World

Diplomats Say at Least 600 Pilgrims Died During Hajj
Diplomats Say at Least 600 Pilgrims Died During Hajj

An Arab diplomat told AFP on Wednesday that at least 600 Egyptians died during the hajj pilgrimage, citing searing heat that reached 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday. “All of them (the Egyptians) died because of heat,” except for one who sustained fatal injuries during a minor crowd crush, one of the diplomats said, ...

Putin Signs a Mutual Defense Agreement With Kim Jong Un
Putin Signs a Mutual Defense Agreement With Kim Jong Un

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defense agreement on Wednesday with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, who offered his “full support” on Ukraine. The pledge of military cooperation was part of a strategic treaty signed during a summit in Pyongyang, where Putin was making his first visit in 24 years. “It is really a breakthrough ...

Putin Hails N. Korea's Support for Ukraine War
Putin Hails N. Korea's Support for Ukraine War

Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in North Korea on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, kicking off a visit set to boost defense ties between the two nuclear-armed countries as Moscow pursues its war in Ukraine. Ahead of Putin's late-night touchdown, huge banners with a smiling photograph of the Russian leader reading "We ardently welcome ...

Earthquake in Northeastern Iran Leaves 4 Dead, 120 Injured
Earthquake in Northeastern Iran Leaves 4 Dead, 120 Injured

At least four people were killed and 120 injured Tuesday in a 4.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Iran's northeastern city of Kashmar, state media reported. The quake struck at 1:24 pm (0954 GMT), Kashmar's governor, Hajatollah Shariatmadari, who gave the casualty toll, said on state television. Thirty-five people were hospitalized, he said, ...

Protests for the Resignation of the Government in Israel
Protests for the Resignation of the Government in Israel

Thousands of Israelis have been protesting for the past two days against the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding the government's resignation and calling for new elections. They are calling for an agreement to be reached for the release of hostages.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared ...

For Israel and Lebanon, the Most Dangerous Period Looms 
For Israel and Lebanon, the Most Dangerous Period Looms 

There is conventional wisdom held in some quarters that the risk of a full-blown war between Hezbollah and Israel will begin to recede if and when the conflict between Israel and Hamas reaches a ceasefire or end state. If only it were so simple. It is true that Hezbollah leaders assert they will continue the fight they joined on October 8, 2023, ...

Iran Slaps One-Year Prison Term on Nobel Winner Mohammadi
Iran Slaps One-Year Prison Term on Nobel Winner Mohammadi

An Iranian court has sentenced Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to a year in prison for "propaganda against the state," the jailed activist's lawyer said on Tuesday. Mohammadi, 52, has been jailed since November 2021 over several past convictions relating to her advocacy against the obligatory hijab for women and capital punishment in ...

Border Incidents Between Koreas Ahead of Putin’s Visit
Border Incidents Between Koreas Ahead of Putin’s Visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to touch down on Tuesday night for his first trip to the isolated nation in 24 years, with a confrontation between North and South Korean troops on their shared border highlighting regional security tensions. Ahead of his visit, Putin hailed North Korea for "firmly supporting" Moscow's war in Ukraine ...

European Union Leaders Haggle For Bloc's Top Jobs
European Union Leaders Haggle For Bloc's Top Jobs

European Union leaders huddled in Brussels on Monday to thrash out how to divide up the bloc's top jobs, with early signals putting Ursula von der Leyen on track for a second term as chief of the powerful European Commission. Far-right gains in EU-wide elections in early June, which triggered snap polls and political upheaval in France, appear to ...

Calm in Gaza Despite Blasts in South
Calm in Gaza Despite Blasts in South

Israel struck Gaza on Monday and witnesses reported blasts in the besieged territory's south, but fighting has largely subsided after a day of relative calm and as Muslims marked Eid al-Adha. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved his war cabinet, a government spokesman said, reflecting fractures at the top of the country's ...

France's Election Campaign Starts, Macron Encounters Obstacles
France's Election Campaign Starts, Macron Encounters Obstacles

France began a frantically short election campaign Monday, with President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance facing an uphill struggle to avoid a new defeat at the hands of the far right. Macron called the snap parliamentary elections three years early in a dramatic gamble to shake up politics in France, after the far right trounced his ...

Putin to Visit N. Korea as Kremlin Floats Possible 'Strategic' Treaty
Putin to Visit N. Korea as Kremlin Floats Possible 'Strategic' Treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to North Korea on Tuesday, in a rare visit that may see Moscow sign a "strategic partnership treaty" with Pyongyang, the Kremlin said. The historic trip -- which the Kremlin called a "friendly state visit" -- comes as Putin seeks ammunition to continue his military offensive in Ukraine and as the West ...