencing potential Israel-Saudi diplomatic deal
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - In recent days, speculation has grown about the Biden administration's attempts to broker a normalization agreement...One important component of the discussions is to boost US-Saudi ties in multiple areas, including security and civilian nuclear cooperation
Saudi Arabia seems less likely to move as quickly as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco did in the Abraham Accords, for a range of reasons
Israeli troops shoot Palestinian dead in occupied West Bank
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and its forces regularly make incursions into Palestinian communities.Mahmoud Jihad Jarad, 23, was shot dead by troops during an overnight raid on Tulkarm refugee camp in the northern West Bank.
Jarad's body was shrouded in a Palestinian flag, his head wrapped in a keffiyeh, as he was carried through the streets in a funeral procession.
Spill risk over as UN removes oil from decaying Yemen tanker
Hodeida, Yemen -- The United Nations said Friday it had successfully transferred more than one million barrels of oil from a...The milestone means that "the core aspect" of a years-long effort to address the threat posed by the Safer, often referred to as a "ticking time bomb", is now finished, the UN said
All told, the UN has priced the operation at $143 million, a fraction of the estimated $20 billion clean-up costs in the event of a spill.
Covid cases up 80 percent globally as new subvariant rises
The number of new COVID-19 cases reported worldwide rose by 80 percent in the last month, the World Health Organization...The UN agency said that nations reported nearly 1.5 million new cases from July 10 to August 6.
Many of the new cases came in the Western Pacific region, which saw infections jump by 137 percent.
