Oil prices rose on Thursday even as major crude producers agreed to boost output by more than the usual amount following an EU ban on Russian imports. European shares closed higher, with Paris leading the way at 1.3 percent and Frankfurt rising 1.0 per…
Hello ‘Türkiye’: UN approves Turkey’s name change request
The UN has officially given the green light to Turkey on Thursday to change its name to “Türkiye”, following a formal request from Ankara for the amendment. UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said he had received a letter on Wednesday from Turkish Forei…
EU eyes smallpox vaccine for monkeypox: regulator
The European Union’s drug watchdog is in talks with the maker of a vaccine against deadly smallpox to extend its use to monkeypox, a senior official said Thursday. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said it was working with the manufacturer of the Imv…
The Middle East’s deepening food crisis
The Middle East is particularly vulnerable to the wide-ranging effects on global food prices and supplies caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The history of food security in the region could portend catastrophic consequences if this state of affair…
Biden welcomes Yemen truce extension, urges peace
US President Joe Biden on Thursday hailed the extension of a truce in war-battered Yemen and urged permanent peace. “The parties to the conflict have now extended this truce for another two months, and it’s important that we work from here to make it p…
Tunisian association condemns move to sack judges
The Tunisian Judges Association on Thursday called the president’s decision to sack dozens of judges as a “massacre” and called on members to oppose it. President Kais Saied on Wednesday dismissed 57 judges, accusing them of corruption and protecting t…
Tele Liban employees strike over pay, social assistance
Employees of the state-owned television network Tele Liban launched a strike on Wednesday in a dispute over salary and social assistance payments. The channel’s employees’ union said that their salaries and social allowances have become “worthless” in …
Muslim doctor given OBE urges UK govt to help poor families
A British Muslim doctor named in Queen Elizabeth II’s Birthday Honours list made a tearful plea for the UK government to do more to help struggling families. Oxford University Hospitals consultant Dr Raghib Ali received an OBE for his services to Brita…
Macron faces calls to finally make Ukraine trip
For months, French President Emmanuel Macron has used a stock reply to questions about why he has not visited Ukraine since the outbreak of war there. “I’ve always said the same thing,” he told reporters in northern France on Tuesday. “At a time and in…
Yemen’s warring parties renew two-month truce: UN
Yemen’s warring parties have agreed to renew a two-month truce, the United Nations said on Thursday, in an 11th-hour move on the day it was set to expire. Aid agencies and Western governments had urged the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels to extend …