G7 agrees $50bn deal to support Ukraine
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies agreed on an outline deal on Thursday to provide $50 billion of loans for Ukraine using interest from Russian sovereign assets frozen after Moscow launched its invasion of its neighbour in 2022. The political agreement was the centrepiece of the opening day in southern Italy of […]
Rights body urges Biden to halt arms supply to Israel
WASHINGTON: A civil rights organisation urged President Joe Biden on Thursday to “indefinitely” halt all weapons deliveries to Israel and pressure the US ally to end its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, sending a reminder that his support for Israel could hurt him among Black voters in November’s election. The call by the National Association […]
26 extra days of extreme heat in a year due to climate change: report
PARIS: The world experienced an average of 26 more days of extreme heat over the last 12 months that would probably not have occurred without climate change, a report said on Tuesday. Heat is the leading cause of climate-related death and the report further points to the role of global warming in increasing the frequency […]
Driver dies after ramming car into White House gate
WASHINGTON: A driver died after crashing a car into the exterior gate of the White House late on Saturday, the US Secret Service said. “Shortly before 10:30pm a vehicle traveling at a high speed collided with an outer perimeter gate on the White House complex,” the service said in a statement on social media platform […]
Qatar ‘strikes back’ at Gaza mediation critics
DOHA / JERUSALEM: As a delegation from Gaza truce mediator Egypt arrived in Israel on Friday, criticism of Qatar over its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas prompted a rare pushback by the Gulf state against its detractors. Qatar, which has hosted Hamas’s political leadership since 2012 with the blessing of the US, […]
One killed in Kabul attack claimed by IS
KABUL: One person was killed and three others were wounded in an explosion in Kabul, Afghan police said on Sunday, with the Islamic State group claiming responsibility for the sticky bomb attack. The improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated in the Kot-i-Sangi neighbourhood, near an enclave of the historically persecuted Shia Hazara community, which has […]
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 […]
