World

Armenia Jails Senior Cleric Pending Trial on Coup Plot Charges
Armenia Jails Senior Cleric Pending Trial on Coup Plot Charges

An Armenian court on Thursday sent an influential cleric into a two-month pre-trial detention on coup attempt charges, a day after authorities claimed to foil a plot to overthrow the government. Authorities on Wednesday arrested Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, a charismatic senior church figure opposing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, along with ...

US to Clarify Ambiguity Over Success of its Strikes on Iran's Nuclear
US to Clarify Ambiguity Over Success of its Strikes on Iran's Nuclear

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to hold a news conference on Thursday to offer a fresh assessment of strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, following a stinging row over how much American bombardment set back Tehran's nuclear program. After waves of Israeli attacks on nuclear and military sites and retaliatory missile fire from Iran since ...

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Spotlight"Mirror Bacteria": Could Lab-Created Life Trigger the Next Pandemic?

What if a completely foreign form of life—built according to rules opposite to our own—were to emerge from a laboratory? Long confined to the realm of science fiction, the idea is gaining new relevance with recent advances in synthetic biology. At the heart of the concern is the possible creation of a “mirror bacterium,” an organism based ...

The Day the Middle East Reset Itself
AnalysisThe Day the Middle East Reset Itself

On the morning of June 22, 2025, the world woke up to the smoldering ruins of Iran’s most fortified nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. The strikes, led by Israel and backed silently but unmistakably by the United States, were not a surprise to those watching closely. This wasn’t a spontaneous act of self-defense. It was the ...

26 People Arrested in Iran Over Collaborating with Israel: Local Media
26 People Arrested in Iran Over Collaborating with Israel: Local Media

Iran's intelligence services have arrested 26 people, accusing them of collaborating with Israel, state media Fars news agency reported, days after a ceasefire between the two countries was announced. "These individuals were identified as operatives and deceived participants in the recent imposed war by the Zionist regime have been arrested by ...

Matcha: The Japanese Tea Taking Over the World
Q&AMatcha: The Japanese Tea Taking Over the World

Matcha is the new drink of choice at hip cafes worldwide, but Japanese producers are struggling to keep up with soaring demand for the powdered green tea. Here's what you need to know about the drink beloved of weekend treat-seekers and "wellness" influencers: What is matcha?  The word matcha means "ground tea" in Japanese and comes in the ...

The UN Charter: A Founding Document Under Siege
HighlightThe UN Charter: A Founding Document Under Siege

Eighty years ago Thursday, 50 countries came together in the ashes of World War II to sign the United Nations' founding charter in order "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres insisted this week the Charter "is a promise of peace, dignity and cooperation among nations." But critics say the ...

Eastern Christians: The Last Keepers of a Legacy
EditorialEastern Christians: The Last Keepers of a Legacy

A suicide bombing, this time inside a Damascus church during Sunday Mass. Twenty-five dead. The blast silenced prayer, shattered lives and shook a community already on the brink. Eastern Christianity is dying, not in the chaos of an open warfare, but through a long, silent agony, met with the world’s indifference. In a secularized Europe where ...

China Hosts Iranian, Russian Defense Ministers Against Backdrop of 'Momentous Change'
China Hosts Iranian, Russian Defense Ministers Against Backdrop of 'Momentous Change'

China hosted defense ministers from Iran and Russia for a meeting in its eastern seaside city of Qingdao on Thursday against the backdrop of war in the Middle East and a summit of NATO countries in Europe that agreed to boost military spending. Beijing has long sought to present the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a ...

US Hits Back at Accounts Iran Moved Uranium
US Hits Back at Accounts Iran Moved Uranium

President Donald Trump's administration hit back Wednesday at accounts Iran may have moved enriched uranium before US bombing, as a row grew on how much the strikes set back Tehran's nuclear program. Trump, seeking credit for ordering military action and then quickly announcing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, has lashed out angrily ...

Witkoff: 'Big Announcements' to Come on More Countries Joining Abraham Accords
Witkoff: 'Big Announcements' to Come on More Countries Joining Abraham Accords

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, stated on CNBC Wednesday that more countries are expected to join the Abraham Accords. He also mentioned ongoing discussions with Iran about its nuclear program. “We anticipate major announcements on additional countries joining the Abraham Accords,” Witkoff said, though he did not ...