RIYADH: The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said it foiled a booby-trapped boat attack by Iran-aligned Huthi rebels on a commercial ship in the Red Sea on Monday. “The naval forces of the coalition managed to thwart an (attack) by the Huthi militia targeting a commercial ship in the southern waters of the Red Sea, using an unmanned booby-trapped boat,“ a coalition spokesman was quoted as saying by the official Saudi Press Agency. “The coalition forces spotted the unmanned boat... then intercepted and destroyed it,“ he added. The Huthis rejected the claim, calling it “completely baseless”, according to the group’s Al-Masirah TV. The coalition, which has been fighting the rebels since March 2015, have long accused the Huthis and the Iranian revolutionary guards of threatening international navigation routes and world trade. Last year Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude exporter, halted exports through the Bab al-Mandeb as a result … [Read more...] about Saudi-led coalition says Yemeni rebel boat attack foiled
Fighting quotes and sayings
GE says French plant set for layoffs will not close down
Business A General Electric (GE) factory in eastern France where the U.S. group is planning job cuts will not close down, and the firm is looking into alternatives there including building aeronautical parts, GE's French boss said in a media interview. 02 Jun 2019 07:10AM Bookmark PARIS: A General Electric (GE) factory in eastern France where the U.S. group is planning job cuts will not close down, and the firm is looking into alternatives there including building aeronautical parts, GE's French boss said in a media interview.Plans announced last Tuesday for over 1,000 potential layoffs, mainly targeted at the Belfort plant, prompted France's Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire to say he would fight to save jobs at the site as negotiations kicked off with unions.GE had said the move was aimed at making its operations more efficient in France in response to a shrinking market for power plants. Belfort handles gas, steam, nuclear and hydro technology.In an interview published on … [Read more...] about GE says French plant set for layoffs will not close down
Iran says it will not surrender even if it is bombed
LONDON: Iran will not surrender to US pressure and will not abandon its goals even if it is bombed, President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday (May 23), stepping up the war of words between the Islamic Republic and the United States.Earlier in the day, Iran's top military chief said the standoff between Tehran and Washington was a "clash of wills", warning that any enemy "adventurism" would meet a crushing response, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.Tensions are festering between the two countries after Washington sent more military forces to the Middle East in a show of force against what US officials say are Iranian threats to its troops and interests in the region.After pulling out of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, US President Donald Trump restored US sanctions on Iran last year and tightened them this month, ordering all countries to halt imports of Iranian oil or face sanctions of their own.“More than one year after the imposition … [Read more...] about Iran says it will not surrender even if it is bombed
Anti-graft campaign reason for government’s low popularity among civil servants, says Mahathir
PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian government will continue to clamp down on corruption, despite falling support for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration, said Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday (Apr 30).He said that some government officials under the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) regime received bribes as "extra income", and so they are "disappointed" that they could no longer do so. "Some may feel that a kleptocratic government is better than a democratic government. "That's why support for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government and also for myself has dropped. But this will not deter us from continuing the good fight, " Dr Mahathir was quoted as saying by the Star.Speaking at a meeting with senior civil servants, the prime minister reminded them to reject bribes. "Hopefully we promise ourselves to not be involved in corruption because it is sinful and against the law,” he said, adding that efforts to root out corruption must continue or … [Read more...] about Anti-graft campaign reason for government’s low popularity among civil servants, says Mahathir
News Leave Marawi rehab to tycoons? Politicos ‘capitalizing’ on Duterte remark, says aide
MANILA -- Some politicians want to "capitalize" on President Rodrigo Duterte's supposed rejection of using government funds for the rehabilitation of Marawi, the head of the government housing council said Tuesday. Duterte was recently quoted as saying, "I don’t think that I should be spending for their buildings," referring to those destroyed when state forces retook the southern city from Islamic State sympathizers who held it for 5 months in 2017. The President only meant that the government will not provide assistance for the construction of businessmen's "personal houses and buildings", said Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chairman Eduardo Del Rosario. "The statement might be misconstrued... But the reality is (government) will continue the rehabilitation. The government will provide house and lots to those informal settler families," he added. Thousands of houses were destroyed when state forces retook Marawi from Islamic State … [Read more...] about News Leave Marawi rehab to tycoons? Politicos ‘capitalizing’ on Duterte remark, says aide