The risk of a military confrontation is higher in the Strait of Hormuz than anywhere else in the Gulf region, Oman’s foreign minister said, due in part to the growing number of military vessels from different countries that are guarding it. The waterway between Iran and Oman – 33 km ... Read More »
UN: Libya arms embargo is a ‘joke’
An arms embargo aimed at curbing fighting in Libya has become meaingless because of violations and it is imperative that those who breach it are held to account, Reuters reported a senior UN official as saying on Sunday. “The arms embargo has become a joke, we all really need to ... Read More »
Rouhani says Iran will never yield to U.S. pressure for talks
Iran will never hold talks with the United States under pressure, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, adding that Tehran’s help was essential in establishing security in the Middle East. Relations between Tehran and Washington reached crisis point in 2018 after U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned a 2015 pact between ... Read More »
Brexit: Britain and EU ‘will rip each other apart’ in trade talks
French foreign minister says it will be hard for UK to strike deal by end of year given differences Britain and the European Union are going to rip each other apart in talks over a future trade deal, the French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, has predicted, while also ... Read More »
We might be wrong about how Mars was made, scientists say
We might be wrong about how Mars formed, scientists have said. The Red Planet may have taken much longer to form, and done so in an unexpectedly violent way, according to new research. It is hard to know how Mars formed, and how much that was dictated by collisions in ... Read More »
WhatsApp says it has two billion users
WhatsApp has two billion users, it has said in a new announcement. It means that more than a quarter of the world’s population are on the chat app. WhatsApp used the announcement to stress its commitment to security – a position that has led to criticism from lawmakers and politicians ... Read More »
Factbox: Latest on coronavirus spreading in China and beyond
Here are the latest developments around the coronavirus outbreak: *China’s Hubei province reported a record 242 deaths as of Wednesday, bringing the toll to 1,310. Daily new cases in the province jumped to 14,840, up from 1,638, the fastest rise. *Provincial officials started using computerized tomography (CT) scans to look ... Read More »
Lebanon to request ‘technical assistance’ from the IMF to resolve economic crisis
The Lebanese government will request “technical assistance” from the IMF to draw up a stabilisation plan to resolve the country’s financial and economic crisis, including plans to restructure public debt, a government source told Reuters today. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri previously suggested yesterday that a decision on whether to pay ... Read More »
Iran vows “crushing response” to any Israeli action against regional interests
Iran will respond forcefully to any Israeli action against its interests in the region, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, according to the Mehr news agency, Reuters reports. “The Islamic Republic of Iran will give a crushing response that will cause regret to any kind of aggression or stupid action from this regime against ... Read More »
UN Calls for ‘Lasting Ceasefire’ in Libya
The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling for a “lasting ceasefire” in Libya, where a fragile truce has been in place since January. The text, drafted by Britain, was approved by 14 votes out of 15, with Russia abstaining. It was subject to weeks of wrangling, reflecting ... Read More »