WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed legislation authorising desperately needed military aid for Ukraine, saying Washington would begin sending new assistance to Kyiv within hours. The passage of the $95 billion package — which also includes aid for Israel and Taiwan and a measure to potentially ban TikTok in the United States — comes after months of delay that saw Ukrainian forces run short of ammunition and suffer battlefield setbacks. "I just signed into law the national security package that was passed by the House of Representatives this weekend, and by the Senate yest ..read more

GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories — Israel pounded Gaza with air strikes and artillery fire on Wednesday after the US Congress approved $13 billion in military aid. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the Senate's approval of the aid package already passed by the House of Representatives sent a "strong message to all our enemies" in a post on social media platform X. US-Israeli relations been strained by Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's determination to send troops into the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where 1.5 million people are sh ..read more

AMMAN — In the middle of the 19th century, the northern Caucasus was a battlefield between the Russian and the Ottoman empires. The mountainous region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea had a majority of Sunni Muslim population. The following ethnic groups ended up as refugees in the Ottoman Empire: Circassians living on the Black Sea coast, Eastern Circassians who lived in the uplands, Abkhazians, Karachays, Balkars, Ossetians, Ingush, Chechens and Dagestanis. “The dominant literary language of the region was Arabic,” noted the historian Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky from The University of ..read more

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and his Irish counterpart Micheál Martin on Wednesday, reflected their countries’ absolute commitment to the two-state solution. Both ministers discussed the Israeli aggression in Gaza that continues to worsen and the efforts being made to stop it, calling for an immediate ceasefire to prevent further loss of life. During the press briefing that followed the talks, Safadi said Jordan and Ireland are on the same direction in terms of the necessity of adopting the two-state solution and recognising the independent and sovereign Pal ..read more

AMMAN — The Jordanian Field Hospital "Gaza/78", on Wednesday received a delegation from the Palestinian Military Medical Services. The commander of the hospital said that His Majesty King Abdullah's "noble principles and steadfast positions continue to extend a helping hand to all those in need", the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  The commander also emphasised that the Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza has consistently been a medical institution that delivers exceptional medical services, standing as a “beacon of noble humanitarian work”. The visiting delegates commended the Jordan ..read more

DUBLIN — Hundreds of Irish artists urged Ireland’s Eurovision entrant on Monday to be on the “right side of history” by boycotting the song contest over Israel’s participation in the event in Sweden next month. “We are asking you to withdraw from Eurovision 2024, to heed the call from Palestinians to boycott the competition due to the participation of Israel,” said a letter signed by more than 400 Irish artists. “By participating in Eurovision you will be standing with the oppressor,” it said. The letter pointed to Irish artists and musicians like Irish-language rap group Kneecap, who pulled ..read more

DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates announced $544 million to repair the homes of Emirati families on Wednesday after last week’s record rains caused widespread flooding and brought the oil-rich Gulf state to a standstill. “We learned great lessons in dealing with severe rains,” said Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum after a cabinet meeting, adding that ministers approved “two billion dirhams to deal with damage to the homes of citizens”. Wednesday’s announcement comes more than a week after the unprecedented deluge lashed the desert country, where it turned streets into river ..read more

SKOPJE, Republic of North Macedonia — North Macedonia on Wednesday held the first round of a presidential election — the first in a series of votes that could decide whether the Balkan country will join the European Union. It will be followed by a presidential run-off and a parliamentary poll on May 8. The elections come amid a two-year standoff between the government and the opposition over how to deal with neighbouring Bulgaria blocking its path to EU membership. Relations with Bulgaria have been strained for years by disputes over the two countries’ languages and history. Sofia has refused ..read more

NAIROBI — Roads turned into gushing rivers and homes swamped by waist-high muddy waters: Storms and flash floods wreaked devastation across the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Wednesday, claiming at least four lives. The East Africa region has been lashed by relentless downpours in recent weeks, as the El Nino weather pattern exacerbates the seasonal rainfall. Across Nairobi, images posted by Kenyan media showed trucks, cars and motorbikes stuck in the deluge and people wading through floodwaters in slum areas of the city to try to reach safety. An estimated 60,000 people, mostly women and children ..read more

NEW YORK — General Motors (GM) reported higher profits Tuesday thanks to continued strength in North America that offset a loss in its China business, enabling the car maker to lift its forecast. GM, which has benefited from consistently strong demand from US consumers for pickup trucks and other larger vehicles, increased its range for 2024 net income by $300 million to between $10.1 and $11.5 billion. "The team is executing well and making progress across the board," GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said in a letter to shareholders. Net profits in the first quarter rose 24 per cent to $3 billi ..read more