International

ADDIS ABABA: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has accused Israel of committing “genocide” against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and compared its actions to Adolf Hitler’s campaign to exterminate Jews. “What’s happening in the Gaza Strip isn’t a war, it’s a genocide,” Lula told reporters on Sunday in Addis Ababa where he was attending an African Union …

KABUL: Taliban auth­orities said on Saturday their participation inUN-convened Afgh­anistan talks would be “unbeneficial” if certain conditions were not met, a day before meetings were due to kick off. Special envoys to Afghanistan are due to launch two days of talks in the Qatari capital on Sunday, aimed at discussing more coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan. The meeting is a …

GAZA STRIP: Like many in northern Gaza, Shadi Jenina has resorted to desperate measures to stave off hunger for his five children — grinding up animal feed into flour. “We’re looking for food for birds, animals and livestock… such as barley, corn, wheat and fodder. We grind them and make flour,” Jenina, 40, explained. “The bread is dry and not …

ADDIS ABABA: Tensions between Horn of Africa rivals Ethiopia and Somalia boiled over on Saturday on the opening day of an African Union summit in Addis Ababa. The two neighbours — already at odds over a controversial maritime pact — locked horns over Somalia’s claims that Ethiopian security tried to block its President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud from accessing the summit …

GENEVA: Israel is waging a concerted campaign aimed at destroying UNRWA, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said in an interview published on Saturday. Philippe Lazzarini said calls for his resignation were part of the Israeli government’s push. “Right now we are dealing with an expanded, concerted campaign by Israel aimed at destroying UNRWA,” he told the …

ROME: Italy may be the land that launched Cosa Nostra, but today it is one of the safest countries in Europe, with a murder rate well below its neighbours. From the mid-19th century through to the 1990s, thousands of people died in mafia violence, from rivals or traitors cast in cement or fed to pigs, to judges, priests and witnesses …

WASHINGTON: Yale University on Friday issued an apology for its connection to slavery after several years of research and study that it said it undertook into its formative ties to the slave trade. “Today, on behalf of Yale University, we recognise our university’s historical role in and associations with slavery, as well as the labour, the experiences, and the contributions …

TOKYO: Japan’s space agency toasted a successful blast-off for its new flagship rocket on Saturday, making it third time lucky after years of delays and two previous failed attempts. The next-generation H3 has been mooted as a rival to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, and could one day deliver cargo to bases on the Moon. “I’ve been in the space industry for …

MOSCOW: Alexei Navalny’s supporters on Saturday accused Russian authorities of being “killers” who were “covering their tracks” by refusing to hand over his body, as the Kremlin stayed silent despite Western accusations and a flood of tributes to the late opposition leader. The 47-year-old Kremlin critic died in an Arctic prison on Friday after spending more than three years behind bars, prompting …

MUNICH: There is “an extraordinary opportunity” in the coming months for Israel to normalise ties with its Arab neighbours, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday, while also emphasising the need for the creation of a Palestinian state. The top US diplomat said there were genuine efforts led by Arab countries to revitalise the Palestinian Authority so it …