US Pentagon chief says military ready to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear bomb
Washington, United States -- The US defense secretary reiterated Sunday that the United States hopes for a diplomatic solution to...Geostrategy
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,...Geostrategy
Covid-19 has not gone away, kills 1,000 a week in Europe: WHO
Copenhagen, Denmark - The World Health Organization's European office on Tuesday warned the risk of Covid-19 has not gone away, saying..."Whilst it may not be a global public health emergency, however, Covid-19 has not gone away," WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said
"Unless we develop comprehensive diagnostics and treatment for long Covid, we will never truly recover from the pandemic," Kluge said
Hajj attendance falls short of record, as pilgrims crowd Mount Arafat
The data showed most of the faithful came from abroad. The Kingdom's officials had predicted more than 2.5 million pilgrims,...The ritual at Arafat is the high point of Hajj. The pilgrims recited Koranic verses on the hill, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his final sermon.
Helicopters hovered low overhead, monitoring crowds at the event which has a tragic history of deadly stampedes and fires.
Global body to fund 26 FAO projects worth $174.7m
ROME, ITALY - Building on growing momentum to tackle environmental problems by addressing the ways in which our food and...With these new projects, FAO's partnership with the GEF will have helped countries access over $1.4 billion in financing.
These 26 projects will support countries to create or improve the management of nearly 17.9 million hectares of protected areas on land and sea
Over 6,500 arrests after cracking crime chat network, says Europol
PARIS, FRANCE - More than 6,500 people have been arrested following the 2020 dismantling of EncroChat, an encrypted communications tool used...Close to 200 arrests were of "high-value targets", said Europol, which assists EU members in international investigations.
Since 2020, investigators had managed to intercept, share and analyze over 115 million criminal conversations.
Israel summons Ukraine envoy over pro-Russia accusation
On Sunday, the Ukrainian embassy charged that "the current Israeli government" had "opted for a path of close cooperation with...Israel has adopted a cautious approach since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February last year, seeking to maintain neutrality between the warring sides
In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Benjamin Netanyahu said that weaponry handed to Ukraine could fall into Iranian hands and be turned against Israel
International Security Alliance seizes drugs worth US$750mn in global operation
Abu Dhabi, UAE--The International Security Alliance (ISA) has seized narcotics estimated to be worth US$750 million from a large transnational...Led by the ISA and Ameripol, the operation saw the participation of 22 countries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America
Founded in 2017 by the UAE and France, the ISA coordinated the operation from its secretariat in the UAE with the aim of fighting organized crime
UAE President discusses strategic ties in a call with Putin
Abu Dhabi, UAE - UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed strategic relations in a phone conversation with...Sheikh Mohamed underscored the importance of maintaining stability in Russia and ensuring the safety and security of its people
President Putin expressed his satisfaction with the progress achieved in various bilateral areas, highlighting growing UAE-Russia relations
US to defund science for Israeli universities in West Bank
The Biden administration has returned to the long-standing US position of calling for a two-state solution with the Palestinians and...Joe Biden's administration reverses a move made under Donald Trump that rejected the wide international consensus that Israel illegally occupies the West Bank
David Friedman, Trump's ambassador to Israel and champion of Ariel University, accused the Biden administration of embracing the activist movement to boycott Israel
Ready for prisoner swap with US, says Iran
Iran said it was hoping indirect talks with the United States could lead to a "positive" outcome for a prisoner...At least three Iranian-Americans are being held in Iran, including businessman Siamak Namazi, arrested in October 2015 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
"We are negotiating for the release of Iranian citizens through parties who play a role in good faith," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said.
Record number of pilgrims, braving suffocating heat, converge for Hajj climax
After performing the ritual circumambulation of the Kaaba, the giant black cube at Mecca's Grand Mosque that Muslims pray towards...Pilgrims in robes and sandals, many carrying umbrellas against the beating sun, undertook the journey on foot or crowded onto hundreds of air-conditioned buses.
They will spend the night in white tents in Mina, which every year hosts the world's largest encampment, before the hajj's high-point on Tuesday: prayers at Mount Arafat.
