24-05-2024 UNITED NATIONS/ PORT-AU-PRINCE: Haiti’s health system is “on the verge of collapse”, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, has warned, saying six out of 10 hospitals in the country are barely operational. “The combination of violence, mass displacement, dangerous epidemics, and increasing malnutrition has bent Haiti’s health system,” said Bruno …

24-05-2024 BEIJING: A Chinese blogger jailed for four years for her reporting on the first COVID outbreak in Wuhan has been released from prison, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has confirmed. The media watchdog shared a video of Ms Zhang saying she had been released on schedule, thanking everyone for their …

23-05-2024 DUBLIN/ OSLO/ MADRID: Ireland, Norway, and Spain have announced they will recognize a Palestinian state from 28 May. Spain says the decision is “not against Israel” and “is not in favor of Hamas… it is in favor of peace.” Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz summons the three countries’ ambassadors, …

23-05-2024 TAIPEI: Thousands of people thronged the streets around Taiwan’s parliament on Tuesday, protesting against measures to give lawmakers more oversight over the government, pushed by opposition parties over the ruling party’s objections. The protests outside parliament, and a raucous session inside, demonstrated the febrile political atmosphere facing new president …

23-05-2024 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI: Traders in India’s stock markets are turning to illegal election betting platforms for clues to combat the uncertainty facing citizens and markets alike regarding the outcome of a long general election. Weeks before vote counting set for June 4, stock markets are closely …

23-05-2024 JERUSALEM/ THE HAGUE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has angrily condemned the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor for seeking arrest warrants for him alongside Hamas’s leaders over alleged war crimes in the Gaza conflict. Netanyahu said he rejected with disgust that “democratic Israel” had been compared with what he called …

23-05-2024 SINGAPORE: Oil prices fell for a third straight session on Wednesday on expectations the Federal Reserve could keep US interest rates higher for longer due to sustained inflation, potentially impacting fuel use in the world’s largest oil consumer. Brent crude futures were down 43 cents, or 0.5%, to $82.45 …

23-05-2024 JERUSALEM/ GAZA: Israel has returned broadcasting equipment belonging to the Associated Press (AP), hours after seizing it in southern Israel and shutting down the US news agency’s live feed in Gaza. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi reversed the decision, which has led to mounting international pressure. The White House expressed …

23-05-2024 WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has suggested he will work with lawmakers on potential sanctions against the International Criminal Court as its prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials. Blinken told a congressional hearing he was “committed” to taking action against the “profoundly wrong-headed decision”. His …

23-05-2024 MOSCOW: A former Russian army commander who raised concerns about the country’s high military casualties in Ukraine has been detained on suspicion of large-scale fraud. Maj Gen Ivan Popov, 49, will be held in custody for two months, Russian state-run media reported. His attorney was quoted by Tass news …