President Joe Biden’s approval rating has declined to the lowest level of his presidency — 40% — as strong majorities of all voters disapprove of his handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll. What’s more, the poll finds Biden behind former President Donald Trump for the first time in a hypothetical general-election...
WORLD
As Mystery Respiratory Disease Spreads Across China, Indian Doctor’s Warning
Amid the reported outbreak of H9N2 cases and clusters of respiratory illness in children in northern China, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital Director Dr Ajay Shukla advised people to be careful, follow routine practices of cleanness and if there’s someone who has got this respiratory illness or infection they should try to maintain distance from other people. “I would just advise...
What Made Israel Push Harder For Return Of Hostages Held Captive By Hamas
The release of the first group of Israeli women and children taken hostage by Hamas is – at least in part – the result of an intense campaign waged by their families. On the night of the Oct. 7 assault, during which Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 240 others, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke...
Olympian Oscar Pistorius In Fresh Parole Bid Decade After Girlfriend’s Murder
South Africa’s ex-Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius on Friday sought an early release from prison, a decade after killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, despite her mother telling his parole hearing that he had “not been rehabilitated”. Steenkamp’s mother is not opposing parole. But in a statement to the board assessing whether Pistorius should be released, June Steenkamp said he had not...
Four-Day Gaza Truce Begins, Israel Clarifies War With Hamas “Not Over Yet”
A four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war has taken effect and exchange of hostages is expected to take place later today, mediator Qatar said. The four-day pause in fighting comes after nearly seven weeks of intense fighting. The ceasefire began at 10.30 am IST, while the first group of hostages will be released by Hamas hours later, around 7.30 pm...
Qatar Accepts India’s Appeal Against Death Penalty To 8 Navy Veterans
A Qatar court has accepted India’s appeal against the death penalty to eight former Indian Navy personnel, who were handed the sentence last month in an alleged case of espionage. Sources said that the Qatari court will set a hearing date after examining the appeal. According to reports, the eight men were arrested in August 2022 by Qatar’s intelligence agency for...
Israel-Hamas war ceasefirebegins; 13 hostages set to be released
Israeli forces and Palestine’s Hamas militants began a four-day ceasefire amid the ongoing war on Friday morning, as 13 Israeli women and children hostages are expected to be released during the day. Hours before the ceasefire, officials told news agency Reuters that a hospital in Gaza was one of the targets that was bombed. Both sides have agreed to resume the fight...
Israel’s Cabinet Approves Deal To Release Hostages During Pause In Fightibg
Qatar’s prime minister has thanked the US and Egypt for helping Qatar broker the pause in Gaza. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said he hoped the agreement would establish a “comprehensive and sustainable agreement” that would “put an end to the war and the bloodshed”. The prime minister also said he hoped the deal would “lead to serious...
Hamas chief says close to reaching truce agreement with Israel
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...
Joe Biden Raises Urgrnt’ Need For Hamas To Free Hostages With Qatar
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...
Gaza Parliament, Other Hamas Govt Buildings Seized, Says Israel Army
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...
“Seeking Light Of Wisdom”: Biden Celebrates Diwali At White House
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...