Dominic Sirico 
A delegation from mediator Egypt is travelling to Israel on Friday, a source close to the Israeli government told AFP, in what local media said is a bid to reignite stalled hostage-release negotiations. The effort comes alongside preparations for a military push against Hamas militants in southern Gaza’s Rafah, and with spillover from the Gaza … Read more
Electric vehicle executives at a top car show in China were bullish on prospects for growth, despite a gruelling price war and mounting Western pressure on the industry. Thousands of car lovers and company representatives descended on Beijing this week for the Auto China show — a chance for industry giants to show off new … Read more
Olga drew her index finger abruptly across her neck as she recounted the threats her husband levelled at her after he returned to Russia, wounded from fighting in Ukraine. “I’m going to cut your head and hands off and beat you up. I’ll burn you in acid,” he threatened her, she said. Even before her … Read more
The first jeepneys rolled onto the streets of the Philippines just after World War II — noisy, smoke-belching vehicles initially made from leftover US Jeeps that became a national symbol. Seven decades later, the colourfully decorated vehicles face an existential threat from a plan to replace them with modern mini-buses. Easy to fix and cheap … Read more
Microsoft and Google on Thursday drubbed quarterly earnings expectations as the tech titans continued investing heavily in artificial intelligence promising to shake up the way people live. The results were cheered by Wall Street investors who pushed up Alphabet’s share price more than 11 percent and Microsoft shares up nearly 4 percent in after-market trades. … Read more
Pro-Palestinian protests spread to more college campuses in the United States on Thursday as authorities appeared to be running out of patience and police began to push back forcefully. Riot officers used chemical irritants and tasers at one university as administrators at some of the country’s most prestigious institutions battled to prevent occupations taking hold. … Read more
The US Supreme Court appeared skeptical on Thursday of Donald Trump’s claim that a former president is “absolutely immune” from criminal prosecution but looked set to issue a ruling that could further delay his election subversion trial. The historic case — the last in the court’s current term — has far-reaching implications for executive power … Read more
Global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions “most likely” exacerbated the intense rains that lashed the UAE and Oman last week, causing deaths and widespread flooding, an expert group of scientists said Thursday. Extreme rainfall in El Nino years has become 10-40 percent heavier in the region affected, a study published by the World Weather … Read more
Millions of people across South and Southeast Asia sweltered through unusually hot weather on Thursday, as the Thai government said heatstroke has already killed at least 30 people this year. A wave of exceptionally hot weather has blasted the region this week, prompting thousands of schools across the Philippines to suspend in-person classes. Millions of … Read more
Palestinians on Thursday mourned over people killed in Israeli bombardment of Rafah, the southern Gaza city where Israel says it is advancing plans for a ground invasion. Global concern has mounted over the looming operation against Hamas militants in Rafah, where much of Gaza’s population has sought refuge from more than six months of war … Read more
