WORLD

The chief of Hamas told Reuters on Tuesday that the Palestinian militant group was near a truce agreement with Israel, even as the deadly assault on Gaza continued and rockets were being fired into Israel. Hamas officials are “close to reaching a truce agreement” with Israel and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, Ismail Haniyeh said in...

US President Joe Biden pressed Friday for the immediate release of hostages seized by Hamas in Israel during talks with the leader of Qatar, which has relations with the militants. Biden, in San Francisco for an Asia-Pacific summit, in a telephone call with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani “discussed the urgent need for all hostages held by Hamas to...

The Israeli army said Tuesday it had captured parliament and other government insitutions run by Hamas in Gaza City, as its forces deepened their offensive in the Palestinian territory. Military units “took over the Hamas parliament, the government building, the Hamas police headquarters and an engineering faculty that served as an institute for the production and development of weapons,” the...

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that he lit a “diya” (earthen lamp) to embrace the spirit of Diwali. Mr Biden shared a video of the festivities on X (formerly known as Twitter) and can be seen lighting a diya with US First Lady Jill Biden at the White House. “Today, Jill and I lit the diya to symbolise Diwali’s message...

This marks the third time Trump has opted to skip a Republican National Committee-sanctioned debate and hold an event of his own instead Despite the $250 million New York civil fraud trial, Donald Trump still hopes voters will send him back to the White House. The former US president decided to skip the third Republican Presidential Debate and held a...

Thousands of Palestinians fled northern Gaza on Wednesday, traveling miles on foot through the battered enclave in a growing exodus prompted by Israel’s intensified ground and air campaign. Streams of people – women, children, the elderly and disabled – made their way down Salah Eddin Street, one of the two north-south highways in Gaza, along an evacuation corridor announced by the Israel Defense...

Israel Hamas War Live Updates: The Pentagon deployed the nuclear-powered USS Florida attack submarine to the Persian Gulf region as the US makes a show of force to deter Iran, according to US defense officials. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would consider “tactical little pauses” in fighting to facilitate the entry of aid or the exit of hostages...

Israel said Sunday it was pounding Gaza with “significant” strikes after cutting it in two, as America’s top diplomat pressed a Middle East tour focused on humanitarian aid for the Palestinians. Israeli forces “have encircled Gaza City… Now there exists a south Gaza and a north Gaza,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari said. He spoke after US Secretary of State visited...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday rejected any calls for a humanitarian pause in the country’s war with Palestinian militants Hamas. Blinken told United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel is “going full steam ahead,” unless the hostages held by Hamas are released. Blinken is on his third visit to Israel since the war erupted between Hamas...

Israel on Thursday night intensified its ground offensive against Hamas militants and announced that its troops have encircled the Gaza City. The Israeli Army said it would continue its efforts to “dismantle Hamas” and free hostages. Ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the region, Tel Aviv also clarified that “a ceasefire is not on the table”....

Taiwan said Wednesday that China sent 43 military aircraft and seven ships near the self-ruled island, the latest sign that Beijing plans no let-up in its campaign of harassment, threats and intimidation. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said the figure was current for the 24 hours up to 6:00 a.m. Wednesday and that 37 of the aircraft had crossed the median line...