The top UN court is holding hearings on the Israeli military’s incursion into Rafah
The Hague: The United Nations’ top court opens two days of hearings on Thursday into a request from South Africa to make sure Israel halts its military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population has sought shelter. It is the fourth time South Africa has asked the […]
France imposes emergency in Pacific territory of New Caledonia as violent unrest turns deadly
Paris: France imposed an emergency Wednesday in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia for at least 12 days, boosting security forces’ powers to quell deadly unrest in the archipelago where indigenous people have long sought independence. Armed clashes and other violence that erupted Monday following protests over voting reforms have left four people dead, […]
Palestinians across the Middle East mark their original ‘catastrophe’ with eyes on the war in Gaza
Jerusalem: Palestinians across the Middle East on Wednesday are marking the anniversary of their mass expulsion from what is now Israel with protests and other events across the region at a time of mounting concern over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The Nakba, Arabic for “catastrophe,” refers to the 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were […]
Blinken announces USD 2B arms package arms deal for Ukraine; mostly from package approved earlier
Kyiv: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced a USD 2 billion arms package arms deal for Ukraine — most of the money coming from a package approved last month. The announcement came Wednesday as Blinken was in Kyiv to reassure Ukraine of the US support as it attempts to fight off a new […]
Massive manhunt in France for prison-break gang that gunned down officers
Paris: A massive manhunt was underway in France on Wednesday for an armed gang that killed two prison officers and seriously injured three others to spring an inmate they were escorting. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said “unprecedented” efforts were deployed, with hundreds of officers mobilized in the search for the escaped convict, Mohamed Amra, […]
Palestinians mark 76 years of dispossession as a potentially even larger catastrophe unfolds in Gaza
Jerusalem: Palestinians on Wednesday will mark the 76th year of their mass expulsion from what is now Israel, an event that is at the core of their national struggle. But in many ways, that experience pales in comparison to the calamity now unfolding in Gaza. Palestinians refer to it as the “Nakba,” Arabic for “catastrophe.” […]
India supports Palestine’s membership at UN; says only two-State solution will deliver enduring peace
United Nations: India has underscored its support for Palestine’s full membership at the UN while asserting that only a two-State solution, achieved through direct and meaningful negotiations, will deliver an enduring peace in the volatile region. India voted in favour of a draft UN General Assembly resolution last week that said Palestine is qualified and […]
Misery deepens in Gaza’s Rafah as Israeli troops press operation
Rafah: Aid workers are struggling to distribute dwindling food and other supplies to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by what Israel says is a limited operation in Rafah, as the two main crossings near the southern Gaza city remain closed. The United Nations’ agency for Palestinian refugees said 360,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah over […]
More bodies found in Indonesia after flash floods killed dozens and submerged homes
Padang: Rescuers recovered more bodies Monday after monsoon rains triggered flash floods on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, bringing down torrents of cold lava and mud, leaving 43 people dead and another 15 missing. The heavy rains, along with a landslide of mud and cold lava from Mount Marapi, caused a river to breach its banks. The […]
As Israel pushes deeper into Rafah, Hamas regroups elsewhere in ungoverned Gaza
Rafah: Israeli forces were battling Palestinian militants across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it had cleared months ago, where Hamas has exploited a security vacuum to regroup. Israel has portrayed the southern Gaza city of Rafah as Hamas’ last stronghold, saying it must invade […]
