Macron confronts Merkel as top EU job tussle begins
As he made his entrance, Macron insisted he did not want to talk about possible names for the job ? before listing centre-left pick Frans Timmermans, EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager as suitable candidates while pointedly omitting Weber. ?Because these are serious responsiblities at the European level which require experience ? whether in ...
Venezuela talks in Norway must focus on Maduro departure: US
WASHINGTON: Talks in Norway between Venezuela?s government and the US-backed opposition should focus only on President Nicolas Maduro?s removal, Washington said Tuesday. ?While previous efforts to negotiate have failed because the regime has used them to divide the opposition and gain time, we hope that the talks in Oslo will focus on the departure of Maduro as a precondition ...
Erdogan meets Iraqi president as Turkey launches strikes on PKK
ISTANBUL: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met his Iraqi counterpart Barham Saleh on Tuesday while the Turkish military launched an operation against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq. The visit came as the Turkish military launched an air and ground offensive in mountainous northern Iraq against the hideouts of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK), listed as a terror group by ...
US says North Korea program violates UN resolutions, after Trump tweet
WASHINGTON: The US State Department said Tuesday that North Korea’s overall program of weapons of mass destruction violated UN resolutions, after President Donald Trump brushed off recent missile launches. Choosing words carefully after Trump’s latest warm words for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus declined to say if North Korea’s launches were of ballistic missiles or ...
Merkel stands by Weber for top job, EU leaders divided
BRUSSELS: Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday that she stood by centre-right candidate Manfred Weber for president of the European Commission in talks with fellow EU leaders. But, speaking after a summit dinner in Brussels, the German leader confirmed that some of her colleagues had backed other candidates, and that the search for compromise would continue. ...
Strong labor market boosts US consumer confidence
WASHINGTON: Consumer confidence jumped in May as households grew more upbeat about the labor market, suggesting the economy remained on solid ground despite signs that activity was slowing after being temporarily boosted by exports and a build-up of inventories. The surge in confidence reported by the Conference Board on Tuesday came despite an escalation in tensions in the 10-month ...
Taliban say 'occupation' must end for Afghan peace as delegates meet in Moscow
MOSCOW: A Taliban delegation met a group of senior Afghan politicians in Moscow on Tuesday, insisting that international forces must leave Afghanistan for peace to be agreed, amid gathering diplomatic efforts to end the 18-year war. The delegation, led by chief Taliban negotiator Mullah Baradar Akhund, met politicians, including senior regional leaders and candidates challenging President Ashraf Ghani in ...
Indian PM to host China's Xi for informal summit
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host Chinese President Xi Jinping this year for an informal summit, an Indian foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday, after meeting several times over the past year to try to defuse tension. Modi may also hold his first bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in over two years on the ...
China ready to hit back at US with rare earths: ruling party newspaper
BEIJING: China?s Communist Party newspaper warned the United States on Wednesday that the country was ready to use rare earths to strike back in their bitter trade war, saying in an extremely strongly worded commentary ?don?t say we didn?t warn you.? President Xi Jinping?s visit to a rare earths plant last week fueled speculation that China would use its dominant ...
PM Imran Khan to attend 14th OIC Summit in Makkah on May 31
?The OIC session is very important to discuss the Middle East conflict and also the proposed Peace Plan to diffuse the situation,? Qureshi told reporters here prior to his departure for Jeddah to participate in the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers? meeting, preceding the summit-level meeting. Prime Minister Imran Khan will represent Pakistan at the OIC Summit titled ?Makkah ...
China ready to hit back at US with rare earths: ruling party newspaper
China?s Communist Party newspaper warned the United States on Wednesday that the country was ready to use rare earths to strike back in their bitter trade war, saying in an extremely strongly worded commentary ?don?t say we didn?t warn you.? President Xi Jinping?s visit to a rare earths plant last week fueled speculation that China would use its dominant ...
Taliban say occupation must end for Afghan peace as delegates meet in Moscow
A Taliban delegation met a group of senior Afghan politicians in Moscow on Tuesday, insisting that international forces must leave Afghanistan for peace to be agreed, amid gathering diplomatic efforts to end the 18-year war. The delegation, led by chief Taliban negotiator Mullah Baradar Akhund, met politicians, including senior regional leaders and candidates challenging President Ashraf Ghani in ...
Sukkur-Multan motorway project vitalizes local economy, benefits people
BEIJING, May 29 (APP):The Sukkur-Multan section of the Peshawar-Karachi Motorway being constructed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has vitalized the local economy and benefited the people in the area. The motorway has a design speed of 120 km per hour, and it is a two-way six-lane road stretched from Sukkur, a city in Sindh province, to Multan, a city in ...
Bangladesh to charge 16 after girl burned to death
Bangladesh?s Police Bureau of Investigation said they would file the chargesheet in a court in the country?s south later on Wednesday against the 16 people who include two girls who were classmates of Rafi. "They are charged under the women and children repression law and we?ll recommend death penalty for all 16 accused," PBI lead investigator Mohammad Iqbal told ...
Iran 'almost certainly' behind attack on ships off UAE: Bolton
The four ships, including two Saudi tankers, were attacked by "naval mines almost certainly from Iran", Bolton told a press conference in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi. US experts are part of a five-nation team that is investigating the May 12 attacks that damaged the four vessels in the Sea of Oman off the UAE emirate of Fujairah.
UAE expats get taste of Ramadan traditional sweets
"Over there (in Fujairah) you can?t find Iraqi stuff," Mohammed says, as she picks up her order of sharbet zbeeb, or raisin juice, a special Iraqi drink taken to break the day-long fast. During Ramadan, immigrants in the Gulf state reconnect with traditions from their homeland, especially the rituals of breaking the fast and taking lots of traditional desserts ...
France calls on Iraq to spare four of its citizens from the hangman
PARIS: Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Tuesday said France was intensifying diplomatic efforts to prevent four of its citizens being executed in Iraq after they were sentenced to death for belonging to Daesh.
West Indies fire World Cup warning with dominant win over New Zealand
Shai Hope continued his fine run of form as he finished with an 86-ball 101 with nine fours and four sixes, while Andre Russell lived up to his big-hitting reputation with a breezy 25-ball 54 as they sent a warning to Pakistan ahead of their World Cup opener on May 31. ?It?s really good to see the batsmen make ...
Touch wood: US trade war leaves China importers struggling
Since Beijing began to impose retaliatory tariffs on US goods last year, Xu has halted imports, his profits have plummeted, and he may soon need to raise his prices just to survive ? which could kill off sales for good. ?Even though (China?s tariffs) do harm to our economy, we strongly support Uncle Xi and China?s tough stance in ...
German govt urges wearing of Jewish kippa
In his latest statement to Funke, Klein said: ?I call on all citizens of Berlin and across Germany to wear the kippa next Saturday if there are new, intolerable attacks targeting Israel and Jews on the occasion of al-Quds day in Berlin.? Al-Quds is an annual event against Israeli control of Jerusalem and will take place on Saturday. Klein also ...
