20-12-2024 BEIJING: China and India took a further step towards easing their long-running border dispute on Wednesday, with senior officials holding formal talks for the first time in five years and committing to finding mutually acceptable solutions. The meeting in Beijing between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and India’s National …

20-12-2024 WASHINGTON: The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear TikTok’s bid to block a law that would ban or compel the sale of the video platform over its links to China. The top justices signaled on Wednesday that they are willing to reconsider a decision by a lower …

20-12-2024 BRUSSELS: On October 7, as Israel began its latest war on Gaza following Hamas’s incursion into southern Israel, the European Union’s position was immediately clear. “Israel has a right to defend itself today and in the days to come,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on X, …

20-12-2024 PORT LOUIS: A historic deal for the United Kingdom to hand over control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has been put into question after the African island country’s new prime minister issued “counterproposal’s”. The British government still plans to hand over control of the chain of 60-some islands …

20-12-2024 GAZA STRIP: Israeli forces continue to pound Gaza, killing at least 14 Palestinians in the besieged north, including children and a doctor at al-Ahli Arab Hospital. The United Nations says Israel has again denied its requests to get aid to starving people in Beit Hanoon, Beit Lahiya and Jabalia, …

20-12-2024 MADRID: Spain’s state-owned shipbuilder is expected to confirm on Thursday that it is buying Harland and Wolff, the Belfast shipyard best known for Titanic. Navantia has been in exclusive negotiations since October after Harland and Wolff’s holding company fell into administration. The deal is also expected to include Harland …

20-12-2024 PARIS: France’s highest court has upheld a corruption conviction against former President Nicolas Sarkozy, brushing aside his appeal. Wednesday’s ruling by the Cour de Cassation means that Sarkozy who was in power from 2007 to 2012 must now wear an electronic monitoring bracelet for a year. Sarkozy, 69, reacted …

19-12-2024 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI/ MUMBAI: The Indian rupee hit its all-time low on Wednesday, pressured by strong dollar demand from importers and likely outflows from local equities, while intervention by the Reserve Bank of India curbed losses, traders said. The rupee fell to 84.9550 against the US …

19-12-2024 GAZA STRIP: Israel is keeping up its attacks across the Gaza Strip, including against Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza resulting in its Intensive Care Unit (ICU) being out of service. In central and southern Gaza, tents in what were supposed to be safe zones came under fire that …

19-12-2024 TOKYO: Honda and Nissan are understood to have held exploratory talks about a potential merger to help them compete against electric vehicle (EV) makers, particularly in China. In March, the two Japanese car makers agreed to explore a strategic partnership for EVs. The firms responded to the media with …