Putin vows to punish those behind Russia concert massacre
Moscow, Russia Reuters Russia said on Saturday it had arrested all four gunmen suspected of carrying out a shooting massacre in a concert hall near Moscow, and President Vladimir Putin pledged to track down and punish those behind the attack. Militant Islamist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for Friday’s rampage but there were indications that […]
Gaza ceasefire deal still possible but difficult work remains, Blinken says
Cairo, Egypt Reuters US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday he believed talks in Qatar could still reach a Gaza ceasefire agreement while Israel attacked Hamas gunmen in the enclave’s Al Shifa hospital and evacuated patients. In Cairo, Blinken met Arab foreign ministers and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as talks in Qatar […]
Netanyahu spurns Biden plea to call off Rafah assault in Gaza
Rafah, Gaza Strip/Cairo, Egypt/Jerusalem Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spurned a plea from Joe Biden to call off a planned ground assault of Rafah, the last refuge in Gaza for more than a million displaced people, where Israel believes Hamas militants are holed up. Netanyahu told lawmakers on Tuesday he had made it “supremely […]
South Korea’s Yoon warns of tech threat to democracy at summit
Seoul, South Korea Reuters South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday called fake news and disinformation based on AI and digital technology threats to democracy, as his country hosted a gathering of senior global officials including from Britain, the EU and the United States. Speaking at the opening of the Summit for Democracy, Yoon […]
North Korea fires ballistic missile as South hosts democracy conference
Seoul, South Korea Reuters North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea on Monday for the first time in two months, at a time when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Seoul to attend a conference hosted by President Yoon Suk Yeol on advancing democracy. South Korea’s military said the missile was […]
Most of Haiti transition council has been named, Blinken says
Vienna, Austria/Washington DC, US Reuters Most of the nine people who will sit on Haiti’s political transition council have been named by the groups they represent, although a couple are still pending, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced on Monday he would step down once the […]
Israel approves plan to attack Rafah but keeps truce hopes alive
Gaza Strip/Cairo, Egypt/Dubai, United Arab Emirates Reuters Israel on Friday approved a potential assault on the Gaza city of Rafah while also keeping ceasefire hopes alive with plans to send another delegation to Qatar for talks on a possible hostage deal with Islamist militant group Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had […]
Haiti’s top gang leader threatens politicians as fires break out in capital
Port-au-Prince Reuters A powerful gang leader in Haiti has issued a threatening message aimed at political leaders who would take part in a planned transition council, as fires broke out amid a fresh surge of violence in the capital. After unpopular Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced on Monday he would step down once the council […]
Calm in Haitian capital extends into second day as US eyes transition soon
Updated: 11:30am (AEDT) Port-au-Prince Reuters Haiti’s capital was calm on Wednesday two days after the prime minister said he would step down, but the US and UN began to withdraw staff in a sign they fear peace might not hold. Prime Minister Ariel Henry said on Monday he would resign from his post once a […]
Israel says air strike on Gaza UN food centre killed Hamas militant
Cairo, Egypt/Gaza Reuters Israel said on Wednesday that its airstrike on a UN food distribution centre in southern Gaza killed a Hamas commander who had been targeted, and Palestinian health officials said it also killed four more people including a UN worker. The Israeli military said the strike killed Mohammad Abu Hasna, whom it described […]