Veteran human rights advocate freed in swap says Russia is sliding back toward Stalinist times BERLIN: A human rights activist since the 1980s, Oleg Orlov thought Russia had turned a corner when the Soviet Union collapsed and a democratically elected president became leader.But then Vladimir Putin rose to power, crushing dissent and launching a full-scale … Read more
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to “avoid a cycle of reprisals” in the Middle East, his office said, as fears of a regional war soar. After earlier telling his Iranian counterpart to “avoid a cycle of reprisals that would put the populations and stability of the region … Read more
PARIS: France’s president Emmanuel Macron will meet Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati and army chief Joseph Aoun on Friday in Paris, the French presidency said. The announcement on Thursday comes as Lebanon grapples with a deep economic and political crisis, compounded by cross-border fire between Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group and neighboring Israel that has renewed … Read more
LYON: French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday marks 80 years since Nazi forces raided a Jewish orphanage in the southeast of France and sent almost all its occupants to extermination camps. The event is among the first of a sequence of ceremonies Macron will lead this year to mark eight decades since the penultimate year … Read more
PARIS: A French schoolboy on Friday died from wounds sustained in a violent assault, as President Emmanuel Macron warned schools should be protected from “uninhibited violence” among some youths. The 15-year-old teenager was badly beaten Thursday near his school in a town south of Paris and rushed to hospital following a cardiac arrest. He died … Read more
SAO PAULO: Throughout Latin America, Muslim communities are observing Ramadan this year without the atmosphere of festivity that is common during the iftar meal owing to the suffering in Gaza, where more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began on Oct. 7. “This will be one of the worst Ramadan celebrations for … Read more
BRASILIA: French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that members of the G20 would have to agree before Russian leader Vladimir Putin is invited to attend the group’s summit in Brazil in November. “The meaning of this club is that there must be consensus with the 19 others. That will be a job for Brazilian diplomacy,” he … Read more
US military chief tours arms plants with GOP lawmakers to show that Ukraine aid boosts jobs at home CAMDEN, Arkansas: As they stood before massive rocket launchers built in part by their Arkansas constituents, Republican lawmakers were getting an unambiguous message Thursday from America’s top military officer: A Ukraine aid package that’s stalled in Congress … Read more
PRAGUE: French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday urged Ukraine’s allies not to be “cowards” in supporting the country to fight off the Russian invasion. He added that he “fully stood behind” controversial remarks made last week not ruling out the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine, which sent a shockwave around Europe. “We are surely … Read more
US Supreme Court’s move to hear Trump’s immunity claim gives him gift of delay WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court appears likely to reject Donald Trump’s claim of immunity from prosecution for trying to undo his 2020 election loss, according to legal experts, but its decision to spend months on the matter could aid his quest … Read more