Iran’s foreign minister had urged member states to condemn ‘violations of international law by the United States and Israel’.

The BRICS alliance of major developing economies has failed to issue a joint statement after their two-day meeting in India, amid internal divisions over the Iran war which is affecting several members.

India hosted the foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi and currently chairs the alliance. BRICS brings together core members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, as well as newer members Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia and the UAE.

India said on Friday that “there were differing views among some members” regarding the conflict in the Middle East.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday urged BRICS member states to condemn what he described as “violations of international law by the United States and Israel”.

The war has intensified tensions between Iran and its Gulf neighbours, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a fellow BRICS+ member. Riyadh has yet to formally join the bloc.

Without directly naming the UAE, Araghchi told a news conference that a BRICS member had blocked parts of India’s statement. Iran repeatedly targeted its Gulf neighbour following the outbreak of the war on February 28, reportedly striking the UAE more than any other country involved in the conflict, including Israel.

“We have no difficulty with that certain country, they have not been our target in the current war. We only hit American military bases and American military installations, which are unfortunately on their soil,” Araghchi said.

The UAE representative, Minister of State, Khalifa bin Shaheen Al Marar, rejected Araghchi’s remarks, accusing him of attempting to justify “terrorist attacks” against the UAE and other Gulf states. Al Marar said Iran had launched approximately 3,000 attacks on the UAE using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.

India’s statement highlighted areas of consensus among BRICS members, including calls for reforms to global governance institutions, such as the United Nations and the Security Council. The bloc reiterated its longstanding demand for greater representation of Global South countries within international institutions, reflecting its broader push for a multipolar world order.

The foreign ministers also discussed Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. They agreed that Gaza was an “inseparable part” of any future independent Palestinian state, stressing the importance of unifying the enclave with the occupied West Bank under the governance of the Palestinian Authority. However, the statement noted that one unnamed country had expressed reservations about certain aspects of the section on Gaza.

The group further called on all parties to respect the ceasefire in Lebanon, which critics have denounced as a halt in hostilities in name only. Without singling out a specific country, the ministers condemned the use of economic sanctions as a form of coercion.

Sudan was also on the agenda. The African country remains in the grip of what the UN has described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Ministers called for an immediate ceasefire, saying that only a peaceful solution through dialogue could bring a lasting end to the civil war, which began more than three years ago. They also warned that Sudan could become fertile ground for what ministers described as “extremism” and “terrorism”.

Also discussed was the situation in Syria, which is recovering from the civil war that effectively ended in December 2024 following the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

India’s statement called for a peaceful and inclusive political transition. The parties further stressed the importance of eliminating what they described as “foreign terrorist fighters” in Syria, saying they pose a security threat to both the country and the wider region.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/15/brics-talks-end-without-joint-statement-as-divisions-over-iran-war-deepen?traffic_source=rss

The crown prince of the UAE says the project would help ‘meet global demands’.

The United Arab Emirates is fast-tracking the construction of a new pipeline, which will double the export capacity through Fujairah, a port city in the country’s east, as Gulf nations seek to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed announced the acceleration of the West-East Pipeline project to “meet global demands”, at an executive meeting held by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on Friday.

The pipeline should be operational by 2027, the government’s Abu Dhabi Media Office said.

Sheikh Zayed said ADNOC is “well positioned as a responsible and reliable global energy producer, with the operational flexibility to responsibly increase production to meet market needs when export constraints allow”.

The United States and Israel’s war on Iran shook global energy supply chains across the world.

With the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz – through which previously about a fifth of the world’s oil passed – and Iran’s new maritime protocol in the waterway, as well as attacks on energy infrastructure, Gulf nations have been forced to find alternative trade routes to maintain oil and gas exports.

Currently, the UAE has the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP), a 380km (235-mile) pipeline which runs from Habshan, an oil and gasfield in the southwestern area of Abu Dhabi, to the port of Fujairah – which has come under attack recently.

The pipeline, which started working in 2012, has the capacity of about 1.5 million barrels of oil per day (bpd). It is one of the key energy routes in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia also has the East-West pipeline, designed to export the kingdom’s oil, concentrated in the country’s east, via the west coast, which has been less affected by the Iran war.

Saudi’s pipeline is 1,200km (745 miles) long, running from the Abqaiq oil processing centre to the Yanbu port on the Red Sea. State oil giant Aramco’s Chief Executive Amin Nasser has called it a “critical lifeline” for the kingdom.

Oman borders the Gulf of Oman with an extensive coastline outside the Strait of Hormuz, while Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and Bahrain depend almost entirely on the waterway for their trade shipments.

Last month, the UAE announced its departure from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in order to focus on “national interests”. The UAE said this move was part of its “long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile”.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/15/uae-to-accelerate-oil-pipeline-project-to-bypass-hormuz?traffic_source=rss

Three deaths linked to a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship have revived memories of COVID-19. What has the world learned since?

Three people have died after a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, which provoked global concern and revived memories of COVID-19. Experts stress it is not the same virus, but after the pandemic, trust is fragile. What does this cruise ship outbreak reveal?

This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz and Sarí el-Khalili with Chloe K. Li, Catherine Nouhan, Tuleen Barakat and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. 

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📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/video/the-take-2/2026/5/15/aje-onl-tt_glb_hantavirus_av_v2-150526?traffic_source=rss