International

22-12-2023 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI/ IMPHAL/ GUWAHATI: More than 80 people killed in ethnic clashes in India’s northeastern Manipur state over the past seven months were laid to rest on Wednesday, officials said, as sporadic violence continued in the region. At least 180 people have died since fierce …

22-12-2023 CAIRO/ GAZA/ JERUSALEM: The U.S. said “very serious” negotiations were taking place on a new Gaza ceasefire and release of more Israeli hostages, but prospects for a deal remained uncertain as Hamas insisted it would not discuss anything less than a complete end to Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian …

22-12-2023 LUANDA: An Angolan billionaire who has been described as Africa’s richest woman has lost a High Court battle to stop her assets being frozen. Isabel Dos Santos, the daughter of a former president, is being sued by telecoms firm Unitel. The Angolan company is seeking damages of $733m (£580m) …

22-12-2023 PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron has defended a controversial immigration reform, describing it as a “shield”. He said the tougher legislation – passed by MPs on Monday was needed to cut an influx of illegal migrants. It makes it more difficult for migrants to bring family members to France …

22-12-2023 DENVER, COLORADO: One of the court challenges to Donald Trump’s eligibility to run for president in 2024 has finally struck gold. The Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling to disqualify the former president from the Republican Party’s upcoming primary ballot is yet another unprecedented moment in US politics. It’s a decision …

22-12-2023 GAZA CITY: The Hamas-run Gaza government says 20,000 people have been killed there since Israel launched its military campaign against the militants. Israel took action after Hamas broke through the heavily guarded Gaza perimeter on 7 October, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages, some of whom have been …

21-12-2023 NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has for the first time responded to allegations of a Sikh leader’s assassination plot on US soil, saying he will look into “any evidence” in this regard. In an exclusive interview with Financial Times, Indian PM Modi sought to play down the …

21-12-2023 PARIS: A key immigration reform is hanging in the balance in France, despite being approved by both houses of parliament. The bill cleared the Senate and the National Assembly after far-right leader Marine Le Pen said her National Rally (RN) would vote for it. A previous draft was rejected …

21-12-2023 Bureau Report + Agencies QUEENSLAND: Major flooding in northern Australia has begun to ease but many towns remain isolated in crocodile-infested waters as supplies dwindle. Extreme weather driven by ex-tropical cyclone Jasper has dumped a year’s worth of rain on parts of Queensland. Some rivers have swollen to record …

21-12-2023 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI: In November 2016 India abruptly scrapped two banknotes constituting 86% of all currency in circulation, in a move aimed at combating corruption and curbing undeclared wealth. Demonetization as the currency ban was popularly called – sparked scenes of chaos outside banks and cash …