WORLD

Kohler, a teacher, and her partner Paris, remain in prison in the Iranian capital's Evin prison accused of espionage charges their family deny.

The fighting broke out Tuesday with Israeli strikes on the Islamic Jihad militant group. It ceased late Saturday following days of truce talks led by Egypt.

Last week Britain became the first country to start supplying Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles, which will allow its forces to hit Russian troops and supply dumps deep behind the front lines.

The EU officials assured, at the end of the meetings, that the two leaders "shared a common willingness for a south Caucasus at peace," describing their exchanges as "frank, open and result oriented".

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations plan to tighten sanctions on Russia at their summit in Japan this week, with steps aimed at energy and exports aiding Moscow's war effort, said officials with direct knowledge of the discussions.

Polling had suggested that the secular opposition figurehead Kemal Kilicdaroglu had a chance of crossing the 50-percent threshold required to win Turkey's momentous presidential ballot without contesting a May 28 runoff.

On his latest stop in a tour of European allies, Zelensky dined with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace on Sunday night and held discussions that included building up Ukraine's arsenal.

There has been some progress on reaching a deal but Democrats and Republicans remain at loggerheads, though President Joe Biden said he was confident the debt ceiling will be raised.

Across Khartoum, those still alive remain barricaded, hoping to dodge stray bullets and enduring desperate shortages of food and basic supplies.

Moments after Khan was detained by a swarm of paramilitary Rangers on Tuesday, the interior ministry restricted nationwide access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

At the same briefing, a spokesperson from the U.N. children's agency said that a factory in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, producing food for malnourished children had burnt down.

Erdogan has been campaigning round the clock as he nears momentous polls Sunday that put his Islamic style of rule in the only Muslim-majority member of NATO on the line.

Kyiv's claimed gains near the epicentre of the war's fiercest battle have been refuted by Moscow, but come as expectations build over the anticipated, high-stakes fightback.

Erdogan's challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, has pledged more freedom at home and foreign policies hewing closer to the West.

A Pakistani court ordered former Prime Minister Imran Khan's release on bail for two weeks, his lawyer said on Friday, after his arrest ignited deadly protests and a tussle with the military.

In Gaza, a small impoverished coastal territory blockaded by Israel and Egypt since 2007, people woke up to empty streets, many keen for a respite after days of explosions.

Gokcen said an opposition-led government would introduce changes including a constitutional amendment to secure judicial independence, and put an end to politically-motivated lawsuits.

On Thursday, Pakistan's Supreme Court said that the NAB's arrest of Khan for graft was illegal.

Miriam Karen's home in Ashkelon was hit by Palestinian rockets for the second time in five years this week, during cross-border barrages from Gaza that remain a frightening ordeal for people in southern Israel despite years of experience.

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill on Thursday intended to bar the American government from recognizing Bashar al-Assad as Syria's president and to enhance Washington's ability to impose sanctions - a warning to other countries normalizing relations with Assad.

With Sunday's presidential vote putting him in a tight race with opposition rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu, it is hard to believe the feisty politician who has ruled Turkey with a strong arm graciously admitting defeat and quietly bowing out of office.

Ukrainian Colonel Roman Hryshchenko, the commander of Ukraine's 127th Territorial Defence Brigade, rejected Prigozhin's claims in an interview by video link.

Britain's decision will make it the first country to provide longer-range missiles to Kyiv, which has been training a new contingent of forces and stockpiling Western-supplied munitions and hardware.

The UN Human Rights Council's 47 members voted with 18 in favour, 15 opposed and 14 abstaining for a resolution calling for an end to the violence and strengthening the mandate of a UN expert on Sudan.

The Western-led motion, which passed with 18 in favour and 15 against, had been backed by Britain and the United States to condemn abuses by Sudan's warring military factions.

Iran has continued supplying weapons and drugs that fuel the Yemen war despite its agreement to restore diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, U.S.

Obtaining commitments of "significant additional financing" is essential before the IMF approves the release of pending bailout funds that are crucial for Pakistan to resolve an acute balance of payments crisis.

The U.N. and Turkey brokered the Black Sea agreement in July last year to help tackle a global food crisis that has been worsened by Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Sarkozy is accused of corruption, illegal campaign financing and concealing the embezzlement of public funds, the prosecutors ssid in a statement.