Some officials and state media have long openly described the industry as a ‘mafia’ system.

Taiwan has staged live-fire drills with missiles and attack drones as Donald Trump prepares to host China’s Xi Jinping.

Dineo Motapane is one of nine recent victims whose deaths have left a nation traumatised over the level of violence against women.

Authorities linked the deaths to disease, but this has been disputed by intelligence reports and relatives of the accused.

The US has not acknowledged carrying out February's deadly strikes on a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd.

Saudi Arabia has lobbied the US for years to buy F35s, the world's most advanced fighter jet.

EU presses Washington to reverse visa ban on Palestinian UN delegation Submitted by MEE and agencies on Sat, 09/19/2026 - 11:48 Diplomatic rift deepens as the US extends its visa ban on PA officials, drawing sharp criticism from the EU and UN leadership over glaring double standards Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a meeting with Palestinian leaders at the Muqata, the Palestinian Authority headquarters, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on 20 February 2019 (AFP) Off The European Union has urged the United States to reconsider its refusal to grant visas to Palestinian Authority (PA) officials aiming to attend the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, marking the second consecutive year Washington has blocked the delegation's travel. The EU's diplomatic service expressed regret over the ongoing ban, pointing to the US's legal responsibilities as the host nation of the United Nations. "In light of its existing headquarters agreements with the UN and its obligations as host state, we urge the United States for this decision to be reconsidered," said EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni on Saturday. The diplomatic friction follows a recent UNGA vote permitting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the upcoming 81st session via a prerecorded statement. Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed the EU's sentiments, stating he was deeply concerned about how the visa denials impact "the ability of the State of Palestine to participate fully in the work of the United Nations". (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The US State Department confirmed on Wednesday that it is extending visa sanctions against members of both the PA and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Washington justified the move by accusing the Palestinian leadership of failing to implement reforms and engaging in activities that "undermine the prospects for peace". Specifically, the US condemned the PA for bypassing direct negotiations with Israel to pursue international recognition of Palestinian statehood and for taking its disputes to international courts.  The State Department also cited Ramallah's financial stipends to the families of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The travel restrictions highlight a stark diplomatic contrast: no equivalent US travel bans have been imposed on Israeli officials, despite the International Criminal Court pursuing an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Abbas to address Gaza and settlements Despite the travel ban, Abbas's video address next week is expected to strongly push for the international recognition of a Palestinian state, aiming to build on the momentum generated by recent formal recognitions from the UK, France, Canada and other western states over the past year. The Palestinian president is expected to spotlight the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, alongside the surge of illegal Israeli settlement expansion and escalating settler pogroms across the occupied West Bank.  US bans Palestinian president from speaking at the UN Read More » The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the UN resolution allowing Abbas's virtual address, framing it as a successful pushback against attempts to erase Palestine's presence at the UNGA's annual session. Meanwhile, the US State Department on Thursday indicated that it had approved visas for a small number of Iranian officials to attend the UNGA. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott had only shared a cryptic post on X suggesting some Iranian diplomats may be coming to New York. "While ordinary Iranians endure brutal repression, water and electricity shortages, and soaring inflation, the regime's officials want to go on shopping sprees in New York. Not on our watch," he said. "We will not let the Iranian regime's elites exploit UNGA for a luxury retail splurge paid for by the Iranian people's suffering, all while the regime funnels Iran's wealth to support its terrorist proxies," he added. "The US will continue to ban Iranian UN Mission officials, visiting officials, and their dependents from buying wholesale club memberships or luxury goods here." The visas issued will limit the scope of the delegation's movements in Manhattan, and the number of visiting officials will be smaller than last year, the New York Times reported.  The delegation is expected to include Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Araghchi has been the chief negotiator with the Americans, alongside Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, as the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its seventh month. Diplomacy News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Araghchi says Middle East needs dialogue, not foreign military presence Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday called for greater reliance on dialogue, cooperation and multilateral institutions.  Speaking virtually at Indonesia's Global Town Hall 2026, Araghchi said: "Sustainable security in the Middle East cannot be dictated from outside the region." Araghchi said ignoring international law when it conflicts with the interests of major powers undermines the rule of law, while the failure of international institutions such as the United Nations to respond to aggression and hold violators accountable could damage their credibility.  "We believe that sustainable security can be achieved through dialogue, trust-building, cooperation and mutual respect among the countries of the region, not through the military presence of foreign powers and the imposition of their will," he said.

In the first quarter of 2026, China became the leading destination for Rwandan exports, accounting for 26% of the total, compared with less than 5% just one year earlier. A spectacular shift, driven by the removal of Chinese tariffs on almost all Rwandan products. But on the ground, access to this market of 1.4 billion consumers depends less on tariffs than on meeting sanitary standards. Report by Aurore Bayoud.

President Emmanuel Macron embarks on a rare and symbolic visit to a remote French territory in the North Atlantic on Saturday, hosting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at a time of growing tensions with Washington. This comes after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the EU’s first associate member. Analysis by Guillaume Lavoie, associate member of the Raoul-Dandurand chair in strategic and diplomatic studies.

Japan’s emperor has officially opened the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, amid a challenging build-up to the event. The ceremony took place in a largely empty stadium.

RIYADH: The Royal Commission for AlUla launched the seventh AlUla Dates Season as part of the Khayrat AlUla Agricultural Season 2026–2027. The season opened with a commercial date auction at Al-Fursan Village, running on weekends through Nov. 15, alongside consumer activities at Al-Manshiyah Farmers’ Market until Sept. 27. The auction connects AlUla’s farmers with buyers, traders and investors, expanding opportunities to market local dates, increase their economic value and open wider trading ch

In Johannesburg, a circus is helping young performers from under-resourced communities turn talent into careers. Among them is 29-year-old Brian Ngobese, who grew up in Alexandra township. After discovering circus almost by accident, he trained in aerial acrobatics.

UN staffs traveled to Kimoka in North Kivu on Friday, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in an area controlled by M23 rebels, to assess the situation of returnees and their living conditions in conflict-affected areas, as the country also faces its worst Ebola outbreak.