World Echo

North Korea said on Monday the United States' hostile policy remained unchanged and vowed to continue strengthening its ​nuclear force, rejecting repeated US calls for its denuclearisation. In a statement carried by state ​media KCNA, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused Washington of maintaining a confrontational ⁠stance through its commitment to the "complete denuclearisation" of North Korea, criticism of the country's human ​rights record and planned joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan. "The Trump administration has thus ​fully reconfirmed its invariable hostile policy to wantonly violate the sovereignty, political system and security interests of the DPRK," the spokesperson said, using the initials of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of ​Korea. The spokesperson said North Korea's nuclear weapons were "an absolute guarantee for defending its sovereignty" and ​that its nuclea...

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...

Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but its implementation is contingent on the US fulfilling its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday. "This understanding will not automatically enter the implementation stage,” Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to Tasnim news agency. “Implementing this understanding requires the other side, particularly the US, to fulfill its commitments. Whenever these commitments are implemented, Iran will also take its measures,” he said. Gharibabadi said Iran was in no hurry to reopen the strait and would continue its “defensive measures” and efforts to “counter threats.” “These measures are not new, and if Washington is interested in returning to the path of diplomacy, it must accept responsibility for its past actions,” he added. He said the necessary arran...

British far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was deported back to his home country, the ​United Kingdom, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson ‌said on Saturday. The deportation on Friday came a day after Yiannopoulos, 41, was arrested at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans ​International Airport by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A ​DHS spokesperson said he "chose to overstay his welcome ⁠in violation of our nation's laws" after legally entering ​the country in May 2019. Read More: It isn’t hate speech for Yiannopoulos to say “feminism is cancer”, it’s just how he feels Yiannopoulos, who has called for stricter ​immigration enforcement than the Trump administration has carried out, including ICE checkpoints at supermarket entrances, did not appear for an immigration ​hearing and was issued a final order of removal ​on July 22, according to DHS. Yiannopoulos could not immediately be reached ‌for ⁠comment. ...

The death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip has risen to 73,449 after nine Palestinians were killed over the past 48 hours, Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Saturday. In its daily statistical report, the ministry said hospitals received nine bodies as well as the body of another Palestinian that was recovered, while 18 people were injured during the same period. The ministry said a number of victims remain under the rubble and on roads, with ambulance and civil defence crews unable to reach them. It did not provide details on the circumstances in which the Palestinians were killed or injured, while the Israeli army continues violations of the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since October 10, 2025. Read: New Israeli strikes kill three in Gaza, authorities say The ministry said the toll from Israeli violations since the ceasefire took effect has risen to 1,313 killed and 4,361 injured. The overall toll from Israel’s genocidal war on ...

At least 27 people were killed in an overnight Russian air attack on the Kyiv region, governor Tymur Tkachenko said on Saturday. Writing on the Telegram messaging app, he added that 42 people were also injured and that more than 380 were being evacuated from the strike area in the Bucha district. “Unfortunately, as of now, 27 people are known to have died. And this figure may not be final. I offer my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims,” he said, according to CNN. Read: Russia hits steel plant in new strikes on Ukraine Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian drones hit a warehouse, triggering a blast that caused widespread damage across the area. He did not give specifics on the site, but said an investigation would be opened as “ammunition cannot be stored near homes or other residential areas.” Russia’s defence ministry said its forces struck an arms depot storing drone-making equipment. Russia s...

Two suspects stole a diamond necklace linked to Egypt's former royal family from the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna on Thursday, Austrian media reported Friday. The suspects entered the museum as ordinary visitors at around 2 pm local time (1200GMT) before smashing a glass display case and taking the necklace, public broadcaster ORF reported, citing police. Several witnesses were present during the theft, according to the report. Authorities believe the suspects knew which item they intended to steal. The platinum necklace is set with 673 diamonds weighing more than 200 carats in total, according to information published by the museum. The piece was commissioned for Egypt's royal family and worn by Queen Nazli in 1939 at the wedding of her daughter, Princess Fawzia, to then-Iranian Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who later became shah. The necklace fetched nearly $4.3 million at an auction in New York in 2015, according to auction house Sotheby's. Vienna p...

British intelligence and military officials have voiced concerns that a Chinese-owned luxury hotel in the Greek Cypriot Administration could potentially be used to monitor activity at the nearby RAF Akrotiri military base, according to a report published Friday. The 16-story City of Dreams Mediterranean resort near Limassol overlooks parts of one of Britain’s most important overseas military installations, the Telegraph reported, citing several intelligence and military sources. The resort, which opened in 2023, borders the UK’s Sovereign Base Areas on two sides and is significantly taller than surrounding buildings. Sources said an observer with binoculars and a suitable vantage point could monitor aircraft taking off and landing, as well as the movements of troops and officials around the base. Access to the hotel’s top floor, which provides the clearest view of the area, is restricted to guests staying in its two presidential suites, according to the newspa...

The Indian Army has signed an agreement with the United States to purchase Javelin anti-tank missile systems, the US Embassy in India said on Friday, without disclosing the value of the deal. The medium-range guided missile system, jointly produced by Lockheed Martin and RTX, is designed for use against a range of targets, including armoured vehicles, the embassy said. The missile system is already in service with the US Army and Marine Corps, as well as several international customers, the embassy added. The agreement creates new opportunities for the defence industries of both countries to work together, US Ambassador Sergio Gor said. Read: US says interim trade deal with India 'almost complete' "We see tremendous potential for future cooperation that strengthens the defence industrial bases of both countries," he said. New Delhi was not immediately available for comment on the agreement. India is the world's fifth-largest military...

A huge piece of ice that fell thousands of metres from a glacier into a river below may have unleashed the disaster in Nepal and Tibet that killed at least 180 people. Here is what experts believe happened so far: Glacier collapse A glacier collapse in Nepal's mountains near Tibet appears to have triggered the disaster. "A large chunk of glacier fell from about 5,200 metres (about 17,600 feet)... into a valley," said Simon Cox, principal scientist at New Zealand's GNS Science. It "transformed into this raging mass of debris... where it picks up rocks and sediment and trees and anything in the way and fires it on down through the canyon," he told AFP. The wall of water first impacted a border post, as documented in terrifying CCTV footage showing mud and debris engulfing the area as people fled before it. It then travelled downstream into Nepal, flooding villages and bringing down bridges and buildings. Seismic activity The glacier collapse was l...

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin on Thursday confirmed that he met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who arrived in Moscow earlier this week. In remarks to journalists in the Russian capital, Naryshkin described the meeting with Ratcliffe as “nothing unusual,” saying their talks were “part of our working format.” “During the meeting, we discussed several issues that fall within the purview of intelligence services. And intelligence services' purview is a rather delicate and specific matter,” the SVR chief added. The Kremlin confirmed Wednesday that Ratcliffe visited Moscow on Tuesday, the first visit by a CIA chief since 2021, saying it involved contacts between security services and describing such contacts as a "positive phenomenon, a positive process." Read: Pak urges Russia, Ukraine to restart peace talks According to Flightradar24, a US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew from the ...

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday that Muslim states should not allow their territories to be used to launch attacks against other Muslim nations. “Defending Iran does not mean hostility toward Muslim nations or neighbouring countries,” Pezeshkian said in an address broadcast on Iranian state television during the 40th International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran. “No Islamic country should allow its territory to be used as a launchpad for aggression against another Islamic country. No Islamic country should seek its own security through the insecurity of its neighbours,” he said. Referring to the conflict with the US, Pezeshkian said large-scale US and Israeli military attacks against Iran began while diplomatic efforts between Tehran and Washington to resolve their differences were still underway. He said Iran-US negotiations had resumed that same month in an effort to find a diplomatic solution when the attacks began, killing Irani...

Iranian missile and drone attacks have caused "unprecedented damage" to US intelligence facilities and surveillance equipment across the Middle East, NBC News reported on Tuesday. Citing four people with knowledge of the matter, the report said the attacks damaged buildings and intelligence-gathering equipment used by the CIA and other US spy agencies. The damage is expected to require billions of dollars to repair or replace, said the report. The scale of the destruction is described as greater than any damage previously sustained by US intelligence agencies, the sources said. Read More: US cannot achieve its goals through economic pressure: Iranian president Tensions in the Middle East have heightened since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran in February. In response, Tehran retaliated with strikes in regional countries hosting US assets. Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June under Pakistani mediation aimed at ending their ...

US CIA Director John Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials ​during his visit to Moscow on Tuesday but did ‌not meet President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin had been briefed on ​the outcome of Ratcliffe's talks, which come ​as the war in Ukraine is escalating and ⁠as efforts to reach a lasting peace deal between ​the US and Iran have stalled. Peskov declined to disclose ​what had been discussed or to provide any further details, however. Read: Kremlin says British missile help for Ukraine 'adds fuel to the fire' "All I can tell you is that there have been contacts ​via the security services. I can tell you that ​there have been no meetings with the Russian president. Naturally, President ‌Putin ⁠is kept informed of everything without delay," said Peskov. Asked if visits by such senior US officials could help improve the dire state of US-Russia relations,...

US employers seeking to hire skilled foreign workers can use the federal government's H-1B visa program for a fee, allowing tech and other professionals from abroad to work in the United States for a few years. US President Donald Trump, who has pursued a ​broad immigration crackdown since taking office last year, has lambasted the program and wants to permanently raise the fee ‌from between $2,000 and $5,000 to more than $100,000 Despite criticism that some companies use the visas to hire lower-paid foreign workers instead of Americans, business groups and companies say they help recruit highly skilled professionals and address a lack of qualified US workers in some industries. The visas, established by Congress in 1990, are especially critical for ​tech companies seeking to recruit from India and China. Consultancy companies such as Deloitte, PwC and Ernst & Young, as well as outsourcing ​giants such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, HCL Tech and LTIMindtree,...

Saudi Arabia and France reaffirmed support for Palestinian statehood and called for Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territory, according to a joint statement issued Monday at the end of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s state visit to France. The statement followed talks between bin Salman and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, where they also chaired the first meeting of the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council. The two leaders stressed a shared approach to regional stability based on state sovereignty, international law and political and diplomatic solutions to conflicts. On Palestine, Riyadh and Paris firmly rejected attempts to undermine the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state on the 1967 borders and called for an end to Israel’s settlement policy and violence by Israeli occupiers, saying they threaten the two-state solution. They also stressed the need to create conditions for a sustainable ceasefire in G...

After decades of urging the United States to attack Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally got his wish. But after six months of inconclusive hostilities, Israel may ultimately find itself in a worse position than it was before the war. The Islamic republic, which Netanyahu has long cast as an existential threat, has not only survived but appears emboldened. Underlying Netanyahu's dilemma have been the wild swings in the approach of US President Donald Trump, who joined Israel in launching the conflict in late February, but by April abruptly called a ceasefire and sought a negotiated settlement in the face of souring public opinion and soaring oil prices. "It's a colossal failure of Israeli strategy regarding Iran," said Danny Citrinowicz, a former top Israeli intelligence analyst on Iran who is now at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies. "Yes, we had operational achievements, but strategically we've failed....

Attacks by Israeli occupiers across the West Bank surged 63% from January through July compared with the same period last year, a Palestinian government agency said Monday. The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission said it recorded 4,113 attacks during the seven-month period, up from 2,524 a year earlier, an increase of 1,589 incidents. The commission said the surge coincided with the expansion of illegal settlement outposts, particularly pastoral ones, as well as the arming of Israeli occupiers and the incorporation of some into security formations. It also cited Israeli military protection and declining accountability as factors behind the rise. The agency said weak international deterrence and accountability had helped turn attacks by Israeli occupiers from isolated incidents into an organised tool to impose new realities on the ground and push Palestinian communities toward displacement. Read: Gazans say Trump's plan jars with grim reality On Saturday, the com...

India's top security official arrived in Beijing on Monday for talks on the countries' disputed Himalayan border, ahead of a BRICS summit next month that New Delhi hopes President Xi Jinping will attend. India's foreign ministry said that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for talks on Tuesday. "Doval, India's Special Representative (SR) on the India-China Boundary Question, arrived in Beijing on a two-day visit earlier this afternoon," the ministry said. Doval will also meet China's Vice President Han Zheng, it added. The two sides have met repeatedly for talks about their border since a deadly 2020 clash. "At this meeting, the two sides will, in accordance with the spirit of the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continue to engage in in-depth communication on the boundary question and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Chinese foreign ministr...

The Kremlin said on Monday that Britain's decision to hand Ukraine classified information on British-made components used to make SCALP long-range cruise missiles would "add fuel to the fire" and was regarded by Moscow extremely negatively. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv on Monday on his first overseas trip since taking office and was due to announce British support to help Kyiv improve its domestic production of long-range missiles. Asked about the visit and the support, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Britain of doing everything it could to prevent any progress towards an eventual peace deal. "Britain is involved in this war on the side of the Kyiv regime. Britain methodically and regularly adds fuel to the fire and methodically and regularly hatches schemes to prevent even the slightest progress in the peaceful settlement process," Peskov told reporters. Peskov said that the Russian military was already systematically gat...

India's Coast Guard and Navy continued search-and-rescue operations off ​the eastern coast on Sunday after a Panama-flagged ‌cargo vessel carrying 24 crew sank, with two Chinese nationals rescued, a senior official said. The two rescued Chinese seafarers said ​the vessel developed a list on Friday and ​sank within eight minutes, forcing the crew to abandon ⁠the ship, Shyam Jagannathan, director general of India's Maritime Administration, ​told Reuters. Jagannathan said the chances of finding survivors generally fall ​sharply after 12 hours, but rescuers were continuing the search. Twenty-two crew members remain missing from the Ocean Winner, including 18 Chinese ​nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi, according to ​the Indian Coast Guard. The Indian Navy is closely coordinating with the ‌Coast ⁠Guard to locate the remaining crew, the Navy said in a post on X. Read: 115 vessels, 2,500 seafarers evacuated from Strait of Hormuz: UN agency ...

The Israeli army on Sunday arrested 13 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in the occupied West Bank, amid attacks by occupiers that included the burning of property and the destruction of agricultural land. Occupiers burned a residential room belonging to a Palestinian in the northern part of the town of Osarin, south of Nablus in the northern West Bank, local sources told Anadolu. They also set fire to a vehicle, partially burning it, and spray-painted racist slogans at the site, the sources added. In Bethlehem, Israeli occupiers attacked the Khala'il al-Louz area east of the city, damaging irrigation pipes used for crops, cutting down trees, and damaging Palestinian property and agricultural land. Read: ME powers condemn Israeli settlements Occupiers also uprooted olive and grape trees from Palestinian-owned land in the village of al-Minya, east of Bethlehem, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa. Meanwhile, Israeli forces detained two Pa...

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Saudi crown prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday for a two-day visit set to range from esports to the war in the Middle East. Several agreements on health, transport and energy will be signed on the second day of the visit on Monday, according to a French presidential official, underlining the strength of the Paris-Riyadh relationship. But the visit will kick off in a different style on Sunday evening from 1800 GMT with Macron hosting the Saudi strongman - known as MBS - at the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup hosted by Paris. Read: Middle East's new security paradigm The event, which brings together the leading performers in esports ranging from computer games to chess and has been eagerly backed by MBS, is being held outside Saudi Arabia for the first time. The French presidential official declined to comment on whether the agreements could touch on a vast theme park known as Dragons Ball, backed ...

With the Iran war now at a costly standoff and crises from Ukraine to Gaza still unresolved, President Donald Trump's ambitious foreign policy agenda appears stuck as he heads into November's midterm elections. The setbacks are striking for a president who returned to office last year promising to be a "peacemaker" and made resolving international conflicts a centerpiece of his second-term agenda. Trump has grown impatient with reporters' questions and even United States allies. This week, he lashed out at reporters pressing him on foreign policy issues and renewed his threat to bomb Oman, a US ally negotiating with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Labour Day, on September 7 this year, is traditionally when election campaigns kick into high gear, and Republicans face the prospect that unresolved conflicts abroad and their economic fallout at home could cost the party its hold on Congress. Iran stal...

The US imposed 50% tariffs on some ‌Canadian goods on Saturday after the two longstanding allies failed to reach a trade deal, with each side accusing the other of derailing days of talks. The tariffs that came into effect just after midnight (0900 PKT) on some $20 billion of Canadian goods - things like wooden ice hockey sticks that are rarely used anymore - are far ​from an economic game-changer for the largest US trading partner after Mexico. That represents just over 5% of Canada's exports to ​the US. But the new tariffs mark an increase in tensions between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney, ⁠and will likely make broader talks to renew the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement more difficult. Carney said he had suspended trade negotiations and ​Canada would retaliate "dollar for dollar" on the new tariffs. "I have decided to suspend trade negotiations with the US and have directed Canada’s negotiators to ​return to Ottawa...

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Friday unequivocally condemned Israel’s continued settlement policies in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and categorically rejected the “E1” settlement plan and related settlement activities east of occupied East Jerusalem. In a joint statement, the ministers also condemned violations and acts of violence perpetrated by settlers, with the support of Israeli occupying authorities, against the Palestinian people and their property. They stressed that such acts did not diminish the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and constituted violations of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, while posing a serious threat to regional and international peace and security. 🔊PR No.2️⃣2️⃣5️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ Joint Statement by Foreign Ministers of Eight Arab-Islamic States 🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/xxqljQuSBG — Minist...