The Saudi consulate in Istanbul held a celebration marking the 92nd Saudi National Day on Friday, which included the participation of Turkish officials, amid ongoing criticism and outrage over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Ahmed bin Mohammed…
Poverty in Lebanon’s Tripoli drives deadly migration
In the city from which Lebanon’s richest politicians hail, the poorest residents once again mourn their dead. Among them, Mustafa Misto, a taxi driver in the city of Tripoli, and his three young children, whose bodies were found off Syria’s coast on Th…
UK PM Liz Truss tells allies to stand firm on Ukraine
British Prime Minister Liz Truss said allies should stand firm on Ukraine and ignore Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “sabre-rattling”, as she seeks to mend fences with democratic powers in the face of increasing threats around the world. Truss, who …
World Bank pledges $2 billion for flood-ravaged Pakistan
The World Bank said it will provide about $2 billion in aid to Pakistan, ravaged by floods that have killed more than 1,600 people this year, the largest pledge of assistance so far. Unprecedented monsoon rains and flooding this year – which many exper…
Germany’s Scholz continues Gulf tour with UAE, Qatar stops
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz planted a tree at a mangrove park in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, a token nod to environmentalism during a two-day visit to the Gulf region focused mainly on securing new fossil fuel supplies and forging fresh allia…
Iran reformist party calls for end of mandatory veil laws
Iran’s most prominent reformist party urged Tehran to overturn obligatory headscarf laws on Saturday in the wake of the ongoing Mahsa Amini protests that rocked the country. Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian, died on 16 September following her arres…
Six more grain ships leave Ukraine ports under Istanbul deal
A further six ships have left Ukraine carrying grain for export, Turkey’s National Defence Ministry said on Saturday. The shipments are part of a deal aimed at resuming Ukrainian grain exports struck between Russia and Ukraine and brokered by the UN an…
Iran summons UK, Norway envoys amid Mahsa Amini protests
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Sunday it summoned Britain’s ambassador to protest what it described as a hostile atmosphere created by London-based Farsi language media outlets. The move comes amid protests in Iran triggered by the death of a young wo…
Somalia suicide bombing kills one soldier, injures six
One soldier was killed and at least six others injured in Somalia on Sunday when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a military base in the west of the capital Mogadishu, a soldier and a hospital worker told Reuters. The suicide bomber had disguised hi…
Egypt will apply to host 2036 Olympic Games: sports minister
Egypt will apply to host the Summer Olympic Games in 2036, the Egyptian youth and sports minister said in a statement on Saturday, a bid that if successful would make it the first Arab or African nation to host the event. Egyptian President Abdel Fatta…