Saudi Prince Turki on Iran, Qatar, U.S. treasury purchases

Around 5,000 people every day are crossing the border from Afghanistan into Iran. While Tehran is deporting thousands every week, many are still setting out on the perilous journey that often begins in the city of Herat.

With Tehran feared to be weeks away from a point of no return on nuclear weapons, are we looking down the barrel of an arms race in the Middle East? With little optimism in the air for the current round of talks in Vienna, where might this leave the Biden administration? Does the US have the stomach for a fight? And is a fight really what's unfolding? Traditional lines in the sand seem to be out the window as the same Gulf states that are cementing new ties with Israel are also keeping channels open with Tehran.

The US said it was seeking "security and prosperity" for Palestinians. The dialogue had not been convened since before the election of former President Donald Trump.

Lawmakers in the United States have voted to raise the government's borrowing limit by $2.5 trillion, narrowly avoiding a catastrophic default. The Senate passed the measure 50-49. The new debt ceiling will give the US government enough space to borrow until 2023, after the midterm elections. Focus in Washington will now return to whether President Joe Biden can get his $1.75 trillion social spending plan, "Build Back Better", passed by the end of the year.

Government officials in Bangladesh denounced US sanctions but activists hailed them as a step forward for human rights in the country. The measures were implemented over rights abuses and extrajudicial killings.

The US Commerce Department sanctioned Chinese surveillance and biotechnology companies over rights abuses. The Biden administration expressed concern that US technology could be used in abusing Uyghur people.

Nobody was ever held responsible for strikes that killed thousands of civilians in Afghanistan and the Middle East, a New York Times report has found. A US strike cell routinely sidestepped safety procedures, it found.

US President Joe Biden has unveiled a new plan to tackle his country's COVID-19 emergency. Announcing the measures on his first full day in power, he said drastic action is needed.

European diplomats have called a pause in talks on Iran's nuclear program "disappointing." EU envoy Enrique Mora has said only weeks remain to save the deal, as Iran ramps up uranium enrichment.

A case of whether to uphold a Mississippi law that bans terminations of pregnancy after 15 weeks has made it to the country's highest court. A ruling could see the landmark 1973 'Roe versus Wade' case that legalized abortion overturned.

The court has agreed to hear arguments about the Biden administration's vaccine or testing requirement for large employers, and a separate vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.

The latest polls find a majority of Americans regard the supply chain crisis as a major concern.