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20-12-2023 LONDON: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday too many civilian lives had been lost in the Israel-Hamas conflict and he repeated his call for a “sustainable ceasefire” to allow the release of hostages. Sunak’s spokesman said a sustainable ceasefire was one that could last but he added …

20-12-2023 TEHRAN: Iran’s Oil Minister Javad Owji on Monday confirmed that a nationwide disruption to petrol stations was caused by a cyberattack. A hacking group that Iran accuses of having links to Israel claimed it carried out the attack which disrupted services at petrol stations across the country on Monday, …

20-12-2023 VATICAN CITY: The Vatican said on Monday in a landmark ruling approved by Pope Francis that Roman Catholic priests can administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies. A document from the Vatican’s doctrinal office said such blessings would …

20-12-2023 HOUSTON: Texas Governor Greg Abbott traveled to the Rio Grande Valley on Monday to sign into law three bills that pour more money into his three-year effort to deter illegal immigration at the Texas-Mexico border and give Texas law enforcement authority to arrest undocumented immigrants anywhere in the state. …

19-12-2023 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI: At least 79 opposition lawmakers were suspended from the Indian parliament on Monday for disrupting proceedings as they demanded a government statement and a discussion on the security breach of the chambers last week. The suspensions followed similar taken action against 14 lawmakers …

19-12-2023 DUBAI/ SANA’A/ DAMASCUS: Oil giant BP has announced it is pausing all shipments of oil through the Red Sea after recent attacks on vessels by Houthi rebels. BP blamed the “deteriorating security situation” in the region as Houthis target ships they believe are bound for Israel. Many freight firms …

19-12-2023 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report KARACHI/ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, whose party isn’t allowed to hold public rallies, used an audio clip generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) late Sunday to address a virtual rally in the first event of its kind in the country. …

19-12-2023 JERUSALEM/ GAZA CITY: In October, shortly after the start of the Israeli war on Gaza that has now killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, Israel pledged to wipe Hamas “off the face of the earth”, a project that would require Israel’s military “to flatten the ground” in Gaza, as an Israeli …

19-12-2023 MOSCOW: The Russian president has dismissed the United States’s claims that Moscow could attack a NATO country in the future as “complete nonsense”, saying such a conflict would run counter to his country’s interests. Vladimir Putin made the statement in an interview with Russian state TV on Sunday, weeks …

19-12-2023 CONAKRY: At least eight people were killed and 84 injured following a blast at an oil terminal in Guinea’s capital Conakry early on Monday, a senior police officer told Reuters. The officer said the toll was provisional, adding that the blaze was being contained. The blast at the West …