Arab World

Ex-French President Hollande Runs in Parliamentary Elections
Ex-French President Hollande Runs in Parliamentary Elections

Former French president François Hollande announced on Saturday his candidacy for the legislative elections in Corrèze under the banner of the Nouveau Front Populaire, while a crisis has erupted within La France Insoumise (LFI) over nomination disputes. Former French President François Hollande is standing as a candidate for the legislative ...

Muslim Pilgrims Pray on Mount Arafat in Hajj Climax
Muslim Pilgrims Pray on Mount Arafat in Hajj Climax

More than 1.5 million Muslims will pray on Mount Arafat in soaring temperatures on Saturday, in the high-point and most gruelling day of the annual hajj pilgrimage. Worshippers from all over the world will climb the rocky, 70-metre (230-feet) hill, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Mecca, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his ...

Putin Demands Ukraine Pull Back Troops, Abandon NATO
Putin Demands Ukraine Pull Back Troops, Abandon NATO

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow would only halt its offensive on Ukraine if Kyiv effectively surrenders by pulling its troops out of the east and south and dropping its bid for NATO membership. Ukraine, NATO and the United States immediately rejected Putin's hardline conditions to halt the full-scale military offensive ...

At G7, Pope Urges Ban on 'Lethal Autonomous Weapons'
At G7, Pope Urges Ban on 'Lethal Autonomous Weapons'

Pope Francis called on Friday for a ban on "lethal autonomous weapons," when he addressed the G7 leaders' summit in Italy on the perils of artificial intelligence. "In light of the tragedy that is armed conflict, it is urgent to reconsider the development and use of devices like the so-called 'lethal autonomous weapons' and ultimately ban their ...

Stray Bullets Reap Victims in Iraq Amid Widespread Arms Possession
Stray Bullets Reap Victims in Iraq Amid Widespread Arms Possession

At weddings, football matches and other special events, some Iraqi men like to fire salvos of celebratory gunfire into the sky, worrying little about where the bullets might fall. For some Iraqis, the tradition has been devastating, as have random bullets from sporadic gun battles in a society still awash with weapons after decades of war and ...

Million-Plus Begin Hajj Pilgrimage Under Shadow of Gaza War
Million-Plus Begin Hajj Pilgrimage Under Shadow of Gaza War

More than a million Muslim pilgrims were in Mecca Friday for the start of a hajj pilgrimage held against the grim backdrop of the Gaza war and in exhausting summer heat. Crowds of robed worshipers will circle the Kaaba, the black cubic structure at Mecca's Grand Mosque, with many expressing sadness eight months into the Israel-Hamas war. "Our ...

Iran Expands Nuclear Capacities
Iran Expands Nuclear Capacities

Iran is further expanding its nuclear capacities, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday, one week after the agency's board of governors passed a resolution criticizing Tehran's lack of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. The IAEA informed its members that Tehran told the agency it was installing more cascades at the ...

European Elections: A Different Perspective
European Elections: A Different Perspective

Since the announcement of the European parliamentary election results, there has been a surge of political and non-political analyses to understand their anticipated impact on the "old" continent and their implications for the future European trajectory. These concerns were amplified by the swift and surprising move by French President Emmanuel ...

Implosion of The Republicans: Does it Signal the End of the Gaullist Right?
Implosion of The Republicans: Does it Signal the End of the Gaullist Right?

Anyone who thought they had seen it all in France is completely wrong! Since the announcement of snap elections for June 30 and July 7, political developments and electoral surprises have continued to multiply. One of the most notable is the supposed alliance between Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) and The Republicans (LR), representing the ...

The UN and NGOs Demand Release of Detained Staff in Yemen
The UN and NGOs Demand Release of Detained Staff in Yemen

The heads of six United Nations agencies and three international NGOs issued a joint call Thursday for the release of their staff detained by the Houthi. They said the detentions were unprecedented and insisted the targeting of aid and development workers in Yemen must stop. "We, the principals of the affected UN entities and international ...

A Hotter Hajj as Climate Change May Outpace Mitigation Efforts
A Hotter Hajj as Climate Change May Outpace Mitigation Efforts

From misting systems to heat-reflective road coverings, Saudi officials are trying to aid hajj pilgrims in coping with heat, but scientists caution that climate change may outpace these efforts. The annual pilgrimage, one of the world's largest religious gatherings, coincides again this year with the hot Saudi summer, with officials predicting ...

After Frenchman's Release, Who Are the Westerners Still Held in Iran?
After Frenchman's Release, Who Are the Westerners Still Held in Iran?

At least 10 Western passport holders are still being held in Iran, which has released French banking consultant Louis Arnaud after nearly two years in detention. Arnaud was arrested in September 2022 and accused of joining anti-government demonstrations. Rights groups say those being held were taken prisoner to be used by Iran as bargaining ...