CAPRI, Italy: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday refused to comment on reports of an attack by Israel on Iran, beyond saying Washington was “not involved in any offensive operation.” Speaking to journalists after a meeting with G7 counterparts in Italy, he declined to answer repeated questions about explosions in Iran, and reports that … Read more
LONDON: Northern Gaza faces a catastrophe without more assistance, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator said on Friday, with communication between the Israeli military and foreign aid groups still poor and no meaningful improvements happening on the ground. Jamie McGoldrick, who works for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, warned that Gaza was sliding … Read more
How a ceasefire and unrestricted aid access could yet prevent a famine in north Gaza LONDON: Desperate appeals from UN agencies urging Israel to allow aid into Gaza to alleviate hunger and avert an imminent famine in the north of the embattled Palestinian enclave appear to have fallen on deaf ears. Despite a UN Security … Read more
CAIRO: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday a major Israeli ground assault on the southern Gaza town of Rafah would be “a mistake” and unnecessary to defeating Hamas, underscoring the further souring of relations between the United States and Israel.Blinken, on his sixth urgent Mideast mission since the war began, spoke after huddling … Read more
DAMASCUS: Families in northwestern Syria are celebrating Ramadan in bomb-ravaged houses against the backdrop of a dire economic crisis, surging rents, and the ongoing 13-year civil war. During the holy month, Muslims traditionally go without food or drink from dawn to dusk, then break their daily fast with iftar, a meal after sunset. But the … Read more
JABALIA, Gaza: In the Jabalia refugee camp, hungry Gazans hold out pots to receive soup during the holy month of Ramadan. As other Muslims around the world consume traditional Ramadan meals and desserts to break their fast after sunset, residents of the besieged strip are lucky to find a few scraps of food, or sips of … Read more
RIYADH: The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies recently signed an agreement with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to establish the UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures. The agreement was signed by the secretary-general of the center, Princess Maha bint Mohammed Al-Faisal, and the director general of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay. The chair will … Read more
Putin is poised to extend his rule in highly orchestrated vote even as Russians quietly protest MOSCOW: Russians crowded outside polling stations at noon Sunday on the last day of a presidential election, apparently heeding an opposition call to protest against President Vladimir Putin in a vote that offered them no real alternatives after he … Read more
GENEVA: In the shadow of the war raging in Gaza, record numbers of Palestinian detainees are filling Israeli prisons, where they face “systemic abuse” and torture, rights advocates warn, calling for international action. Members of several Israeli NGOs traveled to Geneva this week to raise concerns before the UN about a major “crisis” inside the … Read more
CAIRO/RAFAH, Gaza Strip: Ceasefire talks between Hamas and mediators broke up on Tuesday in Cairo with no breakthrough, with just days left to halt fighting in time for the start of Ramadan.Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim told Reuters the militant group had presented its proposal for a ceasefire agreement to the mediators during two days … Read more