Monday, July 6th, 2026
Macron arrives in Syria
DNA DAMASCUS: French President Emmanuel Macron arrived Monday in Syria, making him the first major western leader to visit the war-torn country since the ouster of Bashar Assad in 2024. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited April but Macron is the first leader from western Europe or North America to do so. The French president’s visit comes during a period of relative calm in the Middle East after the monthlong war in Iran and Lebanon. He will travel next to Ankara, Turkiye, for the NATO summit, where Syrian President Ahmad Al-SharaaRead More
Al-Alimi calls for international investigation into IRGC plane landing in Sanaa
SANAA, JUL 6: Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi on Monday called for an independent international investigation and tougher sanctions on the Houthis, after an Iranian plane landed at Sanaa International Airport. Al-Alimi said the plane belonged to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and described the incident as “an extremely dangerous development, a blatant violation of Yemeni sovereignty and a challenge to the international order.” Speaking during a meeting in Riyadh with ambassadors from countries sponsoring Yemen’s political process, al-Alimi said preliminary information confirmed that the flight wasRead More
Austrian court convicts ex-intelligence chief in Syria’s Raqqa of torture
VIENNA, JUL 6: An Austrian court on Monday convicted a former Syrian intelligence chief from Raqqa of offences including torture and sexual assault over the mistreatment of opponents of then leader Bashar al Assad more than a decade ago. The case is one of the few in which a European country has asserted jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed by Syrian state agents. The month-long trial included testimony by more than a dozen victims, whom the court found suffered beatings, electrocutions or were doused in hot and cold water. The primaryRead More
Netanyahu urges US not to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey
Tel Aviv, JUL 6: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday urged the United States not to sell its advanced F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, arguing it would “upset the power balance” in the region. “I don’t think they should be given F-35s or the engines for their fighter jets, because that’ll upset the power balance in the Middle East which is ultimately guaranteed by Israeli air superiority and also by, I think, by America’s posture in the Middle East,” Netanyahu told Fox News morning show “Fox & Friends.” USRead More
President Zardari visits Rukh Ordo Cultural Center
Cholpon-Ata, JUL 6 /DNA/ — President Asif Ali Zardari, accompanied by President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, visited the Rukh Ordo Cultural Center in Cholpon-Ata shortly after his arrival in the Kyrgyz Republic. During the visit, President Zardari was briefed on the significance of the Rukh Ordo Cultural Center as an important symbol of the Kyrgyz Republic’s rich cultural heritage, history and traditions. The two Presidents toured different sections of the cultural complex and exchanged views on the importance of preserving cultural heritage and promoting greater understanding among nationsRead More
OIC-COMSTECH programmes reach 54 countries, train 5,000 scientists in a year
759 scholarships and fellowships, 52 research grants awarded as OIC body expands global academic network ISLAMABAD, JUL 6 /DNA/ – The OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) extended its scientific and educational programmes to 54 countries during 2024-25, training 5,000 scientists and researchers and offering 759 scholarships and fellowships, according to its annual performance report. The Islamabad-based body undertook 174 projects and initiatives during the year, awarded 52 research grants and organised 68 training programmes, while expanding its network to more than 80 universities, research centresRead More