عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Gulf

Saudi Arabia Offers Condolences to Congo over Mine Collapse Victims

A general view of a portion of an open pit coltan mine in Rubaya on January 30, 2026. (AFP)
A general view of a portion of an open pit coltan mine in Rubaya on January 30, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia Offers Condolences to Congo over Mine Collapse Victims

A general view of a portion of an open pit coltan mine in Rubaya on January 30, 2026. (AFP)
A general view of a portion of an open pit coltan mine in Rubaya on January 30, 2026. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia expressed on Monday its condolences to the families of the victims, and to the people and government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, following the collapse of a mineral mine in the city of Rubaya that claimed the lives of more than 226 workers.

The Kingdom conveyed its solidarity with Congo, its government, and its people during this ordeal.

Congo's government said on Sunday it feared "at least 200 dead" in a "massive" landslide that struck a militia-held mine in the country's east.

Since its resurgence in 2021, the M23 armed group has seized vast tracts of the DRC's resource-rich east, capturing the Rubaya mine in North Kivu province in April 2024 with Rwanda's help.

The mine produces 15 to 30 percent of the world's supply of coltan, a key component in the production of electronics such as laptops and mobile phones.

Thousands of artisanal miners work daily in precarious conditions in Rubaya's pits, most equipped with simple shovels and rubber boots.

Most Viewed

 
 
Gulf

Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Phone Call with Kuwaiti Counterpart

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah - SPA
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah - SPA
TT
TT

Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Phone Call with Kuwaiti Counterpart

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah - SPA
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah - SPA

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah spoke via phone with Kuwait's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

During the call, Prince Faisal congratulated Sheikh Jarrah on his appointment and wished him success, SPA reported.

He expressed hope for collaborative efforts to strengthen the close fraternal relations between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, enhance bilateral cooperation, and support joint Gulf initiatives.

The conversation also covered several regional issues of mutual interest.

Gulf

Cabinet Reshuffle in Kuwait Includes Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Information

The newly-appointed ministers. (KUNA)
The newly-appointed ministers. (KUNA)
TT
TT

Cabinet Reshuffle in Kuwait Includes Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Information

The newly-appointed ministers. (KUNA)
The newly-appointed ministers. (KUNA)

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah issued on Sunday an Emiri decree ordering a cabinet reshuffle affecting eight ministerial posts, most notably the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Information.

Under the decree, Osama Khaled Abdullah Boodai was appointed Minister of Commerce and Industry; Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah as Minister of Foreign Affairs; Abdullah Subaih Abdullah Buftain as Minister of Information and Culture; and Yaqoub Al-Sayyed Yousef Al-Sayyed Hashem Al-Refae as Minister of Finance.

The decree also amended the appointment of Omar Saud Abdulaziz Al-Omar, naming him Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology, and appointed four Ministers of State: Reem Ghazi Saud Al-Fulaij for Development and Sustainability; Tareq Hamad Nasser Al-Jalahma for Youth and Sports; and Abdulaziz Nasser Abdulaziz Al-Marzouq for Economic Affairs and Investment.

The newly appointed foreign minister, Sheikh Jarrah, was born on April 9, 1980. He had served as Deputy Foreign Minister with ministerial rank since June 2023. An Emiri decree issued in May 2023 appointed him Ambassador at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ General Diwan.

Sheikh Jarrah holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Delaware in the United States (2004). From 2020 to 2023, he worked in the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the ministry’s General Diwan. He was also a member of Kuwait’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York from 2017 to 2020.

Between 2014 and 2017, he served at Kuwait’s Embassy in Austria and the country’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna. From 2011 to 2014, he worked in the office of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs at the General Diwan. He headed the Economic Department at the Diwan from 2005 to 2010 and worked in the International Organizations Department in 2005.

The new Minister of Information and Culture, Abdullah Buftain, is a well-known figure in Kuwaiti media circles. He served as deputy editor-in-chief of the English-language daily Kuwait Times, and has also worked in television as a presenter of political talk shows.

Gulf

Arab, Islamic Countries Slam Israeli Violations of Gaza Ceasefire

A general view of destroyed buildings near the Nuseirat camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on January 31, 2026. (AFP)
A general view of destroyed buildings near the Nuseirat camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on January 31, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Arab, Islamic Countries Slam Israeli Violations of Gaza Ceasefire

A general view of destroyed buildings near the Nuseirat camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on January 31, 2026. (AFP)
A general view of destroyed buildings near the Nuseirat camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on January 31, 2026. (AFP)

The foreign ministers of a number of Arab and Islamic countries strongly condemned on Sunday Israel's repeated violations of the Gaza ceasefire that have killed and injured over a thousand Palestinians.

The FMs of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and Türkiye said these violations are a "dangerous escalation that will stoke tensions and undermine efforts to consolidate the ceasefire and achieve stability."

They noted that Israel was committing its violations even as regional and international parties are forging ahead in implementing the second phase of US President Donald Trump's peace plan.

The violations are a "direct threat to the political process" and efforts to reach suitable conditions that should pave the way for a more stable phase in Gaza on both the security and humanitarian levels.

The FMs demanded full commitment to the ceasefire to ensure the success of the second phase of the peace plan.

They called on all parties to assume their full responsibilities during this critical phase and to exercise utmost restraint to maintain the ceasefire and avoid any measures and practices that undermine peace efforts.

They stressed the importance of reaching just, comprehensive and lasting peace, underscoring the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and establishment of their own independent state in line with international resolutions and the 2002 Arab peace initiative.