Washington spurns Iraqi call to remove troops
Washington on Friday spurned an Iraqi request to prepare to pull out its troops, amid heightened U.S.-Iranian tensions after the U.S. killing of an Iranian commander in Baghdad, and said it was exploring a possible expansion of NATO’s presence there.
Dubai airport flights delayed, canceled due to heavy rain
Dubai International, one of the world’s busiest airports, canceled, diverted and delayed flights on Saturday due to heavy rain and flooding, Dubai Airports said.
Oman’s new ruler promises to keep good ties with all nations
Oman’s new ruler Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said promised on Saturday to maintain the Gulf Arab state’s foreign policy which he said was built on peaceful coexistence and maintaining friendly ties with all nations.
Sultan Qaboos ushered in Oman renaissance, quiet diplomacy
Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who died late on Friday, transformed Oman during his 49-year reign from a poverty-stricken country torn by dissent into a prosperous state and an internationally trusted mediator for some of the region’s thorniest issues.
Iran says military shot down Ukrainian passenger plane in error
Iran said on Saturday its military had mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian plane killing all 176 aboard, saying air defenses were fired in error while on high alert in the tense aftermath of Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq.
Taiwan president takes early lead in election closely watched by China
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen took an early lead on Saturday in vote counting for a presidential election that will be closely watched by Beijing, which claims the democratic island as its own, in the shadow of anti-government protests in Hong Kong.
Taiwan President Tsai takes early lead in vote counting: media
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen took an early lead in vote counting for the presidential election on Saturday, Taiwan television stations reported.
Ukraine says Iran statement confirms its suspicions on plane crash
A statement by Iran saying it accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane confirms one of the working theories of the Ukrainian state security service (SBU) on what caused the crash, SBU chief Ivan Bakanov said on Saturday.
Bomb hits foreign troops in Afghan south, no word on casualties
A roadside bomb hit a convoy of U.S. troops on Saturday in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar, a NATO spokesman and an Afghan official said, but there were no immediate details of casualties in a blast claimed by the Taliban.
Iran Supreme Leader called for public statement on accidental shooting down of Ukrainian airliner: Fars
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the top authority in the Islamic Republic, was informed about the accidental shooting down of the Ukrainian airliner on Friday and said information should be publicly announced after a meeting of Iran’s top…
