13-02-2024 LONDON/ LUALA LUMPUR: UK journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown has accused Malaysia of seeking “political revenge” for her reporting after a court jailed her in absentia. The 64-year-old is appealing a surprise conviction for criminal defamation of a Malaysian royal handed down this week. A local magistrates’ court sentenced her …

13-02-2024 BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s first female saint was canonized on Sunday, in an event which brought Pope Francis and the country’s president face-to-face for the first time. President Javier Milei, a libertarian, had previously said the Pope was an “imbecile” who “promotes communism”. He has since toned down his criticism …

13-02-2024 WASHINGTON: Donald Trump’s suggestion the US would not protect North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies failing to spend enough on defence “undermines all of our security”, the Western military alliance’s chief has said. Jens Stoltenberg also suggested it put US and European troops at greater risk. The Republican said …

12-02-2024 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies Papua New Guinea’s prime minister has hailed ties with “big brother” Australia in a historic and closely watched speech in Canberra. James Marape’s address to Australia’s parliament – the first by a Pacific Island leader comes as Australia and China race …

12-02-2024 GAZA CITY/ JERUSALEM: Videos of Gazan detainees stripped, bound and blindfolded that were filmed and uploaded online by Israeli soldiers could breach international law, legal experts say. International law says detainees must not be exposed to unnecessary humiliation or public curiosity. Media looked at hundreds of videos openly shared …

12-02-2024 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report + Agencies ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE/ KARACHI: Pakistan’s powerful army chief has urged the country to leave “anarchy and polarization” behind as two ex-prime ministers declared victory in an election that has defied expectations. With most results in, independent candidates linked to jailed former PM …

12-02-2024 DAKAR: Violent protests in Senegal against the postponement of presidential elections have spread across the country, with the first fatality reported. A student died in clashes with police on Friday in the northern city of Saint-Louis, an opposition leader and a local hospital source said. In the capital Dakar, …

12-02-2024 WASHINGTON/ RAFAH/ GAZA CITY: The US has warned Israel that staging a military offensive into Gaza’s southern city of Rafah without proper planning would be a “disaster”. Some 1.5 million Palestinians are surviving in the city bordering Egypt in dire humanitarian conditions. The White House said it would not …

12-02-2024 JERUSALEM/ GAZA CITY: I’d rather be writing this story in the Gaza Strip, not Jerusalem. After many years of covering wars, since El Salvador in 1989, I’m convinced that nothing beats first-hand reporting. Unfortunately, in this terrible war, international journalists can’t do that. Israel and Egypt, the two countries …

12-02-2024 BUDAPEST: The president of Hungary has resigned live on television over a decision to pardon a man convicted of covering up a child sexual abuse case. It was revealed last week President Novak had given clemency to a man jailed for forcing children to retract sexual abuse claims against …