Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland have both called for calm and de-escalation in Libya after days of clashes have left several dead and dozens wounded across Tripoli and Misrata. “We stress the importance…
Iraqi PMF finally holds military parade following delays
The Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) on Saturday commemorated the anniversary of its eighth establishment with a military parade, after much delay. PMF was founded in June, 2014 after a fatwa (a religious call to action) was issued by Ayatollah …
Russia says strike on Odessa port hit ‘Ukrainian military’
Russia on Sunday said its missiles had destroyed a Ukrainian warship and weapons from the United States after a strike on Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odessa, crucial for grain exports. The strike Saturday came a day after Kyiv and Moscow signed a landm…
Iran nuclear deal ‘still possible’, says France’s Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday told his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi that reviving the landmark 2015 deal on Tehran’s nuclear capabilities was “still possible” but must happen “as soon as possible”. Macron also “expressed his disappo…
Egyptian doctor survives brutal attack in Saudi Arabia
An Egyptian doctor has miraculously survived a brutal attack while at work in a Saudi hospital, after a local resident shot him three times and tried to stab him to death. The doctor, named Ayman Abdul Salam Rizq, was in the corridors of his hospital i…
Sri Lanka presidential office to reopen after crackdown
Sri Lanka’s besieged presidential office will reopen on Monday, police said, days after anti-government demonstrators were flushed out in a military crackdown that triggered international condemnation. Widespread public anger over the island’s unpreced…
Bahrain official sacked for refusing Israel envoy handshake
A Bahraini minister has been sacked after refusing to shake hands with the country’s Israeli ambassador, sparking outrage and solidarity worldwide. Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, now former president of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Anti…
Iran arrests spies linked to Israel’s Mossad: state media
Iran’s intelligence ministry announced on Saturday the arrest of agents linked to Israel’s Mossad who entered the Islamic republic to carry out attacks against “sensitive” sites, state news agency IRNA reported. The suspects entered Iran from northern …
‘Thrones’ creator brings Westeros back to Comic-Con
Three years on from “Game of Thrones,” author George RR Martin and the cast of new prequel “House of the Dragon” discussed the daunting challenge of following up HBO’s wildly popular series at Comic-Con on Saturday. Martin’s series of fantasy books spa…
Russian strikes on Odessa port cast doubt over grain deal
Russian missiles hit Ukraine’s port of Odessa Saturday, in what Kyiv called a “spit in the face” of a day-old deal between the warring sides to resume cereal exports blocked by the conflict. The Ukrainian military said its air defences had shot down tw…