World

Macron urges Iran’s Raisi to respect nuclear obligations ‘without delay’

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi to return to fulfilling Tehran’s obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal “without delay” as negotiators seek to revive the accord at talks in Vienna, his office said.

In telephone talks on Monday, Macron urged Raisi to engage in a “constructive manner” in the talks that resumed after a suspension of almost half a year, following the election of the hardliner to the Iranian presidency.

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European powers are seeking to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that has been moribund since the United States walked out in 2018, prompting Tehran to ramp up nuclear activities as Washington reimposed sanctions.

France’s objective “was to see Iran return to full respect for all of its commitments under the JCPOA and that the United States return to the agreement,” the French presidency said.

Macron also “underscored the need for Iran to engage constructively in this direction so that the exchanges allow a swift return to the agreement,” it added.

“Iran must return without delay to compliance with all its commitments and obligations… and quickly resume cooperation that allows the (UN atomic) agency to fully carry out its mission,” it said.

A statement from Raisi’s office added that he urged Macron “to strive with other parties in Vienna to conclude the negotiations and lift the sanctions against Iran.”

“Sending a full team to the talks shows Iran’s serious will in these talks,” Raisi said.

Referring to the United States, he added: “Those who have started to violate the nuclear deal must gain the confidence of the other party for the negotiations to proceed in a real and fruitful manner.”

The EU chair of the talks, Enrique Mora, said after the first session of discussions Monday that he felt “extremely positive,” though he acknowledged that “difficult issues” have yet to be tackled.

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World

Voting starts in Turkey’s presidential election runoff

Voting starts in Turkey’s presidential election runoff, Reuters reports.
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World

‘Dream come true:’ Fans react to WWE Night of Champions wrestling event in Jeddah

Fans in Saudi Arabia were treated to an extravaganza of acrobatic combat and shocking storylines when World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) held its Night of Champions event at Jeddah’s Superdome on Saturday night.

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The evening was full of action as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn beat Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa to retain their tag team titles, with Zayn winning over scores of new local fans as he walked into the ring wearing a traditional Saudi thobe and introduced himself in Arabic.

Earlier in the show, Seth Rollins defeated AJ Styles to win the world heavyweight championship, and there were also appearances by WWE veterans Brock Lesnar and Triple H.

Al Arabiya English caught up with some of the fans at Jeddah Superdome after the event.

Danya Hamdi has been watching WWE since the age of 8. At 21, she finally had the chance to attend her first live event.

“It was amazing, to be honest,” she said. “It was the first time I came to a WWE event and it was fabulous… It was amazing, like achieving my dream.”

Hamdi, who lives in Jeddah, attended the event with her sister Reef and their mother.

Although she was not a fan of the professional wrestling league before Saturday night, Hamdi says that Sami Zayn’s donning of the thobe was enough to win over her mother.

“I was mind blown by his Arabic. I think my mom really liked it, and she doesn’t like WWE… she became a fan.”

32-year-old Basem Degnah first saw the WWE in the flesh at the 2018 Greatest Royal Rumble event in Jeddah.

Since then, he’s attended events in both the US and Saudi Arabia. But Saturday’s Night of Champions was a “historic day” to him.

“I think it’s one of those events that’s once in a lifetime.”

The Jeddah local who has been a fan of the WWE for more than 20 years said that his favorite match of the night was the opening championship fight between Seth Rollins and AJ Styles.

“I would never, ever imagine, if you asked me back in the 90s, that we would see these incredible superstars performing in front of us.”

“This is really, honestly, a dream come true to a lot of Saudi fans.”

Indian nationals Harpreet Singh, 30, and Parmaat Singh, 36, became fast friends when they spotted each other’s Sikh turbans in the crowd at the event.

Harpreet previously attended the Elimination Chamber event in February 2022, and plans to catch future shows when the WWE returns to Jeddah.

Both men said that the highlight of the evening was seeing longtime WWE superstar Brock Lesnar fight again, defeating Cody Rhodes.

Ali Ahmed, 25 and also from Jeddah, was so enthralled by the last match between Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens, that he almost lost his voice from cheering.

“It was like a dream. I didn’t believe it until I saw it in action,” he said.

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World

Over 1,500 climate activists detained in Netherlands

More than 1,500 people were arrested during a protest by the Extinction Rebellion climate group in The Hague on Saturday, Dutch police said.

Activists blocked a section of a motorway in the centre of city during the afternoon, in protest against Dutch fossil fuel subsidies.

Police said they had used water cannon to disperse activists blocking a major road in the city, and arrested “a total of 1,579 people… 40 of whom will be prosecuted” on charges including vandalism.

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One of the activists bit a policeman during his arrest, police said.

Several Dutch celebrities were among the protesters, including Carice van Houten, best known for her role as Melisandre in the hit TV series “Game of Thrones.”

The Dutch news agency ANP reported that she was arrested but later allowed to return home.

It did not specify if she was among those who would be prosecuted.

The protests marks the seventh organized by Extinction Rebellion in this area of The Hague, but the highest number of people arrested so far, according to ANP.

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