Monday, 20 May, 2024

International

Turkey halts trade with Israel over Gaza offensive

Turkey has suspended all trade with Israel over its offensive in Gaza, citing the "worsening humanitarian tragedy" in the strip. The Turkish trade ministry said the measures would be in place until Israel allowed an "uninterrupted and sufficient flow" of aid into

3 arrested and charged over Sikh activist's killing in Canada

Three Indian nationals have been arrested and charged over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada, which sparked a major diplomatic row between the two countries. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead last June by masked gunmen in a busy car park in a Vancouver suburb.

Gaza’s journalists win UNESCO press freedom award

Palestinian journalists covering the ongoing genocide in Gaza have been named as laureates of the 2024 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, following the recommendation of an International Jury of media professionals. In an award ceremony held in the Chilean capital,

Xi heads to Europe to defend Russia alliance

Xi Jinping heads to Europe on Sunday to defend China's "no limits" alliance with Russia, first to key Ukraine backer France, then to Serbia and Hungary, which have close ties to the Kremlin. The world's second-biggest economy is seeking to deepen political and

Pro-China leader elected as Solomon Islands PM

Solomon Isla­nds’ lawmakers elected China-friendly former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele as prime minister on Thursday, choosing him over an opposition leader intent on curbing Beijing’s reach in the Pacific nation. Manele won 31 votes in a secret ballot of 50 MPs,

Rebuilding bombed Gaza homes may take 80 years, UN says

Rebuilding homes in the Gaza Strip could drag into the next century if the pace follows the trend of previous conflicts, according to a UN report released on Thursday. Nearly seven months of Israeli bombardment have caused billions of dollars in damage, leaving many of the crowded

EU offers $1 bln in economic, security support to Lebanon

The European Union has offered Lebanon a financial package of 1 billion euros ($1.07 billion) to support its faltering economy and its security forces, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday during a visit to Beirut. Von der Leyen said the support package

Israeli settler gang in attack on Jordanian aid convoy for Gaza

A gang of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank attacked two humanitarian aid convoys on Wednesday traveling from Jordan to Gaza, the Jordanian government said. Israel earlier reopened the sole crossing on the northern edge of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, allowing aid trucks to

Colombia to cut diplomatic ties with Israel over Gaza war

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has announced plans to cut diplomatic ties with Israel over its war in the Gaza Strip, which human rights advocates and other experts have warned could amount to genocide. Speaking to a crowd marking International Workers’ Day in Bogota on

US increases pressure on Israel over Gaza aid as truce talks continue

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israeli officials to improve the facilitation of humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza amid warnings from the United Nations and aid agencies of a looming famine in parts of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. Blinken on Wednesday travelled

Death toll in southern China highway collapse rises to 36

The death toll in a highway collapse in southern China has risen to 36, as emergency teams continue efforts to recover cars from the scene. “As of 5:30am on May 2 … 36 people have died, and 30 people have been injured,” state news agency Xinhua reported, adding that

Columbia University community 'shattered' after police raid

Police and private security throng every entrance but one. Steel barriers line the streets. Students pack up belongings in their cars and leave for home - classes are cancelled, and exam plans are up in the air. Everywhere there is gloom, and uncertainty about what happens next at

Pro-China candidate wins Solomon Islands PM vote

Lawmakers in the Solomon Islands have selected a pro-China candidate as their prime minister, in an indication the Pacific nation will remain a close Beijing ally. Jeremiah Manele won the prime minister vote on Thursday, beating out his opponent in a 31-18 count. He will succeed

Hamas official insists Gaza ceasefire must be permanent

Hamas will respond to an Israeli truce proposal for Gaza “within a very short period,” an official with the Palestinian militant group said Wednesday, stressing though that any ceasefire needs to be permanent. Hamas is considering a plan for a 40-day ceasefire and the

Torrential rains shutter Saudi schools, flood roads

Saudi Arabian authorities shuttered schools in several regions on Wednesday as flash floods inundated roads, the latest instance of heavy rains disrupting life in the desert Gulf. AFPTV footage showed partially submerged cars struggling to drive through standing water in the central

Netanyahu vows to follow through with Rafah attack

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will launch an invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah regardless of truce talks with Hamas. It comes amid ongoing attempts to try to reach an agreement for a ceasefire and hostage releases. But at a meeting of hostages'

Over 100 protesters arrested from 2 New York colleges

Over 100 protesters were arrested Tuesday at Columbia University and City College of New York, according to a law enforcement official. Most of the arrests were made at Columbia, including about two dozen protesters who police say tried to prevent officers from entering the campus, the

Blinken heads to Jordan to push Gaza aid

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed Tuesday to Jordan where he will discuss ways to boost aid deliveries into Gaza and quietly thank the kingdom for its help during recent Iran-Israel clashes. Blinken flew to Amman after talks with Gulf Arab leaders in Riyadh, part of his

Activists occupy Columbia building as US campus protests flare

Demonstrators at Columbia University barricaded themselves inside a campus building early Tuesday, escalating a standoff with school officials as pro-Palestinian protests upend campuses across the United States. The occupation of Hamilton Hall at the prestigious university in New York

Indonesia’s Mount Ruang erupts again, closes international airport

Indonesia’s remote Mount Ruang volcano erupted several times again on Tuesday, the country’s volcanology agency said, forcing evacuations, the closure of a nearby international airport and the raising of the alert level to its highest. Authorities had warned the threat from