The United Nations (UN) on Monday declared the world "at war" against COVID-19, as India's death toll passed 300,000 and Japan opened its first mass vaccination centres.But just two months ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, the United States (US) on Monday advised its citizens against travelling there.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged governments to apply wartime logic to stark inequalities in the response to the pandemic.Despite rapidly advancing vaccination rollouts in we

Four of the world's five top executioners in 2020 were Middle East states, Amnesty International says.

The United States (US) on Friday for the first time publicly accused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of approving the gruesome murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but stopped short of targeting the powerful heir apparent.The prince, who is de facto ruler of the US ally and oil provider, "approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi," said an intelligence report newly declassified by President Joe Biden's admini

A Saudi court on Monday overturned five death sentences over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder, in a final ruling that was condemned by his fiancée and slammed by a United Nations (UN) expert as a "parody of justice".Eight unnamed defendants were handed jail terms of between seven and 20 years in a verdict that comes after Khashoggi's sons "pardoned" the killers in May, paving the way for a less severe punishment.The court ruling underscores Saudi efforts to dr

Masked pilgrims scaled Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat Thursday to pray and repent in the climax of this year's hajj, the smallest in modern times after massive crowds in previous years.A tight security cordon has been erected all around the foot of the rocky hill outside Mecca, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, for the high point of the annual ritual.Pilgrims, donning masks and observing social distancing as Saudi authorities enforce tough restrictions to prevent a corona

Oil prices extended losses in Asian trade Monday and languished at 17-year lows, with the coronavirus crisis escalating around the world and no end in sight to a vicious price war.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell 5.3 percent to trade at US$20 a barrel, while international benchmark Brent crude was off 6.5 percent at US$23.The falls came after the death toll from the pandemic surged past 30,000 at the weekend as cases in hard-hit Europe and the United States showed no sign of letting

Oil rebounded Tuesday, with investors buying at bargain levels after prices plunged to four-year lows as governments worldwide ramped up measures to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus.Analysts said, however, that any recovery in oil prices is likely to be short-lived as travel restrictions and other tough measures rolled out to fight the virus sap demand amid a production glut and price war.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was trading at US$29.95 a barrel, up 4.36 percent,

Oil plunged over 20 percent Monday after top exporter Saudi Arabia launched a price war in response to a failure by leading producers to strike a deal to support energy markets.The two main contracts both lost about a fifth of their value in morning Asian trade, with West Texas Intermediate sliding to about US$32 a barrel and Brent crude to about US$36 a barrel.Saudi Arabia launched an all-out oil war Sunday with the biggest cut in its prices in the last 20 years after a failing to clinch a d

Malaysia will this week host a summit of Muslim leaders billed as a forum to look at the Islamic world's problems, but it will be closely watched for Middle East power plays and their stance on China's Uighur minority.Leaders from Iran, Turkey, and Qatar will be among hundreds of delegates attending the three-day event set to discuss myriad challenges faced by Muslims.The summit has been pushed by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has long championed greater solidarity

Iran on Sunday dismissed United States (US) accusations it was behind drone attacks on Saudi oil installations, suggesting Washington was seeking a pretext to retaliate against the Islamic republic."Such fruitless and blind accusations and remarks are incomprehensible and meaningless," foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi was quoted as saying in a statement.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned Iran after Saturday's attacks, which knocked out half of Saudi Arabia&#039