Iran is the “most destabilizing force in the Middle East,” according to the US’s top military general in the region as he called on partners in the region to address mounting concerns. US Central Command (Centcom) chief Gen. Erik Kurilla told Al Arabiya on Tuesday that countering the threat posed by the Islamic republic remained … Read more
Police detained an Iraqi-born man and are looking into a suspected terrorist motive after five passengers on a regional train in western Germany were stabbed with knives, authorities said Friday. According to the news agency DPA, the train was going towards the western city of Aachen on Friday morning when a man began hitting fellow … Read more
Swedish membership in NATO would have a stabilizing effect and would benefit countries around the Baltic Sea, Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Friday, the day after neighbor Finland committed to applying to join the 30-nation alliance. “Swedish NATO membership would raise the threshold for military conflicts and thus have a conflict-preventing effect in northern … Read more
World leaders have offered their condolences after the UAE announced the death of its President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed on Friday. US President Joe Biden paid tribute to Sheikh Khalifa, saying he “was a true partner and friend of the United States.” He continued: “We will honor his memory by continuing to strengthen the longstanding … Read more
If, up to now, you’ve ever been stumped by something written in Krio or Ewe or Tigrinya then, unlike for more than 100 other languages, Google Translate was not going to help you out. But that’s just changed as Google has announced the addition of 24 languages – including 10 spoken in Africa – to … Read more
Three men in Malawi have been each sentenced by a High Court to 155 years in jail for killing a person with albinism. Aged 44, 45 and 71, they were found guilty after they confessed to the murder of a 23-year-old albino man in January this year. One of those sentenced was the man’s uncle. … Read more
Stocks fell on Wall Street Wednesday, led by more drops in technology companies, after a report on inflation came in worse than feared. An early rally faded, leaving the S&P 500 1.6% lower after waffling between gains and losses in morning trading. The slide wiped out gains from a day before, when the benchmark index … Read more
UAE flag carrier Emirates plans to embrace advanced digital solutions such as blockchain, metaverse, and cryptocurrency as part of its strategy to connect with customers in a faster and more flexible way. The Dubai-headquartered airline will hire new staff for metaverse and non-fungible tokens, also known as NFTs, in an effort to develop applications to … Read more
With the overturn of Roe v Wade potentially on the horizon in the US, anti-abortion activists in Canada say they are optimistic the “culture change” could spill across the border. The Campaign Life Coalition says it is confident it will galvanise a shift in Canada as well. Abortion was decriminalised in the country in 1988. … Read more
The UK has granted nationals from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain nationals electronic visa waiver status, according to a statement from the Home Office. The status will be effective on June 1, and under this new change, all Saudi Arabian and Bahraini nationals will be able to apply for an electronic visa waiver to travel to … Read more
With crucial Lebanese parliamentary elections on Sunday expected to go down to the wire, candidates and party supporters have been accused of trying to buy their way to victory by offering cash bribes to undecided voters. A Shiite voter in Beirut’s second constituency told Arab News that he had been offered $300 if he and … Read more
The oldest son of Egyptian hate preacher Abu Hamza, the renowned former imam of London’s Finsbury Park Mosque, has been sentenced to refund £5,200 ($6,400) in illicit proceeds from a money laundering scam that netted a group of fraudsters about £350,000. Tito Ibn-Sheikh is one of Hamza’s eight offspring. His father was featured in the … Read more
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Oman on Wednesday, a fellow member of the OPEC+ oil producing alliance, and met with the Gulf Arab state’s governing sultan, according to Omani official media. While advocating moderation and diplomacy to settle the situation, US-allied Gulf governments have not taken sides in the Russia-Ukraine war. Gulf oil companies … Read more
At least five Egyptian military personnel were killed in a militant attack on Wednesday in northern Sinai, two security sources said, the second deadly strike against security forces on the peninsula in less than a week. Four others were injured when armed men opened fire at a security post in the coastal area of northeastern … Read more
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), 4.8 million jobs have been lost in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February, as the fighting has shut down enterprises, stifled exports, and forced millions to flee. According to an ILO analysis, employment losses, which accounted for almost 30 percent of Ukraine’s workforce before … Read more
Sri Lankan opposition announced on Wednesday it was preparing to form a new government following the resignation of the country’s prime minister, as the country plunged into political turmoil. For over a month, protesters have been taking to the streets across the country, which is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, demanding that President … Read more
On Wednesday, Israel’s defense minister pledged a thorough inquiry into the death of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh and ordered Palestinian officials to hand over the bullet that killed her. Benny Gantz told reporters that Israel has spoken with the US and Palestinian authorities and that all aspects of the inquiry would be made … Read more
Shock, indignation, and despair swept over the Palestinian territories when the Israeli army killed veteran Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, early Wednesday. Israeli Defense Forces shot her in the head on the fringes of the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank. Israeli forces first said that Abu Akleh was killed by stray … Read more
Boris Johnson will visit Sweden and Finland to address the Ukraine conflict, as both countries decide whether to join the NATO alliance. On Wednesday, the prime minister is set to meet with leaders from both nations during a 24-hour trip. Mr. Johnson is likely to speak about Europe’s response to Russia’s military assault on Ukraine. … Read more
Since being elected mayor of London in 2016, Sadiq Khan claims he has received at least 233,000 “explicitly racist or racialized social media communications.” In a speech to Stanford University students in California, Mr. Khan blamed Donald Trump’s election as US president for a 1,892 percent increase in abuse. The conflict began in 2017 when … Read more
A paddle attack on a kid in Bristol is now being investigated as a racially motivated assault. On March 26, police were summoned to Conham River Park when a lady shoved Antwon, 12, during a quarrel and beat him with a paddle. She claimed she acted in self-defense, and his family was advised no further … Read more
Following the passage of a report proposing the abolition of the death sentence last month, the parliament of Malawi has begun public inquiries in the capital, Lilongwe, on the idea. It comes after parliament directed its Legal Affairs Committee to seek public input on the matter before potentially amending any legislation. Malawi courts appeared to … Read more
In the Ormskirk area of Lancashire, an ice-cream vendor was “shaken” after two adolescents hurled a brick through her van window. Lancashire Police said a group of teenagers was reported for making a disturbance at a McDonald’s restaurant in Two Saints Retail Park of Ormskirk at about 17:00 BST on Saturday. According to a police … Read more
A 300-year-old Lancashire pub was bulldozed without municipal permission, prompting “consternation” and “disbelief.” On Saturday, the Grade II-listed Old Toby Inn in Skelmersdale was demolished. It was severely damaged by fire in March, although West Lancashire Borough Council was in discussions to rebuild it. The council expressed “great disappointment” over the “unauthorized” destruction. Locals have … Read more
A crooked accountant from Leeds was sentenced to prison for duping a man with learning impairments out of his North Yorkshire property and £34,000 in savings. Sukhdev Singh, 73, of Leeds, spent the money on jewellery, gambling, and school fees, as well as moving it to Indian bank accounts. He was sentenced to five years … Read more
The European Union’s top diplomat said on Tuesday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is exacerbating the suffering of impoverished Syrians and urged donors to go above and beyond to assist the Middle Eastern country ravaged by more than a decade of civil conflict. Opening a donor event in Brussels, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell … Read more
According to a senior US defense official, Russia utilized 10 to 12 hypersonic weapons during the Ukraine conflict. While cautioning that the US does not have a “precise count,” the official stated that Russia has used “probably between 10 and 12 I believe would be about correct.” Despite the fact that the official did not … Read more
Egypt, according to Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, supports Morocco’s territorial integrity and is dedicated to finding an international solution to the Western Sahara issue. Following a round of negotiations in Rabat, he issued a joint statement with his Moroccan colleague, Nasser Bourita. He said that Egypt’s position was “in support of the territorial integrity of … Read more
