Saturday, 18 Jan, 2025

International

US call at UN for Gaza truce linked to hostages blocked

Russia and China have blocked a US draft resolution put to the UN which for the first time called for a ceasefire and hostage releases in Gaza. While there have been previous attempts by other countries to call for a ceasefire, the US text marked a hardening of its stance towards

At least 60 killed in Moscow concert hall attack

The ISIL (ISIS) group has claimed responsibility for a brazen attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall that killed at least 60 people and injured more than 145. At least five camouflage-clad gunmen with automatic weapons burst into the packed concert hall in the city’s western

Russia, China veto as US resolution for Gaza ceasefire

Russia and China on Friday vetoed a US-led draft resolution at the Security Council on Gaza, with Moscow accusing Washington of a “hypocritical spectacle” that does not pressure Israel. The US, Israel’s main ally which has vetoed previous ceasefire calls, put forward

Saudi Arabia: Give precedence to foreign visitors to access Grand Mosque

Saudi authorities have urged residents of Mecca to give precedence to visitors to access the Grand Mosque, Islam’s most sacred place, as the city witnesses an influx of worshippers in Ramadan. In Ramadan, Muslims from inside and outside Saudi Arabia would head in large numbers to

Indonesia ends search for Rohingya refugees after boat capsized

Indonesian rescuers called off the search for Rohingya refugees missing at sea after their boat capsized, despite reports from some of the survivors that dozens of people were swept away. Friday's announcement comes a day after authorities staged a dramatic rescue of 69 Rohingya

EU agrees to move ahead on using Russian assets for Ukraine

EU leaders on Thursday agreed to “take work forward” on a plan to use the profits from frozen Russian central bank assets to arm Ukraine, as Kyiv pleaded for more ammunition for its outgunned forces. More than two years into Moscow’s war against its neighbor,

Imran sees govt ending in six months

PTI founder Imran Khan has denied party’s involvement in social media rhetoric against army martyrs. During an informal exchange with journalists at the £190 million reference hearing in Adiala Jail, Imran Khan emphasized that his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was

Australia tightens student visa rules

Australia government is set to implement tighter visa rules, especially for international students, from this week. As the country hits a record migration level - the country's population surged by 2.5 per cent between September 2022 to September 2023 largely due to an increase in

Türkiye's EU membership vision has not changed: Fidan

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated Türkiye's determination to become a member of the European Union, as he said the country "sees its future in Europe." Speaking in a joint news conference with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares in Ankara, Fidan said

Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto wins presidency with 1st-round majority

Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto has been elected president of the world’s third-biggest democracy, the elections commission said Wednesday, beating two rivals who have vowed to file legal complaints about the vote. The fiery defense minister and his vice presidential running

ISIS India head, aide arrested in Assam

ISIS India head and one of his associates were arrested in Assam’s Dhubri district on Wednesday after they crossed over from Bangladesh, police said. In a statement, Assam Police chief public relations officer Pranabjyoti Goswami said they were apprehended from Dharmasala area by

Suu Kyi house action gets no bids at auction

An auction of the villa of Myanmar's detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi has failed after no bids were made for it. A court had ordered its sale in January following a long-running ownership dispute with her brother. Lawyers for Ms Suu Kyi, who has been detained since her

Ireland’s PM Leo Varadkar announces resignation

Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar says he is stepping down as the leader of the governing Fine Gael party. In the surprise announcement on Wednesday, Varadkar said he would also relinquish his role as prime minister as soon as a successor is chosen. “I am resigning

Rohingya boat capsizes off coast of Indonesia – 50 feared dead

Dozens of Rohingya refugees are feared to have drowned after a wooden boat with an estimated 150 people on board capsized off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province. The boat is thought to have run into trouble some 19km (12 miles) from the beach of Kuala Bubon on the west coast

More than 100 Palestinians killed in 24 hours

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells US Republican senators Israel will continue the war to defeat Hamas, with one senator saying, “He’s going to do what he said he’s going to do. He’s going to finish it”. Israel’s raid on al-Shifa Hospital in

14 killed, 37 injured as bus crashes inside China tunnel 

Fourteen people were killed and 37 others injured after a bus crashed inside an expressway tunnel in northern China, state media reported Wednesday. The accident occurred shortly after 2:30 pm local time (0630 GMT) Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing local authorities in

In Indonesia and Malaysia, boycotts hammer McDonald’s, Starbucks

Ordinarily during the holy month of Ramadan, entrepreneur Putra Kelana breaks fast with his family and friends at several different food outlets across his city in North Sumatra. But this year, one outlet will not be on the menu: McDonald’s. Kelana has been boycotting the fast

Article 23: Hong Kong passes tough security law fought by protesters for years

Hong Kong’s opposition-free legislature has unanimously passed new homegrown security legislation, making treason, insurrection and sabotage punishable by up to life in prison, and rejecting Western criticism that the law would further restrict the city’s freedoms.

Appeals court freezes Texas’ new SB4 immigration law

A federal appeals court has frozen Texas' controversial immigration law, one of the toughest laws of its kind enacted by a US state in modern times. The decision came just hours after the Supreme Court allowed the measure, SB4, to take effect pending an appeal. The measure would

N. Korea's Kim oversees hypersonic missile engine test: state media

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a successful test of a solid-fuel engine for a "new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile", Pyongyang's state media said Wednesday. The test was carried out on Tuesday by the North's Missile Administration at the Sohae