The European Medicine Agency (EMA) started on Monday to evaluate if BioNTech/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine can be given to children aged 5 to 11 years old.

- EMA’s human medicines committee will review the data on the vaccine, including results from an ongoing clinical study involving children aged 5 to 11, in order to decide whether to recommend extending its use - the EU agency wrote in a press statement.
According to the current recommendation of the EU regulator, children aged 12 and above can receive BioNTech jabs.
The EMA expects to publish the results in a few months.
BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine was the first COVID-19 jabs authorized by the bloc in December 2020.
The EU financially contributed to the development of the vaccine under an advanced purchased agreement.
To provide booster jabs, the European Commission agreed in May with Pfizer/BioNTech to purchase another 1.8 billion doses for the years 2022 and 2023, in addition to the 600 million doses received this year.
The jab uses an innovative technique, messenger RNA, or mRNA, with instructions to produce a protein from the virus that causes COVID-19 to prepare the body to fight the disease.
Contrary to traditional vaccines, BioNTech/Pfizer does not contain the virus itself.

European Medicine Agency to assess if children aged 5 to 11 can receive COVID-19 shots

According to the current recommendation of the EU regulator, children aged 12 and above can receive BioNTech jabs

EU drugs agency examines BioNTech vaccines for children under 12

Russia suspends its mission to NATO after the alliance’s decision to cancel the accreditation of its eight personnel, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

- Practically as a result of purposeful steps on the part of NATO, we lack proper conditions for elementary diplomatic activity, and in response to NATO's actions, we suspend the work of our permanent mission to NATO, including the work of the chief military representative, planning from November 1, or maybe it will take a few more days - he said.
The work of the NATO mission to Russia will be also suspended from Nov. 1, the minister said at a news conference in Moscow.
- We are suspending the activities of the NATO military mission in Moscow, the accreditation of its employees is revoked from November 1 of this year - he said.
After Lavrov’s announcement, the Foreign Ministry published a statement, saying the Russian ambassador to Belgium is authorized to maintain emergency contacts with the NATO headquarters.
NATO can choose one of the ambassadors of its member countries in Moscow to perform similar duties, it said.
On Oct. 6, NATO closed two vacant positions and canceled the accreditation of eight members of the Russian mission, claiming that they were "undeclared Russian intelligence officers."
A NATO official said the alliance reduced the number of positions Russia can accredit from 20 to 10, while declaring "openness for a meaningful dialogue."

Russian foreign minister says Russian mission cannot work properly after NATO revoked accreditation of 8 employees

The work of the NATO mission to Russia will be also suspended from Nov. 1

Russia suspends work of its mission to NATO from Nov. 1

Iraqi President Barham Salih on Monday called on all political parties to respect the results of the country’s parliamentary elections.


In a statement, Salih urged those disputing the vote results to pursue “legal” and “peaceful” means in doing so.
- Iraq is going through a delicate circumstance and faces grave challenges and major national entitlements,” Salih said. He called for unity and the prioritization of “the language of dialogue” and the interests of the country as well as meeting the “aspirations of Iraqis for a free and dignified life.-Salih’s remarks came as influential Iran-linked Shia factions rejected the preliminary results of the Oct. 10 polls, including Al-Fatah coalition – affiliated with the Hashd al-Shaabi militia – and the Iraqi Civil Front of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.
The polls saw 3,249 candidates representing 21 coalitions and 109 parties vying for seats in the 329-member parliament, with a 43% voter turnout.
Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's party won 73 seats in parliament, the highest, followed by Taqaddum bloc of Parliament Speaker Mohamed Halbousi with 37 and the State of Law Coalition led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with 34 seats.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party also won 32 seats, the Azem Alliance of Iraqi millionaire Khamis Khanjar won 12 seats, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan got 16 seats, the Al-Fatah Coalition won 17 seats, the Imtidad Movement and the New Generation Movement got 9 seats each, while independents won 40 seats.
Allawi’s party, meanwhile, boycotted the vote.
Salih called for "respect of the will of the people and the constitutional process”, saying challenging the results should be done within “the legal and peaceful context (and) without compromising the security of the people, their properties, and that of the country."
The elections were originally scheduled for 2022, but political parties decided to hold early elections following mass protests that erupted in 2019 against deep-seated corruption and poor governance.

A number of Shia factions rejected vote results

The polls saw 3,249 candidates representing 21 coalitions and 109 parties vying for seats in the 329-member parliament, with a 43% voter turnout

Iraqi president calls to respect election results

The UN sent on Monday 100 metric tons of aid to Afghanistan from Uzbekistan's Termez airport.

According to the UNHCR Central Asia, the aid collected in the last three days will be trucked into Afghanistan's Mazar-e-Sharif through the Termez-Hairatan border crossing from Termez Cargo Centre. The core relief supplies are meant to help Afghans prepare for the winter.
- We believe this new route of aid delivery will contribute to global efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and to help millions of people affected by it - Dumitru Lipcanu, UNHCR deputy representative for Central Asia, had said in an earlier statement.
According to the UN body, more than 3.5 million Afghans are currently internally displaced, including more than half a million since the beginning of the year.

Core relief supplies for winter to be trucked into Mazar-e-Sharif

The plane carrying humanitarian aid sent by the United Nations (UN) to Afghanistan arrives at Termez International Airport in Termez, Uzbekistan on October 15, 2021.

UN sends 100 tons of aid to Afghanistan via Uzbekistan

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell died due to complications from COVID-19, his family confirmed on Monday. He was 84.

- General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19 - his family said in a statement posted to Powell's Facebook page.
- We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather, and a great American - it added.
He was being treated at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, his family said.
Powell was fully vaccinated, according to his family, but CBS News reported he had been suffering from other health complications, including Parkinson's disease, at the time of his death.
Powell was a Vietnam war veteran who went on to become one of the most prominent Black Americans in politics as he broke multiple barriers in his decades-spanning military and public service careers.
Powell was the first Black secretary of state, serving under former President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005 when the US embarked on its campaigns against Iraq and Afghanistan.
It was Powell's 2003 speech before the UN Security Council in which the US claimed former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein was in possession of a rogue weapons of mass destruction program. That claim served as the backbone for the US's invasion of the country.
The speech is widely regarded as a low-point of Powell's career. No weapons of mass destruction were ever discovered, and the claim has been widely debunked.
Prior to assuming the top spot at the State Department Powell served as George H. W. Bush's national security advisor from 1987 to 1989, and was the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993.
A lifelong Republican, Powell grew progressively disillusioned with the party later in life, and would go on to help Democrats win office, including his endorsement of President Joe Biden in his successful campaign against former President Donald Trump.

Powell, 84, was fully vaccinated, says his family

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell dies of COVID-19 complications

Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, an Afghan official said on Monday.

Muttaqi was given assurance of the meeting by Wang Yu, China’s ambassador in Kabul, whom he met on Sunday evening, according to Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Taliban’s interim Foreign Ministry.
The date and venue of Muttaqi’s meeting with the Chinese foreign minister “will be determined later,” Balkhi said on Twitter.
If the meeting materializes, Wang Yi will be the fourth foreign minister to meet officials of the interim Taliban government, following his counterparts from Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Qatar.
The acting Afghan foreign minister and Chinese ambassador also discussed the resumption of exports of pine nuts from Afghanistan to China.
The Chinese side has assured “that they will make all necessary arrangements and begin exports soon,” Balkhi added.

China has agreed to convene meeting, date, venue to be decided later, says Taliban official

Taliban's acting foreign minister to meet Chinese counterpart

China has accused the US and Canada of "seriously jeopardizing peace and stability" in the Taiwan Strait after they sent warships through the narrow waterway.

The Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement that the US and Canada "made provocations with odious nature and stirred up troubles in cahoots, which seriously jeopardized the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."
The statement came after the US Navy destroyer USS Dewey (DDG-105) and the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Winnipeg sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Friday.
- Taiwan is a part of China. Troops of the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Eastern Theater Command are staying on high alert at all times, and ready to resolutely counter all threats and provocations - Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said on Sunday evening.
He said the PLA responded to the "provocation" by sending naval and air forces to "track and monitor the two warships in the whole course."
Beijing's ire towards the two warships' voyage close to its southeastern borders comes amid rising tensions over Taiwan.
China has sent warplanes nearly 150 times into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) since early this month.
The ADIZ is a buffer zone outside a country's airspace where it has the right to ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves.
China claims Taiwan as a "breakaway province" while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949 and has diplomatic relations with at least 15 countries.
Also, American media reports claimed US Special Forces and Marines have been secretly training Taiwanese forces for at least a year.
- A US special operations unit and a contingent of Marines have been secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces there," The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month, citing unnamed US officials, adding that the deployment was "part of efforts to shore up the island's defenses as concern regarding potential Chinese aggression mounts.-The US formally recognized the People's Republic of China in 1979 and shifted diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing, including Taiwan as part of mainland China.
Under the previous US administration of Donald Trump, the US sold arms worth billions of dollars to Taipei to "bolster Taiwan's defense against Chinese aggression."

Chinese military says US Navy destroyer, Royal Canadian Navy frigate sailed through Taiwan Strait, caused tension

The Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement that the US and Canada "made provocations with odious nature and stirred up troubles in cahoots, which seriously jeopardized the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait"

China accuses US, Canada of "jeopardizing peace" in Taiwan Strait

Police in Bangladesh have detained at least 300 suspects for attacking and vandalizing Hindu temples in various parts of the country following unrest triggered by the reported desecration of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, during a Hindu religious ritual last week, law enforcement sources said Monday.

Violence erupted across Bangladesh after a photo was widely circulated on social media Wednesday showing the Quran placed on the knee of a Hindu deity during celebrations for the Durga Puja festival in the east-central district of Comilla.
Angry mobs attacked Hindu temples and clashed with police in various areas amid the unrest in the following days, leaving at least five dead and more than 100 injured.
At least 35 Hindu temples in several districts, mostly Comilla and the port city of Chattogram, have been reportedly attacked, raising communal tensions.
Police have filed 50 cases, including in the capital Dhaka, charging at least 10,000 people in connection with the incidents.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Kamal told the media Sunday that police were investigating the issue.
- We hope that we will be able to arrest the guilty who have vandalized the temples and prompted the violence - he said.
He added that a “third party” may be involved in the anarchy to tarnish the long-prevailing communal harmony and tolerance in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the government and main opposition political party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have publicly blamed each other for the incident.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, who is also general secretary of the ruling Awami League, while addressing a public function in Dhaka on Sunday accused the BNP of being the “number one” patron of sectarian evil forces.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a press briefing Sunday meanwhile alleged that “government agents” placed the Quran on the lap of the Hindu idol with an immoral motive of blaming the opposition.
He also accused ruling party supporters of destroying Hindu temples and other settlements in the southern district of Noakhali.
Meanwhile, a group of agitated people in the country’s northern border district of Rangpur set fire to dozens of Hindu homes Sunday night after a Facebook post allegedly by a Hindu youth insulting Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, went viral.
Local firefighting units and members of law enforcement agencies rushed to the area and brought the situation under control.

50 cases filed by police accusing at least 10,000 people of violence amid unrest over desecration of Holy Quran

At least 35 Hindu temples in several districts, mostly Comilla and the port city of Chattogram, have been reportedly attacked, raising communal tensions

Bangladesh detains over 300 suspects for attacking Hindu temples

A bomb blast hit a Shia mosque in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province during Friday prayers, killing at least 30 people, an official confirmed.

Murtaza Zarifi, a security officer at the mosque, claimed the attack was carried out by two suicide bombers.
The attack also left over 200 people injured.
Taliban forces have blocked all roads leading to the mosque where the attack took place.
The spokesman of the Interior Ministry under the Taliban administration, Saeed Khosti, also confirmed the incident, announcing in a statement that an investigation has been launched.
The explosion comes days after a suicide bomb attack claimed by the Daesh/ISIS terror group on a Shia mosque in the northern city of Kunduz, which killed 46 people.

Security officer of mosque in Kandahar city says it was suicide attack

The attack also left over 200 people injured

At least 30 killed in Afghanistan mosque blast

Moscow is "extremely concerned" about clashes in the Lebanese capital Beirut, which left six people dead, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said on Friday.

Moscow calls on the sides to exercise restraint and expects the government of Najib Mikati will be able to cope with the situation, the ministry said.
- We hope that the government of Najib Mikati, formed with considerable difficulty, will cope with this dangerous challenge and will not allow further degradation of the situation in the country.&nbsp;We express our condolences to the relatives and friends of the victims. We call on all Lebanese politicians to show restraint and prudence, to return to constructive joint work in the interests of resolving current issues on the national agenda on the basis of mutual respect and consent, without external interference - it said.On Oct. 14, unknown gunmen opened fire on protesters from rooftops near the Palace of Justice, forcing demonstrators and journalists to take cover.
Clashes then broke out between masked gunmen and the snipers, leaving six people dead and 32 others wounded.
The protest was held to demand the removal of Tarek Bitar, the judge heading the probe into last year's deadly Beirut port blast, after the court dismissed a complaint against him and allowed him to continue the investigation.
Commenting on the violence, Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah and Amal released a joint statement accusing an "armed group" affiliated with the Lebanese Forces party led by Samir Geagea of being behind the attack.
The Lebanese military said in a statement that the protesters were attacked while they were heading toward the Palace of Justice.
The Beirut port blast in August 2020 killed more than 200 people, wounded around 6,000, and left some 300,000 homeless besides causing massive damage and further weakening Lebanon’s already fragile economy.

Russian Foreign Ministry calls on Lebanese sides to exercise restraint and return to "constructive work"

Moscow calls on the sides to exercise restraint and expects the government of Najib Mikati will be able to cope with the situation

Russia voices concern over deepening crisis in Lebanon

Pakistan on Friday accused Indian forces of killing 10 Kashmiris over the past week and condemned the arrest of 1,400 Kashmiris in recent days.

During a weekly press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Asim Iftikhar Ahmad claimed that Indian forces did not even return the remains of the victims to their families.
- During the last week alone, 10 innocent Kashmiris have been martyred in fake encounters and so-called ‘cordon-and-search operations’- Ahmad said, adding a Kashmiri civilian was taken into custody and then brutally murdered in a fake encounter in Bandipora.
He accused New Delhi of arresting 1,400 Kashmiris on false charges and said Pakistan strongly condemned the arrests and crackdown in Kashmir.
Unrest has peaked in Kashmir over recent days, particularly with a spike in attacks on religious minorities, including Sikhs and Hindus.
At least seven civilians have been killed in targeted attacks over the past two weeks, including two teachers and a pharmacist from the Sikh and Hindu communities.
The killings have been claimed by a group that calls itself The Resistance Front, which Indian police officials believe is an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
On Monday, militants shot dead five soldiers in a gunfight during a search operation in villages near the area of Surankote in Poonch.
In a statement, Kashmiri police said they killed at least eight militants in clashes during three days from Oct. 11 to 13, who were linked to proscribed terror outfit LeT.
However, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry rejected the Kashmiri police statement and said Indian forces are committing human rights violations in the disputed territory.
- Pakistan continues to urge the international community to hold India accountable for its egregious human rights violations in IIOJK [Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir], and its persecution of minorities elsewhere - Ahmad said.
Official records show 113 militants have been killed in the disputed Himalayan region this year, with the highest fatalities recorded in the month of July.
According to a police statement issued last week, 28 civilians have been killed in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir this year, out of which 21 were Muslims, five were from the local Hindu and Sikh communities, and two were “non-local Hindu laborers”.
Varying reports suggest Indian police and military have picked up somewhere between 500 to 900 people in recent days as part of efforts to track down the perpetrators behind the spate of killings.
Police officials have refused to divulge the exact number but maintained that “only people with possible links to militants or those involved in subversive activities” are being detained.

Foreign Ministry condemns arrest of 1,400 Kashmiris in recent days

During a weekly press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Asim Iftikhar Ahmad claimed that Indian forces did not even return the remains of the victims to their families

Pakistan claims Indian forces killed 10 "innocent" Kashmiris last week

The EU proposals on Northern Ireland have “long way to go” until accepted by the UK, British Brexit Minister David Frost said in an interview ahead of his visit to Brussels.

- We do recognize that the EU has made an effort here - Frost told Politico, referring to the recent proposals of the European Commission in response to the difficulties people in Northern Ireland have been facing after Brexit.
Frost arrived in Brussels on Friday to hold a working lunch with Maros Sefcovic, the vice-president of the European Commission.
In the interview, he stressed that it is the British position “where we need to end up,” adding that “there’s quite long way to go” till the partners find this kind of agreement.
According to Frost, the UK can only accept the new solutions if there is a significant change in the role of the European Court of Justice in overseeing the Northern Ireland Protocol and settling disputes between the bloc and the UK.
The new EU package aims at easing post-Brexit tensions between the bloc and the UK and to ensure the real-life application of the Northern Ireland Protocol of the withdrawal agreement.
In the area of public, plant and animal health, the EU suggests a simplified certification system as well as a system to significantly reduce control for goods transported from other parts of Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
According to the EU’s estimations, this would lead to around 80% fewer identity and physical checks on most of the goods and 50% less red tape.
The bloc also recommended putting an end to the so-called “sausage war” by allowing UK-produced chilled meat products to be sold in Northern Ireland with a specific certificate and to let medicine companies to keep supplying Northern Ireland even if they are based in other parts of the UK.
The EU and UK concluded the special protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland with the aim of avoiding a hard border in respect of the Good Friday Agreement and at the same time protecting the interests of the EU market.
Northern Ireland remained a part of the EU’s customs regime, while the UK agreed to apply customs checks for goods coming from Northern Ireland.
The UK left the EU last year after 47 years of membership on Jan. 31, 2020.

UK Brexit minister warns of 'long way to go' until partners agree on post-Brexit trade in Northern Ireland

The UK left the EU last year after 47 years of membership on Jan. 31, 2020.

EU, UK hold talk on Northern Ireland proposals in Brussels

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will name his new Cabinet Oct. 26 and parliament will resume Nov. 22, the Prime Minister's Office announced Friday.

The moves follow the Liberal Party's election victory in September as Trudeau begins this third term as prime minister.
As expected, the battle against COVID-19 heads the list of priorities but so do others promised in his election campaign and endorsed by Canadians by way of his victory, Trudeau said.
- From finishing the fight against COVID-19 to getting the job done on $10-a-day child care for families across the country, Canadians chose to move forward in September - he said in a release from the Prime Minister's Office and obtained by Anadolu Agency.
- Together, we will keep working hard to beat this virus and get Canadians vaccinated, create jobs and grow the middle class, put home ownership back in reach, accelerate climate action, and take important steps forward on the path of reconciliation.-As the virus continues to plague Canadians, Trudeau said one of his first efforts will be to get all Members of Parliament (MPs) fully vaccinated. That could prove contentious since the Erin O'Toole, the leader of the official Opposition Progressive Conservative Party, has continued his stance being vaccinated should remain a personal choice. The other political parties have agreed with full vaccination.
- Among the first orders of business will be working with all parties to ensure all Members of Parliament in the House of Commons are fully vaccinated against COVID-19," the release said. "Canadians expect their elected representatives to lead by example in the fight against this virus, and the Prime Minister will be raising this with other leaders.-- The government will also deliver on its commitments to establish a standardized proof of vaccination for Canadians travelling internationally while supporting provincial and territorial proof-of-vaccination programs, and introduce legislation to make it a criminal offence to harass or threaten health-care workers - the release said.
As for the Cabinet appointments, there were 36 ministers before the last election and the number could change when Trudeau names the new members Oct. 26. However, it has already been announced that Chrystia Freeland will continue as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister.

New parliament to return Nov. 22

Canada's Trudeau to name Cabinet ministers Oct. 26

The UN Refugee Agency on Friday urged countries to facilitate and speed up family reunification procedures for Afghans whose families were left behind in Afghanistan or who have been displaced across the region.

- While recent political developments in Afghanistan have not led to large-scale cross-border displacement, many among pre-existing Afghan refugee and asylum seeker populations remain separated from their families owing to the inaccessibility of family reunification procedures - said UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo.
Speaking at a UN press briefing, she said many Afghans were approaching UNHCR offices, desperately concerned for the safety and welfare of their family members who remain in Afghanistan or neighboring countries following the Taliban takeover earlier this year.
The Taliban captured Kabul on Aug. 15, forcing the president and other top officials to leave. They have formed an interim government headed by Hasan Akhund.
In Geneva on Friday, Mantoo said: "To ensure the preservation of family unity and to help protect lives on account of the exceptionally challenging situation in the country, UNHCR is urging states to prioritize and simplify family reunification admission procedures."

<h2>Barriers to family reunification</h2>

While many countries have legal frameworks that provide for refugee family reunification and offer specific safeguards and waivers, the UN refugee agency is concerned that many Afghan refugees could face considerable administrative barriers in realizing that right.

In the same briefing from Kabul, UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch said he was aware of concerns about the impending winter in Afghanistan.
- Once you go out and meet people, you really get a sense of desperation and destitution in terms of needs of the people, and the economy as the services are nearing a collapse over here.-He said Afghans urgently need relief and that the UNHCR hopes to reach nearly half a million people inside the country with its winter assistance.
Some barriers for those seeking family reunification include prohibitive costs, lengthy waiting times, and stringent documentation requirements.
As many embassies and consulates are currently closed in Afghanistan, the UNHCR is urging countries to consider the constraints that refugees may face in meeting taxing administrative and documentation requirements for these admissions.
The agency is proposing that a more pragmatic and flexible approach be taken, including innovative processing methods and remote interviews.
It said that family reunification schemes are distinct from refugee resettlement programs, but they can complement humanitarian programs by facilitating safe and legal entry for refugees to other countries.
Simplified procedures can prevent refugees from taking perilous and irregular journeys, said the UN agency.​​​​​​​

Simple procedures can prevent refugees from taking perilous, irregular journeys, says UN Refugee Agency

Some barriers for those seeking family reunification include prohibitive costs, lengthy waiting times, and stringent documentation requirements

UN urges countries to ease family reunification for Afghans

US President Joe Biden will travel to Italy, Vatican City and the UK beginning at the end of October, the White House announced Thursday.

Biden, who is Catholic, will meet Pope Francis in Vatican City on Oct. 29 and will "discuss working together on efforts grounded in respect for fundamental human dignity, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling the climate crisis, and caring for the poor," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.
Biden's meeting with Francis comes amid a row with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops regarding a "teaching document" that is set to rebuke pro-choice Catholic politicians like Biden.
Biden is only the second Catholic president in US history, and the Vatican has urged bishops to refrain from taking a divisive approach to the matter and warned them to refrain from denying him communion.
After meeting with Francis, the president will travel to Rome for the G20 leaders' summit from Oct. 30-31. The White House did not specify who Biden would meet but said "additional information" would be made available at a later date.
After the summit, Biden will fly to Glasgow, Scotland to participate in the Nov. 1-2 World Leader Summit at the start of the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26).

US president to meet Pope Francis before participating in summits in Italy, Scotland

Biden to visit Vatican City, Italy, UK at end of October

A senior EU official met with Iran's newly appointed deputy foreign minister in Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday to chart a course for returning to the stalled nuclear deal talks.

Enrique Mora, the EU's deputy foreign policy chief, held wide-ranging negotiations with Ali Bagheri Kani, who is tipped to be the new nuclear negotiator, replacing Abbas Aragchi, with the Vienna talks at the top of the agenda.
In a statement, Iran's Foreign Ministry said both sides discussed "bilateral, regional and international issues," including "Iran-EU ties, Afghanistan, and negotiations on lifting sanctions against Iran.”
The visit of the EU envoy, who is tasked with coordinating talks on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), comes amid mounting pressure from the US and European countries to resume the talks in Vienna.
Official sources said the visiting official urged Tehran to return to the talks and scale back its recent nuclear measures, while Iran stressed that the US must lift all sanctions first and guarantee that it will not again abandon the deal as it did in May 2018.
While the new government in Tehran has shown interest in resuming the talks, which began in April, it has not specified the exact date of return. However, according to reliable sources, the next round of talks is expected before the end of this month.
Mora announced his trip to Tehran in a tweet on Wednesday, saying he would meet with his counterpart "at a critical point in time," and that he would raise the "urgency to resume JCPOA negotiations in Vienna."
The last round of talks was held in June before Ebrahim Raisi's government took over in Tehran. While Europeans hope to continue where they left off, it is believed the new negotiating team led by Bagheri might come with a new blueprint.
Mora's visit to Tehran came a day after US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley warned that if the country shows an unwillingness to return to the "nuclear deal constraints," Washington would "consider all options."
France, one of the deal's signatories, said on Wednesday that the EU official's visit to Tehran was "vital to its (nuclear deal) future."
The former US administration in May 2018 unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal signed between Iran and the world powers in July 2015, followed by a reinstatement of sanctions.
Since 2019, Iran has taken a series of measures to scale back its commitments under the deal, including ramping up nuclear enrichment activities, sparking concerns in the international community.

Enrique Mora, EU's deputy foreign policy chief, holds wide-ranging talks with Ali Bagheri Kani, tipped to be new nuclear negotiator in Tehran

In a statement, Iran's Foreign Ministry said both sides discussed "bilateral, regional and international issues," including "Iran-EU ties, Afghanistan, and negotiations on lifting sanctions against Iran”

EU drugs agency examines BioNTech vaccines for children under 12

Russia suspends work of its mission to NATO from Nov. 1

Iraqi president calls to respect election results

UN sends 100 tons of aid to Afghanistan via Uzbekistan

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell dies of COVID-19 complications

Taliban's acting foreign minister to meet Chinese counterpart

China accuses US, Canada of "jeopardizing peace" in Taiwan Strait

Bangladesh detains over 300 suspects for attacking Hindu temples

At least 30 killed in Afghanistan mosque blast

Russia voices concern over deepening crisis in Lebanon

Pakistan claims Indian forces killed 10 "innocent" Kashmiris last week

EU, UK hold talk on Northern Ireland proposals in Brussels

Canada's Trudeau to name Cabinet ministers Oct. 26

UN urges countries to ease family reunification for Afghans

Biden to visit Vatican City, Italy, UK at end of October

Senior EU official, Iran discuss resuming stalled nuclear talks

World

EU drugs agency examines BioNTech vaccines for children under 12

Russia suspends work of its mission to NATO from Nov. 1

Iraqi president calls to respect election results

UN sends 100 tons of aid to Afghanistan via Uzbekistan

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell dies of COVID-19 complications

Taliban's acting foreign minister to meet Chinese counterpart

China accuses US, Canada of "jeopardizing peace" in Taiwan Strait

Bangladesh detains over 300 suspects for attacking Hindu temples

At least 30 killed in Afghanistan mosque blast

Russia voices concern over deepening crisis in Lebanon

Pakistan claims Indian forces killed 10 "innocent" Kashmiris last week

EU, UK hold talk on Northern Ireland proposals in Brussels

Canada's Trudeau to name Cabinet ministers Oct. 26

UN urges countries to ease family reunification for Afghans

Biden to visit Vatican City, Italy, UK at end of October

Senior EU official, Iran discuss resuming stalled nuclear talks