Friday, 23 May, 2025

International

Hamas reports 241 deaths in Gaza inside 24 hours

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry has said at least 241 people were killed in the past 24 hours, as Israel's military operation continues in the territory. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called the war a "grave crime" against his people. Israel's army

Nine Israeli soldiers wounded in Hezbollah strike: army

Israel’s military said Tuesday an anti-tank missile fired by Lebanon’s Hezbollah group wounded nine soldiers as they rescued a civilian who was injured in another cross-border strike. One of the soldiers was in a “serious condition,” the army said, after the

Azerbaijan expels two French diplomats

The ministry said in a statement it had summoned French ambassador Anne Boillon to express a "strong protest for the actions of two employees of the French Embassy that were incompatible with their diplomatic status and which contradicted the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic

Japan announces sanctions against three senior Hamas figures

Japan has announced sanctions against three senior members of the Palestinian armed group Hamas. Tokyo will freeze assets belonging to the three individuals and impose sanctions on payments and capital transactions, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa said on Tuesday. The

Israel to face 'tough countdown' after killing its military adviser — Iran

Iran has threatened Israel with a "tough countdown" following the killing of an Iranian top military adviser in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accusing Tel Aviv of being behind the Monday air strike outside the Syrian capital Damascus. Iranian Foreign Minister

Attacks kill at least 160 people in central Nigeria

Armed groups have killed at least 160 people in central Nigeria in a series of attacks on villages, local government officials said on Monday. The toll marked a sharp rise from the initial figure reported by the army Sunday evening of just 16 dead in a region plagued for several years

Russian opposition leader Navalny found in a brutal Arctic jail

Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been found weeks after he disappeared, his associates said on Monday. Mr Navalny, the most prominent foe of Russian president Vladimir Putin, has been discovered at a prison colony above the Arctic Circle nearly three weeks after

Saudi Arabia begins registration of foreign pilgrims for Hajj 2024

Saudi Arabia announced on Monday that it has begun official registration of foreign pilgrims for Hajj 2024.  “Muslim pilgrims from all over the world can now register along with their families for Hajj 1445/2024 through the Nusuk Hajj application under the Ministry of Hajj

Migrant caravan heads for US in 'poverty exodus'

A sprawling caravan of migrants from central and southern America has set off through Mexico heading north towards the United States border. Up to 8,000 people of all ages, mainly from Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico, are part of the procession following a banner which reads "Poverty

‘Massacre’ in Gaza as 70 killed in Israeli strikes

At least 70 Palestinians have been killed in an air attack on the Maghazi refugee camp, said Palestinian Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra. He condemned the attacks as a “massacre” and added that the death toll is likely to climb. Israeli army admits it is

Syrians cancel Christmas festivities in solidarity with Gaza

Christmas cheer has deserted the streets of Syria’s cities, where the main churches have limited celebrations to prayers in solidarity with Palestinians suffering war in Gaza. “In Palestine, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, people are suffering,” the Syriac Catholic

13 dead, 38 injured in explosion at nickel plant in Indonesia

The island of Sulawesi is a hub for the mineral-rich country's production of nickel, a base metal used for electric vehicle batteries and stainless steel, and Beijing's growing investment has stoked unrest over working conditions at its facilities. The accident occurred around

Israel says it holds hundreds of Hamas members

Israel says it has arrested 200 members of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups in the past week and taken them into its territory for questioning. A statement said some of the suspects had been hiding among the civilian population and surrendered voluntarily. Israel says 700

Tanker hit off India coast by drone from Iran, says US

A chemical tanker was hit by a drone launched from Iran in the Indian Ocean on Saturday, the US military says. The Pentagon said the Chem Pluto vessel was struck "200 nautical miles (370km) from the coast of India" at 10:00 local time (06:00 GMT). A fire on board the ship

1 dead, 1 injured in shooting at Florida shopping mall

One man is dead, and a woman is injured after a shooting inside an Ocala, Florida mall Saturday afternoon, according to Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken. Balken said police received 911 calls about multiple shots fired inside the Paddock Mall. He added the call came in describing an

Biden signs $886 billion defense policy bill into law

President Joe Biden on Friday signed into law the U.S. defense policy bill that authorizes a record $886 billion in annual military spending and policies such as aid for Ukraine and push-back against China in the Indo-Pacific. The National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, passed

Russia blasts US on frozen assets, missiles as Ukraine bombardment persists

Russia has warned that it will react robustly to Western moves to seize its assets or deploy missiles. Moscow could sever diplomatic relations with the United States should it confiscate Russian assets frozen under sanctions, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday.

Trump's strategy to delay trial may be winning

The Supreme Court's decision not to rule quickly on whether Donald Trump can be prosecuted on election-subversion charges may help delay his trial, according to ex-prosecutors. But they told the BBC this strategy of filing repeated challenges will only put off the inevitable and

Stakes are immense as Biden presses Israel to change course

The US has a new diplomatic objective in the Gaza War - to convince Israel to scale back its military operations in coming weeks. This is a crucial test of the Biden administration, and whether it succeeds could help determine the next phase of the war - as well as the president's own

UN Security Council backs ramping up Gaza aid, but no ceasefire

The UN Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a resolution urging more aid for the Gaza Strip, but falling short of a call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The vote followed days of negotiations to avoid a veto by the US, a permanent UNSC member and a key ally of