Qatar emir in Iran, calls for regional de-escalation at ‘sensitive’ time
Qatar’s ruler, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, said during a visit to Iran on Sunday that de-escalation and dialogue were needed to resolve regional crises at a “sensitive” time.
At least 17 killed as extreme cold sweeps across Afghanistan
A severe cold snap killed at least 17 people in Afghanistan on Saturday, government officials said, as heavy snowfall and rain continued to lash parts of the country.
Canadian province reports ‘incident’ at nuclear power station near Toronto
The Canadian province of Ontario on Sunday reported an “incident” at the Pickering nuclear power station near Toronto but said there had been no abnormal release of radioactivity.
Protests erupt again in Iran after military admits it hit plane
Protesters piled pressure on Iran’s leadership on Sunday with demands for top authorities to quit after the Iranian military admitted it had mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian airliner at a time when it had feared U.S. strikes.
Canada’s Trudeau to attend Iran crash victim memorial in hard-hit Edmonton
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set on Sunday to attend what is expected to be the country’s largest memorial to the victims of a Ukrainian airliner shot down in Iran in a disaster that killed 57 Canadians, mainly of Iranian descent.
Philippines suspends Manila airport flights as volcano spews ash
The Philippine airport authority on Sunday suspended flights at Manila’s international airport after a volcano in nearby Batangas province spewed a giant plume of ash.
Friends and foes gather in Oman to mourn Qaboos
World and regional leaders, many at odds with one another, met Oman’s new ruler on Sunday to offer condolences for the death of Sultan Qaboos whose quiet diplomacy during five decades in power helped calm regional turbulence.
Protesters gather again in Iran, chant against authorities: Twitter posts
Scores of protesters gathered for a second day in Iran on Sunday chanting slogans against the authorities following the military’s admission it had shot down a passenger plane in error after days denying it was to blame, social media posts showed.
Israeli education minister implies homosexuality is unnatural
Several Israeli school districts held impromptu tolerance classes on Sunday after the country’s education minister, an Orthodox rabbi, angered LGBT campaigners by implying homosexuality was unnatural.
Restive Philippine volcano prompts evacuation of thousands of residents
A volcano south of the Philippine capital Manila spewed a giant ash plume accompanied by rumbling sounds and tremors on Sunday, prompting authorities to raise the alert level and order the evacuation of about 8,000 residents.
