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Jailed Thai ex-PM Thaksin to be freed early
Jailed former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is to be freed, the government said Tuesday, possibly as soon as the weekend -- just six months after returning from 15 years of self-imposed exile.
Pressure mounts on Israel for Gaza ceasefire
Israel faced growing international pressure on Tuesday to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas, as it planned an incursion into the southern Gaza city Rafah where more than a million Palestinians are trapped.
Jailed Thai ex-PM Thaksin to be freed: justice minister
Jailed former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is to be freed, the kingdom's justice minister said Tuesday, possibly as soon as the weekend -- just six months after returning from 15 years of self-imposed exile.
US House speaker rejects Senate's Ukraine aid bill as written
US House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated Monday that the Republican-led chamber would not take up a bill likely to pass the Senate this week which would provide billions in additional aid to Ukraine.
Trump defiant after backlash over NATO remarks
Former US president Donald Trump defended his record on NATO Monday, saying he had made it "strong" after sparking a firestorm of criticism over comments downplaying his commitment to the alliance.
Jordan king urges 'lasting' Gaza ceasefire in talks with Biden
Jordan's King Abdullah II appealed for a full ceasefire to end the war in Gaza after talks with Joe Biden, striking a discordant note with the US president who is seeking a shorter six-week pause to allow Israel time to defeat Hamas.
Trump asks Supreme Court to stay ruling rejecting his immunity to prosecution
Donald Trump on Monday appealed to the US Supreme Court to block a lower court ruling that had denied his claim to immunity for alleged crimes while he was president.
Jordan king urges 'lasting' Gaza ceasfire in talks with Biden
Jordan's King Abdullah II appealed for a full ceasefire to end the war in Gaza after talks with Joe Biden, striking a discordant note with the US president who is seeking a shorter six-week pause to allow Israel time to defeat Hamas.
US defense chief treated under general anesthetic, cancels trip
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was treated under general anesthetic for bladder issues as he battles prostate cancer, doctors said Monday, and will miss a trip to Brussels while recovering from the procedure.
Growing fears of Rafah incursion after Israel rescues two hostages
Israelis welcomed the rescue Monday of two Gaza hostages, while fears of a looming ground incursion grew among more than a million Palestinians trapped in the war-ravaged territory's densely crowded far south.
Ukraine allies France, Poland, Germany to tighten ties
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Monday discussed ramping up security cooperation in Europe with the leaders of Germany and France, as fears grow that Donald Trump's possible return to the White House might threaten Western solidarity against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Toll of war in Ukraine high, but just how much unknown
The human cost of the war in Ukraine, two years after the Russian invasion, is in the hundreds of thousands, but the exact toll is unknown, with both sides shrouding their losses in secrecy, and Russia covering up civilian deaths in areas it has conquered.
Hezbollah official wounded in Israeli strike on Lebanon: security source
An Israeli air strike on Monday seriously wounded a local Hezbollah official in his car in Lebanon's south, a Lebanese security source told AFP.
'Tears, hugs' as rescued Gaza hostages back in Israel
There were hugs and tears at Israel's largest hospital on Monday as two Gaza hostages were reunited with their families after being rescued in a deadly military raid.
Ukraine urges Poland to 'punish' protesting farmers
Ukraine called Monday on Warsaw to "punish" Polish farmers who forcibly pried open Ukrainian trucks crossing into the EU, spilling mounds of grain onto roads near their border.
UAE defends Israel ties as Gaza war concerns grow
A top Emirati diplomat on Monday defended her country's decision to maintain ties with Israel despite its mounting concern over the war in Gaza.
Deja vu or real fear? NATO grapples with Trump threats
Donald Trump sparked outcry by threatening not to defend NATO members who do not spend enough, but for diplomats at the alliance that weathered his time in office there was a sense of deja vu.
'Tears, hugs' as two Gaza hostages rescued
There were hugs and tears at Israel's largest hospital on Monday as two Gaza hostages were reunited with their families after being rescued in a deadly military raid.
Israelis grapple with 'broken' security promise since Hamas attack
Since she moved to Israel, Marie-Lyne Smadja had been confident the state would protect her, but Hamas's October 7 attack made her doubt whether she can count on the authorities to keep her safe.
Israel rescues two hostages as fear grows of Rafah ground battles
Israelis welcomed the rescue early Monday of two hostages from war-torn Gaza, but fears of a looming ground incursion grew among more than a million Palestinians trapped in the territory's far south.
'Hell falling': Fear and grief in Rafah after deadly Israeli raid
Majed al-Afifi was just 40 days old when he was killed, his uncle told AFP in Rafah where Israeli forces bombed multiple homes while rescuing two Gaza hostages.
Relatives of rescued hostages appeal for Gaza deal to free others
Relatives of two hostages rescued overnight from Gaza appealed Monday for a broader deal between Israel and Hamas to secure the release of other captives still held in the Palestinian territory.
Court orders Netherlands to stop F-35 parts delivery to Israel
The Netherlands must stop delivering parts for F-35 fighter jets used by Israel in the Gaza Strip, after a Dutch court Monday upheld an appeal by human rights organisations.
Uncertainty ahead for Pakistan after indecisive election
Pakistan has weeks of political uncertainty ahead following its indecisive election, analysts said Monday, with dozens of constituency results facing challenges in court and rival parties negotiating possible coalitions.
Ukrainian justice tested as collaboration cases mount
Standing in a glass-walled dock in a courtroom in eastern Ukraine, suspected collaborator Oksana Shepel pleaded with a judge to free her.
Two years into Russia-Ukraine war, negotiations a distant prospect
After two years of war in Ukraine, there is no prospect of negotiations to find a breakthrough as Russian President Vladimir Putin, emboldened by the erosion of Western support for Kyiv, girds for a long conflict.
Two years on, Ukraine defiant but on defensive
Ahead of the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian army is increasingly on the defensive against more numerous and better armed Russian forces, but hoping that a recent military leadership change can make a difference.
Israel says 2 hostages rescued in Rafah operation
Israel announced on Monday the rescue of two hostages in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where the Hamas-run health ministry said 52 Palestinians including children were killed in heavy overnight air strikes.
Hospitalized Pentagon chief hands duties to deputy
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who is fighting prostate cancer, transferred his duties to his deputy hours after he was taken to hospital for "an emergent bladder issue," a spokesman said Sunday.
Ukraine aid package clears key procedural vote in US Senate
A sweeping US foreign aid package, including $60 billion for Ukraine, passed a key procedural vote Sunday, although opposition from right-wing Republicans may block it from becoming law.
US defense chief Austin taken to hospital again
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was taken to the hospital again on Sunday, a Pentagon spokesman said, this time "for symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue," weeks after previous stays he controversially kept secret.
Biden slams Trump's 'appalling and dangerous' NATO comments
US President Joe Biden slammed as "appalling and dangerous" comments by Donald Trump downplaying his commitment to NATO, warning Sunday that the former president intends to give Russian leader Vladimir Putin "a greenlight for more war and violence."