Russia steps up offensive in eastern Ukraine
KYIV: Russian forces stepped up their offensive in the east of Ukraine on Thursday as US President Joe Biden planned a new $20 billion package of weapons and ammunition for…
Members of UK-based Emirates Society host Ramadan iftar to celebrate cultural ties
LONDON: The Emirates Society, a UK-based friendship group dedicated to strengthening UK-UAE ties, organized a Ramadan iftar in the heart of the British capital to celebrate Emirati culture and heritage.…
At least nine killed by bomb blasts on minibuses in Afghan city
KABUL: Two bomb blasts aboard separate minibuses killed at least nine people Thursday in Afghanistan’s Mazar-i-Sharif, police said, a week after a deadly explosion rocked a Shiite mosque in the…
Russian strikes hit Kyiv as UN chief visits
KYIV: Russian strikes slammed into central Kyiv on Thursday as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was visiting, wounding three in the first such attack on the capital since mid-April, the mayor…
Iran executions see ‘alarming rise’ in 2021: report
Executions in Iran rose by 25 percent in 2021, a report by two leading NGOs said Thursday, expressing alarm over a surge in the numbers executed for drug offenses and…
UN Yemen envoy seeks to rescue truce, resume flights from Sanaa airport
AL-MUKALLA: UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said on Thursday that he is working hard to salvage the two-month truce and resume commercial flights from Houthi-controlled Sanaa amid new…
Lebanese security forces warn of rise in kidnappings for ransom
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s security forces have warned citizens and residents that there has been a rise in kidnappings in the country, with perpetrators seeking large sums of money for the safe…
Jordanians enjoy Ramadan as normalcy returns after COVID-19
JORDAN: Life returned to normal a few days before Ramadan when the Jordanian government eased the COVID-19 lockdown after nearly two years of restrictions. To curb the spread of coronavirus…
Coalition to release 163 Houthi prisoners in ‘humanitarian initiative’
RIYADH: The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced on Thursday that it would release 163 Houthi prisoners who participated in combat operations against the Kingdom in a “humanitarian initiative,”…
El-Sisi calls for comprehensive dialogue on Egyptian national plan
CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has called on the National Youth Congress management to carry out a comprehensive political dialogue on priorities for a national plan of action. The…