Tunisia, Iraq agree to boost tourism cooperation and investment

Tunisian Minister of Tourism Sofiane Tekaya and Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the tourism sector through the implementation of a set of training programs and the holding of a joint conference to promote tourism investment.The Tunisian Ministry of Tourism said in a statement that both sides agreed to organize joint work programs in the fields of tourism and business administration, in addition to exchanging expertise and promoting the cultural and tourism assets of both countries through joint marketing efforts.

source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690966/international/tunisia-iraq-agree-to-boost-tourism-cooperation-and-investment

Explosion of telecommunications devices in Lebanon exacerbates tensions in Region : European Official

High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has stressed that the recent explosion of a large number of wireless telecommunications devices in Lebanon endangers its security and stability and exacerbates escalation in the region.In a statement Wednesday, Borrell expressed his condemnation of the attacks on wireless telecommunications devices that took place Tuesday and Wednesday in Lebanon, which resulted in the death of a number of individuals and the injury of thousands, expressing his deep concern about the situation there.

source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690964/international/explosion-of-telecommunications-devices-in-lebanon-exacerbates-tensions-in-region-european-official

US President calls for resumption of negotiations to end war in Sudan

US President Joe Biden called on the two parties to the conflict in Sudan to resume negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing war between them since April 2023, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.In a statement released by the White House Tuesday, Biden said, 'I call on the belligerents responsible for Sudanese suffering the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to pull back their forces, facilitate unhindered humanitarian access, and re-engage in negotiations to end this war.'Biden said that this war has created 'one of the world's worst humanitarian crises,' pointing out that nearly 10 million people have been displaced by this conflict.US assistance to Sudanese people has reached over $1.6 billion in the last two years.'Let it be clear: the United States will not abandon our commitment to the people of Sudan who deserve freedom, peace, and justice. We call for all parties to this conflict to end this violence,' Biden said, stressing that both parties need to immediately allow unhindered humanitarian access to all areas of Sudan.Armed conflict has continued in Sudan since April 15, 2023, between the SAF and the RSF, leading to the death of more than 20,000 people and the displacement of over 10 million others.

source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690907/international/us-president-calls-for-resumption-of-negotiations-to-end-war-in-sudan

Paris and Milan closest to becoming a ‘15-minute city’

Paris and Milan are among the cities closest to reaching the urban planning goal of being a “15-minute city,” while car-dependent metropolises in the United States and elsewhere lag behind, a worldwide analysis said yesterday. In fact, the central areas of many cities already meet the definition of a 15 minute-city, which means that residents are within a quarter-hour walk or bike ride from everything they need to a lead a good life, the analysis found. But even within a city, there are often stark differences between the wealthy inner cities and the urban sprawl on their outskirts, according to the Italian researchers behind the new study. The concept of the 15-minute city gained traction during the Covid pandemic, when lockdowns put more focus on local neighbourhoods. It has since been embraced by dozens of mayors around the world — and become the target of conspiracy theorists online. For the new study, published in the journal Nature Cities, the researchers built an online database looking at roughly 10,000 cities globally. They used open source data to map out how far of a walk or cycle residents were from different services, including shops, restaurants, education, exercise and healthcare. “A lot of people already live in a 15-minute city,” study co-author Hygor Piaget Monteiro Melo told AFP. But it depends on where you look within a city, he said, because of the inequality in access to services between the centre and periphery. What is clear, the researchers noted, is that population density is a crucial factor — if enough people are living close enough to each other, it is much easier for them to have easy access to services. This meant that somewhat smaller yet relatively dense cities such as Italy’s Milan or Spain’s Barcelona scored well on their map, which was made available online. When it came to the biggest cities, “Paris is an outlier,” lead study author Matteo Bruno told AFP. The mayor of Paris embraced the concept in 2020, and a “considerable fraction” of the city is below the 15-minute mark, the study said. Some European cities have a head start because they were built centuries ago at a time before cars — when basically all towns had to be 15-minute cities, the researchers said. Cities built more recently with cars specifically in mind — particularly in the United States — fared far less well on the map. Atlanta in particular stood out as being a long way from being a 15-minute city. Future Olympic host Los Angeles also lagged behind most others for walkability, as did several Chinese cities including Chongqing. But when it comes to cities, there are always trade-offs — and there is no single right answer, the researchers said. “The 15-minute city is often presented as a utopia — it’s not,” Bruno said. Americans in sprawled-out cities usually have their own houses and backyards, while Europeans in densely populated cities tend to live in apartments, illustrating the important role played by culture, Bruno said. And central parts of US cities such as New York, San Francisco and Milwaukee were under the 15-minute threshold. “Manhattan is definitely one of the most 15-minute places ever in the world,” said Bruno, a researcher at Sony Computer Science Laboratories in Rome. There has been confusion about the concept in the past, the researchers lamented. For example, “traffic has nothing to do with the 15-minute city,” Bruno said. In fact, slow traffic could indicate an area is more pedestrian friendly, he added. Yet it was new “low-traffic zones” in the UK that turned the ire of conspiracy theorists towards 15-minute city proponents. Confusing the two ideas, online groups including vaccine and climate sceptics falsely claimed that 15-minute cities were part of a secret plot to restrict the movement of citizens. The Italian researchers, who have themselves been targeted by “Twitter haters,” emphasised that nothing about the 15-minute city concept involves confining anyone. Researcher Carlos Moreno, a high-profile proponent of 15-minute cities who has advised Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, was also “attacked by the worldwide conspiracy mongers,” he told AFP. Moreno welcomed the new study, praising how the idea had swiftly become a topic of interest for researchers around the world. Just last week, Valerie Pecresse, the right-wing head of the greater Paris Ile-de-France area, presented a plan for a 20-minute region, he pointed out. Bruno said that the 15-minute metric is just one element in the “recipe” that makes a good city. Other parts of the recipe include tackling inequality and segregation, improving public transport, reducing traffic and so on, he said.

source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690884/international/paris-and-milan-closest-to-becoming-a-15-minute-city

Electric cars overtake petrol cars in Norway: Road Federation

Electric cars outnumber petrol cars in Norway for the first time ever, an industry organisation said on Tuesday.Of the 2.8 million private cars registered in the Scandinavian country, 754,303 are all-electric, compared to 753,905 that run on petrol, the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) said in a statement.Diesel models remain most numerous at just under one million, but their sales are falling rapidly.'This is historic. A milestone few saw coming 10 years ago,' OFV director Oyvind Solberg Thorsen said in a statement.'The electrification of the fleet of passenger cars is going quickly, and Norway is thereby rapidly moving towards becoming the first country in the world with a passenger car fleet dominated by electric cars,' OFV director Oyvind Solberg Thorsen said.Norway, pardoxically a major oil and gas producer, has set a target to sell only zero-emission vehicles -- mostly EVs since the share of hydrogen cars is so small -- by 2025, 10 years ahead of the EU's goal.In August, all-electric vehicles made up a record 94.3 percent of new car registrations in Norway, boosted by sales of the Tesla Model Y.In a bid to electrify road transport to help meet Norway's climate commitments, Norwegian authorities have offered generous tax rebates on EVs, making them competitively priced compared to fuel, diesel and hybrid cars.Norway's EV success is in sharp contrast to struggles seen elsewhere in Europe.Electric car sales began falling at the end of 2023, and now account for just 12.5 percent of new cars sold on the continent

source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690846/international/electric-cars-overtake-petrol-cars-in-norway-road-federation

China condemns Israel's attacks on humanitarian agencies in Gaza Strip and West Bank

China strongly condemns Israel's horrific attacks on humanitarian agencies and workers in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.At the UN Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Geng Shuang renewed the call on Monday for Israel to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law by putting lives and humanity first.The UNRWA is mandated by the UN General Assembly to provide relief for Palestinian refugees and is a pillar of strength for humanitarian operations in Gaza, Geng stressed.Even at the most perilous times, UNRWA has not abandoned Gaza, and to date, 224 of its staff have perished in the line of duty, said the ambassador.'We pay highest tribute to all the humanitarian workers who are still hanging in there, and our condolences over the demise of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,' he said, calling on Israel to investigate in earnest all attacks on humanitarian workers and hold the perpetrators accountable.'China renews its call to Israel to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law by putting lives and humanity first, immediately lift the blockade, open all crossings, scrap restrictions on humanitarian deliveries, cease and desist from attacking UN and other humanitarian agencies, and provide safe and unimpeded access to the operations of those agencies,' the ambassador said.

source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690840/international/china-condemns-israels-attacks-on-humanitarian-agencies-in-gaza-strip-andwest-bank

Landslide in Central Mexico kills nine

At least nine people were killed in a landslide that buried the homes of several families in central Mexico.Local authorities announced that the disaster occurred in the village of San Luis Ayucan.They added that rescue teams saved three people from under the piles of mud left by the landslide.The landslide displaced nearly 150 people from the village, who are now staying in shelters.Landslides are common in Mexico, especially during the rainy and hurricane season, which lasts from May to November.

source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690836/international/landslide-in-central-mexico-kills-nine

Trump suspect, staunch Ukraine backer, charged with gun crimes

A man suspected of plotting to assassinate former US president Donald Trump was charged with federal gun crimes Monday.Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number at his initial court appearance.Routh, who was arrested on Sunday after an alleged abortive bid to shoot the Republican presidential candidate at his West Palm Beach golf course, is expected to face further charges at a later date.Routh appeared calm during the brief court hearing before Magistrate Judge Ryon McCabe of the Southern District of Florida, answering 'yes' to several questions.A detention hearing was scheduled for September 23 and an arraignment on further potential charges was set for September 30.Routh was arrested on Sunday after a Secret Service agent on the former president's security detail saw what appeared to be the barrel of a rifle pointing out of a tree line on the perimeter of the Trump International Golf Course, according to a criminal complaint filed by an FBI special agent.'The Agent fired his/her service weapon in the direction of the rifle,' the complaint said.Trump was several hundred yards away when the golf course shooting occurred and was unharmed.A man later identified as Routh was seen by a witness fleeing the area in a Nissan sport utility vehicle at high speed, the complaint said.Routh was arrested by local police about 45 minutes later on I-95, a major north-south highway, and replied in the 'affirmative' when asked if he knew why he was being stopped, it said.Video footage of the arrest showed Routh, who was wearing sunglasses and dressed in a peach-colored shirt, being taken into custody by the roadside without incident by heavily armed police officers.According to the complaint, a 'loaded SKS-style, 7.62x39 caliber rifle with a scope,' a digital camera, a backpack and a black plastic bag containing food were recovered from the tree line.Gunman spent nearly 12 hrs near golf courseRouth appears to have spent nearly 12 hours on the perimeter of the Trump golf course.'Routh's mobile phone was located in the vicinity of the area along the tree line... from approximately 1:59 am until approximately 1:31 pm on September 15,' the complaint said.Routh is reported to be a self-employed builder based in Hawaii, with an arrest record spanning decades.He regularly posted about politics and current events on social media, including criticism of Trump, according to US media.According to the criminal complaint, he was convicted in North Carolina in December 2002 of 'possession of a weapon of mass death and destruction.'He was convicted in 2010 in the same state of multiple counts of possession of stolen goods, it said.Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number carries a maximum five-year sentence.Ukraine denies linksKyiv Monday denied links to a man accused of trying to assassinate former US President Donald Trump, after it emerged that the suspect was a supporter of Ukraine who had said he wanted to recruit foreign volunteers to fight there. Media interviews and social media posts showed that the reported suspect was a staunch supporter of Ukraine who had traveled there after Russia's 2022 invasion.Ukrainian officials said they had nothing to do with him. The Kremlin, for its part, implied there was a link.

source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690798/international/uslatin-america/trump-suspect-staunch-ukraine-backer-charged-with-gun-crimes

Trump safe after shots fired near him

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was safe after multiple shots were fired near his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, Sunday.The shots originated outside the fence line of the course. The Associated Press reported that US Secret Service agents opened fire after seeing a person with a firearm near Trump's golf club, adding that no injuries were reported.The Secret Service said it was investigating the incident, which occurred shortly before 2 pm (1800 GMT).Trump was injured in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on July 13.The White House said in a statement that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed about the incident and were relieved to know that he is safe.'Violence has no place in America,' Harris said in an X social media post.Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., cited local law enforcement as saying an AK-47 automatic weapon had been discovered in bushes and a suspect has been apprehended, according to a post on X.The Washington Post said Trump had been golfing at the course when the incident occurred. Secret Service agents took him to a holding room at the club, it said.

source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690743/international/uslatin-america/trump-safe-after-shots-fired-near-him

Death toll rises as storm lashes central, eastern Europe

One person has drowned in Poland and an Austrian fireman has died responding to floods, authorities said yesterday, as Storm Boris lashed central and eastern Europe with torrential rains.Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually heavy rainfall.The rains have flooded streets and submerged entire neighbourhoods in some places, while shutting down public transport and electricity in others.Romanians waded through armpit-high water to safety, Poles sought shelter in schools and Czechs hurriedly put up sand dykes in an effort to keep the water at bay.Yesterday’s deaths bring the overall toll from the storm to eight, with thousands evacuated across the continent.In Romania, two bodies were found yesterday, after four people were reported killed earlier, and one person was declared missing.Four people were reported missing in the Czech Republic.“The water came into the house, it destroyed the walls, everything,” Sofia Basalic, 60, a resident of Romania’s village of Pechea, in the hard-hit region of Galati, told AFP.“It took the chickens, the rabbits, everything. It took the oven, the washing machine, the refrigerator. I have nothing left,” she said.“Heartfelt solidarity with all affected by the devastating floods in Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia”, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding that the EU was ready to offer support.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said yesterday morning that “we have the first confirmed death by drowning, in the Klodzko region” on the Polish-Czech border in the southwest of the country, which has been hit hardest by the floods.Around 1,600 people have been evacuated in Klodzko and Polish authorities have called in the army to support firefighters.Separately, a fireman in northeastern Austria died in floods in the Lower Austria region, which has been classified as a natural disaster zone, regional governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner told reporters yesterday.“For many residents, the upcoming hours will be the worst of their lives,” she said.Emergency services had made nearly 5,000 interventions overnight in the state of Lower Austria, where flooding had trapped many residents in their homes.A highway from western Austria to Vienna was shut just outside the capital and four of Vienna’s five metro lines had been shut in the city, where the Wien river was threatening to overflow its banks, according to local news reports.In Poland, authorities shut the Golkowice border crossing with the Czech Republic after a river flooded its banks on Saturday, as well as closing several roads and halting trains on the line linking the towns of Prudnik and Nysa.Tusk said that Ukraine, which is fending off a Russian invasion in its third year, has offered to send some 100 rescuers specially equipped to deal with floods to help as an expression of solidarity with Poland, which has steadfastly backed Kyiv during the war.“It’s very touching”, Tusk said of the offer.In the Czech Republic, a dam in the south of the country burst its banks, flooding towns and villages downstream.In the village of Velke Hostice, residents put up a wall of sandbags 500 metres long in an effort to hold back the rising waters of the River Opava.“If we don’t stop the wave, it will flood the lower part of the village,” local hunter Jaroslav Lexa told AFP. In southeastern Romania, another body was found yesterday in the worst-affected Galati region, where four people had died on Saturday.“We are again facing the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present on the European continent, with dramatic consequences,” Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis said.Hundreds of people have been rescued across 19 parts of the country, emergency services said, releasing a video of flooded homes in a village by the Danube river.“This is a catastrophe of epic proportions,” said Emil Dragomir, mayor of Slobozia Conachi, a village in Galati, where he said 700 homes had been flooded.Romania’s interior minister said more than 6,000 households and 15,000 people were affected in the region.In Austria, some areas of the Tyrol region were blanketed by up to a metre (three feet) of snow — an exceptional situation for mid-September, which saw temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius last week.Rail services were suspended in the country’s east early yesterday.In neighbouring Slovakia, a state of emergency has been declared in the capital Bratislava.Heavy rains are expected to continue until at least today in the Czech Republic and Poland.

source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690742/international/death-toll-rises-as-storm-lashes-central-eastern-europe

Stricken Red Sea tanker salvage makes ‘slow’ progress

The towing of an abandoned tanker struck by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in August, threatening environmental disaster, is proceeding slowly for a second day, a Greek military source told AFP yesterday.The operation to tow the Greek-flagged Sounion which began Saturday “is proceeding at a very slow pace”, the source said, adding that it was “initially headed north” without revealing a destination.The tanker was hit on August 21 by Iran-backed Houthis with missiles off the coast of Hodeida while carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil.After the initial strike, the Houthis returned and detonated charges on the ship’s deck, setting off new fires.Damage to the vessel had threatened a Red Sea oil spill four times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska.The operation is being overseen by the European Union’s Red Sea naval mission, Aspides, which yesterday said the tanker was being towed to a “safe location”.“The salvage of the MV SOUNION is a complex operation and consists of various phases,” the mission said on X, formerly Twitter.It added aerial shots of the tanker escorted by two warships, one dated Sunday, in which it is still emitting smoke.Greek state news agency ANA said the tugboat was escorted by three frigates, helicopters and a special forces team, without disclosing the states of origin.Fires were still visible on board in Aspides pictures on X dated Saturday.“When it reaches safe mooring there will be an attempt to put out the fire and preliminary steps will be taken to secure the cargo from leaking,” the Greek source said yesterday.The ships’ radars have been turned off for security reasons.The tanker had been anchored west of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, midway between Yemen and Eritrea.The Sounion’s crew — made up of 23 Filipinos and two Russians — was rescued the day after the attack by a French frigate serving with the EU mission.The EU naval force was formed in February to protect merchant vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthi rebels, who have waged a campaign against international shipping that they say is intended to show solidarity with Hamas.Since November, the Houthi attacks have caused the sinking of two ships and deaths of at least four crew members.The Houthis have been firing drones and missiles at ships in the vital commercial route, saying they are targeting vessels linked to Israel, the US and Britain in solidarity with Palestinians over Israeli war actions in Gaza.

source https://www.gulf-times.com/article/690741/international/stricken-red-sea-tanker-salvage-makes-slow-progress