WORLD

UAE flag flies over a boat at Dubai Marina

COP28: UAE, UK Agree On 'Closer Co-Operation' To Tackle Climate Change

"I would say that the difference that we see in our engagement with leadership from the beginning of the year to now is night and day. We've put in a lot of hard work as a presidency to get everybody on track to saying where we're going forward and what we're going to do to respond to the global stocktake," Director general of Cop28, Majid Al Suwaidi said.
The EU is the first major jurisdiction to implement the final elements of the bank reforms

EU Agrees Tougher Rules On Banks

The EU struck a deal on Tuesday to implement internationally-agreed banking reforms intended to avert a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis.
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The MEK is the only major organised opposition group based outside Iran

Exiled Group Feels Heat As Europe Ups Iran Contacts

A controversial exiled Iranian opposition group is coming under increased pressure in Europe as it nervously eyes the intensification of European talks with Tehran in search of reviving a deal on the Islamic republic's nuclear drive.
Pakistan's national assembly has passed legistlation limiting how long lawmakers can be disqualified from office, paving the way for the return of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif

Pakistan Passes Law Paving Way For Return Of Exiled Ex-PM

Pakistan's national assembly has passed legislation limiting how long lawmakers can be disqualified from office, a state spokesman said Tuesday, paving the way for exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's return to politics.
A security official sprays water on a Muslim pilgrim as he arrives in Mina, near Mecca

'Heat Of Hell': Saudi Sun Challenges Hajj Pilgrims

The hajj, a major earner for the largely oil-reliant Saudi economy, follows the lunar calendar, meaning it does not always take place during the summer. This year's gathering could be the biggest on record, according to officials, after Covid-era caps on numbers were removed. A maximum age limit has also been scrapped, opening the door to large numbers of elderly people who may be more vulnerable to the heat.
Gas flares in Iraqi oilfields produce vast amounts of greenhouse gases without any economic or social benefit

New Carbon Accounting Rules Target 'Greenwashing'

Common standards unveiled Monday for companies to report their greenhouse gas emissions could curb misleading climate claims in the corporate world, the chair of the body that wrote the norms told AFP.
Observers caution that it is still too early to determine the full consequences of the revolt for Putin

Putin: The Beginning Of The End?

The revolt by the Wagner mercenary group has exposed glaring weaknesses in the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising questions over his capacity to weather the growing threats to his political survival, analysts say.
Activists in orange prison jumpsuits protesting in January the continued detention of some 30 people at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

UN Experts Assail 'Inhuman Treatment' Of Guantanamo Detainees

With nearly constant surveillance, gruelling isolation and limited family access, the treatment of the last 30 Guantanamo detainees is "cruel, inhuman and degrading," UN rights experts said Monday as they reported on their first visit to the US military prison.
Hundreds of buses were waiting to take the pilgrims from Mecca to Mina

Huge Crowds Swarm From Mecca For Hajj Climax

Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims walked or rode buses Monday to a giant tented city near Mecca for the climax of the annual hajj that Saudi officials say could break attendance records.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden embrace hands during a meeting with senior officials and CEOs in the East Room of the White House

With An Eye Toward China, Biden Goes All-in For Modi

Laser-focused on countering China, US President Joe Biden has embraced Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he has few other world leaders, casting aside any concerns about the Hindu nationalist's authoritarian streak.
Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko may not enjoy hosting Yevgeny Prigozhin

Belarus Strongman Sows Future Peril With Wagner PR Success

Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko scored a propaganda victory by brokering the deal which staved off the threat of an internal armed conflict in Russia but he may live to regret an accord that will see his country host the Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, observers say.
The revolt marked the biggest challenge yet to Putin's long rule

Could Wagner's Mutiny Help Ukraine?

The Wagner mercenary group's mutiny has weakened President Vladimir Putin and could affect the course of the war in Ukraine, analysts say.
A plume of smoke rises following the reported Russian air strike on Syria's rebel-held Idlib province

Russian Strikes Kill 13 In Rebel-held Syria

Russian air strikes killed at least 13 people in rebel-held northwest Syria on Sunday, the deadliest attack on the country this year, a war monitor said. At least nine civilians, including two children, were among the dead, with most killed at a fruit and vegetable market in Jisr al-Shugur in the Idlib region.

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