Australia

UN convenes meeting on Guyana’s request over Venezuelan oil claim

09 Dec 2023 09:34 AM IST

The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency closed meeting Friday at the request of Guyana following Venezuela’s weekend referendum claiming the vast oil- and mineral-rich Essequibo region that makes up a large part of its neighbour. In a letter to the council president, Guyana’s foreign minister, Hugh Hilton Todd, accused

Rocket attack targets US embassy in Baghdad, no reported casualties

09 Dec 2023 09:33 AM IST

A rocket attack at the sprawling US Embassy in Baghdad on Friday morning caused minor material damage but no casualties, US and Iraqi officials said. The attack is the first to be confirmed since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on the US Embassy, in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone,

Palestinians in southern Gaza endure bloodshed, fear, hunger, desperation

09 Dec 2023 09:32 AM IST

The roads are so ravaged that the dead and wounded arrive by donkey cart. Desperate relatives rush bloodied and dust-covered people, many of them children, to the hospital. Naseem Hassan, a 48-year-old Palestinian medic in the Gaza Strip’s southern town of Khan Younis, said it had become impossible to walk

Israeli minister’s son among two soldiers killed in Gaza

09 Dec 2023 09:25 AM IST

Master Sgt (res.) Gal Meir Eisenkot, the son of Israeli Minister Gadi Eisenkot, and Sgt Major (res.) Jonathan David Deitch of the 55 Brigade’s 6623 Reconnaissance Battalion have been killed in the Gaza Strip, the Times of Israel reported quoting the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The IDF informed that Eisenkot

Ex-PM Imran Khan moves HC challenging general election disqualification

09 Dec 2023 09:24 AM IST

Jailed former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has challenged his five-year disqualification ahead of the upcoming general elections. Khan, 71, has been incarcerated since 5 August, following his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader on 21 October

Joe Biden emphasises need to protect civilians in talks with Benjamin Netanyahu

09 Dec 2023 09:24 AM IST

US President Joe Biden on Thursday (local time) held talks with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, emphasising the “critical need” to protect civilians and to separate them from Hamas terrorists, including through corridors. The two leaders discussed developments in Gaza, with Biden stressing the importance of the “continuous and sustained

Elon Musk urges Bob Iger’s removal after Disney’s X ad pull

09 Dec 2023 09:23 AM IST

Elon Musk is demanding the firing of Disney CEO Bob Iger in response to Disney’s decision to pull advertisements from his troubled social media platform, X, CNN reported. On Thursday, Musk, the owner of X and a billionaire conspiracy theorist, took to social media, where he frequently voices his opinions,

British Defence Secretary pays first visit to Israel in 27 years

09 Dec 2023 09:21 AM IST

Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant met with the visiting British Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps on Thursday night at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters in Tel Aviv. Shapps took part in the lighting of the first candle for the first night of Chanukah with Minister Gallant. This

Texas judge permits court-ordered abortion to pregnant woman

09 Dec 2023 09:21 AM IST

A Texas judge has ruled that a pregnant woman who took legal action against the state to secure an abortion can indeed proceed with terminating her pregnancy, CNN reported. The decision, issued on Thursday (local time), stands out as a crucial development in the ongoing discourse surrounding the state’s stringent

IDF hits 450 terror targets

09 Dec 2023 09:20 AM IST

The fighting in the Gaza Strip continues as the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) reported that about 450 targets were attacked in the last day. The Israel Air Force, it said, eliminated many terrorists in Khan Yunis and Israeli naval forces attacked and destroyed terrorist infrastructures of the terrorist organisation Hamas.

US President Biden informs Israeli PM Netanyahu, Hamas to blame for ceasefire ending

08 Dec 2023 16:35 PM IST

A conversation between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took place on Thursday night. Biden conveyed his “concern for the remaining hostages — and to note that it was Hamas’ refusal to releaze women civilian hostages that broke down the humanitarian pause.” “We will continue to

Canada Doubles Financial Responsibility for Student Visas Amidst Fraud Concerns

08 Dec 2023 10:47 AM IST

Canada’s Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, has announced a significant increase in financial criteria for international students seeking study permits. Miller has issued a stern warning, threatening to “significantly limit visas” if provinces and educational institutions do not take corrective action before the upcoming fall term, emphasizing the government’s commitment to