The UAE said Tuesday it supports Saudi efforts to end a three-year Gulf dispute, Abu Dhabi's first reaction to recent statements suggesting the rift between four countries and Qatar could soon ease. ( read original story ...)
Saudi Aramco and Baker Hughes JV to develop non-metallic products
Oil giant Saudi Aramco and energy services company Baker Hughes have formed a 50/50 joint venture, Novel, to develop a broad range of non-metallic products for multiple applications in the energy ... ( read original story ...)
The Covid-19 pandemic is driving new cases of polio in Afghanistan
Due to the pandemic, an estimated 50 million children in Afghanistan and Pakistan missed polio vaccines this year. ( read original story ...)
The Taliban are megarich – here’s where they get the money they use to wage war in Afghanistan
Because the Taliban's insurgency is so well financed, the Afghan government must spend enormous sums on war, too. A peace accord would free up funds for basic services, economic development and more. ( read original story ...)
Rubber dub dub… get me in the tub! Stray dog is rescued – and given a nice bath – after getting trapped in melted rubberized asphalt in Thailand
The stray Aspin was rescued after a passerby spotted her stuck in the goo at an industrial estate in Nakhon Nayok, Thailand, on December 6. Video shows efforts to free the dog and clean her. ( read original story ...)
Controversial lese majeste law returns amid protests in Thailand
Protest leaders are charged with insulting the monarchy as authorities attempt to criminalize the demonstrations, which have seen tens of thousands of people take to the streets of Bangkok since July. ( read original story ...)
Thailand rounds up over 6,000 illegal immigrants since May
Thailand's Immigration Bureau on Tuesday released a report saying that authorities had netted in more than 6,000 illegal immigrants since May, during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak. ( read original story ...)
U.S. says no sanctions penalty on humanitarian aid for Iran
Banks that process payments for humanitarian aid to Iran will not be penalised under U.S. sanctions, the U.S. Treasury has said, following a European appeal for leniency. In a statement explaining ... ( read original story ...)
Somersault throw-in goal during football match in Iran – video
Nader Mohammadi somersaults over the ball to launch it deep into the penalty area, watching it sail all the way into the net after a touch from the goalkeeper ... ( read original story ...)
Rare iridescent snake discovered in Vietnam is covered in small scales that leaves its skin exposed
A rare iridescent snake discovered in Vietnam is a new species of burrowing snake. Called Achalinus zugorum, the snake sports the odd scale pattern and parts of its skin is peaking out between the ... ( read original story ...)