World Echo

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek on Monday for a two-day visit to attend the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Monday, ANI news agency reported, the first meeting between the two leaders in two years. Pezeshkian was accompanied by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Iran's state-run news agency IRNA reported. During the visit, Pezeshkian will hold bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the summit, the outlet reported. Read: Iran’s Pezeshkian says Tehran ‘not looking for war’ after US attack on Larak Island Discussions will also be held with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. On the second day of his trip, Pezeshkian will deli...

Israel has become associated with “genocide” among American students, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said. “For the first time since the establishment of the State of Israel, among the American public, Israel has become a negative brand,” Bennett said in a recent interview. “If you ask an American student, ‘Israel — what comes to mind?’ They say genocide. That’s the situation,” Bennett said in an interview on the "Itai Segal Podcast" on the All-in platform. Drawing a comparison with how countries are commonly associated with symbols, he added: “You say Italy — ‘pasta, spaghetti.’ You say Israel — ‘baby killers.’” Bennett rejected that perception, saying: “Obviously, that isn’t true, and it isn’t fair, but that is the situation.” Read: Israel 'deliberately targeting' Gaza children He also blamed part of the sh...

Russian Ambassador-at-large Andrey Belousov on Sunday accused the United States of viewing Europe as a potential nuclear battlefield. Speaking in an interview with the Russian RT TV channel, Belousov said the persistence with which Washington is trying to initiate discussions on Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons suggests that the US is seriously considering the possibility of using nuclear weapons in the European theatre of operations. "And, essentially, they view Europe as such a potential military theatre," he said. Belousov argued that by urging Russia to engage in a dialogue on non-strategic nuclear arsenal, the US is trying to divert international attention from the risks posed by American nuclear weapons deployed in Europe and Washington’s broader missile and nuclear programs. Read: Revolver gift leaves NATO leaders with dilemma The official said obtaining information about Russia’s non-strategic nuclear weapons through greater transpa...

The death toll from the current Ebola virus outbreak, which began in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May, surpassed 2,800 on Sunday, according to the latest data released by the country's health authorities. The Health Ministry data showed that the number of confirmed cases had reached 5,945 across six provinces. At least 1,327 people have recovered, while 896 confirmed patients are currently in isolation or in hospital. The ministry said the outbreak has already affected 60 health zones in the Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele and Tshopo provinces since it was declared in mid-May. Read: Are we ignoring a brewing epidemic? The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the Bundibugyo virus strain in Congo continues to evolve rapidly, with sustained transmission. The rise in cases and wider geographic spread over the past three months represent a “substantial increase” in the scale of the outbreak, according to WHO. Last week, the government...

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urged Muslim countries, particularly those in the Gulf, to unite against what ​he called their "real enemy" and said divisions among Muslims served ‌the interests of their adversaries. The message was published on Mojtaba's Telegram account for Islamic Unity Week, which marks the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It called for Muslim ​unity, cooperation in various fields and mutual defence, saying anyone ​who creates divisions among Muslims, "knowingly or unknowingly," helps Islam's enemies. He asked whether Palestinians would have been left "so helpless" if Muslims had ​been united. Mojtaba has not been seen in public since being injured in US-Israeli ​airstrikes six months ago that launched the Iran war, killing his father and previous supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Read: Iran signals no retreat amid US sanctions His call for unity echoes a statement he made on Fri...

At least one person was killed, and five others were injured after shots were fired at an event attended by around 3,500 people in the Swiss town of Aarau early Sunday, police said. Some of those injured were in serious condition following the shooting, the Aarau cantonal police said on United States social media company X. ++Nach vorläufigen Erkenntnissen haben die nächtlichen Schüsse in Aarau sechs Opfer gefordert. Eine 22-jährige Frau erlag vor Ort ihren Verletzungen. Leicht bis schwer verletzt im Spital befinden sich vier Männer und eine Frau im Alter zwischen 24 und 27 Jahren. — Kapo_Aargau (@Kapo_Aargau) August 30, 2026 Police launched a large-scale operation and are searching for the person or people responsible. "Possible motives and the exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear," police said, without providing further information about any potential suspects. A video published by Swiss newspaper Blick and reportedl...