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
BEIRUT: Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to fully implementing all international resolutions, especially UN Resolution 1701, approved in 2006 to resolve the war between Israel and Hezbollah that same year. He also emphasized the need for Israel to implement these resolutions fully and to cease its attacks on Lebanon’s sovereignty. Mikati … Read more
Frankly Speaking: Did Oct. 7 attack expedite recognition of Palestine? DUBAI: Statements from Western leaders indicate Palestine is now closer to full UN membership than it was prior to the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, according to Riyad Mansour, the permanent observer of the State of Palestine … Read more
MUNICH, Germany: A lack of long-range missiles and artillery shells is limiting Ukraine’s fightback against Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky told a defense conference on Saturday, making a fresh appeal for more weapons.Later in the day, delegates at the conference also discussed the situation in Gaza, with some holding out slim hopes of a lasting solution … Read more
LONDON: Concerns are mounting over the future of Britain’s Inter Faith Network, founded in 1997 to improve cohesion between religious communities, as the government considers scrapping its funding. The Guardian reported on Friday that Communities Secretary Michael Gove had written to the IFN saying he was “minded to withdraw” £155,000 ($194,599) of provisional funding over … Read more
JAKARTA: More than 200 million Indonesians are expected to go to the polls on Wednesday in the world’s largest single-day election to choose not only a new president and vice president, but also parliamentary and local representatives. The simultaneous presidential and legislative elections will determine who will succeed President Joko Widodo, who is serving his … Read more
Gates Foundation CEO urges billionaires to increase philanthropic contributions in annual letter LONDON: In his annual letter published on Thursday, Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, urged philanthropists to increase their donations and take immediate action to address the unparalleled struggles countries face in combatting poverty, diseases, and inequality. The Gates … Read more
MOSCOW: Queing on a cold winter day in Moscow, Siberian nurse Natalia Avdeyeva said she wanted to make sure at least one opponent to Moscow’s dragging Ukraine offensive was registered for the upcoming presidential election. A former liberal lawmaker who then moved into political circles accepted by the Kremlin, Boris Nadezhdin has emerged as an … Read more
BEIRUT: Hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel expanded into new territory on Thursday as Lebanese civil society figures appealed for national neutrality. In response to the violence, which began 103 days ago, Lebanon’s deputy speaker of parliament called for urgent diplomatic action. “The idea of opening the war front is extremely dangerous, and the only solution … Read more