UN Chief Names Independent Panel To Assess UNRWA Agency In Gaza
The new independent panel will be led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, who will work with three European research organizations, the UN said in a statement.
Blinken In Egypt On Tour To Seek 'Enduring End' To Gaza War
Heavy strikes and fighting in Gaza killed at least 99 people overnight, mostly women and children, said the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory that has been under almost four months of bombardment.
Biden To Receive Scholz Amid Ukraine Aid Impasse
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will try to build on the momentum from Europe's success in agreeing new aid for war-torn Ukraine when he heads to Washington this week, where President Joe Biden is struggling to overcome opposition to a US package.
Thai Government Says Will Ban Recreational Cannabis Use
Cannabis was taken off the list of banned narcotics in June 2022 under the previous government, which included the pro-legalisation Bhumjaithai party.
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S. Korean Court Acquits Samsung Chief Over 2015 Merger Case
Yonhap news agency reported that the court said it did "not recognise intention to harm shareholders" through the merger, which critics had claimed was bad value and done mostly to ensure a smooth third-generational power transfer to Lee, a scion of Samsung's founding family.
Chile Wildfire Survivors Return To Horrifying Aftermath
To date there have been 112 confirmed deaths, but the government expects the toll to swell in the South American country's worst tragedy since a 2010 earthquake and tsunami.
Yang Jun: Dissident Chinese-Australian Writer Handed Suspended Death Sentence
Yang -- who also goes by the pen name Yang Hengjun -- was born in China in 1965 and became an Australian citizen in the early 2000s. He grew a readership in exile as the author of novels that drew on his experiences in his homeland.
US Approves $4 Bn India Drone Deal After Assassination Row
The sale marks a milestone in Indian purchases of American weapons after New Delhi's historic reliance on arms from Russia, which have been increasingly controversial due to sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.
Kim Inspects Warships As North Korea Prepares For Conflict
In recent weeks, Kim has declared South Korea his country's "principal enemy", jettisoned agencies dedicated to reunification and outreach, and threatened war over "even 0.001 mm" of territorial infringement.
Top UN Court To Rule On Jurisdiction Over Ukraine Invasion
Ukraine dragged Russia before the International Court of Justice only a few days after the invasion, seeking to battle its belligerent neighbor on all fronts, legal as well as diplomatic and military.
Hamas Gives 'Initial' Support To Gaza Truce Plan As Fighting Rages
The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said 105 people were killed overnight, while the Hamas press office reported Israeli air and artillery bombardment around Khan Yunis -- southern Gaza's main city and the focus of recent fighting.
On Course For Power, UK's Labour Prepares For A Quick Change
if Labor defeats the governing Conservatives by a majority at this year's nationwide vote, its leader Keir Starmer will replace Rishi Sunak inside 10 Downing Street within hours.
Netanyahu's Political Tightrope On Hamas Hostage Deal
A proposal to free the hostages in exchange for a pause in Israel's offensive in the Palestinian territory is being studied by Hamas leaders after it was thrashed out by Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
Public Transport Walkout Hits Strike-battered Germany
The Verdi services trade union called on more than 90,000 workers at over 130 local companies operating buses, trams and underground services to join the walkout in an escalating dispute over pay and working conditions.
'Disaster In Waiting': Kenya Fire Victims Slam Authorities
Nearly 300 people were rushed to hospital and at least three killed when a truck packed with gas cylinders exploded just before midnight on Thursday, turning the sky orange and setting fire to nearby homes and parked cars.
US, Japan Conduct Joint Naval Drills
Washington and Beijing are at loggerheads over a raft of issues, from chips to tariffs, but both have been alarmed by the growing assertiveness of China's military in the Pacific.
Mexico President Rejects Drug Cartel Funding Claims
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday vehemently rejected claims that drug traffickers helped to fund his first presidential campaign in 2006, describing the allegations as "completely false."
US Says It Hit Houthi Missile That Threatened American Planes
American forces destroyed a missile belonging to Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Wednesday that posed an "imminent threat" to US aircraft, the military said.
Mediators Work For Halt To Deadly Fighting In Gaza
Mediators pushed on with efforts for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire as fighting raged on in the besieged Gaza Strip on Thursday, deepening a dire humanitarian crisis.
EU Leaders Heap Pressure On Orban In Ukraine Aid Showdown
EU leaders on Thursday piled pressure on Viktor Orban to drop his veto on 50 billion euros in aid for Ukraine, as the unpredictable Hungarian leader once more took center stage at a crunch summit in Brussels.
IMF Authorizes $4.7 Bn For Argentina After Milei's 'Bold' Reforms
The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday approved a fresh $4.7 billion for Argentina, praising the new administration of President Javier Milei as he enacts "bold" cost-cutting to bring the country's ailing economy back on track.
Creeping War Threatens Sudan's Eastern Border
Sudan's nine-month-old war has so far largely spared the country's east.
Hong Kong Convicts Four Over 2019 Legislature Storming
Four Hong Kong men were convicted of rioting Thursday over the storming and ransacking of the city's legislature in 2019, part of a pro-democracy movement that posed an unprecedented challenge to the Beijing-backed government.
Hamas Head Due In Cairo For Truce Talks
Hamas was reviewing a proposal for a six-week truce in its war with Israel, a source told AFP, after mediators gathered in Paris, with international efforts towards a new pause in the devastating war gathering pace.
Cuba Delays 500% Fuel Price Hike Over 'Cybersecurity' Incident
Cuba's government on Wednesday delayed a planned 500 percent surge in the fuel price after a "cybersecurity incident," an economy ministry official said.
Biden Says He's Decided Response To Jordan Attack
Facing growing pressure in a US election year, Biden said he held Iran responsible for supplying the weapons to the people who carried out the deadly attack on a military base.
Thai Court Orders End To Royal Insult Law Reform Campaign
MFP upended Thailand's political order by coming first in the general election last May, but its promises to reform the military, business monopolies and lese-majeste laws were opposed by the kingdom's powerful conservative elite.
US Fed Rate Decision Could Hold Clues On Timing Of Future Cuts
Following a post-pandemic surge in inflation, the Fed rapidly hiked interest rates in a bid to bring the price-increase measurement back down towards its goal of two percent -- with surprising success.
US Could Jail Foreign Officials Under New Bribery Law
The law broadens the enforcement profile of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which has long been used to punish companies that pay bribes and their shadowy agents.
The $12.5 Billion Fraud That Has Shocked Vietnam
Now, property tycoon Truong My Lan is facing a trial in the country's biggest ever fraud case, accused of embezzling $12.5 billion by investigators after being arrested in a national corruption crackdown analysts say has hit the economy and unsettled foreign investors.
UN Warns Gaza Faces Humanitarian 'Collapse' As Battles Rage
The focus of the fighting in recent weeks has been Khan Yunis, the southern Gaza Strip's main city, where an AFP correspondent reported constant air strikes and shelling overnight.
Pakistan Ex-PM Imran Khan And Wife Get 14 Years Jail In Graft Case
Khan and his wife were found guilty of graft in a case involving gifts he received while premier, after he was Tuesday handed 10 years in a case related to leaking state secrets.
Nearly Eight Million Displaced By Sudan War: UN
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, who is on a visit to Ethiopia, called for "urgent and additional support to meet their needs", his agency said in a statement disclosing the numbers.
China Quietly Expanding Influence In Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
While Beijing has played down the formality of these growing links, it is steadily increasing investment and exposure -- a relationship that could benefit both parties, analysts and diplomats say.
