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Following the attacks on two oil bases, Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs has said that all options, including military action, are open. Saudi Arabia has blamed Iran for the attacks.

Adil al-Jubeir told the BBC that Saudi Arabia is avoiding war but Iran will be held responsible for these drone and missile attacks.

The United States believes that Iran is behind the attack on Saudi Arabia's major oil bases. This week Britain, France and Germany have also supported this claim by the US.

But Iran has denied any involvement in the case.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who are fighting a Saudi-led coalition in the country's civil war, said it was they who carried out drone strikes at targets.

But Saudi officials say that by looking at the extent, scale and complexity of the attacks, it seems that this was far beyond the capacity of the Houthi rebels.

Speaking to BBC chief international correspondent Lees Dusset at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Zubeir said, "Everyone is trying to avoid war and everybody is trying to prevent the situation from getting worse. So our We will look at all the options available. We will take a decision when the time is right. ''

He said, "Appeasement with Iran has not worked before and appeasement with Iran is not going to work in future also."

The US re-enforced economic sanctions against Iran last year after abandoning the 2015 nuclear deal. It also said in May that it would try to stop all countries from buying Iranian oil and pressurize Iran for a new nuclear deal.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters at the United Nations that the United States wanted a peaceful settlement with Iran.

He added, "But ultimately it depends on the Iranians whether they want peace or choose violence and hate."

French President Emmanuel Macron attempted to hold a historic meeting between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and US President Donald Trump.

But Rouhani told delegates at the United Nations that he refused to meet Trump, because economic sanctions are still in force on Iran.

Doubting the US's intentions, he referred to the statement of Foreign Minister Pompeo in which Pompeo claimed to impose the most stringent sanctions on Iran.

He said, "When a nation is being murdered in silence, eighty three million Iranians especially Iranian women and children are living under such pressure and the American authorities welcome them all, then how can anyone trust them Could? ''

Rouhani added, "Iran will never forget and forgive these crimes and these criminals."

He has also rejected the idea of ​​being photographed with President Trump. Trump has photographed with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on several occasions, including a photo of a handshake in the demilitarized zone of the Korean peninsula.

Rouhani said, "Memorable photographs are the last stage of conversation, not the first."

There has been a lot of discussion about the personal chemistry of Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. Netanyahu admired something for his sake that he was seen only in Israel for the US President and the Pope.

In fact, this reception was more than even the US President and Pope because Netanyahu remained with Shadow for three whole days.

A picture of the two leaders went viral on social media in which they are entering the sea barefoot. This picture was followed by a discussion of bromance in Israel.

In fact, a central point of Netanyahu's promotion was his personal identification with the main leaders on a global scale. He tried to show to his voters that there is no other leader in Israel of his stature and that it is very important for Israel to remain in office for the safety and prosperity of Israel.

His party put up three big banners on his head office with pictures of him shaking hands with US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Modi. These pictures were written in bold with the words "Netanyahu, in a different league".

Trump and Putin also openly helped Netanyahu, especially before the April 9 elections. Netanyahu also planned to visit India twice to showcase his international stature but had to be canceled both times for some reason.

This invitation to visit India was at the initiative of Netanyahu and experts say that there was no specific justification for the visit. There is a deep bond between the two countries and at this time there was no such special case that made Netanyahu to go to India.

India is the largest buyer of Israeli weapons. Deep cooperation has been seen in many areas between the two countries. It has also been worn as a strategic partnership during Modi's visit.

In such a situation, the question arises whether these forms of India-Israel relations are due to the relationship between Modi-Netanyahu. It is true that there are good relations between these two leaders but the relationship between India and Israel is in view of mutual need and national interest.

India was able to cooperate with Israel in all areas even during the Congress-led government and was the largest buyer of arms.

But it is absolutely true that whenever the government is formed in Delhi under the leadership of BJP, then relations between India and Israel remain in the headlines.

By the way, the relations between the two countries are institutional and the change of governments does not make much difference. The discussion becomes a little more or less necessary, but its fundamental impact on policy decisions is not visible.

Is the Netanyahu era in Israel going to end? According to election results published in local media quoting Election Commission sources, Netanyahu's Likud party has got just 32 seats in the 120-member Knesset (Israeli Parliament).

His main opposition party, the Blue and White Party, also appears to get the same number of seats. In such a situation, no one can claim victory and both the leaders are engaged in discussions with the leaders of potential allies till the full results are reached.

The Netanyahu-led right-wing bloc seems to get 56 seats. All the opposition parties are getting 55 seats together which is less than the magic number of 61. In such a situation, the possibility of forming a government of national unity is most likely.

Avigdor Lieberman, who previously served as the Minister of Foreign and Defense in the Netanyahu-led government, is seen as a kingmaker according to the outcome of these elections.

His Israel Betenu party seems to get 9 seats and this ultra-nationalist leader has made it clear that he wants to see a national unity government formed, even if both parties do not accept him there.

In the current situation, both the camps cannot form a government without the support of their party.

Addressing his activists after the voting ended at 10 pm on Wednesday, Lieberman said that there was a state of emergency from both political and economic aspects in the country.

In such a situation, he and his party stand on their views and will only support the formation of a government of national unity.

After the April 9 elections, the Israel Bethenu party recommended Netanyahu's name for the post of Prime Minister to President Ruven Rivlin, but he joined the right-wing government led by Netanyahu on the question of exempting ultra-orthodox Jews from military service. Was refused to happen.

Without the support of Israel Betenu, Netanyahu missed out on a vote to garner the support of 61 members and asked for a re-election, demanding the repeal of Parliament.

For the first time in the history of Israel, a situation arose when re-elections were held in a span of 160 days.

Is Benjamin Netanyahu's phase in Israel over? Consider the results coming after counting 92 percent of the votes, so Netanyahu, the longest serving prime minister in the history of Israel, is failing to find a record fifth term.

So should it be assumed that Netanyahu will become the identity of Israel on the international stage, or will he be lost from his political career or is his phase over?

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu must win the support of at least one more party who is not included in his right-wing bloc to continue in his position. Right now all such parties have denied this scope, but at this time in politics no possibility can be ruled out.

On the other hand, if a government of national unity is formed, how will it affect Netanyahu's political future.

In such a situation, usually the leaders of both the major parties get the post of Prime Minister for two-two years.

Such a successful effort has already taken place in Israel. But in such a situation, the biggest challenge for Netanyahu will be to keep his party MPs with him.

There are serious allegations of corruption against Netanyahu in several cases and the leader of the Blue and White Party, Benny Gantz, has said that he will not join the government under his leadership. If they persist on this and there is no other option other than a government of national unity, then the Likud Party may be forced to change its leader.

The question arises that will Netanyahu's party MPs support him even in such a situation?

Where the big parties are trying to resolve the emerging situation, one thing is clearly visible from these elections. The biggest winner of the re-election is the Joint Unity List supported by the Arab population, whose next parliament will include 12 MPs.

Sources in the Election Commission said that while less than 50 percent of the Arab voters had voted in the April 9 election, this time it has increased by about 13 percent.

Arab parties generally do not participate in any government, but Gantz has approached Ayman Odeh, leader of the Joint Unity List. The Arab leader has also kept his cards pressed and has not cleaned his stand.

In the absence of a clear winner, all eyes are on President Ruben Rivlin. He has said that he will go to any lengths to thwart the third election and will look into every possibility to form a new government.

The President's media advisor, Jonathan Cummings, said he is in constant coordination with the Election Commission and will consult all party leaders as soon as the election results are out. The President's media advisor also reiterated that Rivlin would make every effort to make the right decision, taking into consideration the people's opinion, but do everything possible to prevent another election from taking place.

When the Reserve Bank of India decided to give one lakh 76 thousand crore rupees to the Indian government, the opposition Congress warned that India should learn from Argentina.

Indeed, the Argentine government was forced to fund its Central Bank.

This is the year of 2010. The Argentine government excluded the then Chief of the Central Bank and used the bank's reserve funds to pay its debts.

Now the Government of India's taking of funds from the Reserve Bank is being compared to taking funds from its Central Bank of Argentina.

Argentina is the third largest economy in Latin America. But today Argentina's economy is in a very bad phase.

Analysts believe that the derailment of the Argentine economy had only begun when the central bank was forced to take money.

Former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Viral Acharya, in his speech in 2018, referred to the Argentine episode.

Even when Viral Acharya mentioned Argentina, there were speculations that the central government was putting pressure on the Reserve Bank of India.

In January 2010, Martin Redrado, head of the Central Bank of Argentina, resigned in a dramatic manner. A few days earlier, the government had also tried to remove him from the post.

Resigning, he had said, "My time in the Central Bank is over, so I have decided to leave this post forever. I am satisfied to finish my work."

He said, "We have reached this position because of the government's constant interference in institutions. Basically I am defending two principles - the central bank's independence in decision making and the use of the Reserve Fund only for financial and monetary stability."

The then government of President Cristina Fernández passed an order in December 2009 under which the government would have received $ 6.6 billion from the Central Bank. The government claimed that the Central Bank had an additional fund of $ 18 billion.

Rodrado refused to transfer these funds to the government. He had to repay the consequences of losing his post.

The Argentine government also tried to remove him from office in January 2010, accusing him of misconduct and neglect of duties, but the effort failed because it was unconstitutional.

After Redrado stepped down, the government made his deputy Miguel Angel Peske head. They did what the government wanted.

The independence of the Central Bank of Argentina was also under question after Redrado left office.

A judge in New York, Thomas Griesa, passed an order to freeze $ 1.7 billion of the Central Bank of Argentina held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, arguing that the Central Bank of Argentina is no longer an autonomous agency and  it is acting at the behest of the country's government.

Alberto Ramos, an Argentine analyst at Goldman Sachs Bank, said in February 2010, "It is not a positive step to meet government spending from the Central Bank's Reserve Fund. The concept of additional reserves can certainly be debated."

Quoting these, Viral Acharya had said that an independent central bank is necessary for a well-functioning economy. That is, a central bank that is free from government pressure.

Viral Acharya had said that there could be dangerous consequences for reducing the independence of the Central Bank. He had said that this could prove to be a self-goal as it could create a crisis of confidence in the capital markets that governments are using to meet their expenses.

He had said, "Governments that do not respect the independence of the Central Bank will have to face the wrath of the financial markets today or not tomorrow. The day they have to curse the freedom of this important regulatory body."

Reserve Bank of India governor Urjit Patel resigned from his post in December 2018. He had said that he is resigning due to personal reasons but it was believed that he was under pressure to follow the gestures of the government.

Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan had said in a comment, "The government should understand why Urjit Patel resigned."

Shaktikanta Das was made the Governor of RBI after Urjit Patel. Before assuming the post of RBI Governor, he was also the Secretary of Economic Affairs from 2015 to 2017.

IAS Shaktikanta Das agreed with the Narendra Modi government's decision on demonetisation.

According to senior journalist Pranjoy Guha Thakurta, "On the day Shaktikanta Das became the Governor of RBI, it was clear that RBI will have to do whatever the government wants."

Now Shaktikanta Das, on the recommendation of the Vimal Jalan Committee, has given the government the money that the government wanted to acquire.

The difference between the developments in India and Argentina is that the Argentine government passed the order and took money from the Central Bank, while the Reserve Bank of India gave the money to the government on the recommendation of the Vimal Jalan Committee.

While giving his resignation, Redrado had taken a dig at the government, but Urjit Patel went to the shore citing personal reasons. But after both, the chiefs who took office did what the government wanted.

The Argentine economy stagnated during the reign of President Nestor Kirchner from 2003 to 2007. In 2007, Argentina paid off the entire loan taken from the IMF.

But Kirchner was succeeded by his wife Christina Fernández. The economy again became unstable during the time of Christina Fernández. Christina passed the order and took the money of the country's central bank.

The Argentine people elected Mauricio Macri as the new president in October 2015 after Christina Fernández. He was expected to bring the economy of this South American country on a steady path.

He promised to end poverty completely by rebuilding the country's economy. But by 2018, the situation had become such that he had to ask for a loan from the International Monetary Fund.

Argentine currency kept falling day by day and inflation increased. Everyday living became expensive. In 2015, they received 10 pesos for one dollar, now they get 60 pesos for one dollar.

Despite all efforts, the Macri government has not been able to bring down inflation. The economic reforms promised to reduce expenditure and reduce debt could not be implemented.

Due to rising inflation and public spending cuts, the income did not increase compared to the prices, due to which most of the people were poor. According to official figures, one third of the country's population is now living in poverty.

Now Argentina is caught in an increasingly complex economic crisis, which does not seem to be the way out. Credit rating agencies have indicated the possibility of the country being bankrupt.

The Indian rupee is constantly falling against the dollar. The unemployment rate is the highest level in the past 45 years. The GDP rate has come down to only five percent in seven years. Signs of sluggishness in the economy are clearly visible.

Despite this, the Modi government is saying that everything is fine in the country. The economy is poised to touch a figure of five trillion dollars. It is a different matter that only the government colleagues are questioning these claims.

In a recent tweet, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has said, "If new economic policy is not coming, be prepared to call 5 trillion as goodboy. Only bravery or knowledge alone cannot stop the economy from ruining. He needs both. Today we have neither of them.''

The use of the so-called 'triple talaq' by a man to divorce his wife is now outlawed in India

A Muslim man in India can no longer divorce his wife by simply uttering "talaq" - the Arabic word for divorce - three times.

If a husband tries to do that - he can now be jailed for up to three years.

The so-called  'triple talaq' method of instant divorce has been criminalised by India's parliament.

The upper house passed the bill on Tuesday, two years after the Supreme Court declared the practice unconstitutional.

But it's sharply divided lawmakers and campaigners. Those in favour say the new measure protects Muslim women.
Opponents say it's unusual to criminalise divorce, and the punishment is harsh.

Others argue marriage problems should be reviewed by community leaders, and not the government.

So, is it politically motivated?

Government labels Islamic Movement of Nigeria a 'terrorist' organisation.

Nigeria's main Shia Muslim group has had a tumultuous few days.

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria has been banned and labelled a terrorist organisation.

Its leader, Ibrahim Zakzaky, as been in jail since 2015, when 350 of his followers were killed in confrontations with security forces.

More supporters were killed in protests last week demanding his release.

Observers say the government is handling the group in a similar way to Boko Haram, which turned violent a decade ago when its leader died in police custody.

Could this latest crackdown provoke a new conflict?

Government delegation tries to convince Rohingya refugees to go back to Myanmar.

It’s almost two years since more than 700,000 Rohingya fled a military crackdown in Myanmar.

The UN labelled it 'a textbook example of ethnic cleansing' with soldiers accused of rape and murder and burning down Rohingya villages.

Since their escape the mainly Muslim ethnic group has been crammed into the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh.

But Myanmar’s government is under pressure to take them back. And a delegation has been at Cox’s Bazar trying to persuade the Rohingya they should return to Rakhine State.

But so far the refugees have said no. They want guarantees about their safety and for them to be granted citizenship.

So what exactly is the Myanmar government offering?

The United Nation's annual report on children and armed conflicts reveals record numbers of deaths and injuries.

Al Jazeera's obtained a copy of the UN report in advance of its publication.

It found evidence of more than 24,000 cases of children being killed, maimed or forced to become child soldiers last year.

And it highlights the rising casualty rate in warzones such as Yemen where the Saudi-UAE coalition is fighting Houthi rebels.

But despite condemning Israel for the deaths of Palestinian children, Israel is not on the report's blacklist of offenders.

So what needs to be done to protect the lives of our children?

Virtual Private Networks first came into use in 1996 and are among the most enduring innovations in online browsing with popularity on the rise around the world.

VPNs were originally developed as tools for corporations and governments to connect their offices in different countries, to make it easier for people to work together.

But as surveillance and control of the web have increased, a market has emerged and expanded - for people to work around internet blocks and to hide their location online.

Particularly popular in countries with authoritarian tendencies, such as Iran, China and Turkey, VPNs are now getting downloaded in more countries like Sri Lanka, across the Gulf, as well as the United States, as data theft, online tracking and web blocking grow increasingly common.

"During the protests in Sudan, the authorities issued an internet shutdown and a lot of people were using VPNs to circumvent this censorship," Melody Patry, advocacy director for Access Now, tells Al Jazeera. "It really enabled thousands and thousands of people to have access to social media to share pictures, videos to communicate between each other but also with the world about what was going on in the country."

Beyond the use of VPNs by activists and journalists keen to spread information outside of a country, the networks also enable users to pursue a diverse array of interests and even to flout the law.

"You'll have more ordinary users who just want to watch pornography or sports. And people do that all the time," Joseph Cox, cybersecurity journalist with Vice, points out. "I don't know if it's a legitimate use for VPNs - obviously some will skirt legality - but people use VPNs for all different sorts of reasons."

Over the last few years, the number of VPN services has boomed. Nord VPN, Hotspot Shield, ExpressVPN, Tunnel Bear and CyberGhost are just a few of the most popular names on the market.

According to Harold Li, vice-president of Express VPN, VPNs used to be challenging to set up but now it is just a matter of downloading an app. He argues privacy and security are not luxuries now, so "VPNs are no more luxury than having a door a lock on your front door".

Countries like Indonesia and Turkey rack up some of the highest numbers of software downloads. But the jump in usage of VPNs has not gone unnoticed by authorities. In countries like Belarus, Iran, Oman and Russia for instance, VPNs are subject to heavy restrictions and there are even some laws in place banning them.

Yaman Akdeniz, associate professor at the Istanbul Bilgi University, notes that VPN usage in Turkey is not criminalised but recently the country amended its internet law permitting authorities to request access blocking VPN services.

"Several of these well-known VPN services are inaccessible from Turkey and if you manage to access their websites and have an account with them, then they don't work," he says.

In China, authorities aren't just blocking foreign VPN services, they have also been pushing the use of state-approved and locally-created VPNs that guarantee neither privacy nor anonymity - leaving many people exposed.

"When it comes to government and state blocks, that is something that we've been seeing all around the world for the past decade," says Li. "And we expect that will only continue to increase."

Temperatures have hit records in many countries in the old continent.
 
A heatwave has baked western Europe this week, with cities from France to the Netherlands seeing record-breaking temperatures.

In Germany, a new high forced the shutdown of a nuclear reactor after the water became too hot.

And with temperatures in the UK soaring past previous levels, its Met Office is warning heatwaves like this could become normal in two decades.

So if that's right, is enough being done to prevent them?