World Echo

The US State Department announced on Friday that the fifth round of Lebanon-Israel negotiations in Washington had been extended by one day after media reports said that talks failed to bridge a deepening rift over the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. Israel's public broadcaster KAN, citing unnamed sources, said the main dispute centres on what Israel calls the "Yellow Line," or "Anti-tank Line," established in April — an imaginary line extending roughly 8 kilometres (5 miles) inside Lebanese territory from the Israeli border. Israel refuses to withdraw from areas within the Yellow Line and insists on maintaining its presence at the Beaufort Castle hilltop in southern Lebanon. KAN said Israel is considering a partial and conditional withdrawal from some seized areas, while Lebanon is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from all villages and towns within the line, including Majdal Zoun, Zibqin, Beit Lif, Tayri and Kounine. The ...

The interim US-Iran peace accord gives UN nuclear inspectors access to Iran, the watchdog's top official said ​on Friday, after Tehran indicated key sites would remain off-limits ‌until a final deal with Washington was reached and sanctions lifted. The US and Iran last week signed a memorandum of understanding paving the ​way for 60 days of talks to resolve thornier ​issues, including those related to Iran's nuclear programme. Iran's ⁠deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said on Wednesday there were ​no plans to grant access to inspectors. But International Atomic Energy Agency ​boss Rafael Grossi said on Friday that inspections had to happen. "There is an agreement, and to comply with that agreement, the IAEA will have to ​have access and inspect," he told a press conference in Japan. "We ​hope to be there soon." Read: UN halts escort of ships through Hormuz after vessel comes under attack UN inspectors have already held an initial ...

The city mayor told busy Parisians to slow down on Thursday as large parts of Western Europe remained in the grip ​of a deadly heatwave that has claimed dozens of lives, disrupted power supplies, and shut schools and cultural landmarks. Paris faced another sweltering ‌day after temperatures in the French capital hit a June record of 40.9 degrees Celsius (105.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday. Britain also logged its highest temperature for June on Wednesday, reaching 36.1◦C in southern England as an early summer heat dome hovered over much of Western Europe. Drowning deaths in France France implemented a number of measures against heatwaves after one in 2003 caused nearly ​15,000 excess deaths, with the elderly the hardest hit. This time around, younger people were a particular concern. "The profile of people currently facing health ​risks is not necessarily what one might expect — that is, the most vulnerable, because they are closely monitored and well ⁠info...

Iraq may reconsider its membership in OPEC if the producer group does not raise the country's oil production quota, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing Iraq's Oil Ministry. The ministry has no current intention of withdrawing from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and remains committed to working within the group's framework and mechanisms, Bloomberg reported, citing Oil Ministry spokesman Salim Al-Rikabi. Read: US eases Iran oil sanctions with 60-day waiver However, Iraq is moving ahead with plans to increase oil production in line with its capabilities and needs, and OPEC should raise the country's production quota accordingly, Al-Rikabi said. Otherwise, Iraq would have to decide whether to remain in the group or withdraw, according to the Bloomberg report. The comments came as Iraq's oil exports have been sharply curtailed by the war, increasing pressure on Baghdad to seek more room to raise output. Read more: Oil falls almost 4%...

Authorities in northern France were scrambling on Wednesday to restore electricity to thousands of homes hit by power cuts amid a blistering heatwave that has scorched much of western Europe for days. Healthcare centres and critical ​sites were being prioritised in the effort, with generators provided to tide over retirement homes after ‌Tuesday's outages, blamed on a transformer incident, they added. "The incident was accidental and related to the current heat wave," officials said in a statement. "No one was injured." Record-breaking temperatures across Europe, ranging as high as 18 degrees Celsius above normal, according to the Reuters ​Climate Monitor, have disrupted transport networks and forced schools and tourist sites to shut. Weather agency Meteo France ​has said the conditions are comparable to a heatwave in August 2003 that lasted ⁠16 days and caused an estimated 80,000 excess deaths across Europe. It was not certain how long the current...

A United States F-15 pilot rescued after being shot down above Iran in April reported seeing an unusual “jellyfish” formation of Iranian drones before ejecting, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing sources. During a post-mission debrief, the pilot reportedly told intelligence officials he observed several drones moving together in a pattern resembling a “jellyfish”, sparking debate within the US intelligence community. If accurate, the sighting could indicate a significant advancement in Iran’s drone technology, said the report. One source familiar with the account described it as “multiple drones interconnected and moving as one with smaller drones below the bigger drones like legs.” The source added, “Real alien (expletive).” Read More: Iran says technical talks with US concluded in Switzerland Another source said the pilot saw a “minefield of drones” in the sky, according to the report. Investigators are still de...