President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday confirmed Turkey’s opposition to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, again accusing them of failing to take a clear stance against terrorism. “We will not say ‘yes’ to those (countries) who apply sanctions to Turkey to join security organisation NATO,” Erdogan said. Sweden has …
Read More »Trump’s Truth Social posts will have to wait before reposts on other platforms
Donald Trump will have to wait for six hours before reposting his messages from social media platform Truth Social on other platforms, a regulatory filing revealed on Monday. The platform was launched with the mission of standing up to Big Tech, after the former US president was kicked off of Twitter, …
Read More »First commercial flight takes off from Sanaa, raising hopes for Yemen peace
SANAA: Yemen’s national airline operated on Monday its first commercial flight from the capital Sanaa since 2016, raising hopes a UN-brokered truce could be a stepping stone towards a lasting peace that could improve the lives of desperate Yemenis. Dozens of Yemenis, including patients who waited years for medical treatment, …
Read More »Sri Lanka down to last day of petrol, PM tells crisis-hit nation
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s new prime minister said on Monday the crisis-hit nation was down to its last day of petrol, as the country’s power minister told citizens not to join the lengthy fuel queues that have galvanised weeks of anti-government protests. Ranil Wickremesinghe, appointed prime minister on Thursday, said in …
Read More »Biden sends high-powered team to UAE, aiming to repair frayed ties
ABU DHABI: President Joe Biden sent a high-powered US delegation to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to offer condolences after the death of its ruler, in an apparent bid to step up efforts to repair frayed ties with Gulf Arab allies. Washington’s desire to improve ties with Gulf monarchies …
Read More »Iran’s foreign minister makes rare visit to UAE to pay respects
DUBAI: Iran’s top diplomat has travelled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday to pay his respects after the death of President Khalifa bin Zayed, Iranian state media reported, while Tehran welcomed the appointment of the Gulf state’s new ruler. The trip by Hossein Amirabdollahian is the highest level …
Read More »Indian court prohibits large religious gathering at mosque after Hindu idols found
LUCKNOW: A court in north India on Monday ordered authorities to limit large Muslim prayer gatherings in the historic Gyanvapi mosque after a survey team found relics of the Hindu god Shiva and other Hindu symbols there, lawyers involved in the case said. Earlier this month, the court in Varanasi …
Read More »PM Shehbaz assures Chinese premier of ‘enhanced security’ for nationals
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured Chinese Premier on Monday that his government was determined to take all necessary measures for the enhanced security and safety of all Chinese nationals working in Pakistan. A communique issued by the office of the prime minister stated that the premier held a comprehensive …
Read More »Lebanon vote deals blow to Hezbollah, preliminary results show
BEIRUT: Iran-backed Hezbollah has been dealt a blow in Lebanon’s parliamentary election with preliminary results showing losses for some of its oldest allies and the Saudi-aligned Lebanese Forces party declaring significant gains. With votes still being counted, the final results have yet to emerge for the first election since Lebanon’s …
Read More »Shanghai aims for return to normal life from June 1
SHANGHAI: Shanghai aims to reopen broadly and allow normal life to resume from June 1, a city official said on Monday, after declaring that 15 of its 16 districts had eliminated cases outside quarantine areas. Deputy Mayor Zong Ming, speaking at a daily online news conference, gave the clearest timetable …
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