WASHINGTON: Osama Siblani was sipping his morning coffee at the office when his phone buzzed with a message from one of President Joe Biden’s advisers. As publisher of the Arab American News in Dearborn, Michigan, Siblani serves as an occasional sounding board, and the White House wanted to know what he thought of Biden’s recent … Read more
ANKARA: Turkish relations with Russia are in the spotlight following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Istanbul on Friday. Ukraine aims to bolster its defense capabilities using Turkish armament supplies. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also offered to host a peace summit between Russia and Ukraine in a bid to end the war. It took place … Read more
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump tightened his grip on the Republican presidential nomination with big wins in the “Super Tuesday” primaries, setting up an all-but-certain rematch with President Joe Biden in November. Fifteen states — including California and Texas — were staging nominating contests on the biggest day of the 2024 race so far, with both candidates … Read more
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron opened the door on Monday to European nations sending troops to Ukraine, although he cautioned that there was no consensus at this stage as allies agreed to ramp up efforts to deliver more munitions to Kyiv. Some 20 European leaders gathered in Paris on Monday to send Russian President Vladimir Putin … Read more
KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday his country’s victory “depends” on support from the West and expressed hope the United States would approve a critical package of military aid. In a rare acknowledgement of setbacks, Zelensky said 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the war and that plans for last summer’s failed counteroffensive … Read more
GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: Hamas warned Israel on Sunday that a ground offensive in Rafah, crowded with displaced Gazans, would imperil future hostage releases, while US President Joe Biden urged the protection of civilians in the besieged territory.Foreign governments, including Israel’s key ally the United States, and aid groups have voiced deep concern over Israeli … Read more
Striking conciliatory note, Pakistan’s Nawaz Sharif seeks coalition government, Khan’s PTI rejects offer LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of Imran Khan said on Friday it had “absolutely no interest” in an offer by prime ministerial hopeful Nawaz Sharif to form a coalition government after his party did not win enough seats to rule alone … Read more
DONETSK REGION, Ukraine/WASHINGTON: The Ukrainian government has informed the White House that it plans to fire the country’s top military commander overseeing the war against Russian occupation forces, two knowledgeable sources said on Friday. The move to oust General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, who has clashed with President Volodymyr Zelensky over a range of issues, follows a … Read more
WASHINGTON: The White House Medical Unit during the Trump administration provided prescription drugs, including controlled substances, to ineligible staff and spent tens of thousands of dollars more on brand-name drugs than what generic equivalents would have cost, a Pentagon report shows. The unit, part of the White House Military Office, did not comply with federal … Read more
’Mass casualties’ at UN complex as Israeli forces advance through Khan Younis GAZA/JERUSALEM: A UN training center sheltering tens of thousands of displaced people was hit on Wednesday, causing “mass casualties” as buildings blazed, a senior UN relief official said as Israeli forces advanced through southern Gaza’s main city.Israeli forces also cut off southern Gaza’s … Read more