The IAEA's director general says resuming inspections in Iran is his top priority. Getty Images
The IAEA's director general says resuming inspections in Iran is his top priority. Getty Images
The IAEA's director general says resuming inspections in Iran is his top priority. Getty Images
The IAEA's director general says resuming inspections in Iran is his top priority. Getty Images

News

Gulf radiation levels remain normal after Israel-Iran war, UN nuclear agency chief says

'Worst nuclear safety scenario' was avoided, Rafael Grossi says

The National

June 27, 2025

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  • Arabic

Radiation levels in the Gulf region remain normal after Iranian nuclear facilities were severely damaged in the Israel-Iran war, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Friday.

Any significant radioactive release from a damaged nuclear power reactor would have been detected by the 48-nation International Radiation Monitoring System, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said in a statement.

He said the main concerns were Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant and the Tehran research reactor as “any strike affecting those facilities – including their off-site power lines – could have caused a radiological accident with potential consequences in Iran as well as beyond”.

“It did not happen, and the worst nuclear safety scenario was thereby avoided,” he said.

Mr Grossi said on Wednesday that ensuring the resumption of IAEA inspections in Iran was his top priority as none had taken place since Israel began bombing on June 13.

However, Iran's parliament approved moves on Wednesday to suspend such inspections.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by Mr Grossi for visits to Iranian nuclear sites.

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UAE currency
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The specs

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More on Quran memorisation:
How it works

1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground

2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water

3) One application is said to last five years

4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare 

Two products to make at home

Toilet cleaner

1 cup baking soda 

1 cup castile soap

10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice) 

Method:

1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.

2. Add the essential oil to the mix.

Air Freshener

100ml water 

5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this) 

Method:

1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.

2. Shake well before use. 

Coffee: black death or elixir of life?

It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?

Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.

The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.

The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.

Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver. 

The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.

But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.

Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.

It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.

So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.

Rory Reynolds

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
INDIA V SOUTH AFRICA

First Test: October 2-6, at Visakhapatnam

Second Test: October 10-14, at Maharashtra

Third Test: October 19-23, at Ranchi

Updated: June 27, 2025, 6:11 PM