World

A suicide blast killed 48 people — including five children — and wounded over 100 more on Sunday at a voter registration center in Kabul, according to Afghan officials. Carnage in Kabul adds to US challenges in Afghanistan The bomber was on foot when he detonated his explosives at the …

Kuwait has protested to the Philippines following “serious offences” that included conducting operations to whisk domestic workers away from their employers’ homes in diplomatic vans. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it summoned on Friday the Philippines ambassador to Kuwait and handed him two protest notes. A spokesperson for the …

Chemical weapons inspectors collected samples from Syria’s Douma on Saturday, two weeks after a suspected gas attack there followed by retaliatory strikes by Western powers on the Syrian government’s chemical facilities. The site visit, confirmed by the Organization of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, would allow the agency to proceed …

Gaza’s ruling Hamas militant group said Saturday that a man who was gunned down in Malaysia was an important member of the organization, accusing Israel of being behind the brazen killing. Hamas said Palestinian engineer Fadi al-Batsh was a “loyal” member and a “scientist of Palestine’s youth scholars.” It gave …

North Korea will immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests and scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace, the North’s state media said on Saturday, ahead of planned summits with South Korea and the United States. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country no …

US consumers may be about to directly feel the effects of the trade fight started by US President Trump with China and other countries this year when a new list of Chinese imports to be taxed is announced in coming days. After imposing import tariffs on solar panels and washing …

The oil stockpile surplus that’s weighed on prices for three years is all but gone, but instead of celebrating victory some of the world’s largest producers are finding reasons to continue cutting output. Opec and Russia’s historic agreement has achieved impressive results, wiping out 97 per cent of the targeted …

The Democratic National Committee opened a new legal assault on President Trump on Friday by filing a lawsuit in federal court alleging that the organization was the victim of a conspiracy by Russian officials, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks to damage Hillary Clinton’s presidential run. The 66-page lawsuit, filed in …

An international team of researchers has found that diamond, the strongest of all natural materials, can bend and stretch much like rubber and snap back to its original shape. A study published on Thursday in the journal Science opened the door to a variety of diamond-based devices for applications such …

Oil major Total said it will buy a majority stake in French electricity retailer Direct Energie in a €1.4 billion (Dh6.3 billion, $1.73 billion) deal that will make it a major challenger to state-owned market leader EDF. Total has entered into an agreement with the controlling shareholders of Direct Energie …

A London High Court judge handed down an “enforcement order” on Thursday that the ownership of $540-million superyacht ‘Luna’, now impounded in Dubai, be immediately transferred to the name of the ex-wife of a Russian billionaire who is fighting for release of the vessel amid what’s believed to be the …

Public humiliation is a rite of passage for many top officials in the Trump administration. But when it was Nikki Haley‘s turn this week, she fought back, defending herself in a way that reflects her unique status in the Trump administration. The US ambassador to the United Nations spent much of …

The Queen has appealed to Commonwealth leaders to appoint her son, Prince Charles, to succeed her as their head. She said it was her “sincere wish” that Prince Charles takes over “one day”, as she opened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London. The role is not hereditary and will …

President Donald Trump said he’ll abandon plans for an unprecedented summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if he decides it won’t be successful — or walk out of the meeting if it’s not productive while he’s there. “If we don’t think it’s going to be successful, we won’t …

The UAE and Bangladesh today (Wednesday) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on recruiting Bangladeshi domestic workers in the UAE. The agreement was signed in the presence of Nasser Bin Thani Juma Al Hameli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, by Saif Ahmad Al Suwaidi, undersecretary at the ministry, and Nomita …

President Trump was watching television on Sunday when he saw Nikki R. Haley, his ambassador to the United Nations, announce that he would impose fresh sanctions on Russia. The president grew angry, according to an official informed about the moment. As far as he was concerned, he had decided no such thing. …

A false alarm set off Syrian air defense systems early on Tuesday, the military said, denying earlier reports of an “outside aggression” and incoming airstrikes and underscoring the chaotic nature of the multiple actors in Syria’s theater of war. Syrian state media reported hours earlier that the country confronted yet …

The founder and CEO of Cambridge Analytica’s parent company compared Donald Trump’s campaign methods to those of Adolf Hitler, newly-released audio has shown. Nigel Oakes, who heads SCL Group, told a media researcher last November that Trump deliberately demonised Muslims and stoked fears about ISIS to appease his base, as …

DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, announced last night that it has acquired a further 3,744,203 shares in London-listed Faroe Petroleum plc at a price of £1.25 per share representing 1.02 per cent of the outstanding shares in the company. Together with two other recent transactions, also at …

Russia has denied interfering with evidence at the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria which led to Saturday’s military intervention by the US, the UK and France. In an interview for BBC’s Hardtalk, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: “I can guarantee that Russia has not tampered …

The UAE has decided to disband its military training programme in Somalia which started in 2014 to build the capabilities of the Somali army. The decision comes in response to Somali security forces’ seizure of a UAE-registered civil aircraft at Mogadishu Airport and confiscation of money destined to pay the …

Western powers have no plans for further missile strikes on Syria but will assess their options if Damascus uses chemical weapons again, Britain’s foreign minister said on Sunday as debate raged over the legality and effectiveness of the raids. U.S., French and British missile attacks struck at the heart of …

The Grand Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Ekrima Said Sabri has commended Malaysia, under the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Razak for its continuous efforts in assisting the Palestinian Muslims, especially in the liberation of the holy mosque. Sheikh Ekrima, who is also former Palestine mufti, said he also praised …

The United States, in coordination with France and Britain, carried out a series of predawn air strikes on Saturday in Syria in response to what it said was a chemical weapons attack this month in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma. The strikes were the latest development in a long-running …

The Russian military has claimed that the Syrian air defences, whose most modern weapon is a three-decades-old Russian-supplied anti-aircraft system, shot down 71 of 103 missiles fired by the US and its allies, the UK and France, a claim denied by the Pentagon. As further details began to emerge about …

Western allies warned Syria on Saturday that they could launch further attacks if chemical weapons are used again, even as Syria’s powerful backer Russia denounced the missile strikes but gave no signs of possible retaliation. The flurry of statements after Friday’s coordinated strike of U.S. cruise missiles — along with …

Opec is on the verge of “mission accomplished” in its quest to clear the global oil glut that caused the worst industry downturn in a generation, the International Energy Agency said. Less than 10 per cent of the surplus in oil inventories remains, as Opec and its partners have cut …

The Russian military says that an alleged chemical attack in Syria was staged and directed by Britain. Volunteer first responders and activists claimed a chemical attack by the Syrian government killed over 40 people in the town of Douma, which drew international outrage and prompted Washington and its allies to …

Theresa May has summoned ministers to an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the UK’s response to the suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria. Ministers are expected to back her call to join military action threatened by the United States and its allies. Sources say the PM is prepared to take …

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted ballistic missiles and shot down drones sent from Yemen, in the latest attack by pro-Iranian rebels that showed improved military capabilities more than three years into the conflict. One missile was intercepted over Riyadh, with loud blasts heard in the night sky above the Saudi …

India has banned its citizens from taking up jobs in fishing vessels moving towards Iran from three Gulf countries, including the UAE. India’s Protector General of Emigrants has issued an advisory against recruitment of Indian emigrants “on fishing vessels and trawlers which may be moving from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and …

Saudi Aramco on Wednesday announced a $44-billion (Dh161.6-billion) deal to build a giant refinery complex in India with three Indian firms that will become a crucial new outlet for the world’s biggest supplier. The refinery at Ratnagiri on the west coast will be able to process up to 1.2 million …

Israeli authorities are investigating how Dublin Mayor Micheal Mac Donncha arrived in the country despite instructions to bar his entry. Interior Minister Arieh Deri ordered an inquiry Wednesday after Mac Donncha announced he was in the West Bank city of Ramallah for a conference after landing at Israel’s Ben-Gurion airport. …

Saudi Arabia could take part in military action in Syria after a suspected chemical attack that killed at least 60 people in the eastern Ghouta region over the weekend, Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman said on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump on Monday promised quick, forceful action in response to …

Pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol on Tuesday warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria in next 72 hours. Eurocontrol said that air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles could be used within that period and there was a possibility of …

President Donald Trump faced a decision on whether to strike Syria and risk a clash with Damascus ally Russia, after UN members failed Tuesday to agree on action to probe chemical attacks in the war-wracked country. The US leader has made it clear he plans to make Bashar Al Assad, …

The UAE on Tuesday condemned Somali authorities for seizing an Emirati civilian aircraft at Mogadishu airport. Somali authorities also reportedly seized money that was in the aircraft. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 47 members of the Emirati armed forces were onboard the aircraft when it was seized by Somali …

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced, today, as part of Abu Dhabi’s first ever block licensing strategy and on behalf of the Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC), the details of the initial round of six geographical oil and gas blocks open for bidding. This follows the announcement last month …

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri posted on Twitter a selfie with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed VI of Morocco. “No comment,” said Mr Hariri’s tweet that showed the three men smiling and sitting side-by-side as Prince Mohammed casually rested his hand on the Moroccan king’s shoulder. …

Both the US and France denied the air strikes on Syrian military targets, which had reportedly killed Iranians. Several US officials said on Sunday there was no truth to reports that the US military had launched air strikes against a Syrian government air base. The US denial followed a report …

Pyongyang has told Washington that it is ready to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Trump meet, a U.S. official has confirmed to NPR. In direct contacts between U.S. and North Korean officials, the latter relayed to the Trump administration …

This week in the Russia investigations: Mueller sends the feds to meet some international arrivees; new sanctions on some powerful, wealthy Russians; and Mr. Zuckerberg goes to Washington. Fade in: A gleaming new Gulfstream 650 — or maybe it’s a Sukhoi business jet — sweeps in for a landing at …

By Marjorie Cohn On March 30, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers shot 773 unarmed Palestinian protesters in Gaza, killing 17 and wounding 1,400. Twenty remain in critical condition. The protesters were marching to demand the internationally mandated right of return of refugees to their cities and villages in what now constitutes Israel. …

Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Wednesday it had signed a deal with French building and engineering group Artelia to manage the development of its offices in the eastern city of Benghazi. There have been plans for years to move the state oil firm’s headquarters from the capital Tripoli …