Day: January 23, 2022

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Kuwait presents suggestions to resolve Lebanon-Gulf standoff

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah said Sunday he presented suggestions to Lebanon to mend its standoff with the Gulf countries.

“I carry a message of suggested measures and ideas for rebuilding confidence with Lebanon,” the minister told a press conference following his talks with Lebanese President Michel Aoun in Beirut.

The Kuwaiti minister, however, did not provide details about the suggestions for mending fences between Lebanon and the Gulf.

Sheikh Ahmed said Lebanon “must not be a launching pad for verbal or actual attacks”.

The Kuwaiti minister’s visit is the first by a Gulf official to Lebanon since a diplomatic crisis erupted in October following criticism of the Yemen conflict by then-Information Minister George Kordahi.

Kuwait, along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Yemen, withdrew their ambassadors from Lebanon in protest of the criticism.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Arab League calls for labelling Yemen rebels as ‘terrorist’ group

The Arab League on Sunday called for classifying Yemen’s Houthi rebel group as a terrorist organization.

Last week, three people were killed in a Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Cairo-based league held an emergency meeting at the level of permanent delegates on Sunday upon a request from the UAE to condemn the Houthi attack on the Gulf country.

A resolution adopted by the pan-Arab body strongly condemned the rebel attack on Abu Dhabi as “a flagrant violation of international law.”

The resolution reiterated support to the UAE and all measures taken by Abu Dhabi to defend its security and people.

The UAE said it reserves the right to respond to the Houthi attack, saying it will not go unpunished.

On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously condemned the Houthi attack on the UAE and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

The UAE is a member of a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen since 2015.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Rashford scores late winner, Manchester United topple West Ham at home

English football star Marcus Rashford scored in stoppage time for Manchester United as the Red Devils won against West Ham United 1-0 in a Saturday English Premier League match.

Home team’s forward Rashford scored the winner against the Hammers on a counter attack in the 93rd minute at Old Trafford Stadium.

The 24-year-old was at the far post to make an easy finish after a low cross made by Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani.

Manchester United climbed to the fourth position with 38 points in 22 matches.

Fifth-place West Ham are only one point behind Man United.

Southampton halt leaders Manchester City

Meanwhile, Premier League leaders Manchester City drew with Southampton 1-1 at St. Mary’s Stadium as Saints ended Man City’s 12-game winning streak.

Kyle Walker-Peters scored the opener in the seventh minute for Southampton.

City’s Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte scored an equalizer by a header from Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne’s free-kick in the 65th minute in Southampton.

Manchester City have 57 points in 23 matches to stay on top of the standings.

Second-place Liverpool collected 45 points in 21 games.

Southampton are in the 12th position with 25 points.

Despite the draw, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola praised his team’s performance against Southampton.

Guardiola told the English media that his team displayed an excellent performance “by far” this season.

The Spanish boss added that he liked “everything” in terms of performance on the pitch, but the game result was 1-1.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Bayer Leverkusen sign Zenit forward Sardar Azmoun

Bayer Leverkusen signed Iranian forward Sardar Azmoun from Russian club Zenit St Petersburg for next season on Saturday, according to the German Bundesliga team.

“Azmoun will join the Werkself for the 2022/23 season and has signed a contract until 2027,” Bayer Leverkusen said on Twitter.

The Werkself is Bayer Leverkusen’s nickname.

Azmoun’s contract with Zenit will expire in June and will not be renewed.

The 27-year-old has been playing for Zenit since 2019. He scored 62 goals and had 23 assists in 104 club appearances.

He is a three-time Russian champion with Zenit from 2019 to 2021.

In addition, Azmoun piled up 60 international caps, scoring 39 goals for his native Iran since 2014.

Azmoun played for Iran in the 2018 FIFA World Cup where “Team Melli,” the National Team in Persian, was eliminated in the group stage in Russia.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Inter Milan’s Dzeko scores 90th minute header to sink Venezia

Inter Milan were rescued by Edin Dzeko as the Nerazzurri’s Bosnian forward scored a late header Saturday to sink Venezia 2-1 in an Italian Serie A match.

Venezia’s French forward Thomas Henry drew first blood in Milan’s Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, powering a header past Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic in the 19th minute.

Handanovic plunged but could not parry the shot.

The home team’s Italian midfielder Nicolo Barella equalized in minute 40, following a rebound by Venezia goalkeeper Luca Lezzerini.

The teams headed to the dressing rooms as the first half ended 1-1.

Dzeko saved Inter in the nick of time as the 35-year-old scored the winning goal with a header in the 90th minute, with the Nerazzurri coming back from a 1-0 deficit to topple Venezia.

Leaders Inter increased their points to 53 in 22 Serie A matches.

Venezia were handed their 12th league loss of the season and are in the 17th spot with 18 points.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Russia registers new all-time high daily COVID cases

Russia on Sunday registered a new all-time high number of COVID-19 cases as 63,205 people tested positive over the past day.

The latest addition has raised the overall case tally to 11.1 million, while the country has lost 326,122 people to the coronavirus so far with 679 new fatalities recorded over the past day, the emergency task force said in a daily report.

A further 23,045 people recovered from the disease, bringing the total to 10 million. The active coronavirus cases currently stand at 758,457.

The authorities explain the quick growth in new cases with the spread of the omicron variant, which has been detected in 64 of 85 regions thus far.

However, the dominant variant in Russia is delta, which accounts for nearly 52% of all new infections, according to the daily report.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed some 5.6 million lives in 192 countries and regions, with nearly 350 million cases reported worldwide, according to the US’ John Hopkins University.

Source: Anadolu Agency