Joe Biden considers calling climate emergency as soon as this week: Media

NEW YORK: US President Joe Biden is considering declaring a national climate emergency as soon as this week, the Washington Post newspaper said on Tuesday, citing sources. The move came after two US senate Democrats urged Biden to declare a climate emergency and use the Defence Production Act to ramp up production of a wide […]

Putin heads to Tehran for talks with leaders of Iran, Turkey

TEHRAN: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iran starting Tuesday is intended to deepen ties with regional heavyweights as part of Moscow’s challenge to the United States and Europe amid its grinding campaign in Ukraine. In only his second trip abroad since Russian tanks rolled into its neighbour in February, Putin is scheduled to hold […]

Israel to boost Asia flights when Saudi Arabia opens airspace

Israel to boost Asia flights when Saudi Arabia opens airspace

JERUSALEM: Israeli airlines plan to expand and open new routes to India and other Asian destinations after Saudi Arabia announced it would allow unfettered access to its airspace, a move that would save fuel costs and reduce flight times. In the absence of open relations between the countries, however, and given talks on including Oman […]

Russia strikes south Ukraine city, presses attacks in east

Russia strikes south Ukraine city, presses attacks in east

Vinnytsia (Ukraine): Russian missiles hit industrial facilities at a strategic city in southern Ukraine on Sunday as a funeral was held for a four-year-old girl killed in an earlier deadly strike elsewhere in the country. Liza, who had Down syndrome, was en route to see a speech therapist with her mother when a Russian missile […]

Iran, Russia, Turkey presidents to talk Syria war in Tehran

TEHRAN: With the war in Ukraine still raging, Russian President Vladimir Putin travels Tuesday to Tehran for talks with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts on the Syria conflict. Russia, Turkey and Iran have in recent years met to discuss Syria as part of the so-called “Astana peace process” to end more than 11 years of […]

Tribal council in Pakistan bars women from tourist spots

Tribal council in Pakistan bars women from tourist spots

Islamabad: A tribal council in Pakistan has barred women from visiting public places for tourism and entertainment, terming it “unethical” and against the Islamic principles. The all-male jirga (tribal council) of local elders of ultra-conservative Salarzai tehsil in Bajaur tribal district on Saturday announced that if the government did not implement the decision by Sunday, […]

Sri Lanka protest movement reaches 100 days

Sri Lanka protest movement reaches 100 days

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s protest movement reached its 100th day Sunday, having forced one president from office and now turning its sights on his successor as the country’s economic crisis continues. Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his palace shortly before demonstrators invaded it last weekend and on Thursday resigned from the presidency. His mismanagement is blamed for Sri […]

Russia preparing for next stage of offensive, Ukraine says

Russia preparing for next stage of offensive, Ukraine says

Kyiv: Russia is preparing for the next stage of its offensive in Ukraine, a Ukrainian military official said, after Moscow said its forces would step up military operations in “all operational areas”. As Western deliveries of long-range arms begin to help Ukraine on the battlefield, Russian rockets and missiles have pounded cities in strikes that […]

Biden raises Khashoggi murder, MBS cites ‘US mistakes’ in reply

JEDDAH: US President Joe Biden said on Friday he told Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman he held him responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, shortly after exchanging a fist bump with the kingdom’s de facto ruler. On a trip to reset relations with a country he had called a pariah after […]

UAE sentences former Khashoggi lawyer to 3 years in prison

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has sentenced an American citizen and the former lawyer of Jamal Khashoggi — the dissident Saudi journalist who was killed at Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018 — to three years in prison on charges of money laundering and tax evasion. The lawyer, US citizen Asim Ghafoor, will be […]