International

23-11-2023 GAZA CITY: Hamas chief says truce deal is “approaching”; reports suggest possible three- to five-day pause in fighting. Hundreds of Palestinians trapped inside Indonesian Hospital which is surrounded by Israeli tanks. An earlier Israeli attack at the hospital killed at least 12 people. Israeli air attacks on Gaza continued …

22-11-2023 Bureau Report + Agencies MELBOURNE: The Chief Executive of Australian telecom giant Optus has resigned after a nationwide outage this month. Ms Kelly Bayer Rosmarin has been under pressure to quit after overseeing a tumultuous three years for the firm. Along with the network failure which left almost half …

22-11-2023 BRASILIA: The Pantanal wetlands in western Brazil, famed as a paradise of biodiversity have enormous clouds of smoke billowing over them since the beginning of November as raging wildfires are reducing vast expanses to scorched earth. Known for its lush landscapes and vibrant wildlife, including jaguars, caimans, macaws and …

22-11-2023 TOKYO/ DAMASCUS/ DUBAI: Japan says it is “directly approaching” the Houthi rebels who have hijacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea. Tokyo said on Monday that it is also “communicating with Israel” as it seeks to secure the release of the Galaxy Leader. The ship is owned by …

22-11-2023 BUENOS AIRES: Far-right libertarian outsider Javier Milei has won Argentina’s presidential run-off poll, according to provisional results. Milei’s rival, economy minister Sergio Massa, called him to concede. Former US President Donald Trump congratulated Milei on his victory, saying he would “Make Argentina Great Again!” The election comes at a …

22-11-2023 DAMASCUS/ TEHRAN/ DUBAI: Yemen’s Houthis say they have taken control of a cargo ship in the southern Red Sea as the war in Gaza sends tensions soaring in the region. The Houthis, who control northern Yemen and its Red Sea coast, said the ship was Israeli, but Israel described …

22-11-2023 JERUSALEM/ GAZA CITY: The Israeli military has released footage which it says shows hostages being taken into Gaza’s largest hospital after the deadly Hamas attacks of 7 October. A military spokesman said one of them, a soldier was murdered there. Cpl Noa Marciano, 19, was killed after being taken …

22-11-2023 RIYADH: AlUla’s rise as a tourist destination has been boosted with national flag carrier Saudia increasing its connectivity to the ancient city from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to eight flights a week. Saudia Vice President of Passenger Sales Manal Al-Shehri and RCU Vice President of the Marketing and Management …

21-11-2023 BANJUL: It’s the happy memories of his toddler son playing around their home in The Gambia’s capital that are most painful for Ebrima Sagnia to remember. When he tries to speak, Sagnia pauses mid-sentence, muted by grief. In September last year, Sagnia watched Lamin writhe in pain on a …

21-11-2023 LONDON: A recent inquiry into Britain’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a concerning quote from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, according to the Times of India. According to Patrick Vallance, the former chief scientific adviser to the government, then-finance minister Sunak during a meeting with then-prime minister Boris …