RIYADH: A delegation from Saudi Arabia participated on Tuesday in the fifth UN Conference on the least developed countries in Doha.
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center team (KSrelief) was headed by assistant supervisor general of planning and development, Aqeel bin Jamaan Al-Ghamdi who took part in
a discussion on “investment in people in the least developed countries,” and another on the sustainable development after the pandemic and the capacity to build.
KSrelief have also organized an event on the sidelines of the conference titled, “international partnerships and external assistance”, with the participation of the Saudi Fund for Development and the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen.
Al-Ghamdi presented a brief about Saudi Arabia’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the assistance Saudi Arabia offered to international community to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic to countries with vulnerable healthcare systems.
Al-Ghamdi also met representatives of humanitarian and relief organizations participating in the conference.
Throughout the conference, the Kingdom’s delegation is set to take part in a number of plenary sessions and high-level meetings, in addition to hosting as many as three side events.
The Kingdom is a major contributor in providing aid to many of the least developed countries in line with the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Saudi Arabia ranked first among donor countries in offering official development assistance to low and medium-income countries, with a total of SR26.71 billion ($7.12 billion), revealed Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, citing data published by Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
KSrelief participates in 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries
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KSrelief participates in 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries
- Kingdom’s delegation is set to take part in a number of plenary sessions and high-level meetings, in addition to hosting as many as three side events
UN rights chief decries ‘horrifying’ suffering in Gaza and urges leaders to pressure Israel, Hamas
- The UN human rights chief says Israel’s warfare in Gaza is inflicting “horrifying, unconscionable suffering” on Palestinians
- olker Türk made the comments at the opening of the latest Human Rights Council session on Monday
GENEVA: The UN human rights chief said Israel’s warfare in Gaza is inflicting “horrifying, unconscionable suffering” on Palestinians and urged government leaders on Monday to exert pressure on Israel’s government and the militant group Hamas to end it.
Volker Türk made the comments at the opening of the latest Human Rights Council session on Monday, in a broad address that also raised concerns about escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, the fallout from US tariffs, and China’s human rights record — alongside wars and conflict in places like Sudan and Ukraine.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who has regularly spoken out about bloodshed in Gaza and called for the release of Israeli hostages held by armed Palestinian militants, used some of his most forceful words yet to highlight the Mideast violence.
“Israel’s means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza,” Türk told the 47-member-country body, which Israeli authorities have regularly accused of anti-Israel bias. The Trump administration has kept the United States, Israel’s top ally, out of the council proceedings.
Israel’s military campaign has killed over 55,300 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It says that women and children make up most of the dead but it does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
“The facts speak for themselves. Everyone in government needs to wake up to what is happening in Gaza,” Türk said. “All those with influence must exert maximum pressure on Israel and Hamas, to put an end to this unbearable suffering.”
The rights chief noted an increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine, nearly 3 1/2 years after Russia’s full-scale invasion. He also denounced executions without a fair trial and “wide-scale sexual violence, including against children” in Sudan.
Without mentioning President Donald Trump by name, Türk likened the US tariffs he imposed in April to “a high-stakes poker game, with the global economy as the bank.”
“But the shockwaves of a trade war will hit Least Developed Countries with the force of a tsunami,” he said, warning of a potentially “devastating” impact on exporters in Asia, and the prospect of higher costs for food, health care and education in places.
Türk expressed concerns about US deportations of non-nationals, including to third countries, and called on authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly.
The council session, which has been shortened by 2 1/2 days because of funding issues at the UN, is set to run through July 9. The Geneva-based council is the UN’s top human rights body.
Lines stretch outside the Louvre in Paris as opening delayed for undisclosed emergency meeting
- The Louvre Museum delayed its opening on Monday morning, with staff citing an “emergency meeting” of senior officials about a subject they did not disclose
- The hold-up left thousands of ticket-holders stuck in unmoving lines. Some visitors gave up and left, creating the illusion that lines were moving
PARIS:The Louvre Museum failed to open on time Monday, leaving thousands of visitors stuck in long, unmoving lines outside the iconic Paris institution as staff held a protest over working conditions.
According to union representative Sarah Sefian of the CGT-Culture, the disruption was caused by a spontaneous movement among front-of-house staff, including gallery attendants, reception, and security workers, who are protesting deteriorating labor conditions.
“It’s a movement led by reception agents who are suffering from the working conditions at the Louvre,” Sefian told The Associated Press.
“What began as a scheduled monthly information session turned into a mass expression of exasperation,” she said. “Staff decided to stay together until management arrived.”
Sefian said the agents gathered in the auditorium at 10:30 a.m. for talks with the museum’s leadership. “All roles related to visitor reception are affected,” she said. “Overcrowding and understaffing are the main issues being raised.”
As of midday, the museum remained closed, with lines snaking past I.M. Pei’s famous glass pyramid and deep into the underground shopping complex. Some ticket-holders gave up and left, creating the illusion of movement in the queues.
A message on the museum’s official website stated: “Due to strikes in France, the museum may open later and some exhibition rooms may remain closed. We thank you for your understanding.”
Union officials say the museum will reopen Monday afternoon.
UAE to hit $1tn non-oil trade target 4 years ahead of schedule, says official
RIYADH: The UAE is set to achieve its 4 trillion dirhams ($1.089 trillion) target for non-oil foreign trade within two years and ahead of the original 2031 goal, according to the country’s vice president.
In a post on X, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum highlighted the country’s rapid economic progress, stating that key indicators have surpassed global benchmarks.
This acceleration in trade is mirrored in other areas of the economy. The UAE reported a 4 percent growth in gross domestic product in 2024, with non-oil sectors contributing 75.5 percent of the overall output as diversification efforts gained momentum.
“Our non-oil foreign trade increased by 18.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year (global average 2-3 percent) — Its volume in the first quarter of this year amounted to 835 billion dirhams. Our non-oil exports grew exceptionally by 41 percent on an annual basis,” Al-Maktoum stated.
He continued: “Our goal is to achieve non-oil foreign trade for the UAE amounting to 4 trillion dirhams by 2031 ... We will reach it within two years ... (four years before the scheduled date).”
Al-Maktoum, who also serves as prime minister, noted that non-oil exports recorded an exceptional year-on-year growth of 41 percent, signaling the country’s strengthening role in international trade.
He further noted that the non-oil sector now contributes 75.5 percent to the national economy, highlighting the country’s successful diversification strategy.
“These are new development indicators for the UAE,” he said, reflecting on the resilience and dynamism of the country’s economy despite global challenges.
Al-Maktoum credited UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan for leading the country’s transformative economic journey, which he described as achieving “exceptional milestones in the history of the UAE.”
Sri Lanka’s Mathews hails ‘dream run’ in final Test against Bangladesh
GALLE: Sri Lanka are set to begin a two-Test series against Bangladesh in Galle on Tuesday that will mark the end of Angelo Mathews’s “dream run” in the game’s longest format, as the cricket season resumed following South Africa’s World Test Championship triumph at Lord’s.
The red-ball matches between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be followed by a white-ball series of three one-day internationals and three T20s.
Hosts Sri Lanka begin the contest as firm favorites, eager to turn a fresh page after a stuttering end to the previous WTC cycle.
Sri Lanka were firmly in the mix for a place in the WTC final until December before the wheels came off spectacularly.
Two defeats in South Africa followed by a twin collapse at Galle against Australia saw them tumble down the rankings.
“We had one hand on a spot in the final but a few brain fades at crunch moments cost us dearly,” Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva told reporters on Monday.
“We’ve learnt our lessons. A strong home start lays the foundation for success on the road.”
Sri Lanka’s squad includes six uncapped players, with at least one debut cap set to be handed out.
Spin remains Sri Lanka’s strength, with Prabath Jayasuriya the key and selectors also calling up off-spinner Akila Dananjaya.
Bangladesh enter the series without stalwarts Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is realistic about the challenge.
“Tamim and Shakib — those are massive boots to fill,” he said. “But this is a chance for the young guys to put their hands up.”
Shanto, who is playing in Galle for the first time, said the team have “prepped well and we’re ready for the challenge.”
The Test will also be the swansong of Sri Lanka’s veteran Angelo Mathews, who is retiring after 118 Tests.
The former skipper also played his first Test on the famous pitch perched beneath the fortress in Galle in 2009.
“It’s been a dream run,” said 38-year-old Mathews.
“The wins in England in 2014 and whitewashing the Aussies in 2016 stand out. I’ve seen so many youngsters come through the ranks,” he said.
“I truly believe Sri Lanka’s future is in good hands.”
Sri Lanka have won 20 of the 26 Tests they have played against Bangladesh, who have only managed a solitary win along with five draws.
The second Test will begin in Colombo on June 25.
German regulator pushes for more fan control of soccer clubs like Bayer Leverkusen
- Top German soccer clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and Leipzig face the prospect of handing over more control to fans after a regulator intervened
BONN: Top German soccer clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and Leipzig face the prospect of handing over more control to fans after a regulator intervened.
A statement Monday from Germany’s antitrust regulator, the Federal Cartel Office, said it wants to see tighter enforcement of the rule known as 50-plus-1 which requires a soccer club’s membership to have majority voting rights over how the team is run.
The regulator said recent European court rulings suggest permanent exemptions from 50-plus-1 for last year’s champion Leverkusen and fellow top-tier club Wolfsburg seem “no longer possible.”
It said efforts should be made in the future to ensure the club’s professional soccer operations come under the control of membership organizations, but didn’t name any deadline.
Leverkusen and Wolfsburg were founded as workers’ teams at major companies which own the clubs, with pharmaceutical giant Bayer at Leverkusen, and car manufacturer Volkswagen at Wolfsburg. Their long-term involvement led to the clubs getting exemptions from 50-plus-1.
The regulator also said the German men’s soccer league needs to ensure the clubs it oversees “offer their fans the opportunity to become a new full member with voting rights.”
That appears to affect Leipzig and its relationship with drinks giant Red Bull, though they weren’t directly named by the regulator in Tuesday’s statement.
The club was founded by Red Bull in 2009 and is part of its international network of soccer clubs. It grants voting rights to far fewer people than most German clubs. Local media reported that only 23 members had the right to vote at Leipzig as of last year.
