Iran’s foreign minister meets with Omani interior minister in Tehran

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have held a meeting with the Omani Interior Minister Hamoud Bin Faisal al-Busaidi in Tehran. Zarif and Busaidi discussed regional and bilateral issues. The Omani minister also held talks with his Iranian counterpart Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli.
• In Afghanistan, the Taliban militants have reportedly captured a district in Paktika province after days of heavy fighting with government forces. Local sources say the militants have planted explosive devices to cut the supply routes to the district. The Afghan defense ministry has not yet commented on the report.
• The Syrian army is advancing near Aleppo to surround the militant-held part of the city. Government forces have recaptured a military academy from foreign-backed militants. Aleppo is divided between the the government and the militants. The army is trying to besiege the militant-controlled part to force armed groups to leave the area.
• A woman has been killed in artillery fire by Saudi-backed mercenaries’ in a residential area in Yemen’s Jawf province. Two men were also injured in the shelling. Over 9600 people have been killed since the beginning of the Saudi invasion of Yemen in March 2015. 
• Renowned philosopher Noam Chomsky has accused the US and its allies of ignoring Saudi Arabia’s destructive role in the Middle East. Chomsky made the remarks in an interview with Lebanese channel Al-Mayadeen. He also described Riyadh as the main supporter of terrorist groups in the Middle East. 
• Singapore’s health ministry has confirmed 27 new cases of Zika virus infection. Health officials say the virus in Singapore probably evolved from a strain already circulating in Southeast Asia, and wasn't imported from South America. So far, around 250 people have been infected with zika in Singapore.
• New figures show hundreds of child refugees have disappeared since arriving in the UK. According to immigration authorities, the condition of 360 of the vulnerable children remains unknown. Campaigners and members of the parliament say the figures show the failure of London’s immigration policy. 
• The president of the European Council has urged other countries to help the EU deal with the refugee crisis. Donald Tusk said the bloc is close to its limits on refugees. The EU has been criticized for mishandling the situation as most asylum-seekers remain in distressing conditions.

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