01-09-2020 GAZA CITY/ JERUSALEM: Israel and Hamas have reached a deal to put an end to more than three weeks of cross-border attacks, a statement issued on Monday said. In the latest escalation, Israel has bombed Gaza almost daily since August 6 in response to airborne incendiary devices and, less …

01-09-2020 SHANGHAI/ NEW DELHI: In light with a fresh border flare-up between the two nuclear-armed countries, state-backed newspaper Global Times on Tuesday said that China is capable of making India suffer much more severe military losses than in the past if it wants to engage in competition. Indian forces foiled an attempt by Chinese …

01-09-2020 TEHRAN/ DUBAI/ JERUSALEM: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has betrayed the Islamic world and the Palestinians by reaching a deal toward normalizing ties with Israel, Iran’s top authority Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a speech on Tuesday. “Of course, the UAE’s betrayal will not last long, but this …

31-08-2020 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI/ MUMBAI/ BANGALORE/ HYDERABAD: India’s economy shrank by 23.9 percent between April and June, the worst contraction on record since New Delhi started publishing quarterly statistics, government data showed on Monday. The steep dip in Asia’s third-largest economy in the …

31-08-200 RIYADH/ SANA’A/ WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has sacked two royals over corruption allegations and referred them to the anti-graft watchdog for an investigation, according to state media. In a royal decree issued early on Tuesday, King Salman removed Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as commander of …

31-08-2020 By Syed Jaffer Abbas Jafri (SJA Jafri) MELBOURNE/ HYDERABAD DECCAN (TALANGANA STATE OF INDIA): Several First Information Reports (FIRs) and other cases have been registered against Syed Najaf Ali Shoukat, the President of Markazi Anjuman Matami Grouhan and the world most reputed and famous senior Indian journalist in continuation …

31-08-2020 DUBAI/ RIYADH/ JERUSALEM/ WASHINGTON: High-level delegations flew from Israel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the first-ever commercial flight between the Middle Eastern nations to put final touches on a controversial pact establishing open relations. Top aides to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu …

31-08-2020 By SJA Jafri + Agencies NEW DELHI/ BEIJING/ ISLAMABAD: China has carried out “provocative military movements” in the Himalayan border area disputed between the two countries overnight from Saturday to Sunday, according to an Indian army statement, in a fresh flare-up between the two nuclear-armed countries. Indian troops pre-empted Chinese army’s …

31-08-2020 MONTREAL/ OTTAWA: A statue of Canada’s first Prime Minister (PM) Sir John Macdonald was toppled in downtown Montreal by protesters marching in support of defunding the police, government officials have said. The incident occurred at the end of a peaceful march on Saturday when a group of people climbed …

31-08-2020 BEIRUT: An influential group of former Lebanese prime ministers has picked little-known diplomat Mustapha Adib to head the country’s next government, all but ensuring his appointment at a nomination process on Monday. Fouad Siniora, speaking on behalf of the group which met on Sunday, said Adib should rapidly form …