NEW YORK: A lawyer who negotiated a pair of hush money deals at the centre of Donald Trump's criminal trial recalled Thursday his gallows humour reaction to Trump's 2016 election victory and the realisation that his hidden-hand efforts might have contributed to the win. What have we done? the attorney Keith Davidson texted the then-editor of the National Enquirer, which had buried stories of extramarital sexual encounters to prevent them from surfacing in the final days of the bitterly contested

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden on Thursday rejected calls from student protesters to change his approach to the war in Gaza while insisting that order must prevail as college campuses across the country face a wave of violence, outrage and fear. Dissent is essential for democracy, Biden said at the White House. But dissent must never lead to disorder. The Democratic president broke days of silence on the protests with his remarks, which followed mounting criticism from Republicans who have t

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: The United Nations said Thursday that the post-war reconstruction of Gaza would require an international effort unseen since the aftermath of World War II, estimating it could cost up to $40 billion . It came as Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh struck an optimistic tone over a possible truce and hostage release deal for Gaza, after weeks of largely stalled negotiations. There have been reports of sticking points between the militant group and Israel nearly seven months into th

Arrests continue on campuses around the U.S. as police dismantle camps of students protesting Israels war in Gaza. At UCLA, officers removed barricades and moved in on hundreds of protesters who defied orders to leave, scuffling with protesters and detaining some. Other arrests were made at Yale University, Dartmouth College, and the New York State universities at Buffalo and Stony Brook, among other campuses. The Associated Press has tallied at least 38 times since April 18 where arrests were m

A UN agency said Thursday rebuilding war-wracked Gaza will cost an estimated $30 billion to $40 billion and require an effort on a scale the world has not seen since World War II. The United Nations Development Programme's initial estimates for the reconstruction of... the Gaza Strip surpasses $30 billion and could reach up to $40 billion, said UN assistant secretary-general Abdallah al-Dardari. The scale of the destruction is huge and unprecedented... this is a mission that the global community

NAIROBI: When Ademola Adesina founded a startup to provide solar and battery-based power subscription packages to individuals and businesses in Nigeria in 2015, it was a lot harder to raise money than it is today. Climate tech was new in Africa, the continent was a fledgling destination for venture capital money, there were fewer funders to approach and less money was available, he said. It took him a year of running around and scouring his networks to raise his first amount just under $1 milli

SEOUL: South Koreas parliament on Thursday approved legislation mandating a new, independent investigation into the 2022 Halloween crush in Seoul that killed 159 people. The single-chamber National Assembly passed the bill by a 256-0 vote. It will become law after it is signed by President Yoon Suk Yeol and promulgated by his government agency steps that are considered formalities because the president and his ruling party already agreed on the legislation. The bill is meant to delve into the r

LIBREVILLE: His father ruled Chad for three decades with an iron first and Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno looks poised to consolidate the family dynasty in Monday's presidential election. Yet the young general appeared timid, his gaze fleeting, when the army announced his father Idriss Deby Itno had been killed en route to the front line against rebels on April 20, 2021. Deby Itno junior was not on any list of heirs to the throne drawn up by experts, who believed the veteran warlord and president seem

LONDON: Millions of voters in England and Wales will cast their ballots on Thursday in an array of local elections that will be the last big test before a U.K. general election that all indicators show will see the Conservative Party ousted from power after 14 years. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will hope he can point to successes, notably in a couple of key mayoral races, to douse talk that the Conservative Party will change leader again before the United Kingdom's main election, which could take

PHOENIX: Wearing a bulletproof vest and with a gun strapped to his waist, Constable Lennie McCloskey opens his folder and looks through the court orders: eleven evictions to be carried out today. It's a slow day in Maricopa County, Arizona, he says. Maricopa is home to Phoenix, one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, a place where rents have skyrocketed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving an ever-increasing number of people in trouble. I typically do between 19 and

Cambodia's defence ministry said Thursday a blistering heatwave roiling Southeast Asia played a role in an ammunition explosion that killed 20 soldiers at an army base over the weekend. The blast -- which destroyed an entire truck of munitions and levelled buildings -- also wounded several soldiers and at least one child in rural Kampong Speu province on Saturday. The defence ministry said Thursday that investigators believed the heatwave played a role in the old weapons detonating. The incident

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden is staying mum aboutstudent protests and police crackdownsas Republicans try to turn campus unrest over the war in Gaza into a campaign cudgel against Democrats. Tension at colleges and universities has been building for days as somedemonstrators refuse to remove encampmentsand administrators turn to law enforcementto clear them by force, leading to clashes that have seized attention from politicians and the media. But Biden's last public comment camemore than a w

LOS ANGELES: Law enforcement on the UCLA campus donned riot gear Wednesday evening as they ordered the dispersal of over a thousand people who had gathered in support of a pro-Palestinian student encampment, warning over loudspeakers that anyone who refused to leave could face arrest. A large crowd of students, alumni and neighbors gathered on campus steps outside the barricaded area of tents, sitting as they listened and applauded various speakers and joined in pro-Palestinian chants. Overhead

WASHINGTON: The US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady for a sixth straight meeting on Wednesday, keeping the level at a 23-year high to fight stubborn price increases. At the end of a two-day meeting, the central bank decided unanimously to keep the benchmark lending rate unchanged at 5.255.50 percent, citing a lack of further progress towards its two percent inflation target. The economic outlook is uncertain, and the Committee remains highly attentive to inflation risks, said the Fed i

NEW YORK: Disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein faced one of his accusers in New York court Wednesday as he was told he would be retried for rape and sexual assault convictions that were overturned in the state. His 2020 conviction for raping ex-actress Jessica Mann, who was in the front row of the courtroom's public gallery and mere feet from Weinstein, was overturned by New York's highest court last week. Weinstein was visibly frail as he was wheeled into the Manhattan courtroom, flanked by hi

New Delhi: The situation in Myanmar's Buthidaung town, a region in the Rakhine state, remains precarious as residents from the Hindu and Rakhine communities have been trapped amidst escalating conflict between the military and the rebel group, the Arakan Army. The situation has worsened due to a burgeoning communal divide, fuelled by allegations of the military's training and conscription of Rohingyas, compelling their participation in combat. There have been increasing instances of peoples hous

ISTANBUL: Workers, activists and others across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia took to the streets on Wednesday to mark May Day with protests over the global pressure of rising prices and calls for greater labor rights. Pro- Palestinian sentiments were also on display. Police in Istanbul used tear gas and fired rubber bullets to disperse thousands of people who tried to break through a barricade and reach the main Taksim square in defiance of a government ban on celebrating Labor Day th

Hamas will respond to an Israeli truce proposal for Gaza within a very short period, an official with the Palestinian militant group said Wednesday, stressing though that any ceasefire needs to be permanent. Hamas is considering a plan for a 40-day ceasefire and the exchange of scores of hostages for larger numbers of Palestinian prisoners. Suhail al-Hindi, a senior Hamas official, told AFP the group would deliver its response clearly within a very short period, although he would not say precise

NEW DELHI: A plea was filed by lawyer, Vishal Tiwari in the Supreme Court seeking examination of AstraZenecas Covishield vaccine, its side effects and risk factors by constituting a team of expert doctors from AIIMS. Tiwari, in his fresh plea, a copy accessed by this newspaper, filed in the top court, sought directions to constitute in the interest of health safety, a medical expert panel comprising of doctors from All India Institute of Medical Science, Delhi. The panel must be headed by its Di

ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Pakistan have decided to block the mobile phone SIM cards of over half a million tax defaulters as part of the drive to take action against tax evaders. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in an Income Tax General Order (ITGO) said the mobile SIMs of 506,671 individuals, who failed to file their tax returns for 2023, will stay blocked until restored by the FBR or the Commissioner Inland Revenue having authority over the person. It ordered the Pakistan Telecommunication A

JERUSALEM, UNDEFINED: Top US diplomat Antony Blinken urged Hamas to accept a truce in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to send troops into its far southern city of Rafah. Washington has heightened pressure on all sides to reach a ceasefire -- a message pushed by Blinken, who was on his seventh regional tour since the Gaza war broke out in October. Even in these very difficult times we are determined to get a ceasefire that brings the hostages hom

ISLAMABAD: The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a deadly shooting this week targeting members of the country's minority Shiite community inside a mosque in western Afghanistan that killed six people. The militant group said in a statement posted on its Telegram website late on Tuesday that one of its members attacked a Shiite temple in Herat province with machine-gun fire. The attack, which took place on Monday night in the district of Guzara, also left one person wounded. The

BEIJING: At least 19 people died when part of a highway collapsed in southern China's Guangdong province on Wednesday, state media reported. State broadcaster CCTV said a stretch of road between Meizhou city and Dabu county in Guangdong province caved in at around 2:10 am (1810 GMT Tuesday). The incident caused 18 vehicles to become trapped and involved a total of 49 people, CCTV said. As of 11:45 am, 19 people have been confirmed dead, and 30 are receiving all-out emergency care in hospital, ac

SEOUL: Workers, activists and others in Asian capitals marked May Day with rallies and marches to call for better working conditions and greater labor rights. May Day, which falls on May 1, is observed in many countries as a day to celebrate workers' rights. May Day events have also given many an opportunity to air general economic grievances or political demands. In Seoul, the South Korean capital, thousands of protesters sang, waved flags and shouted pro-labor slogans at the start of their ral

JERUSALEM: A Portuguese-flagged container ship came under attack by a drone in the far reaches of the Arabian Sea, corresponding with a claim by Yemen's Houthi rebels that they assaulted the ship there, authorities said Tuesday. The attack on the MSC Orion, occurring some 600 kilometers (375 miles) off the coast of Yemen, appeared to be the first confirmed deep-sea assault claimed by the Houthis since they began targeting ships in November. It suggests the Houthis or potentially their main bene

BEIJING: The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China said he was allowed back into his lab after he spent days locked outside, sitting in protest. Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post on Wednesday, just past midnight, that the medical centre that hosts his lab had tentatively agreed to allow him and his team to return and continue their research for the time being. Now, team members can enter and leave the laboratory freely, Zhang wrote in a post on Weibo, a Chines

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI: A surprise announcement that revealed Haiti's new prime minister is threatening to fracture a recently installed transitional council tasked with choosing new leaders for the gang-riddled Caribbean country. Four of seven council members with voting powers said Tuesday that they had chosen Fritz Blizaire as prime minister, taking many Haitians aback with their declaration and unexpected political alliance. The council members who oppose Blizaire, who served as Haiti's sport

WASHINGTON: The United States is egularly working with India in its investigation into the allegations related to the plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US State Department official has said. The remarks by US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel came after The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, named a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun on American soil last year. India on T

NEW YORK: Police cleared 30 to 40 people from inside Columbia University's Hamilton Hall late Tuesday after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied the administration building in New York earlier in the day. Hundreds of NYPD officers acted after the school's president said there was no other way to ensure safety and restore order on campus and sought help from the department. The occupied building had expanded the demonstrators' reach from an encampment elsewhere on the Ivy League school's grounds.

PORT-AU-PRINCE: Haiti's newly installed transitional council chose former Sports Minister Fritz Blizaire as the Caribbean country's prime minister Tuesday as it presses forward in its monumental task of trying to establish a stable new government amid stifling violence. Blizaire replaces Michel Patrick Boisvert, the former minister of economy and finance who was the current interim prime minister. Blizaire is little known and even some members of the council said they were unfamiliar with him. T

NEW YORK: Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined $9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. And if he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed. Prosecutors had alleged 10 violations, but New York Judge Juan M. Merchan found there were nine. Trump stared down at the table in front of him as the judge read the ruling, frowning slightly.

LONDON: A man with a sword was arrested in Hainault, east of London, after several people were attacked and injured, the Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday. The force said it was called just before 7:00 am (0600 GMT) after a vehicle drove into a house and reports that people have been stabbed. At this time we understand the suspect went on to attack other members of the public and two police officers, a statement read. We are awaiting an update on the condition of those injured. London Ambulanc

DUBAI: Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels have launched fresh attacks on Red Sea shipping including a Greek commercial vessel,the US military and maritime agencies said, continuing a recent resurgence in strikes along the vital route. At least seven incidents have been recorded in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since April 24, according to a tally by theWashington Institutefor Near East Policy think tank, breaking a weeks-long lull. Likely attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targets a vesse

Officials from Hamas have left Cairo after talks with Egyptian officials on a new proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza, Egypts state-owned Al-Qahera News satellite channel said Tuesday. The channel, which has close ties with Egyptian security agencies, said a Hamas delegation will return to Cairo with a written response to the cease-fire proposal, without saying when. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to visit Israel on his latest trip to the region, which began Monday in Saudi Ara

LONDON: A 24-year-old man who had pleaded guilty to the murder of his 19-year-old Indian national wife Mehak Sharma has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 15 years before being considered for parole. Sahil Sharma, also an Indian national, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of the murder of Mehak who was found with stab injuries at Ash Tree Way in Croydon, the couple's residential address in south London, in October last year. The Metropolitan Police said he was sente

Relatives and supporters of the Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group call for their release during a protest in Tel Aviv, Monday, April 29, 2024. Officials from Hamas have left Cairo after talks with Egyptian officials on a new cease-fire proposal in Gaza, Egypts state-owned Al-Qahera News satellite channel said Tuesday. The channel, which has close ties with Egyptian security agencies, said a Hamas delegation will return to Cairo with a written response to the cea

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday his governing party'smajor defeatin last weekend's by-elections was largely due to apolitical fundraising scandaland that he would not step down or replace party executives to take responsibility. Instead, Kishida said he will push anti-corruption measures and political reforms. As I take the results seriously, I believe as president of the governing party we must tackle the challenges we face one by one and achieve results, and this is t

MANADO: Indonesias Mount Ruang volcano erupted Tuesdayfor a second timein two weeks, spewing ash almost 2 kilometers (more than a mile) into the sky, closing an airport and peppering nearby villages with debris. The alert level of the volcano on Sulawesi Island was again raised to the highest level by the Indonesian geological service, after sensors picked up increasing volcanic activity. The agency urged residents and climbers to stay at least 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the volcanos crater.

NEW YORK: Dozens of protesters took over a building at Columbia University in New York early Tuesday, barricading the entrances and unfurling a Palestinian flag out of a window in the latest escalation of demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war that have spread to college campuses nationwide. Video footage showed protesters on Columbia's Manhattan campus locking arms in front of Hamilton Hall early Tuesday and carrying furniture and metal barricades to the building, one of several that was o

THE HAGUE: Mexico is taking Ecuador to the top U.N. court Tuesday, accusing the nation of violating international law bystorming the Mexican Embassyin Quito to arrest a former vice president who had just been granted asylum by Mexico. The April 5 raid, hours after Mexico granted asylum to former Vice President Jorge Glas, spiked tensions thathad been brewing between the two countriessince Glas, a convicted criminal and fugitive, took refuge at the embassy in December. Leaders across Latin Americ

NEW YORK: Protesters and police clashed Monday at the University of Texas in a confrontation that resulted in dozens of arrests, and Columbia University began suspending students as colleges around the U.S. begged pro-Palestinian demonstrators to clear out tent encampments as commencement ceremonies approach. From coast to coast, demonstrators are sparring over the Israel-Hamas war and its mounting death toll, and the number of arrests at campuses nationwide is approaching 1,000 as the final day

CAIRO: The United States stepped up pressure Monday for a cease-fire dealin Gazaas the secretary of state said a new proposal had been put to Hamas, whose officials were in Cairo talking to Egyptian mediators. Israeli airstrikes killed 26 people in Gazas southernmost town of Rafah, according to hospital records. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken,ahead of a visit to Israel this week, urged Hamas to accept the latest proposal, calling it extraordinarily generous on Israel's part. The terms we

THE HAGUE: The United Nations' top court is ruling Tuesday on arequest by Nicaraguafor judges to order Germany to halt military aid to Israel, arguing that Berlins support enables acts of genocide and breaches of international humanitarian lawin Gaza. Nicaraguas case is the latest legal bid by a country with historic ties to the Palestinian people to stop Israels offensive. Late last year, South Africa accused Israel of genocide at the court. The cases come as Israel's allies face growing calls

NEW YORK: Colleges around the US implored pro-Palestinian student protesters to clear out tent encampments with rising levels of urgency on Monday, including an ultimatum from Columbia University for students to sign a form and leave the encampment by the afternoon or face suspension. Columbia activists defied the 2 p.m. deadline with chants, clapping and drumming from the encampment of more than 300 people. No officials appeared to enter the encampment, with at least 120 tents staying up as the

THE HAGUE: Israeli officials sound increasingly concerned that the International Criminal Court could issue arrest warrants for the country's leaders more than six months into the Israel-Hamas war. The ICC was set up more than a decade ago to tackle impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and other grave crimes when states don't prosecute them. Without a police force, the ICC relies on member states to arrest suspects. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the social platf

NEW DELHI: An investigative report published by The Washington Post on Monday alleged the involvement of a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official identified as Vikram Yadav in the assassination plot of Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US. The report also suggested that the plan to assassinate Pannun had been approved by the then-chief of the intelligence agency, Samant Goel. Pannun is a key leader in the Khalistan movement and serves as the legal advisor and spokesperson

NEW DELHI: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greeted a gathering of Sikhs amid pro-Khalistani slogans from the audience all through the event. The event took place in Toronto on Sunday as part of the Khalsa Day celebrations, also referred to as Vaisakhi. Photos of slain Khalistani supporter Hardeep Singh Nijjar, along with pro-Khalistan posters, were also seen in the backdrop of the meeting. Trudeau said that his government will always be there to protect the rights and freedom of Sikhs in

JERUSALEM: A suspected attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a vessel in the Red Sea on Monday, authorities said, the latest assault in their campaign against international shipping in the crucial maritime route. The attack happened off the coast of Mokha, Yemen, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centred, without offering any other immediate details. It urged vessels to exercise caution in the area. The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge any attack there, th

PANAMA CITY: The leading candidate to be Panamas next president is a last-minute stand-in who promises to return the Central American country to a boom time that experts say will be difficult to recapture. Jos Ral Mulino, a maritime lawyer and former security minister, was thrust to the top of the presidential ticket after Panamas electoral authorities ruledformer President Ricardo Martinelliineligible following his money laundering conviction and sentencing. Lacking Martinellis charisma and pop

JERUSALEM, UNDEFINED: A Hamas delegation is due Monday in Egypt, where it will respond to Israel's latest proposal for a long-sought truce in Gaza and hostage release after almost seven months of war. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate an agreement between Israel and Hamas for months, but a flurry of diplomacy in recent days appeared to suggest a new push towards halting the fighting. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his seventh visit to the region since the O