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Turkey aid lifeline to war-torn Syria hangs by a thread

Trucks loaded with humanitarian aid queue bumper-to-bumper amid the olive groves at the Turkish-Syrian border, waiting to be allowed across into war-torn Syria.

Inside are baby nappies and blankets, but also 15-kilo (33-pound) bags of flour, bulghur wheat, sugar, chickpeas and peanut-based pastes for children suffering from malnutrition.

Each month the United Nations sends some 800 lorries through the Cilvegozu crossing to deliver aid to millions in need in Syria's last major rebel bastion.

Each month the UN sends some 800 lorries through the Cilvegozu crossing to deliver aid to Syria's last major rebel bastion

Global crises must not delay action on climate, UN talks told

A barrage of global crises must not deflect attention from urgent climate action, the UN's climate chief warned Monday, as negotiators from nearly 200 nations began talks in Germany against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The conference will set the stage for a fresh round of major United Nations talks later this year in Egypt, as climate-driven weather extremes are increasingly felt across the planet.

Countries need to urgently slash fossil fuel emissions to meet warming targets

Iran to face censure amid stalled nuclear talks

Major European countries and the United States are expected to seek to censure Iran as the UN atomic watchdog started meeting on Monday with talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal stalled.

The resolution drafted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany is a sign of their growing impatience as diplomats warn the window to save the landmark agreement is closing.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors meets Monday through Friday in Vienna.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors meets Monday through Friday in Vienna

Saudi eyes tripling of foreign tourists in 2022

Saudi Arabia aims to triple foreign tourism this year as pandemic restrictions ease, hajj pilgrims return and the first elements of the crown prince's signature projects open, its tourism minister told AFP Sunday.

The famously conservative and closed-off kingdom inaugurated tourist visas in September 2019, just months before the coronavirus pandemic decimated the industry globally.

'Elephant rock' in the Ula desert near the northwestern Saudi Arabian town of al-Ula

Palestinian farmers sound alarm over foot-and-mouth outbreak

An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the West Bank early this year has killed thousands of livestock, pushing Palestinian farmers already living under occupation to the brink of bankruptcy.

Mohammed Basheer said he had to incinerate hundreds of his dead lambs after the outbreak devastated livestock across the West Bank, leaving him with more than just a stinging financial loss.

An outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the West Bank has killed thousands of livestock, pushing Palestinian farmers like Mohammed Basheer to the brink of bankruptcy

War film 'Shershaah' steals show as Bollywood's Oscars return

War movie "Shershaah" marched off with Best Picture and Best Director as Bollywood's Oscars returned for the first time since the pandemic began with an all-singing, all-dancing awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

"Shershaah", depicting Indian war hero Vikram Batra, who was killed in the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan, had been tipped to dominate after receiving 12 nods for the first International Indian Film Academy Awards since 2019.

Kriti Sanon won best actress for her role in 'Mimi' at the IIFA awards in Abu Dhabi

Iran supreme leader accuses 'enemy' of trying to use protests

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday accused the "enemy", a reference mainly to the United States, of seeking to use protests to weaken the Islamic republic.

In the past few weeks, demonstrations against the rising cost of living and corruption have occurred in several Iranian cities.

"Today the enemy counts on popular demonstrations to strike the Islamic system," Khamenei said during a televised address.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a speech during a ceremony marking the death anniversary of his predecessor Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic republic

Saudi receives first foreign hajj pilgrims since before pandemic

Saudi Arabia on Saturday welcomed its first batch of hajj pilgrims since before the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted authorities to sharply restrict the annual ritual.

The group from Indonesia landed in the city of Medina and was set to travel south to the holy city of Mecca in the coming weeks to prepare for the hajj next month, state media reported.

Indonesians prepare to depart from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, as part of the first batch of hajj pilgrims since before the coronavirus pandemic

Biden confirms 'possibility' of Saudi Arabia trip

US President Joe Biden confirmed Friday he was considering a trip to Saudi Arabia, which would be a stark reversal after he called for the kingdom to be made a pariah state.

The New York Times and other US media, quoting anonymous sources, have reported that Biden would go ahead with the long-rumored Saudi stop during an upcoming overseas tour.

The reported decision came shortly after Saudi Arabia addressed two of Biden's priorities by agreeing to a production hike in oil -- which could help tame rocketing US inflation -- and helping extend a truce in war-battered Yemen.

US media have said that Joe Biden could meet Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is accused by US intelligence of ordering the 2018 murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Indian Oscars return as Abu Dhabi hosts Bollywood bash

Bollywood's brightest stars will gather in Abu Dhabi on Saturday as the Indian Oscars return for the first time since the pandemic shuttered cinemas and turned audiences on to streaming.

Host Salman Khan and actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be among the A-listers at the International Indian Film Academy Awards celebrating the Hindi-language movie industry, the world's most prolific.

The glitzy show follows a box office slump when movie-mad India was hit hard by Covid-19, with US streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video rushing to fill the gap.

The last IIFA awards were in Mumbai in 2019