Russia has recorded its first cases of the COVID-19 variant first found in India.
According to the country's local reports, the regional branch of consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said it had recorded 16 cases of the variant among Indian students at Ulyanovsk State University, around 700 kilometres east of Moscow.
The students have been reportedly put in self-isolation and are under medical observation.
More details to follow.
Trump not satisfied with Iran's latest proposal for talks
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he was not satisfied with the latest Iranian proposal for talks on the war, while Iran's foreign minister said Tehran was ready for diplomacy if the United States changes its approach.
Iran sends proposal for negotiations with US to mediator Pakistan
Tehran has submitted its latest proposal for negotiations with the United States, Iranian state media and a Pakistani official said on Friday, a move that could offer hope for breaking a deadlock in efforts to end the Iran war.
Iran threatens painful response if US renews attacks
Iran said on Thursday it would respond with "long and painful strikes" on US positions if Washington renewed attacks and restated its claim to the Strait of Hormuz, complicating US plans for a coalition to reopen the waterway.
Ukrainian drones hit Russian port of Tuapse for the fourth time
A fresh Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse, the fourth in the past week, sparked a fire at the sea terminal but caused no injuries, local officials said early on Friday.
The UAE has welcomed a new resolution adopted by the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee during its 84th session.
At the United Nations Security Council, the UAE has called for the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, urging that Iran be held fully accountable for obstructing international navigation.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has praised the efforts of the first batch of Emirati government officials to secure scholarships to study at the world's top universities.
