Saudi aid agency chief meets Swedish envoy for Yemen

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Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah meets Swedish special envoy for Yemen Peter Semneby in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Updated 19 April 2021
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Saudi aid agency chief meets Swedish envoy for Yemen

  • KSrelief distributed more than 27 tons of food baskets to displaced families in Yemen’s Marib governorate, benefiting 1,554 individuals

RIYADH: Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, general supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), met the Swedish special envoy for Yemen, Peter Semneby, at the headquarters of KSrelief in Riyadh on Sunday.
During the meeting, Al-Rabeeah reviewed the 590 projects that the Kingdom has implemented through KSrelief in Yemen so far.
They discussed matters of common interest related to humanitarian and relief affairs in Yemen, and the efforts made to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people.
Semneby praised the pioneering role provided by the Kingdom through KSrelief in support of countries in need, and the special attention given to the Yemeni people.
Meanwhile, KSrelief distributed more than 27 tons of food baskets to displaced families in Yemen’s Marib governorate, benefiting 1,554 individuals. The center also continued distributing Ramadan food baskets to Syrian and Palestinian refugees and Lebanese families in Lebanon. 


Migration group head urges EU to bolster deportations

Updated 9 min 22 sec ago
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Migration group head urges EU to bolster deportations

  • The EU migration pact, adopted last year and set to come into force in June 2026, hardens procedures for asylum-seekers at its borders

VIENNA: The head of an influential EU-funded migration advisory body has urged the bloc to bolster expulsions of rejected asylum-seekers under its new migration pact and defended his group over human rights concerns.
The director general of the International Center for Migration Policy denied responsibility for what he called “individual cases” of human rights abuses by authorities in countries where his organization works.
Michael Spindelegger, a former vice chancellor from the conservative Austrian People’s Party, spoke in an interview with AFP as Brussels comes under pressure to keep out or deport migrants, with hard-right anti-immigration parties performing strongly across Europe.
The EU migration pact, adopted last year and set to come into force in June 2026, hardens procedures for asylum-seekers at its borders.
“It’s very important that a well-functioning return policy is established, also in the spirit of the pact,” Spindelegger told AFP.
“If someone comes, isn’t granted asylum, and then stays anyway, and nothing actually happens, that’s a very bad sign for the state of law,” said Spindelegger.
He added it was important to make sure those deported are re-integrated in their home countries so that they don’t leave again.
Currently fewer than 20 percent of people ordered to leave the bloc are returned to their country of origin, according to EU data.
In EU migration reforms, “the train is moving, that’s clear, but there are, of course, still various stations that need to be considered,” Spindelegger said.
“However, in my view, much has already been accomplished at the foundational level.”
The Vienna-based ICMPD advises the European Union authorities and others on migration policy and runs projects in Africa, Asia and Europe.
Human rights groups have repeatedly criticized it over overseas projects aimed at reducing the number of migrant arrivals in Europe.
It has worked with the Tunisian coast guards and Libyan authorities, which have been accused of mistreating migrants.
“I deeply regret whenever negative individual cases (of human rights abuse) persist. We cannot take responsibility for that,” Spindelegger said.
He insisted that training courses run by the ICMPD for border guards in migrant transit countries included training on human rights.
Lukas Gahleitner-Gertz, spokesman of rights group Asylkoordination Austria, dismissed that claim as “window dressing.”
“Cooperation is being advanced with regimes that have a highly doubtful human rights record,” Gahleitner-Gertz told AFP.
Spindelegger said an ICMPD-backed border guard training center built in Tunisia had been a “big success,” helping prepare hundreds of people for the job so far.
A similar training project has been launched in Jordan, while the ICMPD is looking to expand the scheme to Algeria.
Rights groups have also voiced concern at the European Commission’s plans, unveiled in May, to make it easier to send asylum seekers to certain third countries for their applications to be processed.
The proposal is seen as a step toward the creation of sites outside the bloc that would act as hubs for returning migrants.
It needs approval from the European Parliament and member states to become law.
The ICMPD counts 21 mostly EU countries as its members and has a staff of more than 500 people.
Founded by Austria and Switzerland in 1993, it works in more than 90 countries.
Among its members are EU countries such as Germany and Greece and non-EU members, including Turkiye. France, Italy and Spain are not members.
Since Spindelegger, 65, took over the center in 2016, the number of employees has grown four times bigger.
Its budget has increased by five times to more than 100 million euros ($120 million), he said.
Some 70 percent of the budget comes from the European Commission.
Spindelegger will retire at the end of the year. He is due to be replaced by another Austrian conservative politician, Susanne Raab.


Schauffele starting with blank canvas for Open defense

Updated 50 min 5 sec ago
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Schauffele starting with blank canvas for Open defense

  • The 31-year-old produced a blemish-free final-round of 65 at Royal Troon last year to win his second major title to go along with his gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics
  • With the perils of a links course’s sloping greens, cavernous bunkers, knee-deep rough and the wild weather associated with Britain’s coast, it is hardly surprising that defending the title is treacherous

PORTRUSH: Xander Schauffele is super-excited at the prospect of trying to defend his British Open title at Royal Portrush this week but says he will have to come up with a different plan to the one that took him to victory 12 months ago.

“I think a blank canvas is a great place to start. You can paint many different pictures to win a tournament. You’ve just got to do the right one,” the American told reporters on the County Antrim coast on Tuesday after practice.

The 31-year-old produced a blemish-free final-round of 65 at Royal Troon last year to win his second major title to go along with his gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics.

He was the third American in four years to win golf’s oldest major but while that experience will hold him in good stead for the days ahead, he said Portrush’s Dunluce Links will throw up a completely new test of his renowned links golf skills.

“It’s an interesting thing just because my thoughts of playing really well were at Royal Troon,” he said.

“Coming here, I feel like I’m trying to re-learn this golf course, get comfortable with certain sight lines, some blind tee shots. If I can get myself in the mix, that’s when I think I would have an advantage. That’s where my biggest edge would be.

“I can lean on experience at other points in time, but I think the most fun and the biggest advantage I would have is coming down the stretch if I can get close to that lead.”

With the perils of a links course’s sloping greens, cavernous bunkers, knee-deep rough and the wild weather associated with Britain’s coast, it is hardly surprising that defending the title is treacherous.

The last player to do so was Ireland’s Padraig Harrington in 2008 and Schauffele knows the luck of the draw and getting lucky with the weather could be vital this week.

“This week is a pretty good example of having to deal with a wave. There’s typically a good wave and a bad wave in an Open Championship,” he said. “You just keep your fingers crossed that you’re in the good wave and try and play well.

“If you’re not, fight for your life and make the cut and then try and do something on the weekend.”

For a player who grew up in San Diego, it might be surprising how he has embraced the challenge of links golf.

But he said 16-hour trips in the car with his dad as a youngster helped him learn to be creative.

“We drove up to Bandon Dunes from San Diego. It took about 16 hours. I was 13 years old,” he said. “We played three or four days in a row. I think it was just Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes at the time. We got the real weather. My rain gear stopped working. It was that much wind and rain.

“I had a blast. As much as it was nice to look forward to a hot shower at the end of the day, I had so much fun for some reason trying to figure out how to play golf in that weather.”

With wind and rain expected to batter Portrush at times over the next five days, he will draw on those experiences again.


Pakistan hikes petrol price by Rs5.36, diesel by Rs11.37 per liter

Updated 50 min 51 sec ago
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Pakistan hikes petrol price by Rs5.36, diesel by Rs11.37 per liter

  • Petrol now costs Rs272.15 per liter while HSD has risen to Rs284.35
  • The OGRA-recommended prices will remain valid till the end of July

KARACHI: Pakistan’s government has increased the price of petrol by Rs5.36 per liter and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs11.37 per liter for the next fortnight, the Finance Division announced late Tuesday.

The revised prices took effect from today, July 16.

According to the official notification, petrol now costs Rs272.15 per liter, up from Rs266.79, while HSD has risen to Rs284.35 per liter from the previous Rs272.98.

“The Government has revised the prices of petroleum products for the fortnight starting tomorrow, based on the recommendation of OGRA [Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority] and the relevant Ministries,” the Finance Division said in its statement.

Fuel prices in Pakistan are adjusted every two weeks and are influenced by global oil market trends, currency fluctuations and changes in domestic taxation.

The increases have a direct impact on inflation, raising production and transportation costs and driving up the prices of essential goods and services, particularly food. The effect is further amplified by Pakistan’s reliance on imported fuel.

This marks the third consecutive increase in fuel prices. On June 16, the government raised petrol by Rs4.80 per liter and HSD by Rs7.95. Another hike followed on July 1, with petrol up by Rs8.36 and HSD by Rs10.39.

Fuel price volatility escalated last month during the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, when Pakistan instructed oil marketing companies to maintain mandatory reserve levels.

While the government ruled out supply shortages, the conflict triggered concerns about a potential disruption in oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.


Roman-era mosaic panel with erotic theme that was stolen during World War II returns to Pompeii

Updated 57 min 40 sec ago
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Roman-era mosaic panel with erotic theme that was stolen during World War II returns to Pompeii

  • The artwork was repatriated from Germany through diplomatic channels and was arranged by the Italian Consulate in Stuttgart
  • The owner had received the mosaic as a gift from a Wehrmacht captain who was assigned to the military supply chain in Italy during the war

POMPEII: A mosaic panel on travertine slabs, depicting an erotic theme from the Roman era, was returned to the archaeological park of Pompeii on Tuesday, after being stolen by a Nazi German captain during World War II.
The artwork was repatriated from Germany through diplomatic channels, arranged by the Italian Consulate in Stuttgart, Germany, after having been returned from the heirs of the last owner, a deceased German citizen.
The owner had received the mosaic as a gift from a Wehrmacht captain, assigned to the military supply chain in Italy during the war.
The mosaic — dating between mid- to last century B.C. and the first century — is considered a work of “extraordinary cultural interest,” experts said.
“It is the moment when the theme of domestic love becomes an artistic subject,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and co-author of an essay dedicated to the returned work. “While the Hellenistic period, from the fourth to the first century B.C., exulted the passion of mythological and heroic figures, now we see a new theme.”
The heirs of the mosaic’s last owner in Germany contacted the Carabinieri unit in Rome that’s dedicated to protecting cultural heritage, which was in charge of the investigation, asking for information on how to return the mosaic to the Italian state. Authorities carried out the necessary checks to establish its authenticity and provenance, and then worked to repatriate the mosaic in September 2023.
The collaboration with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii was also key, as it made it possible to trace it to near the Mount Vesuvius volcano, despite the scarcity of data on the original context of its discovery, the Carabinieri said.
The panel was then assigned to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii where, suitably catalogued, it will be protected and available for educational and research purposes.
“Today’s return is like healing an open wound,” Zuchtriegel said, adding that the mosaic allows to reconstruct the story of that period, the first century A.D., before Pompeii was destroyed by the Vesuvius eruption in A.D. 79.
The park’s director also highlighted how the return by the heirs of its owner signals an important change in “mentality,” as “the sense of possession (of stolen art) becomes a heavy burden.”
“We see that often in the many letters we receive from people who may have stolen just a stone, to bring home a piece of Pompeii,” Zuchtriegel said.
He recalled the so-called “Pompeii curse,” which according to a popular superstition hits whoever steals artifacts in Pompeii.
The world-known legend suggests that those who steal finds from the ancient city of Pompeii will experience bad luck or misfortune. That has been fueled over the years by several tourists who return stolen items, claiming they brought them bad luck and caused tragic events.


Senior Pakistan general pledges deeper strategic ties with China at PLA anniversary

Updated 16 July 2025
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Senior Pakistan general pledges deeper strategic ties with China at PLA anniversary

  • General Sahir Shamshad Mirza commends Beijing for turning China into a ‘pillar of peace and stability’
  • He reiterates ‘unwavering commitment’ to ensuring security of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan

KARACHI: Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening ties with China, while addressing a ceremony marking the 98th founding day of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), according to an official statement.

Islamabad and Beijing are long-time allies and have jointly pursued multibillion-dollar infrastructure, energy and regional connectivity projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship initiative of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The corridor provides Beijing with direct access to the Arabian Sea through Pakistan’s Gwadar port, while enabling Islamabad to modernize infrastructure and boost regional trade.

The two countries also maintain close cooperation in defense and security. Earlier this month, India’s Deputy Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Rahul Singh, claimed China had provided Pakistan with “live inputs” during a four-day military conflict with India in May. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, in an exclusive interview with Arab News last month, described the outcome as a “victory” that was entirely “Made in Pakistan.”

“In his address, the CJCSC highlighted the enduring and time-tested ‘Iron-clad brotherhood’ between Pakistan and China, with shared resolve to broaden and deepen this unique relationship across all domains,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement.

“He commended PLA’s pivotal role under the visionary leadership of His Excellency President Xi Jinping for China’s remarkable development and rapid modernization, which has transformed People’s Republic of China into a key pillar of peace, stability and prosperity,” the statement added. “CJCSC highlighted China as a stabilizing factor in the regional security dynamics.”

The event, held in Rawalpindi, was attended by a wide cross-section of civilian and military officials, diplomats, media representatives and business leaders.

General Mirza also reiterated Pakistan’s “unwavering commitment” to ensuring the security of Chinese nationals working in the country.

Thousands of Chinese citizens are employed across dozens of CPEC-linked projects, many of which are located in volatile regions such as Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where separatist and militant groups have repeatedly targeted foreign workers.

Chinese nationals have also come under attack in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and commercial capital, prompting authorities to implement tighter security protocols.