Tag Archives: France

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday said Turkey’s involvement in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has increased the risk in the region, reiterating his call for the issue to be resolved through diplomacy. Several hundred people have been killed in the deadliest flare-up of the decades-old conflict …

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accused Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan of being the main instigator in the deadliest fighting between Armenian and Azeri forces for more than 25 years. In an interview published on Tuesday that is likely to exacerbate international frictions over the clashes in the South Caucasus region, Assad …

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday condemned what he called Turkey’s “reckless and dangerous” statements backing Azerbaijan it its bid to take back the breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh. Ankara said on Tuesday it was “fully ready” to help Azerbaijan recover Nagorny Karabakh, as armed conflict escalated with neighboring Armenia …

Hezbollah’s leader said on Tuesday his Shi’ite movement welcomed French efforts to help Lebanon out of crisis but that did not mean French President Emmanuel Macron could act like the country’s ruler. In a televised address, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah remained ready for dialogue under …

Lebanon’s Amal movement expressed surprise on Tuesday over accusations by French President Emmanuel Macron that the Shi’ite party triggered the collapse of talks to form a new government. Prime minister-designate Mustapha Adib quit on Saturday after failing to line up a non-partisan cabinet, dealing a blow to a French plan …

Lebanon’s prime minister-designate quit on Saturday after trying for almost a month to line up a non-partisan cabinet, dealing a blow to a French bid aimed at rallying sectarian leaders to tackle the worst crisis since the nation’s 1975-1990 civil war. Mustapha Adib, former ambassador to Berlin, was picked on …

The United States on Monday will sanction more than two dozen people and entities involved in Iran’s nuclear, missile and conventional arms programs, a senior U.S. official said, putting teeth behind U.N. sanctions on Tehran that Washington argues have resumed despite the opposition of allies and adversaries. Speaking on condition …

Lebanon’s top Christian cleric took a swipe at leaders of the Shi’ite Muslim community on Sunday for making demands he said were blocking the formation of a new government and causing political paralysis in a nation in deep crisis. Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, leader of the Maronite church, did not …

In an exclusive interview with Arab News on Wednesday, the head of Lebanon’s Maronite church, Bechara Al-Rai, called for all of the many political factions in the country — which has just marked its centenary — to support his call to adopt ‘active neutrality,’ describing it as “part of the …

A campaign waged against Netflix over “Cuties” and the film’s sexualized portrayal of children produced a surge in U.S. subscription cancellations over the weekend, according to research company YipitData. Netflix subscriber churn rates began to rise Sept. 10, the day after the release of “Cuties” on Netflix, when the hashtag …

I’ve been struggling to write a review of this little sci-fi action masterpiece Tenet (2020) for quite some time now if only because it’s such a hard movie to understand. And I’m saying this as a sci-fi buff whose watched and read his fair share of reverse flow time travel …

Greece and Turkey have agreed to talks to avoid accidental clashes in the Eastern Mediterranean, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday, part of efforts to defuse the worsening dispute over energy resources in the region. Germany is also leading a diplomatic push for broader dialogue and German Chancellor Angela …

Lawmakers in the Iran-backed Lebanese Shi’ite group Hezbollah nominated Mustapha Adib as the next prime minister on Monday, the head of its parliamentary bloc said after a meeting with President Michel Aoun. The bloc “informed President Aoun of its agreement to the nomination of Mustapha Adib and we expressed our …

The EU on Friday urged Turkey to halt its drilling activities in contested waters in the Mediterranean and ordered EU officials to speed up work aimed at blacklisting some Turkish officials linked to the energy exploration. Tensions are mounting to breaking point between Turkey and Greece over Turkey’s drilling work …

NATO is looking at ways to avoid accidental clashes in the Eastern Mediterranean while supporting German diplomatic efforts to defuse the worsening dispute over energy resources there, the alliance’s chief said on Thursday. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told Reuters the Western alliance was considering so-called deconfliction measures to prevent naval …

The United States was further isolated on Friday over its bid to reimpose international sanctions on Iran with 13 countries on the 15-member U.N. Security Council expressing their opposition, arguing that Washington’s move is void given it is using a process agreed under a nuclear deal that it quit two …

The United Kingdom, France and Germany on Thursday said they cannot support the U.S. move to restore United Nations sanctions on Iran, saying the action is incompatible with efforts to support the Iran nuclear deal. “In order to preserve the agreement, we urge Iran to reverse all measures inconsistent with …

President Tayyip Erdogan warned Greece on Friday that Turkey will retaliate against any attack on its survey vessel Oruc Reis in the eastern Mediterranean in an escalating row between the NATO allies over gas and oil exploration in the region. Turkey and Greece are vehemently at odds over overlapping claims …

French President Emmanuel Macron has told President Donald Trump that U.S. sanctions that have targeted Iran-backed Shi’ite group Hezbollah are playing into the hands of those they are meant to weaken, an Elysee official said on Saturday. The official, speaking ahead of a donors conference on aid to Lebanon co-hosted …

An Iraqi delegation headed by the Iraqi oil minister met the Lebanese prime minister, Hassan Diab, on Wednesday and informed him that Baghdad will provide fuel aid to Beirut after the blast on Aug. 4, according to a statement by the Lebanese government. Lebanese local media also said that an …

Russia’s emergency officials said the country will send five planeloads of aid to Beirut after an explosion in the Lebanese capital’s port killed at least 100 people and injured thousands Tuesday late afternoon. Aid from France, Jordan, Qatar already arrived Wednesday morning at Beirut airport. By Arthur Blok International aid …

Fifteen years after a truck bomb killed Lebanon’s former Sunni leader Rafik al-Hariri in Beirut, triggering regional upheaval, a U.N.-backed court trying four suspects from Shi’ite Hezbollah delivers a verdict on Friday that could shake the country again. The defendants, members of the powerful Iran-backed group, have been tried in …

A Russian bid to halve access for humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria from Turkey to just one border crossing failed at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, garnering just four votes in favor from the 15-member body. Russia and China cast vetoes on Tuesday to block the council from …

France has informed NATO that it is suspending its involvement in a naval operation in the Mediterranean after the results of a probe into an incident between French and Turkish warships, an official at the Armed Forces ministry said on Wednesday. The official said in a letter to NATO’s Secretary-General …

By James M. Dorsey     Europe is progressively being sucked into the Middle East and North Africa’s myriad conflicts. As if wars on its doorstep in Libya and Syria were not enough, UAE support for an Eastern Mediterranean pipeline that could hurt Qatar economically — combined with Greek, Cypriot …

Behind a Saudi-Russian truce to stabilise oil markets with a record output cut, market players are seeing the two production heavyweights still trading blows in the physical market. The rivals said last week they were ready to take measures if necessary to balance the market by cutting combined output with …

President Trump has turned to a French virologist with a history of criticizing climate science to offer the world hope amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Last week, Trump tweeted that the combination of two medicines could dramatically alter the often deadly course of COVID-19. “HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have …

German chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday repeated a call for all parties to respect the Iranian nuclear accord, despite Iran’s decision to intensify its enrichment of uranium and moves by the United States to impose economic sanctions. Under a deal brokered in 2015, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of …

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) revealed the winning logo from the design competition held for the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2020. IAC, which will be hosted in Dubai for the first time in the Arab world, is a global event that brings together leading space specialists and decision-makers …

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde announced on Tuesday she had submitted her resignation from the global lender. She said she had more clarity about her nomination to be the next head of the European Central Bank, ECB, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Lagarde said in a statement her resignation was …

France will introduce a new charge on plane tickets from next year, with revenue used to fund environment-friendly alternatives, a top French official said on Tuesday. The ‘eco-tax’ costing between 1.50 euros (US$1.7) and 18 euros (US$20) will apply to most flights departing in France, Associated Press, AP, quoted French …

An ‘eco-friendly’ cemetery space may open near Paris in September. The ‘recollection and burial space’ that respects the environment may come up at Ivry in the Val-de-Marne department, just outside Paris, Italian news agency ANSAmed reported on Thursday. The move is in response to the increasing pubic demand for ‘eco-friendly …

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, has organised the second France-DEWA Business Forum, in collaboration with the French Business Council in Dubai and the Northern Regions and Business France, to strengthen cooperation with French institutions and companies. The theme of the conference was ‘Future of Energy and Innovation’. Saeed …

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SCCI, has called on businessmen and investors in Sharjah to take advantage of the mutual investment opportunities with the business community in France, so as to open new horizons of partnerships and develop the long-standing economic, trade and cultural relations between the UAE …

Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defence Affairs, headed the UAE delegation participating in the NATO meetings on Thursday in Brussels. Ministers from 29 countries meet to discuss a number of issues, including defence spending and the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and to take stock of continued efforts …

The Château de Fontainebleau’s historic Imperial Theatre has reopened to the public, following years of restoration works made possible by contributions from the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. In recognition of Abu Dhabi’s contribution to the restoration, the theatre has been renamed as the Sheikh Khalifa bin …

China’s state-owned CNPC has replaced France’s Total in Iran’s multibillion-dollar South Pars gas project, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said, according to the semi-official news agency ICANA on Sunday. “China’s CNPC has officially replaced Total in phase 11 of South Pars but it has not started work practically. Talks need …

The UAE and France have re-affirmed their determination to further consolidate their strategic partnership and doubled on their keenness to ensure close coordination and continued consultations at a time the region is witnessing increased volatility and instability. This came in a joint statement issued by the two countries following the …

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has emphasised that the UAE and France are partners in the fight against extremism and terrorism, support values of tolerance, promote dialogue, interaction and coexistence among peoples, civilisations …

Germany has issued entry bans for 18 Saudi citizens suspected of involvement in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Riyadh’s Istanbul consulate, effectively banning them from the European Union’s passport-free Schengen zone. Monday’s move represents a sharpening of the position of Germany, which last month imposed a ban on …

Saudi Aramco has approached banks to finance its $5 billion Amiral petrochemical project that the state-owned oil producer plans to develop with France’s Total, five sources familiar with the matter said. Aramco, the world’s largest crude producer, plans to boost investment in refining and petrochemicals in a bid to cut …

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that he and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to put pressure on oil producers to bring down prices. Oil prices have risen 45 percent since Macron took office in mid 2017 and his government is facing pressure on high prices from a grassroots …

Turkey has given recordings on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia, the United States, Germany, France and Britain, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday. Turkish sources have said previously that authorities have an audio recording purportedly documenting the murder. Speaking ahead of his departure for France …

Amid media reports of former French president Francois Hollande claiming that the Indian government suggested a particular private firm for Rafale offset contract, the Defence Ministry on Friday reiterated that neither government had any say in the “commercial decision”. “The report referring to former French president Hollande’s statement that government …