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An inquiry found that more than 500 mothers and babies either came to harm or died due to poor care.

Former President Zuma's trip to India reignites anger over a decade-old corruption scandal.

The US said the joint operation, which began in December last year, was a success.

An estimated 300 Palestinians referred for treatment abroad have died since the ceasefire began, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

Ali Khamenei's body will lie in state in Tehran's Grand Mosalla from Friday ahead of days-long funeral events.

France weighs up resetting Turkey ties as Europe's security landscape shifts Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Fri, 07/03/2026 - 15:30 A possible thaw between Paris and Ankara is being shaped by Russia, Ukraine and defence cooperation, but several longstanding issues remain unresolved France's President Emmanuel Macron (R) shakes hands with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting on the sidelines of the Nato summit in The Hague on 25 June 2025 (Christian Hartmann/AFP) Off When US President Donald Trump lined up regional and European leaders behind him for a press conference on the Gaza peace deal in Cairo in October, two leaders were conspicuously missing. Rather than become a trinket in a display window behind Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that they sit at a table in the audience. Erdogan, 72, liked the idea. The image was telling: two leaders who had a combative relationship for years were now sitting together in Trump's shadow, a sort of "adults in the room" moment. People familiar with the matter now tell Middle East Eye that, after a long period of discontent marked by disagreements over Syria, Armenia and the Eastern Mediterranean, France may be close to opening a new chapter with Turkey. "France is envisaging the future of European security with Turkey as one of its pillars," said one western source familiar with the matter. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The source added that, alongside the Coalition of the Willing, a French-led European initiative to provide security guarantees to Europe, and the first non-Nato military organisation covering the continent since the Second World War, Turkey's partnership with France would be important in the coming years. And it is not happening in a vacuum. For France, according to informed sources, Turkey's increasingly cold relations with Russia were an important signal. The number of engagements between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin has fallen significantly, with no bilateral presidential visit between the two countries since 2023. Turkish officials have increasingly complied with western sanctions on Moscow, and Ankara has not renewed its major gas purchase deals with Russia. Navigating Russia and Israel Former French ambassador Gerard Araud believes that many in France have been impressed by how Turkey has navigated the Ukraine war from the beginning, succeeding in antagonising almost no one while, at the same time, effectively siding with Kyiv. 'We will be facing Russian pressure. And in this equation, I think Turkey is obviously an important factor' - Gerard Araud, French former ambassador Araud told MEE that Turkey has, over the past two decades, re-emerged as a great power. The question now, he said, is what role this renewed geopolitical power will play in regional security. "I think that in Paris there is a strong feeling that, on one side, the Americans are leaving us all; that whoever is elected in 2028, we won't return to business as usual with the US," he said. "We will be facing Russian pressure. And in this equation, I think Turkey is obviously an important factor." Araud said there are now many overlapping interests between the two countries. In Syria, both France and Turkey have thrown their weight behind President Ahmed al-Sharaa. In Lebanon, both want a strong central state and oppose Israeli actions. On Iran, both support a peaceful resolution. "Israel doesn't want France in Lebanon and in the region," said another source familiar with French thinking. As Israel becomes more combative towards Turkey, it is also triggering a series of crises with Paris over Lebanon. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); French-Turkish defence ties Beyond regional issues, a possible French-Turkish partnership in the defence sector is coming to the fore. Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler said last week that Ankara was very interested in purchasing SAMP/T air defence systems, produced by a French-Italian consortium. Paris has held up the sale in recent years because of political tensions with Turkey, as well as Ankara's demands for joint production. Intelligence Online reported in May that Macron had ordered a review of SAMP/T to determine ways to meet Turkish co-production demands ahead of his visit to Ankara for next week's Nato summit. 'France considers that Turkey has embarked on an autocratic course and is pursuing a power-based policy centred on its own interests' - Dorothee Schmid, French analyst  Alice Rufo, minister delegate to the minister of the French armed forces and a career diplomat who was recently part of Macron's inner circle, visited Ankara and held talks with senior defence ministry officials, increasing the odds that a deal could emerge during the summit. In the background, companies have already begun working together. Safran, one of France's major defence firms, recently signed a strategic partnership with Baykar, Turkey's leading drone producer, to "co-develop integrated solutions that combine optronic sensors, navigation systems and guided-weapon capabilities for both drone and air-to-ground missions". As a result of the deal, Baykar's TB2 drones will be equipped with Safran's Euroflir electro-optical system. A second person familiar with French government thinking said Paris was considering expanding dialogue on partnerships involving drones and helicopters. Turkish firms have become powerhouses in recent years, with Ankara's defence exports reaching $10bn last year. Turkey now sells warships, drones and ammunition to countries around the world, including Nato allies. Araud said Europe has a defence industry problem, pointing to the recent collapse of the $114bn Future Combat Air System programme earlier this month over disagreements between French and German companies. "Turks have been quite good in this field," he said. "What the Turks are doing, first, is cheaper; second, it's more robust." Araud added that while some Turkish weapons may not be highly sophisticated, Ukraine has shown that this could be an advantage. "Tomorrow's war will mean being able to build a lot - a lot - of cheap weaponry," he said. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Ideological differences Dorothee Schmid, head of the Turkey and Middle East Department at the French think-tank IFRI, has a more pessimistic view of the bilateral relationship. "France considers that Turkey has embarked on an autocratic course and is pursuing a power-based policy centred on its own interests, which are not compatible with those of Europeans," she said.  Israeli ambassador to France accused of 'foreign interference' after election remarks Read More » There are, of course, longstanding challenges for Turkey and France. Macron has avoided visiting Ankara despite repeated invitations from Erdogan since 2022. A third source familiar with France's thinking said a state visit by Macron could become possible if Ankara decides to open its border with Armenia. France has a substantial Armenian population, and warming relations between Ankara and Yerevan could encourage Paris to take such a step. French officials frequently point out that Ankara's decision to bar Turkish nationals from attending French embassy-run schools in Turkey has poisoned the relationship. Turkish officials, on the other hand, say they need reciprocity and a deal that can pass through parliament to establish boundaries. The issue appears to have become buried under bureaucratic semantics, while the schools are slowly dying because of a lack of students. "In short, the two sides are continuing to negotiate, but against a backdrop of low levels of trust," Schmid said. "The Nato summit in Ankara is expected to provide an opportunity for Turkey to showcase its power, which never fails to surprise the French: the two countries have entered into a sort of systemic symbolic rivalry." The sea, the sea Another issue is the Eastern Mediterranean. Greece and France have a defence treaty. During a visit to Athens earlier this year, Macron highlighted this with a public display at the Roman Agora, reminding everyone that France is committed to defending Greek sovereignty. A local’s guide to Ankara ahead of the Nato summit Read More » Araud said that Macron is, in effect, violating his own French foreign policy principle of en meme temps - "at the same time" - whereby he pursues foreign policy initiatives that may appear contradictory at first, but are designed to maintain relationships with different sets of actors. "Senior French officials agree with me that Paris should improve its ties with Turkey, and Macron went a bit overboard. Macron is aware of it, and he wants to improve the relationship with Turkey," Araud said, referring to the French president seeming to clearly favour Greece. "And I said, 'yes, I understand it, but I'm not sure this is the way to do it'. Macron has a very good analysis of foreign policy, I think, but when implementing it, from time to time, he ends up reaching the opposite goal." Turkish officials say Turkey would never attack Greece, and that Macron's rhetoric about defending Greece is merely a narrative that allows Paris to sell more weapons to Athens. "It is a nothing burger, really," one Turkish official said. One final challenge is that Macron is due to leave office in April next year, and his potential replacements could pursue a different policy - especially the French right-wing leader Marine Le Pen or her protege, Jordan Bardella. However, several sources suggested that Turkey has been engaging with Le Pen for some time. Diplomacy Ankara News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Andy Burnham to drop spy-tech firm Palantir from NHS, reports say Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 07/03/2026 - 14:53 When the PM-in-waiting was mayor of Greater Manchester, the council issued no contracts to Palantir Andy Burnham pictured this week (AFP) Off Andy Burnham, Britain's prime minister-in-waiting, is set to drop US tech company Palantir from the National Health Service (NHS). Burnham, who is expected to succeed Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader and prime minister later this month, is reviewing the government's artificial intelligence strategy, according to The Telegraph. This comes two years into Palantir's seven-year £330m NHS deal. Palantir, an American data surveillance firm, also has a £240m deal with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and a £15m contract related to Britain’s nuclear deterrent. Despite a lack of transparency around the extent of Palantir’s deals in the UK’s public services, at least 34 contracts have been uncovered within sectors including the police, child social care, refugee schemes and the environment. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Palantir has drawn widespread criticism over its relationship with the Israeli military, among other things.  In January 2024, Palantir announced a partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense to deploy its technology in support of “war-related missions” that use drone-fired missiles to target civilians in Gaza, including journalists and aid workers. In April 2025, Palantir's chief executive Alex Karp responded to accusations that the company's technology had enabled the killing of Palestinians in Gaza by saying “mostly terrorists, that’s true”. A report by Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, suggested this indicates the firm had “executive-level knowledge and purpose vis-a-vis the unlawful use of force by Israel” in Palestine. The Pentagon is reportedly investigating if Maven, the AI system run by Palantir to identify targets, played a role in the US “double-tap” missile strike on an Iranian girls’ school in February which killed more than 170 people, mainly children. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Partially funded by the CIA at its inception, Palantir was founded by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who famously declared “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible”. Growing controversy in Britain While Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 until last month, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority issued no contracts to Palantir. Stuart Andrew, the Conservative Party's shadow health secretary, told The Telegraph that "if Andy Burnham tears up a programme that is improving patient care, he will have to explain why he chose politics over patients. "The NHS should use the best technology available to save lives, cut waiting lists and help staff deliver better care. If we want the NHS to embrace the very best technology, we must be willing to work with the world’s leading technology companies. "Driving them away for political reasons risks undermining confidence in partnering with the NHS. Patients should never pay the price for Labour’s political posturing. Lives are too important to be sacrificed for Andy Burnham’s political beliefs." (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); But Palantir has become increasingly unpopular, including within the Labour Party. Thiel has previously said the NHS “makes people sick” and labelled British affection for the health system “Stockholm syndrome”. Palantir: How a US spy-tech firm with links to Israel’s genocide infiltrated the British state Read More » Last month, MPs urged the government to trigger the 2027 break clause in the contract and develop an in-house replacement or seek an alternative UK provider. The cross-party Science, Innovation and Technology Committee report warned that the increasing reliance on Palantir in the UK’s public sector is an “unacceptable point of weakness” which could leave services “at the mercy” of foreign actors. Louis Mosley, Palantir’s UK CEO, recently accused critics of choosing “ideology over patient safety” in their criticisms of the deal. Multiple NHS hospitals, however, rejected the technology on the grounds they would “lose functionality rather than gain it”. Scrutiny is now likely to increase on Palantir's other contracts in Britain. London Mayor Sadiq Khan in May decided to block a £50m Metropolitan Police deal with Palantir, citing a “clear and serious breach” of procurement rules. Khan’s office said London’s police force risked becoming locked into Palantir’s technology, adding that the proposed deal had not “ensured or demonstrated value for money”. Before that, Khan had said he had “concerns about using public money to support firms who act contrary to London’s values”. Khan has since backtracked on the decision, granting Palantir a 12-month pilot project with scope for extension after the company launched legal action against his veto. UK Politics News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

New York mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered a speech on Friday to mark America’s 250th birthday, just hours before Donald Trump is set to deliver an address at Mount Rushmore to commemorate the anniversary. Watch Mamdani's speech above.

Why has Madonna made Paris the heart of her latest comeback? In this edition of arts24, we unpack the Queen of Pop's new album Confessions II – fresh from her Paris Fashion Week appearance and exclusive fan events in the French capital. We also look at Bad Bunny's historic new wax figure at Paris's Musée Grévin ahead of his sold-out French concerts, and meet MIND, the French pianist and producer blending electronic music with Afro-jazz and his Guyanese heritage before he performs at the Paris New York Heritage Festival. Plus, a preview of the Rolling Stones' upcoming album, Foreign Tongues.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia appointed on Saturday a former high court judge as the country’s new anti-graft czar to replace its outgoing chief who was dogged by allegations of abuse of power and illegal shareholding. The appointment of Abdul Halim Aman comes as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government faces increased scrutiny on promises made to tackle corruption in the Southeast Asian nation.

NEW DELHI: Gun battles between rival ethnic groups in India’s troubled northeastern Manipur state killed three men, police said, the latest unrest in the far-flung region. Manipur has seen periodic clashes for nearly three years between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community in which more than 250 people have been killed. “In a heavy exchange of fire … three individuals sustained fatal bullet injuries,” Manipur police said in a statement late Friday.

Prices rose to 5.3% in June, up from 3.7% in May, with transport fares, rent, and school fees being the main drivers

As the Democratic Republic of the Congo battles a worsening Ebola outbreak, authorities have established special nurseries to care for children whose parents are receiving treatment. The centres provide shelter, daily care and psychological support while helping reduce the risk of infection.