US accuses Russia of deploying thousands more troops to Ukraine border
The United States on Wednesday dismissed reports that Russia was withdrawing troops from Ukraine’s border, instead accusing Moscow of sending more soldiers as fears of an invasion grow. Russia has increased its presence on the border with Ukraine by “as many as 7,000 troops”, some of whom arrived on Wednesday, said a senior White House official, slamming […]
Pollution causing more deaths than Covid: UN
GENEVA: Pollution by states and companies is contributing to more deaths globally than Covid-19, a UN environmental report published on Tuesday said, calling for “immediate and ambitious action” to ban some toxic chemicals. The report said pollution from pesticides, plastics and electronic waste is causing widespread human rights violations and at least 9 million premature […]
Erdogan visits UAE to revive long-strained ties
ABU DHABI: Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday visited the United Arab Emirates for the first time in nearly a decade, to revive relations that were long strained by regional disputes. He was greeted in the capital Abu Dhabi by Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE’s de facto ruler, who had […]
Israeli forces kill Palestinian teen in West Bank clashes
Israeli forces have shot dead a 17-year-old Palestinian in West Bank clashes during what Israel on Monday described as an operation to demolish the home of a ‘terrorist’ suspected of a recent attack. The Palestinian health ministry said Mohammad Abu Salah was killed in the village of Silat al-Harithiya near the flashpoint town of Jenin […]
Russian troops massing near Ukraine border, says US
MOSCOW: Russia is massing yet more troops near Ukraine and an invasion could come at any time, perhaps before the end of this month’s Winter Olympics, Washington said on Friday. Moscow, for its part, stiffened its truculent response towards Western diplomacy, saying answers sent this week by the EU and Nato to its security demands […]
Biden, Saudi king discuss energy supplies, Iran and Yemen
United States President Joe Biden and King Salman of Saudi Arabia discussed energy supplies in the face of soaring fuel prices and developments in the Middle East, including Iran and Yemen, in a telephone call on Wednesday. “The two leaders committed to ensuring the stability of global energy supplies,” the White House said in a […]
Israeli troops kill three Palestinians in West Bank
NABLUS: Israeli forces killed three Palestinians on Tuesday during a daytime raid against what Israel described as a “terrorist cell”, leaving a vehicle in the West Bank city of Nablus riddled with bullet holes. Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz praised the raid and said he had ordered an increase in “counterterrorism activities” due to recent […]
Australia to reopen borders to vaccinated tourists from Feb 21
Australia will open its borders to all vaccinated tourists and business travellers from February 21 in a further relaxation of pandemic restrictions announced Monday. Australia imposed some of the world’s toughest travel restrictions on its citizens and permanent residents in March 2020 to prevent them from bringing Covid-19 home. When the border restrictions were relaxed […]
Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping close ranks against US on Ukraine
China joined Russia on Friday to oppose the expansion of NATO amid heightening tensions with Ukraine, while Moscow backed Beijing in denouncing the formation of blocs in the Asia-Pacific region in a veiled reference to the Quad alliance. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, during their summit on the sidelines of […]
Erdogan offers to host summit on Ukraine
KIEV: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered on Thursday on a visit to Kiev to hold a Ukraine-Russia summit, as EU leaders stepped up outreach to the Kremlin to defuse fears Moscow could invade. The diplomatic offensive came as Russia accused the United States of ratcheting up “tensions” by sending 1,000 soldiers to Romania and […]
