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03-01-2024 BAGHDAD: An Australian man whose family argue he is being “held hostage” in Iraq has now spent 1,000 days in prison. Robert Pether was jailed in 2021 on fraud charges, but the UN has described it as an arbitrary detention. After three Christmases behind bars, his family says Pether …

02-01-2024 TOKYO: Eight people have been killed in a powerful earthquake in Japan which caused homes to collapse and triggered tsunami warnings. Thousands of people living in coastal areas have spent the night in evacuation centres after being told to head to higher ground. There are no longer any tsunami …

02-01-2024 RAFAH: As they turn from a year that could barely have brought more bitter hardship after 12 weeks of a pulverising Israeli assault, people in Gaza have little hope that 2024 will bring much relief. In Rafah on Gaza’s border with Egypt, which has become the biggest focal point …

02-01-2024 WASHINGTON: Artificial intelligence represents a mixed blessing for the legal field, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said in a year-end report published on Sunday, urging “caution and humility” as the evolving technology transforms how judges and lawyers go about their work. Roberts struck an ambivalent tone in …

02-01-2024 LONDON: British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Sunday he had made clear in a call with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian that Iran shared responsibility for preventing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. “I made clear that Iran shares responsibility for preventing these attacks, given their long-standing support …

02-01-2024 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI/ AYODHYA: Less than a month before a grand Hindu temple opens, India’s northern town of Ayodhya is buzzing with activity as finishing touches are put on a project seen as the centrepiece of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s re-election campaign. Once a sleepy temple …

02-01-2024 UNITED NATIONS/ BAMAKO: The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA, is poised to complete its withdrawal from the country on Sunday, the United Nations said in a statement. Security experts warn the area could now become the focus of a struggle in the north as rebel groups and the …

02-01-2024 COPENHAGEN/ DUBAI/ CAIRO: US helicopters repelled an attack by Iran-backed Houthi militants on a Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) container vessel in the Red Sea, sinking three ships and killing 10 militants, according to accounts by American, Maersk, and Houthi officials on Sunday. The naval battle occurred around 0330 GMT on Sunday …

02-01-2024 PYONGYANG/ SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told the country’s military commanders the most powerful means must be mobilized to destroy the United States and South Korea if they choose military confrontation, state media reported on Monday. Kim said the danger of an armed confrontation on the Korean …

01-01-2024 AUCKLAND: New Zealanders were among the first in the world to celebrate the arrival of 2024 with a fireworks display in Auckland on Monday. The fireworks illuminated the cloudy night sky and were accompanied by a laser light and animation show. Here’s how some other places and people around …