Petition calling for suspension of UK arms sales to Israel handed to Downing Street LONDON: A petition calling for the UK government to halt arms sales to Israel was handed in to 10 Downing Street on Tuesday by a pro-Palestinian activist organization and a cross-party group of lawmakers. Launched on April 2 and signed by … Read more
MOSCOW: Russia’s government has declared on Sunday flood-hit areas in the Orenburg region a federal emergency, state media reported. The floods, caused by rising water levels in the Ural River, forced over 4,000 people, including 885 children, to evacuate, the regional government said. State news agency Tass said that a further 2,000 homes were flooded, bringing … Read more
MOGADISHU: Somalia’s parliament has unanimously approved proposals to overhaul the country’s electoral system to reintroduce universal suffrage, a plan that has been criticized by some leading politicians. Last March, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud pledged to end the complex clan-based indirect voting system in place for more than half a century in the troubled Horn of Africa … Read more
Middle East luxury market outperforms global industry rate, says Chalhoub Group president DUBAI: Leveling off in July 2023 and returning to normal on a global scale after a spike in consumption following the COVID-19 pandemic, the luxury market is currently witnessing “challenges requiring more collaborations among retailers, brands, developers, and between the private and public … Read more
MOSCOW: The Kremlin said Wednesday that the European Union would be committing an “unprecedented violation” of international law if it used frozen Russian assets to arm Ukraine. EU countries have been wrangling for months over what to do with the assets, with the bloc’s top diplomat Josep Borrell putting forward a plan on Wednesday to … Read more
287 students abducted by gunmen in the latest school attack in Nigeria, headteacher says ABUJA, Nigeria: Gunmen attacked a school in Nigeria’s northwest region Thursday and abducted at least 287 students, the headteacher told authorities, marking the second mass abduction in the West African nation in less than a week.Abductions of students from schools in … Read more
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia emerged as a significant player in the startup ecosystem this February, raising $16.3 million, making it the second-highest amount secured by any country across the Middle East and North Africa. According to Wamda’s monthly investments report for the region, the Kingdom secured the funding across seven transactions, marking a 48.18 percent increase from … Read more
Could Houthi attacks on ships off the Yemen coast continue even after a Gaza ceasefire? LONDON: The campaign of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi fighters on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden continues, despite renewed US and UK strikes on their positions, leading to fears about the long-term security of these strategically … Read more
Day 4 at ICJ hearing: Jordan says Israeli occupation ‘unlawful, inhumane and must end’ The International Court of Justice, the UN’s top court, on Thursday continued its hearing from dozens of states and three international organizations who question the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Representatives from countries including China, Iran, Iraq, Japan, … Read more
Saudi Arabia condemns Israel’s actions in Palestinian Territories as ‘legally indefensible’ THE HAGUE: South Africa on Tuesday urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue a non-binding legal opinion that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, arguing it would help efforts to reach a settlement. Representatives of South Africa opened the second day … Read more