19-05-2024 MOSCOW/ BEIJING: Vladimir Putin’s state visit to China this week was a show of strength. It was a chance for the Russian president to prove to the world that he has a powerful ally in his corner. The Russian leader is widely regarded as a pariah after ordering the …

19-05-2024 SAN FRANCISCO: The man who attacked the husband of former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. David DePape was convicted of assault and attempted kidnapping of a federal official in November after a week-long trial in San Francisco. The attack …

18-05-2024 JERUSALEM: Israeli forces have recovered the bodies of three hostages from Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say. The bodies were those of Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, and Itzhak Gelerenter, it said. The IDF said they had been murdered on 7 October and their remains taken back to Gaza. …

18-05-2024 SYDNEY/ PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron’s ambitions to deepen French influence in the Pacific, where China is expanding its security ties, could be put at risk by the heavy-handed response to civil unrest in New Caledonia, Pacific analysts and officials said. Deadly riots erupted this week among indigenous Kanak, …

18-05-2024 JERUSALEM: Israel’s soldiers are sharing footage of Palestinian detentions in the occupied West Bank, despite the army’s pledge to act on previous misconduct revealed by media. Legal experts say the filming and it’s posting online, could be a war crime. The media has analyzed 45 photos and videos, which …

18-05-2024 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI: Firebrand Indian politician Arvind Kejriwal has hit the ground running since his surprise release from detention in the midst of a contentious general election, energizing the opposition as it challenges Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Supreme Court gave 55-year-old Kejriwal, who is also …

18-05-2024 CAIRO: Scientists believe they may have solved the mystery of how 31 pyramids, including the world-famous Giza complex, were built in Egypt more than 4,000 years ago. A research team from the University of North Carolina Wilmington has discovered that the pyramids are likely to have been built along …

18-05-2024 CANBERRA: On a stark yellow wall inside a Canberra art gallery, hang 21 colorful paintings, a satirical series depicting some of the most influential people who have shaped Australia. There’s a wonky looking King Charles, a canvas capturing Cathy Freeman’s famous Sydney 2000 Olympics victory, an image of former …

18-05-2024 BEIJING/ HONG KONG: China announced “historic” steps on Friday to stabilize its crisis-hit property sector, with the central bank facilitating 1 trillion yuan ($138 billion) in extra funding and easing mortgage rules, and local governments set to buy “some” apartments. Investors hoped the measures marked the beginning of more …

18-05-2024 THE HAGUE/ JERUSALEM: Israel has accused South Africa of distorting reality in its attempt to get the UN’s top court to force it to stop its military campaign in the town of Rafah in southern Gaza. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) began two days of hearings on Thursday, …