The door to diplomacy still open
Agencies
11 HOUR(s) • Middle East
Houthi attacks / Makkah defence pact signatories to hold talks
AFP, Riyadh
26 September 2026 • Middle East
Iran proposes reopening Hormuz within seven days: media
AFP, New York
25 September 2026 • Middle East
Jeered and booed, Netanyahu slams enemies, allies alike
Agencies
25 September 2026 • Middle East
Iran will ‘never bend the knee’ Says Pezeshkian at UN
Agencies
24 September 2026 • Middle East
Iran, US hint at revival of talks
Reuters, Dubai
23 September 2026 • Middle East
Hormuz vessel traffic falls to 2
Reuters, New Delhi
23 September 2026 • Middle East
US open to meeting Iran at UN, no meeting scheduled yet, Rubio says
Reuters, Washington
22 September 2026 • Middle East
Iran vows to ‘surprise’ US if it renews attack
Agencies
22 September 2026 • Middle East

27 dead in fire at Baghdad hospital for Covid-19 patients

At least 27 people were killed and 46 injured in a fire on Saturday at a hospital in south-east Baghdad that had been equipped to house Covid-19 patients, medical sources at three nearby hospitals said.
25 April 2021

Biden expected to recognize massacre of Armenians as genocide – sources

U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to formally recognize the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War One as an act of genocide, sources said on Wednesday, a move likely to infuriate Turkey and further strain already frayed ties between the two NATO allies.
22 April 2021

Valid passports so dear

Renewing passports have suddenly become a “wild goose chase” for Bangladeshi migrants in Oman.
19 April 2021

11 killed, nearly 100 injured after train derails in Egypt's Cairo

At least 11 people were killed on Sunday when some train carriages derailed in Egypt's Qalyubia province north of Cairo, the health ministry said in a statement.
19 April 2021

Biden administration proceeding with $23 billion weapon sales to UAE

US President Joe Biden’s administration has told Congress it is proceeding with more than $23 billion in weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates, including advanced F-35 aircraft, armed drones and other equipment.
14 April 2021

US says troops to leave Afghanistan by September 11

US President Joe Biden plans to withdraw the remaining 2,500 US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, 20 years to the day after the al Qaeda attacks that triggered America’s longest war.
14 April 2021

Tarabi prayers shortened at two holy mosques in Saudi Arabia

The Tarabi prayers, this Ramadan, at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah will be shortened to 10 raka’ts from 20 by order of the custodian of the two holy mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia.
12 April 2021

Jordan's King Abdullah and estranged Prince Hamza make first joint appearance since rift

Jordan’s King Abdullah and former crown prince and half-brother Prince Hamza made their first joint appearance since a rift shook the country, attending a ceremony on Sunday marking 100 years of independence.
11 April 2021

Iran reports electrical incident at Natanz nuclear site, no casualties

A problem with the electrical distribution grid of Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility caused an incident at the site on Sunday, Iranian Press TV reported, a day after Tehran launched new advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges at the site.
11 April 2021

South African Covid-19 variant can ‘break through’ Pfizer vaccine: study

The coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa can “break through” Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine to some extent, a real-world data study found.
11 April 2021

US, Iran clash on sanctions; US sees possible ‘impasse’

US and Iranian officials clashed over what sanctions the United States should lift to resume compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, with Washington predicting an impasse if Tehran sticks to a demand that all sanctions since 2017 be removed.
10 April 2021

Israeli strikes kill 3 Iran-backed fighters in Syria: monitor

Israeli strikes overnight targeting Syrian regime military positions and a weapons depot near Damascus killed three Iran-backed militia fighters, a Britain-based war monitor said yesterday.
8 April 2021

UN urges ‘maximum restraint’ after blast hits Iran ship

The United Nations on Wednesday called for “maximum restraint” in the Middle East after an explosion on an Iranian ship in the Red Sea that reports suggested may have been carried out by Israel.
8 April 2021

US restores assistance for Palestinians, to provide $235 million in aid

The Biden administration announced it would provide $235 million in US aid to the Palestinians, restarting funding for the United Nations agency supporting refugees and restoring other assistance cut off by then-President Donald Trump.
8 April 2021

Major powers meet separately with US, Iran on nuclear deal

Diplomats from major powers met separately with Iran and the United States to discuss how to bring both back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal that Washington abandoned three years ago.
8 April 2021

World powers, Iran hold ‘constructive’ talks on reviving nuclear deal

Iran and world powers held what they described as “constructive” talks and agreed to form working groups to discuss the sanctions Washington might lift and the nuclear curbs Tehran might observe as they try to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
7 April 2021

Lebanon vaccine rollout neglects refugees, migrants: HRW

Lebanon’s vaccine rollout is at risk of marginalising refugees and migrant workers who make up a third of the crisis-hit country’s population, Human Rights Watch warned yesterday.
6 April 2021

Jordan in security sweep, king's half-brother says under 'house arrest'

A top former Jordanian royal aide was among several suspects arrested Saturday in a security sweep, as the army cautioned a half-brother of King Abdullah II against damaging the country's security.
4 April 2021

Egypt gears up for pharaohs’ ‘Golden Parade’

The mummified remains of 22 Egyptian pharaohs, including the most powerful ancient queen, were scheduled to be paraded through the streets of Cairo yesterday, in a procession to a new resting place.
3 April 2021

US open to discussing wider nuclear deal road map if Iran wishes

Efforts to sketch out initial US and Iranian steps to resume compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal have stalled and Western officials believe Iran may now wish to discuss a wider road map to revive the pact, something Washington is willing to do.
31 March 2021