13-04-2023 WASHINGTON/ SANA’A: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has spoken with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in a phone call that mostly discussed the continuing peace talks in Yemen that have raised hopes of finally ending the years-long conflict there. The call, in which Sullivan highlighted …
Read More »HRW slams Pakistan for ‘forcibly evicting’ of farmers
13-04-2023 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW YORK/ ISLAMABAD: A prominent rights body has slammed Pakistani authorities for “forcibly evicting” thousands of farmers for an infrastructure project near Lahore city, the capital of the eastern Punjab province. In a report published on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the authorities should …
Read More »Unidentified people boarded tanker off Ivory Coast: Singapore
13-04-2023 SINGAPORE CITY/ YAMOUSSOUKRO: A Singapore-registered oil tanker has been boarded by “unidentified persons” about 300 nautical miles (555km) off Ivory Coast in the Gulf of Guinea, the city-state’s port authority said. The Gulf of Guinea was long known as a hotspot for global piracy, with insurance firm Beazley offering …
Read More »Israel bans non-Muslims from Al-Aqsa until end of Ramadan
13-04-2023 JERUSALEM: Israel has halted visits by Jews and tourists to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after a wave of unrest in the holy city of Jerusalem. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Tuesday that visits by non-Muslims to the sacred compound which is known to Muslims as …
Read More »Scoreboard for ancient Maya ball game discovered
13-04-2023 MEXICO CITY: Archaeologists in Mexico have uncovered an intricately carved stone they believe was used as a scoreboard for pelota, a ball game played by the Maya hundreds of years ago. The circular stone was found at the Chichen Itza archaeological site and is thought to be at least …
Read More »New Zealand cabinet reaches gender equality for first time
13-04-2023 WELLINGTON: For the first time, New Zealand will see an equal number of men and women in its cabinet. This comes after Northland MP Willow-Jean Prime, who is of Maori descent, was promoted as a cabinet minister. “It is nice to have a cabinet that reflects the New Zealand …
Read More »Ukraine seeking medical, war recovery assistance: India
13-04-2023 (Courtesy Al-Jazeera) NEW DELHI: India says Ukraine has asked for more medicines and medical equipment and has invited Indian companies to help rebuild the country. Ukraine made its request during a four-day visit to India by First Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Emine Dzhaparova, which ended on Wednesday, the Indian …
Read More »France’s Macron heckled by protesters on Netherlands visit
13-04-2023 AMSTERDAM: Protesters disrupted French President Emmanuel Macron’s speech in the Netherlands about Europe’s future as he faces mass protests over pension reform back home. Security officials detained a demonstrator who shouted at Macron outside Amsterdam University on Wednesday in the latest disturbance during the French president’s state visit to …
Read More »Italy adopts state of emergency over migrants
13-04-2023 ROME: Italy’s cabinet on Tuesday announced a state of emergency on immigration following a “sharp rise” in flows across the Mediterranean, a statement said, in a move aimed at better management of migrant arrivals and repatriation facilities. The state of emergency will be backed by initial funding of 5 …
Read More »Syria to reopen embassy in Tunisia after 10-year closure
13-04-2023 DAMASCUS: War-torn Syria will reopen its diplomatic mission in Tunisia and appoint an ambassador there, Damascus and Tunis say in a joint statement. The announcement on Wednesday came after more than a decade of strained ties. Syria’s decision followed a similar move by Tunisia on April 3 when President …
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