Author: Gulf News Week
WASHINGTON (news agencies) — FBI Director Kash Patel pledged at his confirmation hearing that the bureau would not look backward, but the Trump administration’s fresh scrutiny of the Russia investigation has brought back into focus a years-old inquiry that continues to infuriate the Republican president.The Justice Department appeared to acknowledge in an unusual statement this week the existence of investigations into two central players from that saga, former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan, amid a new report revisiting a 2017 intelligence community assessment on Russian election interference. That the Russia investigation, which shadowed President Donald…
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (news agencies) — An Iranian attack on an air base in Qatar key to the U.S. military likely hit a geodesic dome housing equipment used by the Americans for secure communications, satellite images analyzed Friday by media show. The U.S. military and Qatar did not immediately respond to requests for comment over the damage, which so far has not been publicly acknowledged. The Iranian attack on Al Udeid Air Base outside of Doha, Qatar’s capital, on June 23 came as a response to the American bombing of three nuclear sites in Tehran — and provided the…
‘Positive trend’ in US-Russia ties remains despite Washington’s ‘zigzag’ policy, Moscow says.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio have met again at the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur, according to Russia’s state-run TASS agency, with the war in Ukraine the key focus. The conversation followed a longer 50-minute meeting between the two top diplomats the previous day. While no details have yet emerged from Friday’s exchange, Rubio told reporters after Thursday’s talks that the two sides had discussed a possible “new and different approach” to reviving peace efforts over Ukraine. “I…
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (news agencies) — Cash is the lifeblood of the Gaza Strip’s shattered economy, and like all other necessities in this war-torn territory — food, fuel, medicine — it is in extremely short supply.With nearly every bank branch and ATM inoperable, people have become reliant on an unrestrained network of powerful cash brokers to get money for daily expenses — and commissions on those transactions have soared to about 40%.“The people are crying blood because of this,” said Ayman al-Dahdouh, a school director living in Gaza City. “It’s suffocating us, starving us.”At a time of surging inflation,…
NEW YORK (news agencies) — Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh thinks All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz was tipping pitches when he squandered a two-run lead in the ninth inning Thursday night against the New York Yankees.Muñoz was handed his sixth blown save in 27 opportunities this season after starter Bryan Woo held the Yankees hitless into the eighth.With the Mariners holding a 5-3 lead, Muñoz entered in the ninth. He allowed a leadoff single to Trent Grisham and a one-out single to Cody Bellinger before Ben Rice came back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk that loaded the bases…
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (news agencies) — An independent U.N. investigator and outspoken critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza said Thursday that “it was shocking” to learn that the Trump administration had imposed sanctions on her but defiantly stood by her view on the war.Francesca Albanese said in an interview with media that the powerful were trying to silence her for defending those without any power of their own, “other than standing and hoping not to die, not to see their children slaughtered.”“This is not a sign of power, it’s a sign of guilt,” the Italian human rights lawyer said.The State Department’s…
MANILA, Philippines (news agencies) — Asian shares were mixed in cautious trading Friday after Wall Street closed at an all-time high with Delta Air Lines kicking off earnings season with a solid outlook for the rest of 2025, spurring an airline stock rally.Chinese markets were sharply higher. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 1.6 % to 24,402.41, while the Shanghai Composite index climbed 1.1% to 3,546.50.Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 edged down 0.1% to 39,662.19, while South Korea’s Kospi was up 0.1% to 3,185.15. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.1% to 8,583.40. India’s BSE Sensex was flat at 83,190.28.“Just as the market…
WASHINGTON (news agencies) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended a memorial service Thursday for two slain Israeli Embassy staffers as he wrapped up a four-day visit to Washington in which talks with President Donald Trump, White House aides and lawmakers focused on finding a pathway to a ceasefire deal in Gaza.But as Netanyahu gets set to head back to Israel, it is unclear if there was any breakthrough on sealing a Trump-backed 60-day truce between Israel and Hamas, which the U.S. leader believes can lead to a permanent end to the 21-month war in Gaza.Netanyahu said in a video released…
MEXICO CITY (news agencies) — It started with a phone call to a men’s clothing store in the heart of Mexico City’s historic center. “I need you to put together 10,000 pesos ($500) for me weekly, or else we’ll have to do something,” the voice said.The owner hung up and didn’t answer the phone again for days. But when another call came the following week, in a surge of courage and indignation the owner told the caller he wouldn’t pay, that the money demanded would have been half the store’s daily income. “Well, prepare to face the consequences,” the voice…
NEW YORK (news agencies) — Anthony Volpe scored the winning run with an acrobatic slide on Aaron Judge’s shallow sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the New York Yankees rallied past Seattle 6-5 on Thursday night after Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo took a no-hitter into the eighth.Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled leading off the eighth for New York’s first hit. Woo quickly allowed another single and was lifted after Austin Wells’ sacrifice fly shaved Seattle’s lead to 5-1.Pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton made it 5-3 with a two-run homer off Matt Brash, and the Yankees were down to their final strike before…