VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis will visit the Turkish city of Istanbul at the end of November, his first trip to a predominantly Muslim nation, at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Vatican announced on Friday.
Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said the exact dates and the program for the trip, which will last several days, were still not fixed.
Francis has already received an invitation from the Patriarch Bartholomew, the head of the Orthodox Church in Constantinople.
The Roman Catholic leader had expressed a desire to attend Eastern Orthodox commemorations in Istanbul in honor of St. Andrew, one of the apostles, on his feast day, November 30.
He and Bartholomew met following his election in March 2013, and again on a trip to the Middle East. In 2006 his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, also visited Turkey.
Francis has made three official trips during his pontificate: to Brazil, the Middle East and to South Korea last month.
He is making a visit to Strasbourg on November 25 to address the European Parliament, and has also announced travel to Albania.
Sri Lankan brouhaha
In Colombo, the Roman Catholic church urged Sri Lankans not to politicize a visit by the pope in January amid reports that President Mahinda Rajapakse may hold a snap election early next year.
Cardinal Malcom Ranjith, the head of the Catholic church on the island, called on Rajapakse’s government not to use Pope Francis’ visit from January 13-15 as a “political tool.”
His remarks came amid intense media speculation that Rajapakse, who removed the two-term limit on the presidency after his 2010 re-election, was preparing a poll early next year.
“We have told the president that it is not appropriate for a pope to visit a country that is in the middle of an election campaign,” the cardinal told reporters in Colombo.
“The visit should not be used as a political tool by the government, or the opposition, or anybody else for that matter.”
Sri Lanka is mainly a Buddhist country, but it has a 7.5 percent Christian population whose block vote could be decisive in the event of a close presidential election.
Asked if it would be acceptable if a snap election is concluded before the papal visit, Cardinal Ranjith said: “The government has to decide on those things.... It must be a visit free of politics. That is the position of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.”
The 77-year-old pope is due to spend three days in Sri Lanka before heading to the Philippines — Asia’s largest Catholic country.
He is scheduled to travel to the island’s former war zone and conduct mass at a church which suffered damage during the height of fighting between troops and Tamil rebels.
Sri Lanka ended 37-years of ethnic bloodshed after wiping out the leadership of Tamil Tiger rebels in a no-holds-barred 2009 military campaign that has also triggered allegations of war crimes.
Pope gets set for Turkey visit; Lanka told not to politicize papal trip
Pope gets set for Turkey visit; Lanka told not to politicize papal trip
ICE arrests Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests, his lawyer says
- One of the agents told Greer by phone that they were executing a State Department order to revoke Khalil’s student visa
- Informed by the attorney that Khalil was in the US as a permanent resident with a green card, the agent said they were revoking that too, according to the lawyer
NEW YORK: A prominent Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University’s student encampment movement was arrested Saturday night by federal immigration authorities who claimed they were acting on a State Department order to revoke his green card, according to his attorney.
Mahmoud Khalil was at his university-owned apartment blocks from Columbia’s Manhattan campus when several Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered the building and took him into custody, his attorney, Amy Greer, told The Associated Press.
One of the agents told Greer by phone that they were executing a State Department order to revoke Khalil’s student visa. Informed by the attorney that Khalil, who graduated in December, was in the United States as a permanent resident with a green card, the agent said they were revoking that too, according to the lawyer.
The arrest comes as President Donald Trump vows to deport foreign students and imprison “agitators” involved in protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. The administration has placed particular scrutiny on Columbia, announcing Friday that it would be cutting $400 million in grants and contracts because of what the government describes as the Ivy League school’s failure to squelch antisemitism on campus.
The authorities declined to tell Khalil’s wife, who is eight months pregnant, why he was being detained, Greer said. Khalil has since been transferred to an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
“We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained,” Greer told The AP. “This is a clear escalation. The administration is following through on its threats.”
A spokesperson for Columbia said law enforcement agents must produce a warrant before entering university property. The spokesperson declined to say if the school had received a warrant for Khalil’s arrest.
Messages seeking comment were left with the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.
Khalil had become one of the most visible faces of the pro-Palestinian movement at Columbia. As Columbia students erected tents on campus last spring, Khalil was picked to serve as a negotiator on behalf of students and met frequently with university administrators.
When classes resumed in September, he told The Associated Press that the protests would continue: “As long as Columbia continues to invest and to benefit from Israeli apartheid, the students will continue to resist.”
Saudi Ambassador to Japan highlights the country’s attractions ahead of Osaka Expo
- The tour — held in various parts of Japan — aims to show how Saudi Arabia is not just a distant place, but a relevant and engaging destination for all
TOKYO: Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Japan Dr. Ghazi Faisal Binzagr attended the Tokyo stop of the “Meet Saudi Arabia Tour” to promote the Kingdom’s pavilion at the Osaka Kansai Expo, which opens on April 13.
The tour — held in various parts of Japan — aims to show how Saudi Arabia is not just a distant place, but a relevant and engaging destination for all.
Ambassador Binzagr, emphasizing the unique aspects of Saudi Arabia’s “rich culture and a fascinating history,” believes these elements have a special appeal to the people of Japan.
“We have beautiful, exciting things to showcase, but this is just a small glimpse of what we have to show about the past, the present and the future of Saudi Arabia,” Ambassador Binzagr told Arab News Japan.
“There are lots of things that you can touch and feel about our culture, from our heritage, from the emotion of our cities today and our life in the midst of a very exciting transformation that we are undergoing in Saudi Arabia.”
The Tour offers visitors a chance to experience various aspects of Saudi culture, including Saudi Arabian coffee and date pairing, a cooking demonstration of traditional sweets, and traditional Saudi music and costumes.
“We’re counting down to the last days before our opening in Osaka,” Ambassador Binzagr said about the Expo. “We’re almost completed and ready. I had the privilege of touring the site two days ago, and the final touches are being made now. With glimpses of the future we’re heading towards, I am very excited to welcome everyone to Osaka.”
One of the main themes of the Saudi Arabian pavilion is the building itself. The pavilion has been described as a “masterpiece” and is said to embody the flow of Saudi Vision 2030 and the transformation from past to future, sensitivity to the environment, and design elements that blend heritage with technology and vision.
“Looking at it, I see the transformation of Saudi Arabia and what’s happening in our vibrant country,” Dr. Binzagr said. “But our focus is not just on the present, but also on the promising future of Saudi Arabia. We want to inspire people with the potential and relevance of our future. We want people to see a sample of it so that they think not just about joining us in Osaka, but beyond that to visiting our country.”
Thematically, it projects an invitation to the world to step inside Saudi Arabia and to experience it. The building itself aims to reflect harmony – melding the desert environment with architectural aspects that both shield people from nature’s elements and celebrates those elements at the same time.
US Secret Service shoots armed man near White House: spokesman
- Man had been hospitalized and his condition was “unknown”
- Statement did not specify whether the White House or Trump may have been his intended target
WASHINGTON: US Secret Service agents shot an armed man near the White House during the night, an agency spokesman said early Sunday, while President Donald Trump was spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
The man had been hospitalized and his condition was “unknown,” the spokesman said in a statement that did not specify whether the White House or Trump may have been the intended target.
No injuries to Secret Service agents were reported, according to the statement posted by spokesman Anthony Guglielmi on social media platform X.
The agents had been warned by local police of a “suicidal” man traveling to Washington from Indiana and around midnight found his parked vehicle near 17th and F Streets, the statement said — very near the White House.
They then spotted an individual nearby who matched the description they had been given, the statement said.
“As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel,” the statement said.
“The suspect was transported to an area hospital and his condition is unknown,” it said, adding that Washington police were investigating.
Bangladeshi businesses seek closer ties with UAE on skills development, trade
- Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently signed MoUs with Dubai, Sharjah chambers
- Bangladeshi private sectors see UAE as ‘major gateway’ to Middle East, North Africa
Dhaka: Bangladeshi businesses are seeking closer ties with the UAE on skills development, trade and investments, the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Sunday after it signed agreements with its Emirati counterparts to strengthen economic cooperation.
The UAE is Bangladesh’s largest trading partner in the Middle East, with their bilateral trade volume valued at around $2 billion in 2024.
The Gulf state — home to about 1.2 million Bangladeshi expats — is also Bangladesh’s fifth-largest foreign investor.
DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed led a 29-member business delegation to the UAE last month, where he signed preliminary agreements with the Dubai Chambers and the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry to boost trade and investments between their two countries.
Bangladeshi businesses are eyeing cooperation in a number of key areas, including trade and market access, energy and financial sectors, tourism and hospitality, infrastructure and logistics, Ahmed said.
“Closer trade relations between Bangladesh and the UAE present a significant opportunity to strengthen our economic landscape across multiple sectors. I firmly believe that enhanced trade ties with the UAE can be a game-changer for Bangladesh,” he told Arab News.
“The UAE serves as a major gateway to the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond. Expanding our trade partnership will create greater market access for Bangladeshi products.”
The Dhaka Chamber is also seeking stronger collaboration in technology and skills development.
“The UAE is highly advanced in digital infrastructure, logistics, and financial services. Stronger collaboration can facilitate knowledge transfer and capacity-building, helping Bangladeshi industries adopt global best practices, enhance productivity, and become more competitive,” Ahmed added.
Under the newly signed memoranda of understanding, DCCI is set to collaborate with its Emirati counterparts “to promote bilateral trade, investment matchmaking and joint economic discussions,” with activities focused on exchanging trade delegations and strengthening business networking platforms.
“To further boost collaboration, Bangladesh aims to activate the Bangladesh-UAE Business Council, focusing on trade finance, private equity, and expanding Islamic finance,” Ahmed said.
Business leaders from the two countries are also involved in discussions to set up training centers “to improve the skill set of Bangladeshi workers” who are seeking employment in the UAE, while a direct shipping route between Chattogram and Dubai is being discussed to enhance trade efficiency.
“I believe that this mutual cooperation will enhance the value of our national bilateral relations … These initiatives will further deepen the economic and trade relationship between Bangladesh and the UAE following the MoU signing.”
Russia says captures another east Ukraine village
MOSCOW: Russia announced Sunday the capture of another eastern Ukrainian village, in the Donetsk region, as its forces advanced toward the central Dnipropetrovsk region.
The defence ministry said in a briefing that its troops had captured the village of Kostyantynopil, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of the Russia-controlled city of Donetsk.
Russian troops have been advancing steadily in the Donetsk region and are now close to Dnipropetrovsk, which so far has been free of fighting. Kostyantynopil is around 13 kilometres (eight miles) from the regional border line.
The village was founded in the 18th century by Greek settlers from Crimea, who named it after the ancient city of Constantinople.
