Gulfnews

The US National Transportation Safety Board on Monday said more than 40 foreign operators of Boeing 737 airplanes may be using planes with rudder components that may pose safety risks.The NTSB last week issued urgent safety recommendations about the potential for a jammed rudder control system on some Boeing 737 airplanes after a February incident involving a United Airlines flight.The NTSB also disclosed Monday that it has learned two foreign operators suffered similar incidents in 2019 involving rollout guidance actuators. 'We are concerned of the possibility that other airlines are unaware of the presence of these actuators on their 737 airplanes,' NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Monday in a letter to FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/691685/international/uslatin-america/40-foreign-operators-may-be-using-faulty-boeing-737s-us-safety-board

Donald Trump has called Democrat Kamala Harris “mentally impaired” and said illegal immigrants are out to cut the throats of ordinary Americans in their own homes as he doubled down on the racially charged rhetoric fuelling his unprecedented bid to regain the US presidency.Trump was seeking to strike back at Harris after she visited the US-Mexico border on Friday and vowed to do more to control asylum claims and undocumented migrant crossings.The issue is one of the Democratic vice president’s weakest in polling, as she runs neck-and-neck against Trump in the November 5 election.Trump dismissed Harris’s speech at the border, swearing and telling supporters in the small town of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, that President Joe Biden and Harris are responsible for an “invasion” of violent criminals.Anti-immigrant sentiment has been at the core of Trump’s appeal in economically depressed, majority-white parts of the country ever since his 2016 presidential victory, but the rhetoric is turni...

At least 38 people have been killed in Nepal since early Friday as persistent downpours triggered more flooding and landslides, closing major roads and disrupting domestic air travel, officials said yesterday.The death toll could rise, they added, with another 29 people reported missing over the last 30 hours. Most of the deaths took place in the Kathmandu valley, which is home to four million people and the country’s capital, where the flooding brought traffic and normal activity to a standstill. Rescue workers used helicopters and rubber boats to help people stranded on rooftops or elevated ground as some parts of Kathmandu reported up to 322.2mm of rain over the last day.Most rivers in the Himalayan nation have swollen, spilling over roads and bridges, authorities said, after nearly a week’s delay in the retreat of South Asia’s annual monsoon rains brought torrential downpours across the region. Police were working to clear debris and reopen roads after landslides blocked highways i...

Tropical Storm Helene brought life-threatening flooding to the Carolinas yesterday after leaving widespread destruction as a major hurricane in Florida and Georgia overnight that killed at least 33 people, swamped neighbourhoods and left more than 4mn homes and businesses without power.Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 hurricane on Thursday at 11.10pm ET (0310 GMT yesterday) and left a chaotic landscape of overturned boats in harbours, felled trees, submerged cars and flooded streets.Police and firefighters carried out thousands of water rescues throughout the affected states, including in Atlanta, where an apartment complex had to be evacuated due to flooding.Helene came ashore in Florida with 140mph (225kph) winds, weakening to a tropical storm as it moved into Georgia early yesterday.By early afternoon, the storm had been downgraded to a tropical depression and was packing maximum sustained winds of 35mph (55kph) as it slowed over Tennessee and Kentucky, ...

A South African woman celebrated her 118th birthday on Friday as one of the oldest people in the world with a small party at her care home.Margaret Maritz was born on September 27, 1906, according to a copy of her identity card shown to journalists by a charity that helped to organise the party in Touws River, 180 kilometres northeast of Cape Town. The document has not been independently verified but if confirmed would make Maritz older than Japanese national Tomiko Itooka who was born on May 23, 1908 and is listed by the US-based Gerontology Research Group as currently the world’s oldest living person.Flanked by two of her 14 children, Maritz blew out a candle on a large pink birthday cake at the party in the small town of Touws River.“She talks about her life as a young woman, (saying) you must respect your mother and your father. She didn’t drink, she didn’t smoke,” said a senior nurse at the home, Gregory Elroy Adams.“We must be grateful,” said one of her daughters, Liza Daniels, 6...

At least 46 people, including 37 children, have drowned while celebrating a Hindu festival in eastern India, a local government official said yesterday.The victims drowned in separate incidents in Bihar state while bathing in rivers and ponds swollen by recent flooding, an official from the Bihar Disaster Management Department said.“People ignored dangerous water levels in rivers as well as ponds while bathing to celebrate the Jitiya Parv festival,” said the official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.The drownings occurred from Tuesday across 15 districts of Bihar state. Authorities were still working to recover three other bodies, the official said. The Bihar state government has announced compensation for each of the victims’ families, the government official said.Last year local media reported 22 people drowned during a 24-hour period in Bihar, most while marking the same festival.At least 116 people were crushed to death in July at an over...

The Kremlin said on Thursday that an updated nuclear doctrine that will allow Moscow to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states should be seen as a warning to the West.Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced plans to broaden Russia’s rules on the use of its nuclear weaponry, allowing it to unleash a nuclear response in the event of a “massive” air attack.The proposals would also permit Moscow to respond with nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states if they are supported by nuclear powers – a clear reference to Ukraine and its Western backers.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the planned changes “must be considered a specific signal”.“A signal that warns these countries of the consequences if they participate in an attack on our country by various means, not necessarily nuclear,” he told reporters.Without mentioning Ukraine by name, Peskov said Russia’s “nuclear deterrence is being adjusted on account of elements of tension that are developing along the perim...

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres affirmed that Lebanon cannot afford to become another Gaza, noting that the international organization supports intensive international efforts to achieve a temporary ceasefire, which would allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and pave the way for the resumption of a more lasting peace.'Despite the dangerous conditions, our peacekeepers remain in position,' Guterres said during the emergency UN Security Council (UNSC) session to discuss developments in Lebanon.'I implore the Council to work in lock-step to help put out this fire,' he said, calling on all parties to avoid a full-scale war.'To all sides, let us say in one clear voice: Stop the killing and destruction. Tone down the rhetoric and threats. Step back from the brink. An all-out war must be avoided at all costs. It would surely be an all-out catastrophe,' Guterres said.'Many lives have been lost. All this must stop,' he added.For his part, Algerian Foreign...

On September 19, at the HUAWEI Innovative Product Launch event in Barcelona, Spain, Huawei introduced a range of highly anticipated products, highlighting its 'Fashion Forward' approach to wearables. The new lineup of wearables includes the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 Series, HUAWEI WATCH D2, and the HUAWEI WATCH Ultimate Green. Additionally, Huawei unveiled the HUAWEI MatePad Pro 12.2-inch and HUAWEI MatePad 12 X—brand new tablets offering advanced technologies for enhanced productivity and seamless connectivity. To provide a worry-free experience, Huawei is offering the HUAWEI Care+ Service, which can be purchased alongside the new devices.Alex Huang, Chief Marketing Officer of Huawei Consumer BG, emphasised the brand's global impact and commitment to innovation. “We aim to bring innovative products that offer consumers a unique blend of fashion and creativity,” said Alex. “By inspiring our users, Huawei strives to create a more connected and heartwarming world where...

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday he had sensed a greater willingness by Iranian officials to engage with the agency in a more meaningful way after talks held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.In a statement following talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Grossi said 'What I see is an expressed willingness to re-engage with us in a more meaningful fashion.'Grossi said that he wanted to make real progress in restoring proper technical discussions with Iran quickly and was aiming to travel to Tehran in October to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.'Of course now we have to give content and substance to this because we are not starting from zero. We have had relatively protracted process without replies to some of the questions we have,' he said.Several long-standing issues have soured relations between Iran and the IAEA , including Tehran's barring of IAEA...

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani met today US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York.In a statement, the media office of the Iraqi Prime Minister said that the meeting focused on bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation in various fields. They also discussed the latest regional developments, particularly the recent escalation in Lebanon.The statement added that Al-Sudani emphasized the need for concerted efforts to stop the ongoing war and aggression in Gaza and Lebanon, warning that the conflict could escalate and widen further, threatening regional and international security.He called on the United Nations to fulfill its responsibilities regarding the crimes being committed against civilians in Gaza and Lebanon, especially women and children.The discussion also covered areas of bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, as well as the ongoing dialogue to end the mission of the international coalition in Iraq, transitioning to bilateral cooperation in various ...

Sri Lanka’s Marxist president-elect yesterday invited his compatriots to help him “rewrite” history in the cash-strapped island nation after winning a vote coloured by discontent over an unprecedented financial crisis.Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, the 55-year-old leader of the People’s Liberation Front, was declared the winner of the weekend’s poll with nearly 1.3mn more votes than his nearest rival.The once-fringe leader, whose party won less than four percent of the vote in parliamentary elections four years ago, saw a surge of support as the economic meltdown forced widespread hardships upon Sri Lankans.“The dream we have nurtured for centuries is finally coming true,” he said in a statement shortly after the announcement.“This victory belongs to all of us,” he added. “Millions of eyes filled with hope and expectation push us forward, and together, we stand ready to rewrite Sri Lankan history.”Outgoing President Ranil Wickremesinghe – who took office at the peak of the 2022 economic col...

French President Emmanuel Macron has named a new government led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier, marked by a shift to the right 11 weeks after an inconclusive parliamentary election.The first major task for Barnier, appointed just over two weeks ago, will be to submit a 2025 budget plan addressing France’s financial situation, which the prime minister this week called “very serious”.Conservative Barnier is best-known internationally for leading the European Union’s Brexit negotiations with the UK.More recently, he has had the difficult job of submitting a cabinet for Macron’s approval that has the best chance of surviving a no-confidence motion in parliament.Opposition politicians from the left have already announced that they will challenge his government with a confidence motion.In the July election, a left-wing bloc called the New Popular Front (NFP) won the most parliamentary seats of any political bloc, but not enough to get an overall majority.Macron argued that the left would b...

India’s northeastern state of Manipur has been placed on high alert after intelligence reports of a potential influx of 900 suspected Kuki militants from Myanmar, a senior security official said yesterday.An organisation that represents the Kuki community, however, denied the security official’s allegations and called for his resignation.Kuldiep Singh, Manipur’s security adviser, told reporters the information regarding the militants had been shared with various intelligence agencies.Since May 2023, Manipur has been embroiled in violence between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities, driven by disputes over economic benefits and quotas.“The border police have been alerted, and combing operations are underway,” he said, adding that hill districts, home to Kuki tribes, were put under heightened vigilance.Denying there had been an influx of Kuki militants from Myanmar, the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), the main body representing the community in the state, accused the sec...

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka voted for its next president yesterday in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund austerity plan enacted after the island nation’s unprecedented financial crisis.Turnout was at nearly 70% an hour before polling stations closed at 4pm, an election commission official said, citing provisional figures. The record for voter turnout in a Sri Lankan presidential election was set in 2019 with 83.72%. President Ranil Wickremesinghe is fighting an uphill battle for a fresh mandate to continue belt-tightening measures that stabilised the economy and ended months of food, fuel and medicine shortages.His two years in office restored calm to the streets after civil unrest spurred by the downturn in 2022 saw thousands storm the compound of his predecessor, who promptly fled the country. “I’ve taken this country out of bankruptcy,” Wickremesinghe, 75, said after casting his ballot.“I will now deliver Sri Lanka a developed economy, developed social s...

The first early voters cast their ballots on Friday for November’s knife-edge US presidential election, as Democratic candidate Kamala Harris headed for a campaign event focused on the hot-button issue of abortion.Three US states – Virginia, Minnesota and South Dakota – were starting early voting, a practice that Republican nominee Donald Trump has previously cast doubt on when falsely claiming he won the 2020 election.Dozens of people waited at an early voting polling station in the centre of Arlington, Virginia, just outside the capital Washington, AFP journalists saw.A number had “Harris-Walz” shirts, while there were also some “Trump-Vance” signs in front of the building.“I’m excited,” said Michelle Kilkenny, 55, adding that voting early, “especially on day one, helps the campaign and raises the enthusiasm level”.Most US states permit in-person voting or mail-in voting to allow people to deal with scheduling conflicts or an inability to cast their ballots on election day itself on ...

The European Union will make billions of euros available to help central Europe recover from severe floods, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday, as she pledged support for regions that have been devastated by the deluge.The worst floods to hit central Europe in at least two decades have caused widespread damage from Romania to Poland, killing at least 24 people, destroying bridges, submerging cars and leaving towns caked in mud and debris.“It was for me on the one hand heartbreaking to see the destruction and the devastation through the floods,” she told reporters. “But I must also say it was on the other hand heartwarming to see the enormous solidarity between the people in your countries.”The flooding was caused by torrential rain that began last week and lasted for several days, causing rivers to burst their banks in several parts of the region.“I am here to reassure you that Europe stands by your side,” she told a news conference in the Polish city o...

Vice-President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump remain deadlocked less than seven weeks before the November 5 US presidential election, according to new polls released yesterday that also show a tight race in the key state of Pennsylvania.While the surveys found likely and registered voters gave higher marks to Democrat Harris in last week’s debate with her Republican opponent, they showed the race – particularly in the battleground state – remains close, in line with other polling.In the national poll, Harris and Trump were tied at 47% among the 2,437 likely voters polled September 11-16, according to a survey by the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Siena College.The margin of error was plus or minus three percentage points.In Pennsylvania, one of seven critical battleground states, Harris maintained her 4-point advantage, leading 50% to 46% with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points, according to the Times poll.Separate findings by the W...

Tunisian Minister of Tourism Sofiane Tekaya and Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the tourism sector through the implementation of a set of training programs and the holding of a joint conference to promote tourism investment.The Tunisian Ministry of Tourism said in a statement that both sides agreed to organize joint work programs in the fields of tourism and business administration, in addition to exchanging expertise and promoting the cultural and tourism assets of both countries through joint marketing efforts. source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690966/international/tunisia-iraq-agree-to-boost-tourism-cooperation-and-investment

High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has stressed that the recent explosion of a large number of wireless telecommunications devices in Lebanon endangers its security and stability and exacerbates escalation in the region.In a statement Wednesday, Borrell expressed his condemnation of the attacks on wireless telecommunications devices that took place Tuesday and Wednesday in Lebanon, which resulted in the death of a number of individuals and the injury of thousands, expressing his deep concern about the situation there. source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690964/international/explosion-of-telecommunications-devices-in-lebanon-exacerbates-tensions-in-region-european-official

US President Joe Biden called on the two parties to the conflict in Sudan to resume negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing war between them since April 2023, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.In a statement released by the White House Tuesday, Biden said, 'I call on the belligerents responsible for Sudanese suffering the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to pull back their forces, facilitate unhindered humanitarian access, and re-engage in negotiations to end this war.'Biden said that this war has created 'one of the world's worst humanitarian crises,' pointing out that nearly 10 million people have been displaced by this conflict.US assistance to Sudanese people has reached over $1.6 billion in the last two years.'Let it be clear: the United States will not abandon our commitment to the people of Sudan who deserve freedom, peace, and justice. We call for all parties to this conflict to end this violence,' ...

Paris and Milan are among the cities closest to reaching the urban planning goal of being a “15-minute city,” while car-dependent metropolises in the United States and elsewhere lag behind, a worldwide analysis said yesterday. In fact, the central areas of many cities already meet the definition of a 15 minute-city, which means that residents are within a quarter-hour walk or bike ride from everything they need to a lead a good life, the analysis found. But even within a city, there are often stark differences between the wealthy inner cities and the urban sprawl on their outskirts, according to the Italian researchers behind the new study. The concept of the 15-minute city gained traction during the Covid pandemic, when lockdowns put more focus on local neighbourhoods. It has since been embraced by dozens of mayors around the world — and become the target of conspiracy theorists online. For the new study, published in the journal Nature Cities, the researchers built an online database...

Electric cars outnumber petrol cars in Norway for the first time ever, an industry organisation said on Tuesday.Of the 2.8 million private cars registered in the Scandinavian country, 754,303 are all-electric, compared to 753,905 that run on petrol, the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) said in a statement.Diesel models remain most numerous at just under one million, but their sales are falling rapidly.'This is historic. A milestone few saw coming 10 years ago,' OFV director Oyvind Solberg Thorsen said in a statement.'The electrification of the fleet of passenger cars is going quickly, and Norway is thereby rapidly moving towards becoming the first country in the world with a passenger car fleet dominated by electric cars,' OFV director Oyvind Solberg Thorsen said.Norway, pardoxically a major oil and gas producer, has set a target to sell only zero-emission vehicles -- mostly EVs since the share of hydrogen cars is so small -- by 2025, 10 years ahead of the EU's ...

China strongly condemns Israel's horrific attacks on humanitarian agencies and workers in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.At the UN Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Geng Shuang renewed the call on Monday for Israel to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law by putting lives and humanity first.The UNRWA is mandated by the UN General Assembly to provide relief for Palestinian refugees and is a pillar of strength for humanitarian operations in Gaza, Geng stressed.Even at the most perilous times, UNRWA has not abandoned Gaza, and to date, 224 of its staff have perished in the line of duty, said the ambassador.'We pay highest tribute to all the humanitarian workers who are still hanging in there, and our condolences over the demise of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,' he said, calling on Israel to investig...

At least nine people were killed in a landslide that buried the homes of several families in central Mexico.Local authorities announced that the disaster occurred in the village of San Luis Ayucan.They added that rescue teams saved three people from under the piles of mud left by the landslide.The landslide displaced nearly 150 people from the village, who are now staying in shelters.Landslides are common in Mexico, especially during the rainy and hurricane season, which lasts from May to November. source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690836/international/landslide-in-central-mexico-kills-nine

A man suspected of plotting to assassinate former US president Donald Trump was charged with federal gun crimes Monday.Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number at his initial court appearance.Routh, who was arrested on Sunday after an alleged abortive bid to shoot the Republican presidential candidate at his West Palm Beach golf course, is expected to face further charges at a later date.Routh appeared calm during the brief court hearing before Magistrate Judge Ryon McCabe of the Southern District of Florida, answering 'yes' to several questions.A detention hearing was scheduled for September 23 and an arraignment on further potential charges was set for September 30.Routh was arrested on Sunday after a Secret Service agent on the former president's security detail saw what appeared to be the barrel of a rifle pointing out of a tree line on the perimeter of the Tru...

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was safe after multiple shots were fired near his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, Sunday.The shots originated outside the fence line of the course. The Associated Press reported that US Secret Service agents opened fire after seeing a person with a firearm near Trump's golf club, adding that no injuries were reported.The Secret Service said it was investigating the incident, which occurred shortly before 2 pm (1800 GMT).Trump was injured in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on July 13.The White House said in a statement that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed about the incident and were relieved to know that he is safe.'Violence has no place in America,' Harris said in an X social media post.Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., cited local law enforcement as saying an AK-47 automatic weapon had been discovered in bushes and a suspect has been apprehended, according to a...

One person has drowned in Poland and an Austrian fireman has died responding to floods, authorities said yesterday, as Storm Boris lashed central and eastern Europe with torrential rains.Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually heavy rainfall.The rains have flooded streets and submerged entire neighbourhoods in some places, while shutting down public transport and electricity in others.Romanians waded through armpit-high water to safety, Poles sought shelter in schools and Czechs hurriedly put up sand dykes in an effort to keep the water at bay.Yesterday’s deaths bring the overall toll from the storm to eight, with thousands evacuated across the continent.In Romania, two bodies were found yesterday, after four people were reported killed earlier, and one person was declared missing.Four people were reported missing in the Czech Republic.“The water came into the house, it destroyed the walls, everythi...

The towing of an abandoned tanker struck by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in August, threatening environmental disaster, is proceeding slowly for a second day, a Greek military source told AFP yesterday.The operation to tow the Greek-flagged Sounion which began Saturday “is proceeding at a very slow pace”, the source said, adding that it was “initially headed north” without revealing a destination.The tanker was hit on August 21 by Iran-backed Houthis with missiles off the coast of Hodeida while carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil.After the initial strike, the Houthis returned and detonated charges on the ship’s deck, setting off new fires.Damage to the vessel had threatened a Red Sea oil spill four times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska.The operation is being overseen by the European Union’s Red Sea naval mission, Aspides, which yesterday said the tanker was being towed to a “safe location”.“The salvage of the MV SOUNION is a complex operation and consists of various pha...

At least four people died and thousands of homes were damaged by flooding in eastern Romania on Saturday, officials said, as surging river levels put authorities on alert in much of central and eastern Europe following days of torrential rain.Tens of thousands of households were left without power in Romania and the Czech Republic, where more rainfall is forecast in the coming days. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, southern Germany and parts of Austria are also expected to see more heavy rain.Residents of some towns along the Czech-Polish border were evacuated as rivers rose past alert levels while the Czech capital, Prague, which suffered catastrophic floods in 2002, put preventative anti-flood measures in place.In Romania, flooding affected eight counties, the country’s emergency unit said, and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu visited hard-hit Galati county, where the four people were found dead, about 5,000 homes were damaged and 25,000 were without power.Television images from the area show...

Moscow and Kyiv swapped 103 prisoners of war each on Saturday in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates, a rare moment of coordination between the two warring sides as Russia pushes ahead in east Ukraine.The Russians released in the swap were captured during Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region, Moscow said, while some of the Ukrainians freed had been held prisoner since Moscow seized the Azovstal steel plant in May 2022.“Another 103 soldiers were returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram.Among the freed were 82 privates and sergeants as well as 21 officers, Zelensky said.“The defenders of Kyiv, Donetsk, Mariupol and Azovstal, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and the Kharkiv regions,” he added.Russia confirmed it had “handed over” 103 Ukrainian army prisoners, and received 103 Russian servicemen captured by Kyiv in its Kursk offensive in return.“At present, all Russian servicemen are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, ...

Ugandans on Saturday paid tributes to Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei, who died after her partner set her on fire in Kenya, ahead of her funeral in her family village.The 33-year-old, who debuted this summer in the women's marathon at the Paris Olympics, succumbed to severe burns last week after being attacked by Kenyan Dickson Ndiema Marangach.The brutal assault shocked the East African region and prompted a global outpouring of tributes, with activists condemning another act of gender-based violence in Kenya.On Saturday morning, residents, officials and relatives waited in the cold morning light to pay their respects in the village of Bukwo, some 380 kilometres northeast of Uganda's capital Kampala.'We are extremely saddened,' said her estranged husband Simon Ayeko, with whom she had two daughters.'As a father it has been very difficult,' he told AFP, explaining he had not been able to break the news to their children.'Slowly we will tell them the tru...

Zimbabwe will cull 200 elephants as it faces an unprecedented drought that has led to food shortages, a move that will also allow it to tackle a ballooning population of the animals, the country's wildlife authority said Friday.The country has 'more elephants than it needed', Zimbabwe's environment minister said in parliament on Wednesday, adding that the government had instructed the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) to begin the culling process.The 200 elephants will be hunted in areas where they have clashed with humans, including Hwange, home of Zimbabwe's largest natural reserve, ZimParks director general Fulton Mangwanya told AFP.Zimbabwe is home to an estimated 100,000 elephants, and has the second-biggest elephant population in the world after Botswana.Thanks to conservation efforts, Hwange is home to 65,000 of the animals, more than four times its capacity, according to ZimParks. Zimbabwe last culled elephants in 1988.Neighbour...

AFP/MadridMinisters from Muslim and European countries along with the European Union’s foreign affairs chief gathered yesterday in Madrid to discuss how to advance a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Together, we want to identify the concrete actions that will enable us to make progress towards this objective,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on social network X.“The international community must take a decisive step towards a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” the Socialist premier added. Sanchez welcomed participants at his official residence before the start of the meeting at the foreign ministry in central Madrid, hosted by his top diplomat Jose Manuel Albares.In attendance were Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye – all members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza – as well as the heads of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation.Th...

The WHO chief hailed Friday the success of the first phase of a giant polio vaccination campaign in war-ravaged Gaza after more than 560,000 children received a first dose.'This is a massive success amidst a tragic daily reality of life across the Gaza Strip,' Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, formerly Twitter.Disease has spread with Gaza lying in ruins and the majority of its 2.4 million residents forced to flee their homes due to Israel's military assault -- often taking refuge in cramped and unsanitary conditions.After the first confirmed polio case in 25 years, a massive vaccination effort began on September 1 targeting at least 90 percent of children under 10, aided by localised 'humanitarian pauses' in fighting.The first phase of the campaign, which first brought vaccines to children in central Gaza, then the south, and finally to the hardest-to reach north of the territory, wrapped up Thursday.A fresh campaign to provide a needed second dose is due t...

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi discussed with his Norwegian counterpart Espen Barth Eide, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell the developments in the region and the efforts being made to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the dangerous escalation in the occupied West Bank.The meeting, held on the sidelines of a gathering in Madrid focused on implementing the two-state solution, also explored ways to enhance bilateral relations between Jordan and Norway on one hand, and with the European Union on the other.Safadi emphasized the need to finalize a prisoner exchange deal that would lead to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, halt the dangerous escalation in the West Bank, ensure the protection of civilians, and deliver sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid to all parts of the Gaza Strip.The Jordanian Foreign Minister also warned of the potential explosion of the situation in the region if Israel's illegal actio...