Tel Aviv under pressure to defuse tensions with Iran
• Tehran claims it is ready to confront any Israeli attack; Raisi says countries who sought normalisation with Israel ‘stand humiliated’ • Western bloc discusses ramping up sanctions at G7 meeting TEHRAN / JERUSALEM / BRUSSELS: Amid a diplomatic flurry aiming to calm a region already on the edge, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said […]
Stalled Gaza talks — Hamas, Israel exchange recriminations
JERUSALEM: Israel and Hamas have accused each other of undermining negotiations for a truce in Gaza and a hostage release deal, although the talks have not collapsed. While Hamas-backer Iran was preparing to launch hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel in retaliation for a deadly Damascus strike, the Palestinian group announced on Saturday that […]
US sends reinforcements to Middle East as Israel on edge for Iranian retaliation
• Fears of reprisal for attack on Damascus embassy grow • India, France and Russia warns citizens against travel to region • Diplomatic sources say Tehran wishes to avoid escalation, won’t act hastily JERUSALEM: As Israel on Friday nervously awaited an attack by Iran or its proxies in retaliation for the last week strike on […]
Deadly strike on Iran consulate ‘crossed a line’: analysts
BEIRUT: A deadly strike blamed on Israel against Iran’s diplomatic mission in Damascus could trigger a spillover of the Gaza crisis across the region, an escalation Tehran had sought to avoid, analysts said. Monday’s strike levelled the consular annex of the Iranian embassy and killed 13 people, including seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard […]
UK minister threatened with jail over Afghanistan probe
LONDON: A UK government minister is on a collision course with the law over his refusal to reveal the sources of allegations that British special forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan. Johnny Mercer, Britain’s minister for veterans, has said “multiple officers” told him about alleged murders and a subsequent cover-up during the Afghan conflict. He […]
Security Council finally ends paralysis on Gaza
• Ceasefire resolution calls for release of prisoners, urgent expansion of aid delivery • Veto avoided as Washington abstains; 14 members vote in favour • Guterres warns failure to implement resolution ‘would be unforgivable’ • Russia angry over replacing word ‘permanent’ with weaker language UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council finally passed a resolution on […]
Girl buried under rubble rescued after 16 hours as storm kills at least 12 in Brazil
Search teams in southeastern Brazil rescued a girl buried for more than 16 hours in the rubble of a collapsed house, following a powerful storm on Friday that has so far claimed at least a dozen lives. Authorities have deployed teams to the mountainous areas of Rio de Janeiro state, describing the situation caused by […]
Global sea levels jumped due to El Nino: Nasa
WASHINGTON: Global average sea levels rose by about 0.3 inches (one-third of an inch) from 2022 to 2023 — nearly four times the increase of the previous year — Nasa said on Thursday, attributing the “significant jump” to a strong El Nino and a warming climate. The Nasa-led analysis is based on more than 30 […]
Saudi Arabia donates $40 million to UNRWA
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday it will donate $40 million to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which has faced massive funding cuts and calls for its abolition spearheaded by Israel. The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) said the funds would support UNRWA’s “humanitarian relief efforts in the Gaza Strip”, […]
Putin to visit China in May for talks with Xi
BEIJING: Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China in May for talks with Xi Jinping, in what could be the Kremlin chief’s first overseas trip of his new presidential term, according to five sources familiar with the matter. Western governments on Monday condemned Putin’s re-election as unfair and undemocratic. But China, India and North […]
