Russia’s Northern Fleet, which operates in the Arctic, has conducted naval military exercises in the East Siberian Sea. Interfax news agency reported on Monday that the Russians used some of their largest destroyers and landing ships in the naval drills aimed to practice countering unmanned mock enemy boats. “During the …

Pope Francis has expressed frustration with the countries that are “playing games” with Ukraine by first providing weapons and then considering backing out of their commitments. “It comes to my mind that there are interests, not just the Russian-Ukraine problem but selling arms, you know. The arms business,” Pope Francis …

France’s President Emmanuel Macron says Paris is imminently withdrawing its ambassador from Niger followed by its troops, putting an end to military cooperation with Niamey. “France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France, And we will put an …

France’s highest court on Monday ruled that the government ban on Muslim dress abaya is legal. The Council of State said it had rejected an appeal by three organizations against the government ban announced last month on abaya – a loose-fitting and full-length robe – worn by some Muslim students …

A seven-year space voyage came to its climactic end when a NASA capsule landed in the desert in the US state of Utah, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid sample ever collected. Scientists have high hopes for the sample, which landed on Sunday, saying it will provide a better understanding …

A Saudi delegation is due to visit Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah this week, a Palestinian official said, amid diplomatic efforts to secure an accord between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The delegation will be led by the non-resident Saudi envoy to the Palestinians, who was appointed last month, the …

North Korea will allow foreign nationals to enter the country from Monday, Chinese state media reported, after over three years of Covid-induced isolation. North Korea has been largely closed off from the outside world since early 2020, when it shut its borders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with even …

Egypt will hold a presidential vote on Dec. 10-12, the elections authority said on Monday, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi widely expected to win reelection despite an economic crisis including record inflation and foreign currency shortages. Sisi, 68, can stand for a third term due to constitutional amendments in 2019 …

Hungary is not in a hurry to ratify Sweden’s NATO accession, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told parliament on Monday, flagging a further delay in a process that has been stranded in parliament since July 2022. “I wonder if there is something urgent that would force us to ratify Sweden’s NATO …

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday was moved to a prison with better facilities near the national capital Islamabad after a court order, his lawyer said on Monday. His legal team and party had been pleading with several courts to issue orders for Khan to be shifted to …

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Saturday attended the second simulation of the Provincial Council Elections, a press release by his bureau said. The comprehensive assessment, organized by the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), was aslo attended by Ammar al-Hakim, head of the National Wisdom Movement, and representatives of …

The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons has apologised for praising an individual who served in a Nazi unit during World War II in a session attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Speaker Anthony Rota recognised Yaroslav Hunka, 98, as a “Ukrainian hero, a …

The latest talks over the mega dam that Ethiopia is building on the Nile River’s main tributary have broken up without an agreement. The two-day talks between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt on the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ended on Sunday night in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. Ethiopia’s chief …

Condemnations have poured in over the “provocative” incursions of al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site, by Israeli settlers under the protection of the regime’s forces. In a statement on Sunday, Egypt’s foreign ministry said the incursions of al-Aqsa Mosque compound by settlers under the protection of Israeli forces are “a …

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Monday that the first batch of Abrams tanks promised by the US have arrived in Ukraine. In a statement on Telegram, Zelenskky said: “Good news from (Defense) Minister (Rustam) Umerov. Abrams (tanks) are already in Ukraine, we are preparing to reinforce our brigades.” Zelenskyy …

Security forces in Iraq announced the arrest of a high-ranking ISIS leader in a coordinated intelligence operation in Kirkuk, an official statement said on Monday. The operation, conducted in collaboration with the Kurdish security forces, Asayish, led to the capture of the commander known as Abu Bakhari, who is said …

The Ministry of Defense announced that a helicopter, designated for training, Crashed at al Kut air base as a result of a technical defect, injuring its crew. The Ministry stated in a statement: During a training sortie carried out by army aviation heroes using Bell (Jet Ranger) helicopters designated for …

Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani welcomed a delegation from the Arab Lawyers’ Union, underlining the complete independence afforded to the judiciary within Iraq’s political and constitutional framework. The gathering saw the attendance of the Union’s Secretary-General, Macawi Ben Issa, along with legal luminaries representing various Arab nations, alongside the President …

/ Iraqi parliament is set to interrogate Ismail al-Hiloub, the Governor of Saladin, along with his technical deputy and several general directors in the governorate over corruption allegations. The parliamentary decision was taken in light of concerns regarding the alleged squandering of billions on Emergency Food Security and Development Support …

Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, has “temporarily” stepped down from his influential position after a federal indictment alleging years of bribery alongside his wife. The bombshell indictment unsealed by Manhattan federal prosecutors on Friday accused Menendez, 69, of receiving hundreds of thousands of …