DAMASCUS: For days, Syrians have watched as Iranian missiles and Israeli interceptors light up the skies over their territory, but the new government in Damascus has so far remained officially silent on the unprecedented conflict. Iran was one of former ruler Bashar al-Assad’s biggest backers, playing a crucial role in propping up his government by…
ATHENS: Greece’s parliament voted Thursday to investigate a former transport minister over the country’s worst rail tragedy that left 57 dead in 2023. Government lawmakers approved the probe into the actions of Kostas Karamanlis, who has welcomed the investigation as an opportunity to clear his name. Fifty-seven people, most of them young students, were killed…
BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faced mounting calls Thursday to resign after a leaked phone call she had with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen provoked widespread anger and prompted a key coalition partner to quit. The coalition government led by Paetongtarn’s Pheu Thai party appears on the brink of collapse, throwing the kingdom into…
BERLIN: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and his counterparts in France and the United Kingdom (UK) are planning to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Friday, German Press Agency (dpa) has learned from diplomatic sources. Wadephul had adjusted his originally planned Middle East trip to Lebanon, Syria, and Israel immediately after…
SYDNEY: A Qantas aircraft was damaged after it struck a passenger jet bridge at Brisbane International Airport on Wednesday evening, Xinhua news agency reported. According to the Brisbane Times, Flight QF186 from Queenstown, New Zealand, collided with the jet bridge shortly before 6.40 pm local time after landing. Photos published by the newspaper showed that…
TOKYO: A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the Nemuro Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported according to Japan’s weather agency. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the tremor occurred at 8.08 am local time (2308 GMT Wednesday) at a shallow depth off the southeastern coast of the peninsula. It registered a lower…
WASHINGTON: United States (US) President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he has yet to make a final decision on whether to authorise military strikes on Iran, adding that he prefers to wait until the “last second.” “I don’t want to fight either. I’m not looking to fight. But if it’s a choice between fighting…
JERUSALEM: Israel and Iran exchanged fire again on Wednesday, the sixth day of strikes in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East. Here are the latest developments: New missile salvo Israel’s army on Wednesday said it had detected new missiles launched from Iran, adding…
NEW YORK: A Salvadoran journalist who was arrested by local police while covering anti-Donald Trump protests in Atlanta has been held by immigration officers, a media advocacy group has said. Mario Guevara, who has a significant following for his online videos of immigration raids, was detained for obstructing officers and “improperly entering a roadway” by…
Microsoft prepared to abandon high-stakes talks with OpenAI, FT reports MICROSOFT is prepared to abandon its high-stakes negotiations with OpenAI over the future of its alliance, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. The tech giant has considered pausing discussions with the ChatGPT maker if the two sides remain unable to agree on critical issues such…
