UNITED NATIONS (AA) – The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday saying the world body will not recognize Afghanistan’s de facto authorities without respect for human rights, including for women, girls and minorities. The 193-member Assembly voted on a resolution drafted by Germany and co-sponsored by 59 countries expres...
ROME (AA) – Italy’s policy of keeping its ports closed to ships carrying rescued migrants has raised tensions between Rome and Paris. This came as Italy’s new coalition government led by Giorgia Meloni, who took office on Oct. 22, did not open its ports to European-based NGO ships that demanded a safe harbor for the […...
SHARM EL-SHEIKH (AA) – Global carbon emissions (CO2) this year are forecast to remain at a record level of around 40.6 billion tons, up 1% from last year, and if current emission levels persist, there is now a 50% chance that global warming of 1.5 C (2.7 F) will be exceeded in nine years, the […]
Kabul, Afghanistan (AFP): The Taliban have banned Afghan women from entering the capital’s public parks and funfairs, just months after ordering access to be segregated by gender. The new rule, introduced this week, further squeezes women out of an ever-shrinking public space that already sees them banned from traveling without a male es...
ISTANBUL (AA) – Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend next week’s G-20 summit on the Indonesian island of Bali, the Kremlin has announced. Instead of him, the Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Moscow, according to details shared by spokesman Dmitry Peskov. No reasons were given for Putin’s non-attendance of the con...
ISTANBUL (AA) – China has hinted at a possible summit between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden in Indonesia next week. “China attaches importance to the US proposal of the meeting between the two top leaders at the upcoming G20 summit in Bali,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has said. Xi and […]
ANKARA (AA) – The Australian government has allocated 16,500 additional places to accommodate Afghan nationals under its humanitarian program over the next four years. In a joint statement, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Aff...
TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Iran’s foreign minister has taken strong offence to his German counterpart’s remarks, warning that “undermining old ties” will have “long-term consequences.” In a tweet on Thursday, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said “provocative, interventionist and undiplomatic stances” are not a...
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) – Lebanese lawmakers on Thursday failed for the fifth time to elect a new president, threatening to deepen the country’s political and economic crises. Lebanese President Michel Aoun left office on Oct. 31 after his 6-year term expired without lawmakers agreeing on a successor. Candidate Michel Mouawad, backed by the Leban...
JERUSALEM (AA) – US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said Thursday Washington will oppose any Israeli attempt to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. “We will push back against any attempt at annexation,” Nides told the Israeli public broadcaster KAN. “We don’t support annexation. It’s not just us; it’s most...
