20-02-2024 JERUSALEM/ RAFAH: Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz has warned that unless Hamas frees all hostages held in Gaza by 10 March an offensive will be launched in Rafah. It is the first time Israel has said when its troops might enter Gaza’s overcrowded southern city. Global opposition is …

20-02-2024 PORT MORESBY: At least 53 people have died in an ambush in Papua New Guinea’s remote Highlands region. The victims were shot dead during a tribal dispute in the Enga Province over the weekend, a national police spokesman told media. Authorities have appealed for calm, and say they expect …

19-02-2024 TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for an early election as thousands of protesters take to the streets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, demanding he step down. Netanyahu has seen his popularity plummet in opinion polls since the October 7 attack that sparked the devastating …

19-02-2024 BAGHDAD: A visit by the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force to Baghdad has led to a pause in attacks on US troops by Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, multiple Iranian and Iraqi sources told media. Here’s a look at Iraq’s most influential Shi’ite parties and armed groups, who remain …

19-02-2024 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI: Butter chicken has long been a national and global crowd-pleaser. Golden, succulent pieces of chicken cooked in a bright, tangy and silky tomato and cream sauce, the dish is often served with naan or steaming white rice. Now, the decadent dish is at …

19-02-2024 DOHA: Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani says his country’s mediation efforts will continue despite an agreement between Israel and Hamas appearing unlikely at the moment as Israel prepares to mount an invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza. The talks, which involved officials from the United …

19-02-2024 BEIJING: China’s coast guard said on Sunday it will strengthen its law enforcement activities and carry out regular patrols around a small group of Taiwanese-controlled islands off the Chinese coast as tensions rise over the deaths of two Chinese nationals. Taiwan on Thursday defended the actions of its coast …

19-02-2024 JERUSALEM: Israel has sent negotiators for truce talks in Cairo as requested by U.S. President Joe Biden but they did not go back for further talks because Hamas’ demands were “delusional,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday. Netanyahu also said Israel would not give in to “international dictates” …

19-02-2024 MADRID: Voters went to the polls in Spain’s northwest region of Galicia on Sunday in a close-run race where polls have suggested the opposition conservative People’s Party (PP) could lose an absolute majority that it has held for 15 years. The PP have ruled the region for all but …

19-02-2024 BAGHDAD: A visit by the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force to Baghdad has led to a pause in attacks on US troops by Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, multiple Iranian and Iraqi sources told media, saying it was a sign Tehran wants to prevent a broader conflict. Esmail Qaani …