French historian Vincent Lemire said he expected some “hostile” responses to his book, given sensitivities surrounding Jerusalem’s holy sites.

Thai-born janitor Kriangkrai Techamong stole $20 million worth of precious gems in 1989 from the home of a Saudi prince, triggering a feud between the countries dubbed the "Blue Diamond Affair".

Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest two sites, and Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population, have conditioned any eventual normalisation with Israel on the addressing of the Palestinians' quest for statehood on territory captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

In their first visit to Europe since returning to power in August, the Taliban will meet representatives of the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, the European Union and Norway.

The country has also distanced itself from rumors that it had been exploring the normalization of ties with Israel.

Raisi said he had presented Moscow with draft documents on strategic cooperation that would cement joint collaboration for the next two decades.

No country has yet recognised the Taliban government, with nations watching to see how the hardline Islamists -– notorious for human rights abuses during their first stint in power between 1996 and 2001 -– will rule this time around. 

A court in the Muslim holy city of Medina ordered the public identification of Yasser Muslim Al-Arawi, who was named in the privately owned Okaz newspaper after he was sentenced to eight months in prison and fined 5,000 riyals ($1,300).

Indonesia continues to elude Israeli calls for the normalization of ties, with state officials reiterating the country’s unwavering support for Palestinian independence.

Wang, speaking ahead of touring Beijing-funded infrastructure projects in Kenya, said China's considerable lending to Africa was "mutually benefiting" and not a strategy to extract diplomatic and commercial concessions.

Wang arrived in the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa late Wednesday from Eritrea, a closed-off country that was the first stop on his three-nation tour of Africa.

The Islamic republic and its allies across the Middle East held emotional commemorations for General Soleimani and his Iraqi lieutenant who were assassinated in a US drone strike at Baghdad airport on January 3, 2020.

The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, found that people who were infected with Omicron, especially those who were vaccinated, developed enhanced immunity to the Delta variant.

In addition to the 2,000 dead, another 10,000 are believed to be infected, Ohad Hatsofe, a specialist at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, told AFP. 

The guidance, issued by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, also called on all vehicle owners to offer rides only to those women wearing Islamic hijabs.

"The passing of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is another chapter of bereavement in our nation's farewell to a generation of outstanding South Africans who have bequeathed us a liberated South Africa," he said in a statement.

The city where Christians believe Jesus was born is usually a focal point of the holiday, with thousands packing the streets and filling hotels. 

On Wednesday, South Africa recorded the highest number of infections the nation has ever seen in the pandemic, driven by the rapid spread of Omicron, said Michelle Groome, of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

A UAE official on Tuesday told Reuters that it had informed the United States that it would suspend discussions to acquire F-35 fighter jets, part of a $23 billion deal that includes drones and other advanced munitions.

"Although we have had a lot of breakthrough infections there has been very little hospital admission in comparison to the Delta period. And as of today we have had no one who has died from Omicron from the J&J study, so that's the good news, it shows again that the vaccine is effective against severe disease and death," South African Medical Research Council president Glenda Gray told a news conference.

"We continue in this hour, on this day, to pursue diplomacy because it remains at this moment the best option, but we are actively engaging with allies and partners on alternatives," he said during a visit to Indonesia. 

The "national working week" is mandatory for government bodies from January 1 and bucks the regional norm of a full day-off on Friday for Muslim prayers.

The southern Indian Ocean island off Africa has been hit by its worst drought in four decades.

The strain, which was first announced by South Africa but has since been discovered to have been present earlier in Europe, has prompted governments around the globe to reimpose travel restrictions, despite warnings from the World Health Organization this could do more harm than good.

The World Health Organization has designated it a variant of concern and many countries are racing to try and contain it, banning flights from southern Africa.

"We are currently on the verge of a state of emergency," Bennett said, according to a statement from his office. "Our main principle is to act fast, strong and now."

Journalists Halvor Ekeland and Lokman Ghorbani were in Qatar to report on preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, public broadcaster NRK said.

Souleyman was freed at 10:30pm (1930 GMT), the photographer said, after a confusing day during which he was released in the morning before being taken back to a detention centre.

Women on 10 Qatar Airways flights from Doha, including 13 Australians, were subjected to the examinations late last year as authorities searched for the mother of a newborn found abandoned in an airport bathroom.

As far as the eye can see, building sites dot the horizon heralding the arrival of this crown jewel of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's grand urban plans.