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Kuwait Maintains Qatar Crisis Resolution Efforts as Saudi, France Discuss Counter-Terrorism

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz holds hands with Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in Jeddah, June 6, 2017. (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz holds hands with Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in Jeddah, June 6, 2017. (Reuters)
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Kuwait Maintains Qatar Crisis Resolution Efforts as Saudi, France Discuss Counter-Terrorism

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz holds hands with Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in Jeddah, June 6, 2017. (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz holds hands with Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in Jeddah, June 6, 2017. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia and France agreed to promote efforts to fight terrorism and extremism and counter-terrorist financing.

Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz received a telephone call from French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday.

The two officials reviewed bilateral relations in various fields and means to fight terrorism and extremism, a statement by the Saudi Press Agency said.

It added that they both underlined the need to exert more efforts to dry up the sources of terrorism and stressed both countries’ keenness on the security and stability of the region.

Macron also held a telephone conversation with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, reported the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

WAM said the two leaders tackled cooperative relations and the latest developments in the region, as well as efforts exerted to combat terrorism and extremism. They also discussed the best means to support regional and international efforts to consolidate security and stability in the region.

Macron’s talks with Gulf leaders came at a time when Kuwait is leading diplomatic efforts to resolve the Gulf crisis, in the wake the Arab quartet’s insistence on Qatar’s need to comply with international efforts to prevent terrorism financing.

In this regard, Prince Mohammed received on Monday a written letter addressed to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz from the Kuwaiti Emir.

Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al Sabah and State Minister Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah al-Mubarak Al Sabah delivered the message during a meeting with Prince Mohammed in Jeddah.

The Kuwaiti envoys conveyed a similar letter to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, before heading to the Sultanate of Oman, the UAE and later Bahrain.

Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said that the letter to Sultan Qaboos of Oman covered the latest developments on the regional and international arenas and issues of common concern.

The Kuwaiti envoys also delivered a similar message to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, KUNA reported.

In Manama, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa received Kuwaiti envoys Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al Sabah and Sheikh Mohammed Al-Abdullah al-Mubarak Al Sabah, who delivered a written message to the Bahraini monarch.

In parallel, Kuwait’s cabinet announced on Tuesday that the Kuwaiti emir would visit Washington on September 6 on his first visit to the United States since President Donald Trump took office.

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World

Russia: Man Suspected of Shooting Top General Detained in Dubai

An investigator works outside a residential building where the assassination attempt on Russian Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev took place in Moscow, Russia February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova
An investigator works outside a residential building where the assassination attempt on Russian Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev took place in Moscow, Russia February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova
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Russia: Man Suspected of Shooting Top General Detained in Dubai

An investigator works outside a residential building where the assassination attempt on Russian Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev took place in Moscow, Russia February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova
An investigator works outside a residential building where the assassination attempt on Russian Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev took place in Moscow, Russia February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Sunday that the man suspected of shooting top Russian military intelligence officer Vladimir Alexeyev in Moscow has been detained in Dubai and handed over to Russia.

Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, deputy head of the GRU, ⁠Russia's military intelligence arm, was shot several times in an apartment block in Moscow on Friday, investigators said. He underwent surgery after the shooting, Russian media ⁠said.

The FSB said a Russian citizen named Lyubomir Korba was detained in Dubai on suspicion of carrying out the shooting.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of being behind the assassination attempt, which he said was designed to sabotage peace talks. ⁠Ukraine said it had nothing to do with the shooting.

Alexeyev's boss, Admiral Igor Kostyukov, the head of the GRU, has been leading Russia's delegation in negotiations with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on security-related aspects of a potential peace deal.

World

Factory Explosion Kills 8 in Northern China

Employees work on an electric vehicle (EV) production line at the Volkswagen Anhui factory in Hefei, Anhui province, China, February 4, 2026. REUTERS/Florence Lo
Employees work on an electric vehicle (EV) production line at the Volkswagen Anhui factory in Hefei, Anhui province, China, February 4, 2026. REUTERS/Florence Lo
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Factory Explosion Kills 8 in Northern China

Employees work on an electric vehicle (EV) production line at the Volkswagen Anhui factory in Hefei, Anhui province, China, February 4, 2026. REUTERS/Florence Lo
Employees work on an electric vehicle (EV) production line at the Volkswagen Anhui factory in Hefei, Anhui province, China, February 4, 2026. REUTERS/Florence Lo

An explosion at a biotech factory in northern China has killed eight people, Chinese state media reported Sunday, increasing the total number of fatalities by one.

State news agency Xinhua had previously reported that seven people died and one person was missing after the Saturday morning explosion at the Jiapeng biotech company in Shanxi province, citing local authorities.

Later, Xinhua said eight were dead, adding that the firm's legal representative had been taken into custody.

The company is located in Shanyin County, about 400 kilometers west of Beijing, AFP reported.

Xinhua said clean-up operations were ongoing, noting that reporters observed dark yellow smoke emanating from the site of the explosion.

Authorities have established a team to investigate the cause of the blast, the report added.

Industrial accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards.
In late January, an explosion at a steel factory in the neighboring province of Inner Mongolia left at least nine people dead.

Business

Saudi Arabia’s flynas, Syrian Civil Aviation Authority Partner to Launch 'flynas Syria'

The new airline will operate commercial air transport services in accordance with approved regulations and standards (flynas)
The new airline will operate commercial air transport services in accordance with approved regulations and standards (flynas)
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Saudi Arabia’s flynas, Syrian Civil Aviation Authority Partner to Launch 'flynas Syria'

The new airline will operate commercial air transport services in accordance with approved regulations and standards (flynas)
The new airline will operate commercial air transport services in accordance with approved regulations and standards (flynas)

Saudi budget carrier flynas has signed an agreement with the Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport to establish a new commercial airline under the name "flynas Syria," with operations scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Saturday’s agreement comes within the framework of bilateral cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Syria, as well as the strategic investment agreements between the two countries, coordinated with the Saudi Ministry of Investment and the Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport.

The new airline will operate commercial air transport services in accordance with approved regulations and standards, meeting the highest safety and aviation security requirements. All licensing and operational procedures will be completed in coordination with the relevant authorities.

The carrier will be established as a joint venture, with 51% ownership held by the Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport and 49% by flynas.

The new airline will operate flights to several destinations across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. This expansion aims to bolster air traffic to and from Syria, enhance regional and international connectivity, and meet growing demand for air travel.

"This step is part of our commitment to supporting high-quality cross-border investments. The aviation sector is a key enabler of economic development, and the establishment of 'flynas Syria' serves as a model for constructive investment cooperation,” said Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih.

“This partnership enhances economic integration and market connectivity and supports development goals by advancing air transport infrastructure, ultimately serving the mutual interests of both nations and promoting regional economic stability,” he added.

President of the Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport Omar Hosari also stated that the establishment of flynas Syria represents a strategic step within a comprehensive national vision aimed at rebuilding and developing Syria's civil aviation sector on modern economic and regulatory foundations.

“This will be achieved while balancing safety requirements, operational sustainability, investment stimulation, and passenger services. The partnership reflects the state's orientation toward smart cooperation models with trusted regional partners, ensuring the transfer of expertise, the development of national capabilities, and the enhancement of Syria's air connectivity with regional and international destinations, in line with global best practices in the air transport industry."

flynas Chairman Ayed Al-Jeaid stated that the company continues to pursue strategies aimed at growth and international expansion, describing the agreement as a historic milestone in the company's journey and a promising investment model in partnership with Syria.

flynas CEO Bander Al-mohanna said the step represents a qualitative leap in the company's strategy and financial performance, highlighting the transfer of the company's low-cost aviation experience to the Syrian market to support regional and international air connectivity.

flynas currently operates 23 weekly flights from Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam to Damascus, including two daily direct flights from Riyadh, one daily flight from Jeddah, and two weekly flights from Dammam.

The airline made history on June 5, 2025, by adding the Syrian capital to its network, becoming the first Saudi carrier to resume scheduled flights to Damascus.