BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan: Turkiye and Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday agreed to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” boosting defense ties, during an official visit to the Central Asian state by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.Ankara is strengthening its presence across the region, as it seeks to compete with the likes of Russia and China for influence.Erdogan regularly visits Central…
RIYADH: Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan received Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji in Port Sudan on Tuesday. During the meeting, Al-Khuraiji stressed the keenness of the Kingdom’s leadership on restoring security and stability in Sudan. The minister’s visit to the country comes as part of the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to address the…
ISTANBUL: Turkiye on Monday sacked three mayors facing terrorism charges in the Kurdish-majority southeast and replaced them with trustees, the interior ministry said.The mayors in the cities of Mardin and Batman as well as Halfeti — a district in the Sanliurfa province — were removed from their positions, the ministry said.The three from the pro-Kurdish…
RIYADH: Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are set to battle for the year-end No. 1 ranking, which will be decided at this week’s WTA Finals in Riyadh. Sabalenka “unexpectedly” recaptured the top spot last week after Iga Swiatek dropped points for not fulfilling mandatory tournament requirements this season, and enters the competition in Saudi Arabia…
GAZA: The third phase of a delayed polio vaccination campaign in Gaza will begin on Saturday, aid organizations said on Friday, after the rollout was derailed by Israeli bombardments, mass displacement and lack of access.The polio campaign began on Sept. 1 after the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed in August that a baby was partially…
Iran’s government has proposed to triple its military budget, its spokeswoman said Tuesday, as tensions with arch-rival Israel rise following recent tit-for-tat missile strikes.Government spokeswoman Fatemeh MoHajjerani outlined the move that would see “a significant increase of more than 200 percent in the country’s military budget” at a news conference in Tehran.She did not elaborate…
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart discussed the importance of avoiding anything that could destabilize the security and stability of the region on Monday. During a phone call with Abbas Araghchi, Prince Faisal discussed the latest developments in the region and the repercussions of an escalation. The two ministers…
UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the Security Council on Monday for its support to help protect civilians in war-torn Sudan, but said conditions are not right for deployment of a UN force.“The people of Sudan are living through a nightmare of violence — with thousands of civilians killed, and countless others…
Iran’s neighbors have promised not to allow their “soil or airspace” to be used for attacks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday, as Israel weighs a potential retaliatory strike.“All our neighbors have assured us that they won’t allow their soil or airspace to be used against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Araghchi told a…
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday on his 11th visit to the region since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.He is expected to meet with top officials as the United States looks to revive ceasefire efforts after the killing of top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, but so far none of…
