Putin meets the leader of Belarus, who suggests joining Russia’s move to boost ties with North Korea
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a meeting Friday with his Belarusian ally, who suggested that Minsk could could join Moscow’s efforts to revive an old alliance with Pyongyang after this week’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko made the proposal as he met with Putin in the Black […]
Europe’s central bank hikes interest rates again even as threat of recession grows
Frankfurt: The European Central Bank piled on a 10th straight interest rate increase Thursday, pressing forward in its fight against stubbornly high inflation that has been plaguing consumers even as worries grow that higher borrowing costs could help push the economy into recession. The increase of a quarter-percentage point comes as central banks around the […]
Powerful explosion kills 5 Palestinians in Gaza. Israel says the blast was caused by mishandled bomb
Gaza city (Gaza Strip): At least five Palestinians were killed and over 20 others were wounded on Wednesday in an explosion next to the separation fence along the Israeli frontier with Gaza, Palestinian health officials said. The cause of the blast was not immediately known. The explosion took place during a demonstration along the border […]
Libyan city buries thousands in mass graves after flood, while mayor says death toll could triple
Derna: The city of Derna has buried thousands of people in mass graves, Libyan officials said Thursday, as search teams scoured ruins left by devastating floods and the city’s mayor said that the death toll could triple. The deluge swept away entire families on Sunday night and exposed vulnerabilities in the oil-rich country that has […]
Thrust of UN reform has to be to ‘democratise’ Security Council: UNGA President
United Nations: UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis has said it is “incongruous” that only five countries can exercise certain powers within the UN Security Council, underlining that the thrust of reform has to be to “democratise” the powerful UN organ, making it more fit for purpose in the 21st century. “It’s not untrue that […]
Taliban hail China’s new ambassador with fanfare, say it’s a sign for others to establish relations
Kabul: The Taliban Wednesday hailed China’s new ambassador to Afghanistan with fanfare, saying his arrival is a sign for other nations to come forward and establish relations with them. The Taliban seized power in August 2021 as US and NATO forces withdrew after two decades of war. Their leaders are under sanctions and no country […]
Flood death toll in eastern Libya’s city of Derna has surpassed 5,100, a health official says
Derna: The death toll from flooding that hit the eastern Libyan city of Derna reached more than 5,000 and was expected to rise further, a local health official said Wednesday, as authorities struggled to get aid to the coastal city where thousands remained missing and tens of thousands were homeless. Aid workers who managed to […]
US praises India for G20 summit, hails ‘India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor’
Washington: The US lauded India for hosting the G20 summit, calling it a big “success” and hailing the landmark ‘India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor’ which will usher in a new era of connectivity from Europe to Asia and will stimulate economic growth across the two continents. The G20 Leaders’ two-day summit, held under India’s presidency, wrapped […]
US makes deal with Iran to swap prisoners and release USD 6 billion in frozen Iranian funds
Washington: The Biden administration has cleared the way for the release of five American citizens detained in Iran by issuing a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer USD 6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of US sanctions. In addition, as part of the deal, the administration has […]
UN body says Lanka fails to address political & democratic reforms, Colombo rejects claims
Colombo: Sri Lanka has failed to address the long-standing challenges of political and democratic reforms, the UN human rights body has said, an assessment rejected by Colombo as “incorrect” and based on “unsubstantiated sources”. Addressing the 54th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, Nada Al-Nashif, the UN Deputy High […]
