Headlines

Dubai warns residents to stay indoors because of rain

Dubai police on Thursday urged residents to stay indoors unless it was "absolutely necessary" as heavy rainfall was expected in the desert country which saw record downpours last year. The warning came hours after rainfall in the Emirati city caused flooding in streets. "For

US, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt to hold Gaza talks in Miami

US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff will hold talks with senior officials from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey in Miami on Friday on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, a White House official told AFP. Under the second stage, Israel is supposed to withdraw

Witkoff to meet Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish officials on Gaza

WASHINGTON, Dec ​18 (Reuters) - ​U.S. ⁠President Donald Trump's special envoy ​Steve ‍Witkoff will ​meet Friday with ⁠Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish officials in Miami, ​Florida, ⁠to ⁠discuss the Gaza deal, ‌a White ​House official said on Thursday. (Reporting ‍by Steve Holland,

Rubio says US sanctioning ICC judges for targeting Israel

Dec 18 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary ​of State Marco ​Rubio said on Thursday ⁠that the U.S. was sanctioning two judges of the International ​Criminal Court for ‍targeting Israel. "Today, I ​am designating two International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, Gocha Lordkipanidze of

Have Iran's authorities given up on the mandatory hijab?

Women swaying to dance music at a DJ set, strolling without headscarves through cutting-edge art exhibitions and in coffee shops showing off trendy styles that could have come from the streets of Europe. Until recently, such scenes would have been unthinkable in the Islamic

EU must reform or risk irrelevance, Blair and Dimon say

By Kate Holton LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The European Union must reform or risk becoming irrelevant as ​the rivalry between China and the U.S. sparks a ​new era without precedent, posing challenges on security, energy, technology and trade, a report led by Tony Blair ⁠and

Australia to introduce legislation to crack down on hate, PM says

SYDNEY, Dec ​18 (Reuters) - ​Australian ⁠Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said ​on ‍Thursday the ​government would seek to ⁠introduce new legislation to crack down ​on hate, ⁠after ⁠gunmen opened fire at ‌a Jewish ​event in Sydney on ‍Sunday, killing 15. (Reporting ‌by ‌Alasdair

US Congress ends Syria sanctions

The US Congress on Wednesday permanently ended sanctions imposed on Syria under ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, paving the way for the return of investment to the war-ravaged nation. President Donald Trump had already twice suspended the implementation of sanctions in response