Why Saudi Arabia is the venue of choice for Trump talks on Ukraine
Sebastian UsherBBC Middle East analyst, Jerusalem
The choice by the Trump administration of Saudi Arabia as the location for key talks on Ukraine underscores how far the Kingdom has come diplomatically from the near pariah state it became after the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
The shadow that cast over the country and its de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in particular, appears to have lifted, although there are still concerns occasionally raised at international forums over Saudi Arabia's human rights record.
On many fronts - in entertainment and sport in particular - the country has spent huge amounts of money to further its ambitions to be a major player on the world stage.
Netanyahu ‘committed’ to Trump’s plan to take over Gaza
Comments suggest Israeli PM will reject Hamas pledge to hand over control of territory to the PA
Mon 17 Feb 2025 15.14 GMT
Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that he is “committed” to Donald Trump’s plan to take over and develop the Gaza Strip, amid uncertainty over whether Israel will send a delegation to Qatar to discuss the second stage of the fragile ceasefire in the war with Hamas.
In a statement on Monday, the Israeli prime minister said: “Just as I have committed to, on the day after the war in Gaza, there will be neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority. I am committed to US president Trump’s plan for the creation of a different Gaza.”
The remarks come after a report by Sky News Arabia on Sunday night that Hamas was prepared to hand over control of Gaza to its West Bank-based rival, the semi-autonomous Palestinian Authority (PA), following pressure from mediator Egypt.
Ready to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian
The Greens, driving force of German militarism
German politics is changing as the EU’s economic powerhouse falters. The Greens, for instance, a party founded on a manifesto of pacifism, are now the most enthusiastic cheerleaders for rearmament.
by Fabian Scheidler
Stability used to be one of Germany’s greatest virtues. Not any more. A political crisis has triggered an early federal election on 23 February. And Europe’s largest economy has been in recession for two years. German industry has been hit by soaring energy costs following EU sanctions against Russia. Major business groups such as Volkswagen are planning to cut tens of thousands of jobs, business bankruptcies are at their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, and deindustrialisation looms. Last November, the ruling coalition between the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens (Die Grünen) and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) fell apart over 2025 budget disputes.
India: Man gets life for rape, murder of Irish tourist
The sentencing in the state of Goa comes less than a month after a police volunteer was jailed for the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata.
A court in India has sentenced a 31-year-old man to life in prison for the rape and murder of an Irish backpacker in the western resort state of Goa nearly eight years ago.
The body of 28-year-old Danielle McLaughlin was found by a farmer in March 2017 near Goa's popular Palolem beach.
An autopsy concluded that her death was caused by brain damage and strangulation.
English-lesson chain in Japan succeeds even in Canada, U.S.
By MAKOTO ODA/ Staff Writer
February 16, 2025 at 08:00 JST
A Japanese woman was so confident in her method of teaching the English language to children that she tested it out in Canada.
Kimiko Nakayama, 56, president and CEO of Kinder Kids Inc., now operates 28 preschools in Japan and three more overseas.
She set up the Osaka-based Kinder Kids International Preschool chain 25 years ago to teach children in an English-speaking environment through the company’s original curriculum.
Uganda drops military trial as opposition leader’s health falters
Kizza Besigye has grown ‘critically ill’ during hunger strike against imprisonment, his lawyer says.
Uganda has reversed a controversial plan to hold a military trial for a prominent opposition leader due to his failing health.
Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced late on Sunday that Kizza Besigye would have his case transferred to a civilian court. The announcement came amid reports that Besigye, who is on hunger strike, had been temporarily moved to a medical clinic.
No comments:
Post a Comment