Iran said it was hoping indirect talks with the United States could lead to a "positive" outcome for a prisoner swap. Iran announced earlier this month that it was engaged in Oman-mediated talks with its arch-nemesis the United States over its nuclear deal and a possible prisoner exchange.

After performing the ritual circumambulation of the Kaaba, the giant black cube at Mecca's Grand Mosque that Muslims pray towards each day, worshippers set off for Mina, about seven kilometers (more than four miles) away, in suffocating heat.

While the advance by the Wagner mercenary force led by Yevgeny Prigozhin was called off before it reached Moscow, analysts said the rebellion showed President Vladimir Putin's grip on power was more fragile than previously thought. It also added to unease on trading floors, where investors last week reversed a...

EU foreign ministers were scrambling to digest the fall-out from the uprising at their regular meeting in Luxembourg. Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said the unrest was an "internal affair" for Russia. He insisted that the "most important thing" was supporting Ukraine so it can win back its territory.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russia's foreign ministry said on Sunday that Beijing had backed Moscow's efforts to counter a short-lived armed uprising led by the head of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin. "The Chinese side expressed support for the efforts of the leadership of the Russian Federation to stabilize the situation...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on a rare visit during which both sides pledged to deepen their strategic partnership. They agreed to boost investment by India, the world's most populous nation, in Egypt and which is now in the grips of an...

Almost 2,000 supporters gathered in Ain Zhalta, in the Druze heartland of the Chouf mountains, where members of the Progressive Socialist Party named the lawmaker as their new leader. The PSP was founded by Taymur's grandfather Kamal and has become all but synonymous with the Druze community.

Mitsotakis's New Democracy party obtained over 40 percent of the vote, well ahead of the leftist Syriza party led by former premier Alexis Tsipras, which had under 18 percent, according to results of 35 percent of the ballot. The margin would be the widest for the conservatives in almost 50...

NEW DELHI, INDIA - UAE Minister of Economy and Head of the Emirates Tourism Council Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri met separately with the ministers of India, UK, Indonesia and Japan on the G20 Tourism Ministers' Meeting in Goa. Bin Touq met with Sandiaga Uno, Minister of Tourism and Creative...

According to the US media reports, intelligence officials conducted briefings at the White House, the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill about the potential for unrest in nuclear-armed Russia a full day before it unfolded. Putin himself was informed that Prigozhin, once a close ally, was plotting his rebellion at least...

The 55-year-old Harvard graduate, who steered Greece from the coronavirus pandemic back to two consecutive years of strong growth, had already scored a thumping win in an election just a month ago. But having fallen short of five seats in parliament to be able to form a single-party government, Mitsotakis...

Libya's internal turmoil may worsen with the head of the country's east-based administration threatening to block oil and gas exports from territory under its control. Oussama Hamad blamed the UN-recognized government in Tripoli for wasting energy revenues. He warned that the government is ready to take more steps, including an...

NEW YORK, US - Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing cooperation in countering terrorism and exchanging experiences. "The memorandum will enhance cooperation, exchange of experiences, training of youth and those concerned with the country in combating terrorism, and...

Tehran, Iran--Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations has rejected the claim by the United States and its allies about Russia’s use of Iranian drones in the Ukraine war. The mission in a statement on Friday said the "anti-Iran claims" are aimed to influence the six-month periodic report of UN...

In a rare acknowledgment, the Israeli army said that it "failed" to prevent an attack by Jewish settlers on a Palestinian village in the West Bank in which one villager was killed. Revenge attacks on Turmus Ayya and other villages followed the killing of four Israelis by Palestinian gunmen on...

With violence escalating between Palestinians and Israelis, Morocco has postponed a meeting of Arab allies of Israel it was due to host this summer. According to the country's Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita a date for the meeting can be worked out when circumstances are more "favorable." The annual meeting was...

The 10-truck convoy reach rebel-held Al-Nayrab in Idlib province from the direction of regime-held Saraqib, headed for storage facilities near the Turkish border. The last such convoy was in January. The trucks were covered with banners bearing the name and logo of the UN World Food Programme.

Mired in a crippling economic crisis since 2019, Lebanon has been governed by a caretaker cabinet for more than a year and without a president for almost eight months. No group has a clear majority in parliament and lawmakers have failed 12 times to elect a new president.

The Atalante has begun using its multibeam echo sounder to create a map of the nearby seabed to "allow Victor 6000 to have a more efficient dive," an IFREMER spokesperson told AFP.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian's visit to the UAE followed stops in Qatar, Kuwait and Oman -- the latest in a flurry of diplomatic moves by Tehran as it seeks to reduce its isolation, improve its economy and project strength. He discussed "bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation" with UAE President Sheikh...

Dubai, UAE-- The UAE and France have reiterated their commitment to widening cooperation in important fields and sectors. The resolve was renewed at the 15th session of the UAE-France Strategic Dialogue held in Paris. The two countries discussed the status of the strategic bilateral investment partnerships, which were signed in...

Amid continuous divisions plaguing the country, France's new envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, landed in Beirut to hold talks with its leaders. The envoy's three-day visit comes a week after Lebanese lawmakers failed for a 12th time to elect a new president, drawing condemnation from the international community.

The probe was launched in December by the current government of Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani after The Washington Post reported allegations of Committee 29 using torture to extract confessions.

ran said last week it had been engaged in indirect negotiations with the United States through Oman, with nuclear issues, US sanctions and detainees on the agenda. The following day, Iran's nuclear negotiator said he had met with diplomats from three European countries in Abu Dhabi to discuss a number...

"Canadian P-3 aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area. As a result, ROV (remotely operated vehicle) operations were relocated in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises," the US Coast Guard's First District said on its official Twitter page. The announcement is the most encouraging sign yet...

A day after the Israeli army killed six Palestinians, four people were killed on Tuesday near a settlement in the occupied West Bank. Around 100 Jewish settlers attacked residents and set fire to olive groves in Huwara, near Nablus. The deaths are the latest in a surge of violence, leaving...

Seeking to support and promote its national cinema, Morocco has spent 60 about $60m annually on productions since 2012. Moroccan cinema gained steam in the 1970s and '80s, with the emergence of powerful filmmakers such as Mustapha Derkaoui and Ahmed Bouanani.

QAMISHLI, SYRIA- A Turkish drone strike killed three employees of northeast Syria's semi-autonomous Kurdish administration on Tuesday, a spokesman said, amid a recent uptick in attacks targeting Kurdish-held areas. The strike targeted "a vehicle transporting civilian employees, killing two Kurdish women and a Christian" man, said Farhad Shami, spokesman for the...

Ghosn, the former chairman and chief executive of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on suspicion of financial misconduct, before being sacked by Nissan's board in a unanimous decision.

Paris. France -- The candidature of Saudi Arabia (for Riyadh), South Korea (Busan) and Italy (Rome) for World Expo 2030 would be decided in an election in November this year, the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) said on Tuesday. At the 172nd General Assembly of the BIE on Tuesday, Member...

Saudi-Iran peace deal will reduce tensions in the region and would solve some of the problems if not all, says US Secretary Antony J. Blinken in an interview.

One of those on board, according to his aviation company, is British businessman, 58-year-old Hamish Harding is the chairman of Dubai-based Action Aviation. He had posted Sunday on his Instagram account that he was "proud to finally announce" he had joined the OceanGate Expedition.

Kuwait City, Kuwait-- Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah urged parliament members to focus on reforms "for the sake of Kuwait" with objective of meeting aspirations of citizens to achieve prosperous future. "We are facing a new phase" during which MPs should focus on reforms, a phase full...

Tehran, Iran-- Looking to give a further boost to the relations between the two countries, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Doha to discuss bilateral relations, as well as major regional and international developments, with high-ranking Qatari officials. Amir-Abdollahian left Tehran for Qatar’s capital late Monday on an official...

The financial assistance would allow Tunisia to "acquire the necessary equipment and organize useful training, in particular for Tunisian police and border guards", French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said. He defended the "European approach to the migration challenge" and said that alongside African authorities, they would "fight against the networks...

UN chief Antonio Guterres has warned that Sudan is descending into death and destruction at unprecedented speed as he urged donors to step in and curb the unfolding catastrophe. The UN has two appeals for tackling the crisis -- the humanitarian response within Sudan, which needs $2.6 billion this year,...

Saudi-Iran peace deal will reduce tensions in the region and would solve some of the problems if not all, says US Secretary Antony J. Blinken in an interview.

Following more than 15 years of discussions, UN member states finally agreed on the text for the treaty in March after a flurry of final, marathon talks. The text, since frozen, has been pored over by the UN's lawyers and translators to make sure it matches in the body's six...

The report by the World Meteorological Organization and the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said the continent was some 2.3 degrees Celsius hotter last year than in pre-industrial times. Crop-withering drought, record sea-surface temperatures and unprecedented glacier melt are among the consequences laid out in the report.

UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland issued a warning on Monday against changes made by the Israeli government that will simplify procedures to authorize settlements in the occupied West Bank. The alterations, expected to expedite settlement expansion, have caused international concern.

According to Qatar's foreign ministry, Doha will reopen embassy in Abu Dhabi and its consulate in Dubai immediately. The UAE too will throw it embassy open in Doha. The UAE's Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, spoke to Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar's Prime Minister and also its Foreign...

JERUSALEM- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to advance the government's controversial judicial reforms, which have seen his premiership marred by mass protest against the proposed overhaul. "We will come together this week and begin the practical measures," Netanyahu said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting...

An Algerian court of appeal increased to seven years the prison term issued to a prominent media boss, but suspended two years, a watchdog and his lawyer said. Ihsane El Kadi, 63, whose release had been sought by the European Union and international media, is one of the last independent...

Paris, France -- President Emmanuel Macron's new special envoy for Lebanon heads to Beirut in the coming week as France seeks a new push to end a political crisis that has left the country without a president for over half a year, a diplomatic source said Sunday. Former foreign minister Jean-Yves...

DUBAI, UAE -  Yemen's government and Iran-backed Houthi rebels are locked in talks in Jordan to set the ground for a possible prisoner exchange, a Red Cross official told AFP on Sunday. Yemen's conflict began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government's proposals would curtail the authority of the Supreme Court and give politicians greater powers over the selection of judges. Opponents regard them as a threat to Israeli democracy and US President Joe Biden is one of several Israeli allies to have voiced concern.

A Yemenia Airways plane carrying 277 travelers departed at around 8 pm, seven years after Sanaa's international airport was blockaded by the Saudi-led coalition. Two more flights will depart on Monday and Tuesday, officials said. The Houthis' Works Minister Ghaleb Mutlaq said about 200 flights would be needed to accommodate...

In a significant step towards reconciliation, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan conducted a landmark visit to Iran to hold talks with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, focusing on regional security. This visit comes after both nations agreed to mend ties in a Chinese-brokered deal, following a diplomatic severance in...

Last week, both sides agreed on the legal steps to hold the elections following talks in Morocco, but stopped short of signing a deal, suggesting that some differences remain. Among the contested points are the candidacy of dual nationals and soldiers.

Putin thanked Al-Nahyan for the role the UAE has played in prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine and Russia and the United States. Al-Nahyan said he was in favor of "de-escalation" and a "political solution" to the Ukraine conflict during the talks, in which the pair discussed their countries' "strategic...