Israeli Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov released from captivity in Iraq Tsurkov was kidnapped in Baghdad more than two years ago by the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah, prompting the US government and her family to work for her release. Iraq
Iran executions hit 913 this year as postwar crackdown deepens: What to know The latest spree comes in the aftermath of the war with Israel and amid deepening domestic crises facing the Islamic Republic, which has repeatedly turned to executions when its survival is on the line. Iran
UAE’s new AI K2 Think chases DeepSeek moment in Gulf tech race The Gulf state has launched K2 Think, an open-source reasoning model designed to speedily and efficiently tackle math and logic problems. United Arab Emirates
Iran FM signs preliminary deal with IAEA chief in Cairo amid diplomatic push The announcement of the agreement comes less than two weeks after the European signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal triggered snapback sanctions, which will likely mean the automatic reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran within 30 days. Iran
