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West Asia
12 People Killed in Attack on Riyadh Airport
By Habib ToumiRiyadh: Four Saudis were among the 12 people killed in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said that two Bangladeshis, an American, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian, a Palestinian and a…
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UAE reveals 10 key findings in probe into alleged flydubai cockpit attack
Attorney-General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi By Habib ToumiABU DHABI: The co-pilot of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv allegedly spent years developing a plan to seize control of an aircraft and crash it into the passenger terminal at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, aiming to cause the greatest…
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West Asia
Indonesia Envoy Hails Decades of Bahrain Ties, Backs Kingdom Amid Regional Tensions
Indonesian Ambassador to Bahrain Ardi Hermawan By Habib Toumi MANAMA: Indonesia and Bahrain have built more than four decades of friendship based on mutual respect, shared values and growing cooperation across political, economic and cultural fields, Indonesian Ambassador to Bahrain Ardi Hermawan has said. Speaking at a reception marking the…
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Sri Lanka Set to Exit IMF Agreement as President Dissanayake Rejects Austerity; Economists Warn of Severe Risks
By Leo Nirosha DarshanCOLOMBO — Sri Lanka is preparing to pull out of its agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when the current Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program period concludes in March. The decision follows President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s firm rejection of new austerity measures proposed by the Washington-based…
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South East Asia
Indonesia Bids for UN Security Council Seat, Pledges Dialogue-first Diplomacy
Foreign Minister Sugiono addressing the U.N. General Assembly (U.N. TV) By Habib ToumiNew York: Indonesia will seek a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2029–2030, Foreign Minister Sugiono said, pledging to promote dialogue, respect for international law and practical cooperation amid growing geopolitical tensions. Sugiono told the…
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EditorsPick
Four Months Before the Vote: Kyrgyzstan’s Procedural Bet at the United Nations
President Japarov addressing the UN General Assembly (Photo: News.kg) By Kuban AbdymenCentralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan BISHKEK: President Sadyr Japarov’s address to the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on September 22 in New York was his first from that podium since Kyrgyzstan was elected a non-permanent member…
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East Asia
Singapore Pay Bonanza for PM, Cabinet
By Ivan LimFormer AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (Ministry of Digital Development and Information) SINGAPORE: Fourth generation Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will draw a S$3.6 million annual income, up from $2.2 million, under a revised framework for Singapore political leaders, earning him the “world’s best-paid political…
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West Asia
Stephanie Hallett Makes History in Bahrain as First U.S. Woman Ambassador
Stephanie L. Hallett delivering her speech (Al Ayam) By Habib ToumiMANAMA: “The U.S. was here, is here, and is not going anywhere.” With those emphatic words, U.S. Ambassador Stephanie L. Hallett underscored the enduring nature of the American-Bahraini relationship on September 15, 2026, as she welcomed guests to the 250…
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BRICS 2026: In New Delhi, India Tests the Shape of a New World Order
Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of Egypt, Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, Xi Jinping, President of China, and Cyril Ramaphosa (L-R front), President of South Africa, pose during a group photo op for an outreach session of the 2026 BRICS…
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EditorsPick
September 11: The Day Journalism Became Personal
Fond memories: Looking at the Lower Manhattan skyline of New York City and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1978 By Habib ToumiMANAMA: It was mid-afternoon in Bahrain when I began racing toward the newspaper office in the capital Manama. The car radio was on. I kept switching…
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