14/09/2026

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Iran, UAE back restraint call NEW DELHI: Iran and the United Arab Emirates on Saturday signed up to a joint statement from the BRICS group of nations that called for restraint in the Middle East war, in what was seen as a sign of diplomatic progress between the countries divided by the war. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also met the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of the first day of the summit, in the countries’ highest-level meeting since the start of the conflict. The two leaders discussed regional and international issues, de-escalation, stability, and efforts to advance regional peace and development, the Abu Dhabi media office said on X, without referring to any resolution to the discussions. Summit organisers and diplomats have been focused on bridging the Iran-UAE divide. Iran has launched repeated attacks on the UAE during the conflict, most recently in late August when it targeted the Al Minhad Air Base that housed US forces and helicopters. “We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in Middle East/West Asia (and) call for exercising maximum restraint, as well as avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation,” the joint BRICS declaration read. It called for the protection of civilians, urged respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and stressed the need to protect trade, supply chains, energy flows and maritime security. The Iranian embassy in India posted a photo of the meeting between its president and Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the eldest son of the president of the country and the next in line to succeed him. But it did not say anything about what they discussed. “The key to ending the war lies with the US and Israel,” said Sunjay Sudhir, a former Indian ambassador to the UAE. – Reuters LONDON: A second billionaire revealed on Saturday he had matched a £36 million (RM198 million) donation, the largest gift in UK political history, to Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform party, announced the previous day. The twin donations come despite anti-immigration Reform being mired in several funding scandals, including one involving the Thai-based British businessman, Christopher Harborne, who made the latest mega-contribution. News of the gifts follow police last week confirming they had widened a criminal investigation into allegations the party accepted illegal donations. Writing in Saturday’s Daily Telegraph , Harborne said the new £36 million donation was “a philanthropic gift to our country” aimed at helping the party prepare for government and create the kind of infrastructure that older, more established parties have. The announcement came within 24 hours of another crypto-magnate, Ben Delo, revealing his record donation in the same newspaper. The new twin gifts each smash the previous reported record for a single donation from a living person to a UK political party, which Harborne himself had set last year when he gave Reform £9 million. – AFP Another £36m for Reform UK

Sweden votes in election thriller

STOCKHOLM: Swedes voted in a closely fought election yesterday that will either bring a far-right party into government for the first time or shift the country back towards the liberalism it has long been known for. Sweden’s centre-left opposition holds a narrow lead over the ruling right-wing bloc, several opinion polls showed last week. But Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who has trailed in opinion polls throughout his four years in office, has been catching up in the final weeks of campaigning, with rival Magdalena Andersson and her Social Democrats losing ground. Kristersson has pledged to bring the far-right Sweden Democrats into government if his bloc wins. “We can unify parties, voters and issues into joint action. That’s why we get things done,” he told reporters. Critics say his government’s agenda is undermining civil liberties while forcing immigrants to conform more closely to Swedish cultural norms or leave the country, urged on by both inducements and penalties. “We’ve become a harder society, a quieter society, but also a poorer society as we’ve had growth far below our potential and where households see their pay cheques buy less and less,” Andersson told Reuters, adding that uniting people had made Sweden strong. Supporters of the right-wing bloc say its policies have helped curb gang violence and cut immigration dramatically, and that a victory would amount to a public endorsement of that approach and more in the same vein in the years ahead. Voters in Rinkeby, an area designated by the police as extremely socially deprived, were worried things might get worse for them. “They target Muslims, they single out Muslims and immigrants. But immigrants contribute to society,” said Kahin Ahmed, 57, a sociologist who came to Sweden from Somalia as a refugee. “A quarter of those working in healthcare are immigrants. If documentary by two Israeli directors about Israel’s AI-assisted killing of civilians in Gaza won a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. NAZA , by Oscar-winning directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, had been tipped by some critics for the top Golden Lion prize for best film after a record-breaking 25-minute ovation at its premiere on Thursday. Receiving the award, Abraham said in the 10 days since the festival began, “Israel killed six Palestinian children in Gaza, at least”. “The Israeli intelligence officers we spoke with talked to us how this mass killing is systemic, not by accident, but by design, actions of murder and policies that are based on the total dehumanisation of Palestinians,” he told the audience.

government parliament, building credibility with the broader right-wing bloc. While the opposition Social Democrats, Greens, Left Party and Centre Party broadly agree on the need for higher welfare and public spending, divisions persist on issues, including immigration, where Andersson’s party wants a more restrictive line than some of its would-be partners. They are also at odds over issues that include a tax on billionaires and building new nuclear reactors, while the Centre refuses to support a government that includes the Left Party, increasing the challenge Andersson would face to form a Cabinet. – Reuters in

country’s biggest Swedish-Somali populations, “doesn’t look like Sweden”. The right has already agreed to form a four-party government led by Kristersson if they win, while Andersson’s path to power is more uncertain. The election could ultimately be decided by whether the Liberals surpass the 4% threshold to win seats in parliament, bolstering a right wing that includes Moderates, Christian Democrats and, since being invited by Kristersson earlier this year, Sweden Democrats. The Sweden Democrats have already spent four years propping up Kristersson’s minority

immigrants stayed home for a single day, Sweden wouldn’t function,” he said. Over the last four years, the ruling minority coalition, backed by the Sweden Democrats, has abolished permanent residency for refugees, tightened welfare rules and boosted expulsions of those without a right to stay. Voting in Rinkeby in northern Stockholm, Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson said the suburb, home to one of the o Far right bloc eyes govt role

Andersson and her husband Richard Friberg greet elderly residents as they arrive to cast their votes at a polling station in Nacka yesterday. – AFPPIC

Gaza documentary wins special jury prize VENICE: A chilling new

The special jury prize is given out each year by the jury to recognise an outstanding work. Abraham and Szor used conversations with 24 military or intelligence whistleblowers who spoke on condition that their identities be protected. The 80-minute film left many audience members stunned, with interviewees describing how they felt like they worked in a killing “factory” or a lethal video game while using AI-powered targeting systems to bombard Gaza. It was described as an “urgent, gut-punch” by film magazine Screen , while The Hollywood Reporter said it inspired “outrage, indignity as well, most certainly disgust, on a profound level, for the Israeli regime”. Abraham said it was “really, really, especially important for us that Israelis watch this film”.

Szor (left) and Abraham with their prize. – AFPPIC

Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has left about 73,500 Palestinians dead and 174,500 wounded since October 2023, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.

The Israeli military has criticised the use of anonymous testimonies in the film, saying on Friday the identities of the whistleblowers “cannot be verified”. – AFP