China is trialling visa-free travel for citizens from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia for a year, its foreign ministry said. From December to 30 November 2024, ordinary passport holders from these countries can do business or travel in China without a visa

A four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war took effect early Friday, setting the stage for the exchange of dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza in return for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The halt in fighting promised some relief for Gaza's 2.3 million people, who have

Violent protests have erupted in Ireland‘s capital, Dublin, after four people including three young children were injured in a suspected knife attack. Crowds of protesters clashed with police in the city centre on Thursday hours after a five-year-old girl and a woman in her 30s

Since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, the border between Lebanon and Israel has witnessed escalating exchanges of fire, primarily involving Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, along with Palestinian groups. The clashes have raised fears of a broader conflagration.

President Vladimir Putin is yet to formally announce his plans to run for re-election next year, but he might already have an unlikely potential competitor in Yekaterina Duntsova, a journalist from the Tver region who announced her bid for the presidency last week.  “Why did

Blue whales - the largest known animals on Earth - are making their home in a part of the Indian Ocean where they were wiped out by whaling decades ago. Researchers and filmmakers in the Seychelles captured footage of the whales in 2020 and 2021. It features in the Imax film Return of

North Korea has ripped up a five-year-old deal with Seoul aimed at lowering military tensions, in the latest escalation of a row between the two. It all started when Pyongyang claimed to have successfully launched a spy satellite into space on Tuesday. This led to South Korea part

Israeli officials said there would be no pause in the Gaza fighting or any release of hostages held by Hamas before Friday, despite the two sides agreeing a truce. The agreement was approved by the Israeli government early Wednesday and had been widely expected to take effect on

Chief Justice (CJ) of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has barred the addition of the word "sahib" to the title of public servants, saying it unnecessarily elevates their status and makes them feel not accountable to the people. In a two-page order, Chief Justice Isa said that adding

India has resumed e-visa applications for Canadian nationals, two months after all visa services were stopped after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had accused India of involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. While there is no announcement,

The European Union Council has given the green light for the digitalization of Schengen visa application procedures, promising a more efficient and cost-effective system.  The move, approved on Monday, involves eliminating consulate appointments and traditional visa stickers in

Chinese authorities have closed or altered hundreds of mosques in the northern regions of Ningxia and Gansu, homes to the highest Muslim populations in China after Xinjiang, as part of broader efforts to “sinicise” China’s religious minorities, according to a report.

North Korea claims it has successfully put a military spy satellite into space, after two earlier attempts failed this year. It comes after a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un in September, where Moscow offered Pyongyang help with its space programme.

Israel’s government approves Qatar-mediated deal for a four-day truce in Gaza and release of 50 captives held in the enclave. Hamas confirms a temporary ceasefire has been reached, adding that 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails will be freed as part of the

The death toll from flash flooding caused by torrential rains in Somalia has risen to 50, with nearly 700,000 people driven from their homes, according to a government official. With more heavy rains starting on Tuesday, the plight of people in the country is expected to worsen, he

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said his group is close to reaching a “truce agreement” in talks with Qatar and Israel that would clear the way for the release of some hostages held by the militants. “The movement delivered its response to the brothers in Qatar and the

More than 200 defendants in one of Italy's biggest mafia trials for generations have been sentenced to a total of more than 2,200 years in jail. The three-year trial saw individuals allegedly linked to the 'Ndrangheta sentenced for crimes ranging from extortion to drug

Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) say its staff are unable to evacuate from al-Shifa Hospital while hundreds also remain trapped at the Indonesian Hospital after at least 12 people were killed in the hospital in an Israeli attack. Israeli air attacks have

Former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the wife of ex-President Jimmy Carter, has died at the age of 96. The Carter Center confirmed in a statement that she died peacefully with her family by her side. On Friday, it was reported that she had entered a hospice care home in the state

Rescuers in India are looking at fresh options to save 41 workers trapped in a tunnel for the past eight days. New plans had to be conceived after work to push in metal pipes through the debris wall was halted and rescue teams were withdrawn after a cracking sound was heard from the