DAVOS: People with special needs must be involved in the design of climate change policies, a panel of speakers at the World Economic Forum in Davos said on Friday.

During an open forum titled “In Case of Fire, Use Stairs,” the panel said that people with special needs, who number more than 1 billion around the world, were among those most affected by climate change.

The speakers stressed the need to create emergency response plans and infrastructure that cater to such people during natural disasters.

BEIRUT: A European legal team on Friday wrapped up the first round of questioning of Lebanese bankers and current and former Central Bank officials in Beirut.

The questioning is part of a probe into money laundering linked to Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh.

The delegation will quiz Salameh, in addition to some of his relatives, in the second round of the investigation, said State Prosecutor Judge Ghassan Oueidat.

TOKYO: Japan’s Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa held a telephone talk with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen on Friday and stated that Japan is concerned about recent unilateral measures that have caused an escalation of tensions in the region, although he did not clarify what measures he was referring to.
Hayashi explained Japan’s approach of assisting Palestinians in order to achieve a two-state solution, and asked for cooperation from Israel.
Cohen stated that Israel respects the status quo with regard to holy sites.

BEIRUT: Japan, through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Program (GGP), will provide the Lebanese Hospital Geitaoui University Medical Center, with specialized medical equipment.
On Friday, Ambassador Magoshi Masayuki signed a grant contract with Sister Hadia Abi Chebli, Director of the Lebanese Hospital Geitaoui University Medical Center.
The hospital, located in Ashrafieh, and which was badly damaged by the Beirut port explosion in 2020, plays a pivotal role in the Lebanese health care sector.

ABU DHABI: The UAE has maintained its position as one of the safest places in the world, according to the Global Terrorism Index.
The GTI provides a comprehensive summary of global trends and patterns that have influenced terrorism over the past two decades, based on an analysis of various social and economic conditions, and influential geopolitical factors.
Emirates News Agency reported on Thursday that the UAE is one of the safest countries worldwide, with a “very low” risk of the spread of terrorist activities.