The European Parliament overwhelmingly approved on Wednesday a first-ever cooperation deal between the EU and Cuba, despite US President Donald Trump’s hard-line stance against Havana. The Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA), which had been negotiated since 2014 and was signed
Belgian prosecutors said Thursday they were looking for further suspects in an emerging probe into terrorist activity and feared a possible fresh attack in Belgium. “We are still looking for several terrorism suspects,” Eric van der Sypt, the spokesman for the federal prosecutors’
The only surprise that didn’t happen on Wednesday was a positive Qatari response to Kuwaiti emir’s mediation that could have ended the current crisis. The negative response was nothing new; it was expected just like all other reactions that came from Qatar after Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and
Cologne- The trial of members of a “sleeper” terrorist cell that allegedly planned bloody suicide bombings in the heart of the Old City began Wednesday in Dusseldorf, the capital of the northern German state of Rhine-Westphalia. The hearing session was held amid tight security at an anti
Up to 20,000 civilians are trapped in the last ISIS-held areas in Mosul’s Old City, which Iraqi forces are battling to retake, UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq Lise Grande said Thursday. “Our estimate at this stage is that in the final pockets of the Old City, there could be as many a
Doha’s upcoming moves can be easily predicted like an open book as it has taken the same steps in similar previous crises. It is keen on spreading the propaganda of rejection and showing heroic TV stances that do not match with its capabilities and do not reflect the true decisions it intends to tak
United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag reiterated on Wednesday the UN position that any return of refugees to the country of origin be voluntary and be done in conditions of safety and dignity. Kaag said: “This is a central principle of international law. Whether or not it will b
Beirut, London- Human rights organizations called on Wednesday for an independent probe after the Lebanese army announced that four Syrian nationals, who were arrested last week during raids on refugee encampments in the border town of Arsal, have died in custody. Last week, five suicide bombers ble
The United States has pushed for tougher sanctions on North Korea at the UN Security Council but cautioned it was ready to use force if need be to stop Pyongyang’s nuclear missile program. In a hard-hitting address at the UN on Wednesday, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said Tuesday’s ICBM test had
Moscow, Beirut- The fifth round of the Astana talks aimed at ending the Syrian conflict concluded on Wednesday without making any progress, but only approved to transfer all disputed issues to a joint working group. Russia’s chief negotiator at the Astana talks, Alexander Lavrentiev said: “We
Dubai, London- UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar al-Gargash has said the seriousness of the Cairo quadruple conference indicates that the crisis will be extended, adding it will damage Qatar, its position and reputation. Gargash said following the joint news conference held by foreign
Berlin, London- A new German study showed that one of every 17 youths in Germany drop out before finishing high school, reducing their chances of finding a job. According to data collected by the German Caritas Association in 2015, nearly 47,435 German youths in different German cities leave educati
Goodwood- Rolls-Royce has revealed its latest bespoke motor car, the Dawn Black Badge, to be presented at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this week. It is a unique category ordered by the company’s best client with an extra-horsepower that ranges from 30 to 593 ponies. The engine is characterized wit
Erbil- Mosul’s basic infrastruture will cost more than $1 billion to repair after the US-backed Iraqi offensive to retake the city from ISIS, a senior UN official said on Wednesday, but stressed that long-term reconstruction would cost many billions of dollars. An initial assessment showed tha
Ankara- The Turkish authorities have moved two 2,000-year-old granite columns dating back to the Roman era to Antalya’s Museum, after a local used them as an apartment building decoration for more than 23 years. This step came after the Turkish media highlighted the historical significance of these
Cairo- The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain expressed on Wednesday regret over Qatar’s response to their demands to combat extremism and terrorism in all its forms. In a joint statement issued following a meeting held on Wednesday in Cairo, the four foreign ministers sai
London- The BBC has announced it will invest £34 million to expand digital programming for children. It said the decision comes to confront the domination of the US media outlets over children and teenagers in Britain. According to the Daily Telegraph, Lord Hall, the director-general, is expected to
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Wednesday that the four Arab states spending their efforts in the fight against terrorism “cannot accept Qatar’s destructive role,” adding that the international community must also be responsible in combating terrorism. “The response the four states go
Saudi Environment and Agricultural Minister Engineer Abdulrahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadhli stressed that climate change and disasters are one of the greatest challenges that affect agriculture in all its forms and in turn affect food security. He further confirmed the need to unite and take measure
The Arab Parliament kicked off the meetings of the 6th and final session of its 2nd legislative term on Wednesday under the chairmanship of its Speaker, Dr. Mashaal bin Fahm Al-Salami at the headquarters of the Arab League. The meetings are set to discuss a number of issues of joint Arab action, for
