International

WASHINGTON: The New York police have initiated a hate crime investigation against Stuart Seldowitz, a former Obama administration adviser, following disturbing incidents captured on video. Seldowitz, 64, a routine customer at a street cart on 83rd Street and 2nd Avenue, New York, near his Upper East Side residence, was filmed hurling Islamophobic abuse at a food vendor. In three separate videos shared …

WASHINGTON: A secret cell headed by the CIA and Mossad chiefs, and multiple contacts between US President Joe Biden and leaders of Israel, Qatar, and Egypt underpinned an “excruciating” five weeks resulting in the truce agreement, a US official said. In a detailed account to reporters by a senior US official, a picture has emerged of a tense international effort …

VATICAN CITY: A messy dispute broke out on Wednesday over whether Pope Francis used the word “genocide” to describe events in Gaza, with Palestinians who met with him insisting that he did and the Vatican saying he did not. The opposing versions emerged at an afternoon press conference with 10 Palestinians who met the pope on Wednesday morning at his …

WASHINGTON: The US State Department has urged Pakistan to prioritise the safety and efficient resettlement of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers. The call comes amid concerns that hasty or unscrupulous deportations could pose a significant risk to the lives of these vulnerable individuals. “Our key concern is the safety of vulnerable and at-risk individuals,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said …

LONDON: The UK government said on Wednesday it was “minded” to review the proposed sale of the Telegraph Media Group to an Abu Dhabi-backed investment fund on public interest grounds. The fund, RedBird IMI, announced on Monday that it was set to take control of The Daily and Sunday Telegraph sister newspapers and The Spectator magazine. The joint venture between US firm RedBird Capital and Abu …

NEW YORK: Border crossings between the United States and Canada near Niagara Falls were closed on Wednesday as terrorism investigators responded to a vehicle explosion at Rainbow Bridge. Two people were killed in the blast, according to US media citing authorities. Their identities were not clear. The cause of the incident was not known, but New York governor Kathy Hochul …

JERUSALEM: The vast majority of Palestinians slated for release under a swap deal to secure the release of prisoners held in Gaza, are teenage boys, an official Israeli list shows. Israel released the names on Wednesday of 300 Palestinian detainees who could be set free under the agreement. An examination of the names found that 33 were women, 123 were …

Ambulances were on standby on Thursday morning as Indian rescuers dug through the final metres of debris separating them from 41 workers trapped in a collapsed road tunnel for nearly two weeks. Rescue teams have specially fitted stretchers with wheels, ready to pull out the exhausted men through 57 metres (187 feet) of steel pipe — once it is finally driven through …

Israel said a four-day truce with Hamas and hostage release will not start until at least Friday, delaying a breakthrough deal to stop the incessant bombardment of Gaza. Israel and Hamas agreed early on Wednesday to a truce in Gaza for at least four days, to let in humanitarian aid and free at least 50 hostages held by Hamas in the …

OpenAI on Wednesday said it reached an agreement for Sam Altman to return as CEO days after his shock ouster, capping a marathon discussion about the future of the startup at the centre of the artificial intelligence boom. In addition to Altman’s return, the company agreed in principle to partly reconstitute the board of directors that had dismissed him. Former Salesforce …