Russian-backed rebels fighting against Kiev announced yesterday the creation of a new “state” that they said would take the place of Ukraine and have its capital in their territory, reports AFP from Donetsk, Ukraine. The proposed country—which has no chance of getting off the ground—would…

France has leapfrogged the United States and Britain as the world’s top so-called soft power, helped by the election of President Emmanuel Macron, a study of countries’ non-military global influence showed yesterday, reports AFP from Paris. While France has risen, Donald Trump’s ascent…

Iran’s parliament voted yesterday to urgently work towards increasing funds for the country’s missile programme and Revolutionary Guards in response to Washington’s “adventurism” in the region, media reported, reports AFP from Tehran. An overwhelming majority of Iranian…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will this month visit Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which are locked in a deep diplomatic crisis, his office announced yesterday, reports AFP from Istanbul. Erdogan will also visit Kuwait, the main mediator in the Qatar crisis, during his July 23-24 tour. Turkish Prime…

Egypt said it would end visas on arrival for Qatari citizens as a dispute between four Arab states and the Gulf emirate continues over allegations that Doha supports terrorism, reports AFP from Cairo. The measure, which goes into effect on Thursday, will not include spouses of Egyptians or university…

Saudi authorities are investigating footage of a woman in a miniskirt and crop top walking through a historic site in the ultraconservative kingdom posted to social media over the weekend, reports AFP from Riyadh. A series of videos, initially posted to the Snapchat account of “Model Khulood”,…