Middle East

TEHRAN — The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned that the “space for negotiation and diplomacy…is getting smaller” over Iran’s advancing atomic program as conflicts in the Middle East rage on and Donald Trump gears up to return to the White House. Rafael Grossi was visiting Tehran …

KYIV — A group of 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers known as the ‘Anne of Kyiv’ brigade, which has undergone two months of intense military training in eastern and southern France, is being put through its final paces before returning to Ukraine. Once deployed, the French-trained brigade could prove to be a …

PARIS — A brief scuffle broke out in the stands as Israeli soccer fans returned to Europe, but a heavy security presence in Paris ensured there was no repeat of the large-scale violence seen in Amsterdam last week. Thousands of extra security personnel were deployed in the French capital and …

DAMASCUS — Fifteen people were killed and 16 others injured in Israeli strikes on Damascus in Syria marking one of the deadliest strikes in months to hit the Syrian capital, state media SANA said citing a military source and The strikes targeted several residential buildings in the upscale Mezzah neighborhood …

LISBON — As Europe’s largest annual Web Summit draws to a close, questions are being asked about Lisbon’s capacity to host the event beyond 2028 when the contract is due to expire. Web Summit CEO and co-founder, Paddy Cosgrave, said tech journalists criticized the decision to move the event from …

LONDON — A man suspected of being a significant supplier of small boats equipment to people smugglers has been arrested in Amsterdam following a joint operation by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and Dutch and Belgian police. The man is alleged to have supplied engines and boats to smugglers …

NEW DELHI — All primary schools in Delhi will close due to worsening air pollution, officials have announced. In a post on X, the Indian capital’s chief minister, Atishi Marlena Singh, said classes will move online until further notice due to a thick smog that has enveloped the city. Delhi …

Saudi Gazette report CARTAGENA — Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb emphasized the growing importance of tourism as a vital driver of global economic growth during the Kingdom’s presidency of the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Speaking at the opening of the 122nd session of …

Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call from French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday. During the call, they reviewed the latest regional developments and efforts made to enhance security and stability. The two leaders discussed the progress in bilateral …

Saudi Gazette report CARTAGENA — Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said that tourism has emerged as a vital driver of global economic growth during the Kingdom’s presidency of the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). “Under the Kingdom’s presidency, tourism is expected to contribute 10 …