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 […]
Gaza faces famine, unprecedented crisis, warns UN
• Says one in three children acutely malnourished, two in 10,000 die every day of starvation or malnutrition • Oxfam accuses Israel of ‘systematically and deliberately blocking’ delivery of aid ROME: Half of Gazans are experiencing “catastrophic” hunger, with famine projected to hit the north of the territory by May without urgent intervention, a United Nations-backed […]
Hamas proposes new six-week ceasefire in Gaza
GAZA STRIP: Hamas has proposed a new six-week truce in Gaza and prisoner swap on Friday, a day after Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas appointed Mohammed Mustafa, a long-trusted adviser on economic affairs, as prime minister. “The agreement is for a six-week ceasefire and a prisoner exchange,” a Hamas official said after weeks of so far […]
Israel has given no evidence to back accusations against UN agency, says EU
BRUSSELS: The European Union’s top humanitarian aid official said on Thursday he had seen no evidence from Israel to back its accusations against staff from the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), which should continue playing a “critical” role in Gaza. UNRWA, which provides aid and services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza and across the region, […]
Donald Lu to testify before Congress panel on March 20
WASHINGTON: The US House Foreign Affairs Committee has tasked its Subcommittee on the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia with conducting a hearing on the future of democracy in Pakistan, scheduled for March 20. The hearing will also delve into the dynamics of US-Pakistan relations following the Feb 8 general elections. Donald Lu, the Assistant […]
As Ramazan begins, world leaders call for silencing guns in Gaza
• Biden says working tirelessly for an immediate six-week ceasefire • Guterres wants release of all prisoners, regrets humanitarian law lies in tatters UNITED NATIONS: As Ramazan commences, global leaders united in recognising the significance of the holy month and called for silencing guns in Gaza. US President Joe Biden pledged international efforts to deliver […]
From Dubai to Chile, Turkish series expand their empire
ISTANBUL: In the skies above Istanbul’s Tophane neighbourhood, seagulls are sent scattering by a drone that’s filming a policeman arresting a young woman on the streets below. But it’s for a television series called “Degenler”, one of about 60 filmed annually in Turkiye that have made Istanbul and other Turkish cities familiar to viewers in […]
Expansion of Israeli settlements is war crime: UN rights chief
GENEVA: Expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories constitutes “a war crime” and risks eliminating any likelihood of a viable Palestinian state, the UN rights chief warned on Friday. Volker Turk said there had been a drastic acceleration in Israeli illegal settlement building in the occupied West Bank since the Gaza crisis unfolded in […]
Ukraine names former commander-in-chief as new ambassador to UK
Amonth after Valerii Zaluzhnyi was ousted as the nation’s top military commander, Ukraine has named him as the new envoy to the United Kingdom, reported Al Jazeera. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine sent a request to the British side for an agreement,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Ukraine has […]
‘Uncommitted’ votes show Gaza impact on Biden
DEARBORN: Joe Biden’s campaign and top Democratic officials vowed to double down on efforts to win back former supporters after being hit by a much stronger-than-anticipated protest vote in the Michigan primary over the president’s support of Israel. About 13.2 per cent of Michigan Democrats cast a ballot for “uncommitted” in the nominating contest, following […]
