26-01-2025 TIJUANA, MEXICO: Naser Zazai, 29, had planned to reunite with his mother and brother in the United States this week after fleeing Afghanistan, where he says he was threatened and attacked because his brother had once worked for the US military. Instead, he is now stranded in Mexico after …

26-01-2025 JAKARTA/ NEW DELHI: Indonesia and India signed a wide range of agreements on Saturday covering culture, health, maritime, security and digital sectors. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of India’s Republic Day celebrations on Sunday. President Prabowo said …

26-01-2025 JERUSALEM/ CAIRO/ GAZA: Hamas freed four female Israeli soldiers on Saturday in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, the second swap under theGazatruce, although Israel halted families from returning to bombed-out north Gaza over a delay in another hostage’s release. The four freed Israelis were led onto a podium in …

26-01-2025 MANILA/ BEIJING: The Philippines says it has suspended a scientific survey in the South China Sea after its fisheries vessels faced “dangerous harassment” and aggressive behavior from China’s coastguard and navy. The Philippine Coast Guard said on Saturday that three Chinese coastguard vessels and four smaller boats made “aggressive …

26-01-2025 SANA’A: The Houthis in Yemen have unilaterally released 153 prisoners of war to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the non-governmental organization and the rebel group confirmed. The “conflict-related detainees” were released in the capital, Sanaa on Saturday, and had received regular visits by the ICRC as …

26-01-2025 WASHINGTON: The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has ordered a halt to virtually all foreign aid, but made an exception for funding to Israel and Egypt, according to an internal memo to staff at the US state department. “No new funds shall be obligated for new awards or …

25-01-2025 NEW DELHI/ BEIJING: Gegong Jijong lined up with hundreds of other protesters on a cold afternoon last month near the Siang River in India’s northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, shouting antigovernment slogans. “No dam over Ane Siang [Mother Siang],” the protesters in Parong village demanded. The Siang River, cutting …

25-01-2025 SYDNEY: A statue in Sydney of British explorer James Cook, captain of the first Western ship to reach the east coast of Australia, was sprayed with red paint and damaged two days before Australia’s national day, authorities said on Friday. It was the second time the statue has been …

25-01-2025 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party has decided to walk out of talks with the government aimed at defusing tensions that have dominated the country’s political landscape for the past three years, prompting fears of new street confrontations between the …

25-01-2025 GAZA STRIP: Hamas is expected to hand over to Israel the names of four hostages to be released on Saturday under the Gaza ceasefire deal. It is thought they will be soldiers and civilians, all female. They will be freed in exchange for 180 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. …