UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said after talks in Kyiv on Thursday that intense discussions were still continuing to enable the evacuation of a steel plant where fighters and civilians are holed up in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol…
Scott Sibley: British man killed in Ukraine, UK confirms
A British citizen has been killed in Ukraine and another is missing, the UK’s foreign ministry said on Thursday, both reportedly involved in fighting with Russian forces there amid Moscow’s brutal invasion. The dead man was a military veteran named Sco…
Turkish president on first visit to Saudi since Khashoggi killing
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived Thursday in Saudi Arabia, state media reported, his first visit since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi drove a wedge between the Sunni powers. Prior to taking off from Istanbul, Erdogan said …
Iran moves centrifuge workshop underground at Natanz: IAEA
Iran’s new workshop at Natanz for making parts for centrifuges, machines that enrich uranium, has been set up underground, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Thursday, a move apparently aimed at protecting it from possible attacks. The wor…
Russia strikes slam Ukraine capital Kyiv as UN chief visits
Russian strikes slammed into central Kyiv on Thursday as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was visiting, wounding three in the first such attack on Ukraine’s capital since mid-April, the mayor said. AFP correspondents saw a building in flames and b…
Syria dictator Assad’s family likely worth $1-2b: US report
Syrian dictator President Bashar Al-Assad’s family is likely worth $1-2 billion, the US State Department said on Thursday, despite American-led efforts to isolate him over his brutality towards his people during Syria’s ongoing war. In a report require…
India rules out Pakistan talks until ‘terror’ stops
India on Thursday ruled out any formal talks with Pakistan unless New Delhi’s neighbour stops supporting “cross-border terrorism”, as a new government comes to power in Islamabad. The recent appointment of Shehbaz Sharif as Pakistan’s new prime ministe…
Macron’s victory is paved with oppression
It is little surprise that Emmanuel Macron has been re-elected president of the French Republic. He secured 58.54% of votes, compared to Marine Le Pen’s 41.46%. Whilst he may be feeling victorious, both the voter turnout and the political ramifications…
Afghanistan: Nine killed in two minibus bomb blasts
Two bomb blasts aboard separate minibuses killed at least nine people on Thursday in Mazar-i-Sharif, police said, a week after a deadly explosion rocked a Shia mosque in the northern Afghan city. The number of violent public attacks has fallen since Ta…
UAE releases Lebanese physician held for weeks over a tweet
The United Arab Emirates released on Thursday a Lebanese physician after holding him for more than three weeks over a tweet he published years ago, a person familiar with the case said. The case of Dr. Richard Kharrat came to attention in early April w…