Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on an official visit. Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Ali al-Hakim and a number of Iraqi officials are scheduled to meet Zarif to discuss developments in the region and relations between the two countries.
Read More »Trump says considering pardons for some U.S. soldiers accused of war crimes
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering pardons for “two or three” American soldiers charged with war crimes, a move he also said would be controversial but justified because they had been treated “unfairly.” Trump told reporters at the White House that he had not decided yet …
Read More »Pakistan PM warns against war in region amid Iran tensions with U.S., Saudi
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan warned against the risk of conflict in the region, following a visit to Islamabad by Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif as tensions between Washington and Tehran e Strains have increased between Iran and the United States, which is a firm backer of Tehran’s regional rival …
Read More »Defying Congress, Trump sets $8 billion-plus in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, UAE
U.S. President Donald Trump, declaring a national emergency because of tensions with Iran, swept aside objections from Congress on Friday to complete the sale of over $8 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. The Trump administration informed congressional committees that it will go …
Read More »Zarif : U.S. troop move to Middle East dangerous for international peace
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday that the U.S. decision to deploy more troops to the Middle East in response to the perceived threat from Iran was “extremely dangerous” for peace. The United States said it was sending 1,500 troops to region in what it called an …
Read More »Everest: Three more die amid overcrowding near the summit.
Three more climbers have died on Mount Everest, taking the death toll to seven in a week – more than the total for the whole of last year. The three died of exhaustion while descending on Thursday. It comes amid traffic jams near the summit as record numbers make the …
Read More »Cristiano Ronaldo ‘to be summoned’ over rape claims.
Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will be served a summons over the rape claims against him after lawyers for his accuser finally found his Italian address, according to reports. Ronaldo is accused of raping US woman Kathryn Mayorga in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009, with police reopening the case …
Read More »Ukraine is one of the poorest nations in Europe: World Bank
Ukraine is rated as one of the poorest countries in Europe and Central Asia when it comes to GDP per capita, according to the country’s key creditor, the World Bank. The agency placed the nation on the same level as Moldova, Armenia, and Georgia, saying that it would take Ukraine …
Read More »Oman trying to reduce U.S.-Iran tensions: foreign ministry tweet
Oman is trying “with other parties” to reduce tensions between the United States and Iran, the Omani Foreign Ministry tweeted on Friday. The tweet cited Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, the sultanate’s minister responsible for foreign affairs, who met on Monday in Tehran with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. …
Read More »9 Yemenis killed as Saudi-led jets hit petroleum derivatives plant
Nearly a dozen people have been killed when Saudi-led military aircraft carried out a string of airstrikes against an area in Yemen’s southwestern province of Ta’izz. Local source said that the warplanes struck a petroleum derivatives plant in the Mawiyah district of the province on Friday afternoon, leaving nine people …
Read More »Modi begins talks for new cabinet after big election win
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks on Friday to form a new cabinet to tackle a stuttering economy and other challenges facing his second term after winning a big majority. Official data from the Election Commission showed Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party had won 296 of the 542 seats up …
Read More »British Airways to resume Pakistan flights next week after a decade
British Airways will resume flights to Pakistan next week a decade after it suspended operations following a major hotel bombing, becoming the first Western airline to restart flights to the South Asian country. BA halted service to Pakistan in the wake of the 2008 Marriott Hotel bombing in the capital …
Read More »Iran says it will not surrender even if it is bombed
Iran will not surrender to U.S. pressure and will not abandon its goals even if it is bombed, President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday, stepping up the war of words between the Islamic Republic and the United States. Earlier in the day, Iran’s top military chief said the standoff between …
Read More »Theresa May to resign as UK Prime Minister
British Prime Minister Theresa May’s resignation is unlikely to end a tough run for the pound, which has fallen steadily this month as the risk of a damaging no-deal Brexit rises. The pound edged higher to almost $1.27 on Friday following May’s announcement that she’ll step down in June after …
Read More »Qatari president of PSG under investigation in France for graft
The Qatari president of French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain, Nasser al-Khelaifi, is under formal investigation in France for alleged corruption related to Doha’s bid to host the athletics world championship, his lawyers said on Thursday. Two other sources said Khelaifi and a close associate were questioned by investigators in March …
Read More »Opinion: How Did the Tradition of Christmas Trees Start?
Christmas has numerous traditions, of which perhaps none is more popular than a decorated tree. Whether real or artificial, Christmas trees are synonymous with the holiday. But how did trees become part of Christmas? Trees have been used in rituals and as decorations since ancient times, thus making the source …
Read More »In a first, chimpanzees seen smashing and eating tortoises.
Scientists have observed wild chimpanzees tucking into an unusual snack: tortoises, whose hard shells they crack against tree trunks before scooping out the meat. In a paper published Thursday by the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from Germany say the behavior they spotted dozens of times in a group of chimpanzees …
Read More »“Honor to Mussolini”: Fascist symbols and rhetoric on rise in Italian EU vote
A banner emblazoned with the words “Honor to Mussolini,” unfurled just steps from the Milan piazza where the fascist dictator’s body was hung upside down after his 1945 execution. One-armed salutes and fascist slogans shouted at protests. Italy’s right-wing interior minister skipping commemorations for the 74th anniversary of the country’s …
Read More »US grants sanctions waiver for Iraq to import energy from Iran
The US envoy to Baghdad says Washington has exempted Baghdad from some of its unilateral anti-Iran sanctions, allowing Iraq to continue importing energy from Iran. US charged affaires Joey Hood told reporters on Wednesday Baghdad can now buy energy from Iran, The waiver will allow Iraq to continue buying gas …
Read More »Girl, 10, 6th known child to die after US border detention.
U.S. authorities say a 10-year-old girl from El Salvador died last year after being detained by border authorities in a previously unreported case. The death marks the sixth known case in the last year. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday that she died on Sept. 29 …
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