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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the chief executives of X, TikTok, Discord and Snap face a grilling by US lawmakers on Wednesday over the dangers that social media platforms bring to children and teens. The tech chieftains have been convened by the US Senate Judiciary Committee where they will be asked about the effects of social media in a session titled "Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis." The hearing promises to be grueling for the executives who are facing political anger for not doing enough to thwart online dangers for children, including from sexual predators. "These CEOs have serious questions to answer about their shameful track records on child safety, and their attempts to keep these failures from public view for so many years," said Imran Ahmed, CEO and founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Testifying to senators will be Mark Zuckerberg, X's Linda Yaccarino, Shou Zi Chew of TikTok, Evan Spiegel of Snap and Discord...

Jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a special court on Tuesday for leaking state secrets, has reportedly stated that he had only waved a "piece of paper" during his party rally to expose a conspiracy against his government. "The plan was to give (General Qamar Javed) Bajwa - retired army chief - the message that the entire plan will be exposed if the government is conspired against," Khan was quoted as saying in the statement he submitted to the court by the Express Tribune newspaper. The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician also said the responsibility of protecting the cipher (secret diplomatic communication) was not his. "One of my ADCs (Aide-de-Camp) stole the cypher on Bajwa's directives," he said, adding that he was never in possession of the actual cypher. "The responsibility for the PMO's security rested with the military secretary, principal secretary and secretary protoc...

The Israeli army said Tuesday it is channelling water into Gaza's tunnels in a bid to destroy the sprawling underground network used by Hamas militants to launch attacks on Israel. "It is part of a range of tools deployed by the IDF (Israeli army) to neutralise the threat of Hamas's subterranean network of tunnels," the military said in a statement, confirming media reports. Dubbed "the Gaza metro" by the Israeli army, there were 1,300 tunnels over 500 kilometres (310 miles) in Gaza at the start of the war in October, according to a study from US military academy West Point. The military vowed to destroy them in the wake of Hamas's October 7 attack in southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of around 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Some 250 hostages were also dragged to Gaza during the October 7 attack, of which around 132 are still held captive, including bodies of at least 28 people b...

A man was arrested after he allegedly punched and slapped his daughter at a sporting event in Hall County, Georgia. Deputies were called to Cherokee Bluff Middle School after 2 pm on Saturday to investigate a report of a man hitting a female child, Fox News reported. The preliminary investigation revealed that 38-year-old Steven Mathue Slaton, a resident of Commerce, became angry with his daughter for not emerging victorious in a wrestling match held at the school. Reportedly, he punched the girl in the back, slapped her across the face, and then picked her up by her ears, lifting the girl over his head. Fortunately, the sheriff's office reported that the girl did not sustain any physical injuries. Notably, the victim is not a student in the Hall County School District, she and her family had travelled to Hall County for the youth wrestling event, which was not sponsored by the school district. Slaton was charged with felony cruelty to children in the first degree. He posted ...

Britain's King Charles III will not carry out any royal duties for up to one month as he recovers from a medical procedure for an enlarged prostate, media reports said on Sunday. The 75-year-old King was treated for an enlarged prostate, after being admitted to the hospital on Friday morning and is "doing well". He underwent the procedure at The London Clinic and remains in hospital. Queen Camilla visited her husband again on Sunday as he continues to rest at The London Clinic following the treatment on Friday. She has shared that the King is “doing well” and it has also been reported that the monarch visited his daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales. Princess Catherine is also recovering at the same central London hospital after her abdominal surgery last week. Sky's royal correspondent Laura Bundock says there will now be a "period of recuperation" for the King. He will be available for state matters while in hospital and can attend to red boxes wit...

Britain's King Charles III will not carry out any royal duties for up to one month as he recovers from a medical procedure for an enlarged prostate, media reports said on Sunday. The 75-year-old King was treated for an enlarged prostate, after being admitted to the hospital on Friday morning and is "doing well". He underwent the procedure at The London Clinic and remains in hospital. Queen Camilla visited her husband again on Sunday as he continues to rest at The London Clinic following the treatment on Friday. She has shared that the King is “doing well” and it has also been reported that the monarch visited his daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales. Princess Catherine is also recovering at the same central London hospital after her abdominal surgery last week. Sky's royal correspondent Laura Bundock says there will now be a "period of recuperation" for the King. He will be available for state matters while in hospital and can attend to red boxes wit...

Iconic Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan today sought to play down a viral video that purportedly showed him mercilessly thrashing a man with his shoe, who he claimed was his disciple. The video shows the popular Qawwali singer repeatedly hitting and slapping him while enquiring about a "bottle". The man is seen pleading with the singer, saying he has no idea about it. In another scene, some people were seen trying to pull the singer away to save the student. Samaa TV, a Pakistani broadcaster, identified the man as his employee and said such violent behaviour among singers is a worrying trend. Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali khan was caught abusing his servant. Later, he gave an explanation. pic.twitter.com/PC0DawSEsq — Брат (@B5001001101) January 27, 2024 Mr Khan, nephew of legendary Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, later clarified that it was a personal matter between an " ustad and his shagird (teacher and disciple)". He posted a video featuring...

Iconic Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan today sought to play down a viral video that purportedly showed him mercilessly thrashing a man with his shoe, who he claimed was his disciple. The video shows the popular Qawwali singer repeatedly hitting and slapping him while enquiring about a "bottle". The man is seen pleading with the singer, saying he has no idea about it. In another scene, some people were seen trying to pull the singer away to save the student. Samaa TV, a Pakistani broadcaster, identified the man as his employee and said such violent behaviour among singers is a worrying trend. Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali khan was caught abusing his servant. Later, he gave an explanation. pic.twitter.com/PC0DawSEsq — Брат (@B5001001101) January 27, 2024 Mr Khan, nephew of legendary Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, later clarified that it was a personal matter between an " ustad and his shagird (teacher and disciple)". He posted a video featuring...

Focus on bringing Pakistan's economy back on track, the message of peace to India, a vow to combat climate change, and zero-tolerance towards terrorism are the highlights of the manifesto unveiled by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's party on Saturday. With less than two weeks before the February 8 general elections, Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) manifesto promises to send a "message of peace" to other countries, including India, on the condition that New Delhi revert its August 2019 action on Kashmir, Dawn.com reported, quoting the manifesto. India has told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir is an inalienable and integral part of the country. Article 370, which was abrogated by India's Parliament in 2019, is entirely a matter of India as well as its Constitution, the Ministry of External Affairs has reiterated previously. The manifesto also vows to combat the impacts of climate change and a "zero-tolerance policy" towa...

Focus on bringing Pakistan's economy back on track, the message of peace to India, a vow to combat climate change, and zero-tolerance towards terrorism are the highlights of the manifesto unveiled by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's party on Saturday. With less than two weeks before the February 8 general elections, Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) manifesto promises to send a "message of peace" to other countries, including India, on the condition that New Delhi revert its August 2019 action on Kashmir, Dawn.com reported, quoting the manifesto. India has told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir is an inalienable and integral part of the country. Article 370, which was abrogated by India's Parliament in 2019, is entirely a matter of India as well as its Constitution, the Ministry of External Affairs has reiterated previously. The manifesto also vows to combat the impacts of climate change and a "zero-tolerance policy" towa...

The United States on Friday reiterated its position that allegations Israel has committed genocide in Gaza are "unfounded," after the UN's top court ruled Israel must do more to prevent civilian deaths. "We continue to believe that allegations of genocide are unfounded and note the court did not make a finding about genocide or call for a ceasefire in its ruling," a US State Department spokesman said after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to do everything to "prevent the commission of all acts within the scope" of the Genocide Convention. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/wuOBrsX

External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, met with his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne and held a discussion on a range of regional and global issues. The meeting, held in the spirit of the enduring India-France strategic partnership, focused on key matters pertinent to both nations. "Great to meet with French FM @steph_sejourne. A good discussion on regional and global issues, befitting our strategic partnership. Look forward to staying in touch," Mr Jaishankar said in a post on X. The dialogue between the two foreign ministers was held as French President Emmanuel Macron is on a State visit to India on the occasion of Republic Day. Macron, who arrived in India on Thursday in Jaipur, held a bilateral discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi said that it is a matter of great pride that the French President is participating in the 75th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote," Welcome to India, my friend President @Emm...

Parts of a contested new French immigration law go against the constitution and must be scrapped, France's Constitutional Council said on Thursday. The court, a body that validates the constitutionality of laws, struck down nearly three dozen measures contained in the bill, including the lion's share of clauses introduced by opposition rightwing lawmakers during a turbulent parliamentary process. Measures including toughening conditions for the family reunification of migrants, birthright citizenship and access to state welfare, were scrapped, mostly for procedural reasons. The ruling will offer some relief to President Emmanuel Macron, who had made the bill a key plank of his second term. While he had defended its passage through parliament, Macron, who lacks a working majority in parliament, was embarrassed by the support it drew from Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party as conservative lawmakers hardened its content. Macron had referred the legislation to t...

Microsoft is laying off 1,900 people, or eight percent of staff, from its gaming division as it consolidates the blockbuster buyout of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard. In a memo to employees reported by US media The Verge on Thursday, the head of Microsoft's gaming division Phil Spencer said the cuts came after synergies were found between the two companies. Spencer told employees that Microsoft and Activision were committed to finding a "sustainable cost structure" to grow the gaming business, which employs 22,000 people and includes the Xbox division. "Together, we've set priorities, identified areas of overlap, and ensured that we're all aligned on the best opportunities for growth," he added. Alongside the layoffs, Blizzard president Mike Ybarra said he was leaving the company. "It's an incredibly hard day and my energy and support will be focused on all those amazing individuals impacted," Ybarra said on X, form...

Sri Lankan Parliament on Wednesday approved with amendments the controversial Online Safety Bill that seeks to regulate online content amid criticism from the opposition that claimed it will stifle freedom of speech. As many as 108 parliamentarians voted for it while 62 voted against the bill that was passed after a two-day debate. The new legislation would lead to the establishment of the Online Safety Commission which is empowered to make punitive rulings on offenses. A false statement on line would be liable, if convicted, to an imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to a fine not exceeding five hundred thousand Sri Lankan rupees. At the committee stage proceedings, the government went ahead presenting the amendments, which had come from the Supreme Court that checked its constitutionality. The apex court had ruled to amend at least 31 of the full 57 clauses of the bill. The main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa's assertion to speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywarden...

A British man, Stefan Farbrother, who subjected a child to an extremely distressing and frightening series of sexually abusive incidents in the 1990s, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison. Farbrother handcuffed the child and threatened them with a knife during this appalling campaign of abuse. The victim suffered multiple instances of rape and sexual abuse between 1991 and 1997, leading to a profoundly negative impact on their life described as "catastrophic." Stefan Farbrother, who lived in Sevenoaks, Kent at the time of the incidents, has been convicted of several crimes, including multiple rapes over a five-year period. Detective Sergeant Adam Ferguson of Kent Police stated that the 47-year-old Farbrother subjected the victim to a highly distressing and frightening series of abusive acts. Despite Farbrother's consistent denial of any wrongdoing, he was ultimately found guilty on all charges by a unanimous verdict. In a statement by the Kent Police Force, Detect...

A Sri Lankan political party leader was killed Monday along with four others, authorities said, in a rare drive-by shooting. Police said the motive was unclear, but that Saman Perera, chairman of the Our Power of People Party, appeared to be the main target of the attack. Perera's party has a seat in Sri Lanka's 225-member legislature, although he was not an MP himself. He was gunned down in the southern town of Beliatta, nearly 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of the capital Colombo. Police said his vehicle had stopped at a roadside restaurant when gunmen in a pickup truck opened fire and then sped off. They said they were aware of a feud between Perera and a local criminal boss, a connection that local media have also reported. The shooting came as police backed by soldiers carried out a nationwide anti-crime operation which has seen more than 44,000 people arrested in a mass crackdown. Police said operation "Yuktiya," the Sinhala name for justice, had result...

The United States is taking the attack by Iran-backed operatives on a base hosting US forces in Iraq over the weekend "extremely seriously," the White House said Sunday. "Multiple ballistic missiles and rockets" were fired by Iranian-backed operatives at Al-Assad Airbase in western Iraq late Saturday, the US military said, leading to one Iraqi and possible American casualties. "It was a very serious attack, using a capability of ballistic missiles that posed a genuine threat," White House Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said Sunday. "We are going to respond... to establish deterrence in these situations, and to hold these groups accountable that continue to attack us," Finer added during his appearance on ABC's This Week. "You can be assured that we are taking this extremely seriously." Most of the projectiles fired at the base were intercepted by air defense systems, Finer and the Pentagon said. Since mid-October, ...

The United States is taking the attack by Iran-backed operatives on a base hosting US forces in Iraq over the weekend "extremely seriously," the White House said Sunday. "Multiple ballistic missiles and rockets" were fired by Iranian-backed operatives at Al-Assad Airbase in western Iraq late Saturday, the US military said, leading to one Iraqi and possible American casualties. "It was a very serious attack, using a capability of ballistic missiles that posed a genuine threat," White House Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said Sunday. "We are going to respond... to establish deterrence in these situations, and to hold these groups accountable that continue to attack us," Finer added during his appearance on ABC's This Week. "You can be assured that we are taking this extremely seriously." Most of the projectiles fired at the base were intercepted by air defense systems, Finer and the Pentagon said. Since mid-October, ...

Iran on Saturday blamed Israel for a strike on Damascus, saying it "reserves the right to respond" after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed four of its members had died. Foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani decried "frequent violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity and an escalation in aggressive and provocative attacks" by Tehran's arch-foe Israel. "The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to respond... at the appropriate time and place" to the latest strike on the Syrian capital, Kanani said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said 10 people were killed in the Israeli strike on the Mazzeh neighbourhood of Damascus. The Guards' Sepah news agency said the "evil and criminal Zionist regime (Israel)" killed four of its military advisers, while Iran's Mehr news agency reported one of them was the force's spy chief for Syria. In recent weeks, Israel has been accused ...

Pakistan's social media and internet services were severely throttled Saturday night, as the party of jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan held a "virtual rally" ahead of elections in under three weeks. The outage of Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube is the second in two weeks coinciding with online campaign events organised by Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Elections scheduled for February 8 have been marred by allegations of pre-poll rigging, with analysts saying the military establishment -- Pakistan's political kingmakers -- are squeezing Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf out of the race. The event was due to broadcast Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf speeches by livestream but internet disruptions began in the early evening, before it began. "We can confirm the nation-scale restriction of social media platforms across Pakistan," said Alp Toker, Director of the Netblocks watchdog organisation monitoring cybersecurity and internet gove...

Protesters clashed with police in the Italian city of Vicenza on Saturday after a demonstration against the presence of Israeli exhibitors at an international jewellery fair. Police used water cannon against demonstrators who fired smoke bombs and flares after violence erupted after a planned march by hundreds of people, some holding up banners saying "Free Palestine" and "Stop Bombing Gaza". More than 1,300 exhibitors from almost 40 countries are showing at the Vicenzaoro fair, which opened on Friday and runs until Tuesday, according to organisers. A spokesperson told AFP the clashes took place several kilometres away and had no impact on the event, while declining to give information on the Israeli presence at the fair. Vicenza mayor Giacomo Possamai said there was "no justification" for the violence. "It also hurts the causes that it claims to support -- it is a contradiction in terms to demonstrate for peace and a ceasefire through violence,...

Iran on Saturday blamed Israel for a strike on Damascus, saying it "reserves the right to respond" after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed four of its members had died. Foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani decried "frequent violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity and an escalation in aggressive and provocative attacks" by Tehran's arch-foe Israel. "The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to respond... at the appropriate time and place" to the latest strike on the Syrian capital, Kanani said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said 10 people were killed in the Israeli strike on the Mazzeh neighbourhood of Damascus. The Guards' Sepah news agency said the "evil and criminal Zionist regime (Israel)" killed four of its military advisers, while Iran's Mehr news agency reported one of them was the force's spy chief for Syria. In recent weeks, Israel has been accused ...

US President Joe Biden on Friday announced cancellation of USD 5 billion in debt for more than 74,000 students, many of whom are Indian Americans. Cancelling student debt was one of the key poll promises of Biden in the 2020 elections. "Today, my administration approved debt cancellation for another 74,000 student loan borrowers across the country, bringing the total number of people who have gotten their debt cancelled under my administration to over 3.7 million Americans through various actions," Biden said. Of the 74,000 borrowers approved for relief on Friday, nearly 44,000 of them are teachers, nurses, firefighters and other individuals who earned forgiveness after 10 years of public service, and close to 30,000 of them are people who have been in repayment for at least 20 years but never got the relief they earned through income-driven repayment plans, he said. While the list is not maintained based on ethnicity, officials said a large number of them are Indian Amer...

Palestinian groom Mohammed al-Ghandour wanted to give his bride a beautiful wedding but after war began in Gaza they had to flee their homes and the couple finally got married this week in the tent city where they now live. Ghandour led his wife Shahad by the hand towards the tent decorated with some coloured lights and a mirror with a gold-coloured frame as a few relatives escorted them, clapping in time. Inside the tent Shahad, wearing a white dress and veil with traditional red embroidery, lifted her hand and Ghandour put a ring on it. "I wanted a party. I wanted a celebration, a wedding. I wanted to invite my friends, my relatives and my cousins, like anyone would," said Ghandour. The couple are from Gaza City in the north of the tiny enclave where some of the worst of Israel's heavy bombardment and the fighting between it and Hamas have taken place since the war began on Oct. 7. The homes of both Ghandour's family and Shahad's family were destroyed...

Palestinian groom Mohammed al-Ghandour wanted to give his bride a beautiful wedding but after war began in Gaza they had to flee their homes and the couple finally got married this week in the tent city where they now live. Ghandour led his wife Shahad by the hand towards the tent decorated with some coloured lights and a mirror with a gold-coloured frame as a few relatives escorted them, clapping in time. Inside the tent Shahad, wearing a white dress and veil with traditional red embroidery, lifted her hand and Ghandour put a ring on it. "I wanted a party. I wanted a celebration, a wedding. I wanted to invite my friends, my relatives and my cousins, like anyone would," said Ghandour. The couple are from Gaza City in the north of the tiny enclave where some of the worst of Israel's heavy bombardment and the fighting between it and Hamas have taken place since the war began on Oct. 7. The homes of both Ghandour's family and Shahad's family were destroyed...

Israel is praying that an emergency shipment brought to the Gaza border through Egypt, in a deal arranged by Qatar and France, will reach hostages held by Hamas in the besieged Palestinian enclave, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Thursday. "We are praying that all the medication .... will reach them, but that's only the beginning," Isaac Herzog told the World Economic Forum in Davos, sitting next to a picture of the youngest of the 132 hostages, one-year-old Kfir Bibas. Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, repeated his government's stand that the Gaza war must result in the removal of the ruling Palestinian Islamist faction Hamas, which carried out a shock cross-border rampage in southern Israel on Oct 7. While saying he was not shying away from the "human tragedy" inflicted on Gaza civilians, Isaac Herzog cast the Israeli offensive as a step towards more peaceful relations with the Palestinians in the future, and as bolstering global se...

Pakistan is blatantly misusing the platform of Non-Aligned Movement for false and malicious propaganda against India, a senior Indian minister told NAM members here. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, the Minister of State (MoS) holding dual charges in the education and external affairs ministries, made the remark while addressing the 19th NAM Summit-Ministerial Meeting in the Ugandan capital. Uganda has assumed the NAM presidency for the period of 2024-27. "While our focus is on coming together to strengthen NAM collectively, we have been exposed to the unfortunate, misplaced, predictable and blatant misuse of this august platform by Pakistan, as it propagates false and malicious propaganda against my country," Mr Singh said. "Any interference in India's internal affairs is totally unacceptable and we completely reject it," the minister said in a strongly-worded speech. Close on the heels of the African Union's successful induction into the G20 during India's ...

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was briefly stranded in Davos on Wednesday after his plane experienced a "critical failure" related to an oxygen leak and another plane is being flown to Switzerland to pick him up, according to a member of his traveling press pool. The top U.S. diplomat had traveled to Davos on Monday and was scheduled to fly back to Washington on Wednesday. A Bloomberg report said the aircraft was a Boeing plane. Reuters could not immediately confirm what aircraft Blinken was using.   (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/JHoga4O

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was briefly stranded in Davos on Wednesday after his plane experienced a "critical failure" related to an oxygen leak and another plane is being flown to Switzerland to pick him up, according to a member of his traveling press pool. The top U.S. diplomat had traveled to Davos on Monday and was scheduled to fly back to Washington on Wednesday. A Bloomberg report said the aircraft was a Boeing plane. Reuters could not immediately confirm what aircraft Blinken was using.   (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/JHoga4O

Danes will no longer be able to adopt children from abroad after the country's only adoption agency said Tuesday it was ceasing operations amid reports of irregularities. The Danish International Adoption (DIA) agency said in a statement it was "initiating a controlled wind-up of its activities as a facilitator of international adoptions". The announcement came after Denmark's social affairs ministry suspended adoptions from the six countries with which DIA currently cooperates due to irregularities involving employment regulations. The six countries are the Czech Republic, India, the Philippines, South Africa, Taiwan and Thailand. DIA, which halted adoptions from Madagascar last year amid concerns over possible fraud, said Tuesday it had no choice but to shut down. "International adoption can no longer, under the current conditions in Denmark, be run by an NGO like ours," DIA said. It said it was currently handling 36 adoption procedures, and provided...

Danes will no longer be able to adopt children from abroad after the country's only adoption agency said Tuesday it was ceasing operations amid reports of irregularities. The Danish International Adoption (DIA) agency said in a statement it was "initiating a controlled wind-up of its activities as a facilitator of international adoptions". The announcement came after Denmark's social affairs ministry suspended adoptions from the six countries with which DIA currently cooperates due to irregularities involving employment regulations. The six countries are the Czech Republic, India, the Philippines, South Africa, Taiwan and Thailand. DIA, which halted adoptions from Madagascar last year amid concerns over possible fraud, said Tuesday it had no choice but to shut down. "International adoption can no longer, under the current conditions in Denmark, be run by an NGO like ours," DIA said. It said it was currently handling 36 adoption procedures, and provided...

Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te hailed the island's "solid partnership" with Washington on Monday as he welcomed a US delegation -- which China said it "firmly opposed". The island lost one of its few formal diplomatic allies on the same day, as Pacific nation Nauru unexpectedly announced it was severing ties and switching allegiance to Beijing. The switch, just days after Taiwan's presidential election, means only 12 nations now formally recognise Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of China. Nauru's announcement overshadowed the visit by the unofficial delegation sent by US President Joe Biden's administration to congratulate Lai. While Taiwan is not diplomatically recognised by the United States, Washington is a partner and its top weapons provider. The Nauru government said it would no longer recognise Taiwan "as a separate country" but "rather as an inalienable part of China's territory" -- echoing Beijing...

As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) stands deprived of its iconic 'bat' symbol after the Peshawar High Court order, the party candidates are being allotted other symbols by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), ARY News reported. In a late-night decision, the Supreme Court on Saturday upheld the December 22 decision of the ECP depriving the PTI of its iconic poll symbol. Following the verdict, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar said that all party candidates would contest elections independently. Barrister Khan, who has been deprived of his post of PTI chairman after the top court judgement, was allotted "teapot" as election symbol while Shaukat Yousafzai's symbol has been "racket", ARY News reported. PTI's Shahryar Afridi will contest the election with the "bottle" symbol, and Shandana Gulzar has been given the symbol "bowl". On the other hand, PTI senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi's children Mehr Bano Qureshi and Zain Hu...

The United States on Saturday congratulated Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te, but maintained that Washington does not support independence for the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. Asked by reporters for Washington's position on Taiwan, where independence-leaning Lai has pitched himself as a defender of the island's democratic way of life, US President Joe Biden said: "We do not support independence." In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken saluted Lai on his victory in Saturday's pivotal vote and hailed the "robust democratic system and electoral process" of the self-ruled island. Blinken added that Washington is "committed to maintaining cross-Strait peace and stability, and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure." Lai, branded by China as a threat to peace, vowed Saturday to defend Taiwan against "intimidation" from China, after voters defied warnings from Beijing and swep...

Israel said Friday it was not seeking to destroy the Palestinian people, as it hit back at what it called a "profoundly distorted" and "malevolent" genocide case against it at the UN's top court. South Africa has launched an emergency case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) arguing that Israel stands in breach of the UN Genocide Convention, signed in 1948 in the wake of the Holocaust. Pretoria wants judges to force Israel to "immediately" stop the Gaza campaign launched after the October 7 Hamas attacks that killed 1,140 people, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. At least 23,469 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israel's offensive, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. Tal Becker, a top lawyer representing Israel, said South Africa had "regrettably put before the court a profoundly distorted factual and legal picture." Using videos and pictures, Becker painted a graphic imag...

The nine-month war between Sudan's rival generals could create a "generational catastrophe" for the country's 24 million children, UNICEF's representative in Sudan has told AFP. "The conflict in Sudan is severely putting at risk the health and wellbeing of Sudan's 24 million children," Mandeep O'Brien said in an interview late Thursday. The fighting will not only have a serious impact on the future of Sudan, but will also "heavily (affect) the wider region", O'Brien said. Since mid-April, Sudan has been gripped by war pitting army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his former deputy, paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The war has claimed at least 12,190 lives according to a conservative estimate by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project, and the United Nations says more than seven million people have been displaced. They include 3.5 million children, according to O'Brien, leaving Sudan facing ...

A Polish priest was arrested and charged with sex and drug crimes as well as failure to assist a person at medical risk after media reports that a man collapsed at a sex party at his home, state news agency PAP said on Thursday. The diocese in southwest Poland has been engulfed in scandal since reports emerged last September of an orgy at the home of a priest in the town of Dabrowa Gornicza. The priest, referred to as Tomasz Z due to Polish privacy laws, was placed in pre-trial detention after his arrest on Monday. He could face up to 10 years in prison. "Three of [the charges] concern crimes described in the law on counteracting drug addiction and are related to providing drugs, one of these is additionally related to... crimes against sexual freedom and decency," a spokesman for the local prosecution told PAP. The fourth charge concerns the failure to assist someone facing a threat to their life or health. According to Polish media reports, a man collapsed at the party...

A Polish priest was arrested and charged with sex and drug crimes as well as failure to assist a person at medical risk after media reports that a man collapsed at a sex party at his home, state news agency PAP said on Thursday. The diocese in southwest Poland has been engulfed in scandal since reports emerged last September of an orgy at the home of a priest in the town of Dabrowa Gornicza. The priest, referred to as Tomasz Z due to Polish privacy laws, was placed in pre-trial detention after his arrest on Monday. He could face up to 10 years in prison. "Three of [the charges] concern crimes described in the law on counteracting drug addiction and are related to providing drugs, one of these is additionally related to... crimes against sexual freedom and decency," a spokesman for the local prosecution told PAP. The fourth charge concerns the failure to assist someone facing a threat to their life or health. According to Polish media reports, a man collapsed at the party...

Israel's army said on Wednesday one of its vehicles "unintentionally" ran over the body of a Palestinian operative during a counter-terrorism operation in the occupied West Bank earlier this week. Palestinian officials accused Israel of committing a "brutal crime" after social media footage showed a military vehicle running over a dead operative in the city of Tulkarem late on Monday. The military said they had killed three "terrorists" in exchanges of gunfire during an operation to arrest a wanted man. "The operational vehicle that is seen in the video was dispatched in order to extricate the force that was caught under heavy fire, and unintentionally ran over the terrorist's body," the Israeli military said in response to an AFP request for comment. Other footage shared on social media from the incident shows a group of men running out of a building and three of them being shot. The military said it would review what had happened a...