Bahrain has recalled its ambassador to Israel and suspended economic ties with Tel Aviv, the country’s parliament announced on Thursday. The statement published on the Bahraini parliament website confirmed that the Israeli ambassador had left Bahrain, while Bahrain called back

Nearly half the countries across the world are seeing a decline in the robustness of their democracy, an international think tank said on Thursday. In its annual report, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) said that 85 out of 173 countries surveyed

The boss and three other officials of an Indonesian firm whose cough syrup was linked to the deaths of over 200 children have been sentenced to jail. They were handed two-year prison sentences and fined 1bn Indonesian rupiah ($63,029; £51,7130) each. The firm, Afi Farma, was

Extremists in northeastern Nigeria killed at least 37 villagers in two different attacks, residents said Wednesday, highlighting once again how deadly islamic extremist rebels have remained in their 14-year insurgency in the hard-hit region. The extremists targeted villagers in Yobe

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier apologised for colonial-era killings in Tanzania during Germany’s rule and vowed to raise awareness of the atrocities in his country, in a step towards “communal healing” of the bloody past. “I would like to ask for

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says Israeli attacks on Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp may be “disproportionate attacks that could amount to war crimes”. Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, Gaza’s only medical facility serving cancer

Russia bombarded 118 Ukrainian towns and villages in 24 hours, more than on any other day this year, says Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. He said 10 of Ukraine's 27 regions had come under attack and the onslaught had caused deaths and injuries. Many of the communities

Summary More than 400 people have left Gaza as the Rafah crossing to Egypt opens to civilians for the first time in more than three weeks. 335 foreign passport holders and 76 injured Gazans have been able to leave so far, Palestinian officials say. British and US passport holders

A woman has suffered "life-threatening injuries" after police fired at her for making threats at a Paris train station. The 38-year-old Muslim woman was completely veiled and shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is Greatest"). She reportedly made threats that she

Myanmar officials have met with Rohingya refugee families in Bangladesh to discuss their repatriation to Myanmar. The officials travelled to Bangladesh on Tuesday to meet with refugees amid a new repatriation plan brokered by China.  The push is part of a pilot repatriation

Protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza interrupted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a Senate hearing on Tuesday. Numerous people stood in the crowd and repeatedly yelled "Ceasefire now!" Secretary Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testified about

The Gaza Strip is now a graveyard for thousands of children, the United Nations has said, as it warned of the prospect of more dying of dehydration amid Israel’s war on the besieged enclave. The Israeli army has widened its air and ground attacks on Gaza – including houses

An Israeli air attack has hit apartment blocks in a residential area of the densely-populated Jabalia refugee camp, killing and wounding hundreds.  The director of nearby Indonesian Hospital says at least 50 people were killed, but there are fears the toll could rise. Israel has

Footage from the Israeli military showed tanks and armoured bulldozers churning up bomb-scarred dirt tracks and troops searching shattered buildings for Hamas militants and the 240 hostages still missing. Israel struck 300 targets during its fourth night of land operations in northern

At least 15 people were shot dead at a Halloween party in Chicago's west side on Sunday (October 29).  A statement issued by the Chicago Police Department said that the victims included six women and nine men between the ages of 26 and 53. "The offender fled on foot

The head of the UN’s children agency (UNICEF) said the “true cost” of the latest escalation in Gaza will be measured in children’s lives. UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell, addressing the UN’s security council on Monday, said: More than 420

The US has dismissed as "absurd" claims by Russia that an anti-Israel riot at a Dagestan airport on Sunday was organised by Ukraine and the West. In a televised meeting on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the incident had been part of an attempt to spread

Summary Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying it would amount to a "surrender to Hamas" Speaking in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu cites the Bible as he says "this is a time for war" Meanwhile, UN aid agencies

The death toll from a train crash in India has risen to 13, with 39 injured, an official said on Monday, with investigators suspecting human error was the cause of the crash in the south-eastern state of Andhra Pradesh. The accident occurred when the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger

Renowned religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jamil’s son committed suicide at his house in Talamba, their native town in Punjab, claimed the police following an initial investigation of the incident on Sunday. According to Multan’s Regional Police Officer (RPO) Captain (retd)