Former South African track star Oscar Pistorius has been granted parole, more than 10 years after murdering his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp The Olympic athlete, who earned the nickname “Blade Runner” for the futuristic carbon-fiber prosthetics he used for competitions, had been sentenced to 13 years and five months after he…

The temporary cease-fire that was negotiated between Israel and Hamas in Gaza took effect early Friday morning, setting the stage for an expected hostage release-prisoner swap later in the day.The four-day truce will bring a halt in fighting to allow promised humanitarian relief for Gaza’s 2.3 million people, who have…

Five Indian soldiers were killed in gunbattles with rebels fighting against New Delhi’s rule in disputed Kashmir, officials said Thursday. The Indian army said two suspected militants were also killed.The fighting started Wednesday, days after Indian troops started searching for militants in dense forests based on information that at least…

Fiji’s leader says that after meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping, he hopes to collaborate with China on upgrading his nation’s shipyards and ports.Sitiveni Rabuka made the remarks to lawmakers in Parliament on Wednesday.Rabuka is generally viewed as leaning less toward China than his predecessor Frank Bainimarama, and in a…

Chinese health officials said Thursday that they have not detected any “unusual or novel diseases” regarding an increase in respiratory illnesses and pneumonia in children, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).The WHO requested more information from China on Wednesday as several groups, including the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases,…

Riot police used batons and tear gas to halt tens of thousands of supporters of Nepal’s former king who attempted to march to the center of the capital on Thursday to demand the restoration of the monarchy and the nation’s former status as a Hindu state.The protesters, waving the national…

The Slovak government signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday with Chinese electric vehicle battery maker Gotion High-Tech and its local partner, InoBat, to build a car battery plant in Slovakia.SLOVAK PM LOOKS TO CURB MIGRATION BY DEPLOYING FORCES TO HUNGARIAN BORDERThe two companies formed Gotion InoBat Batteries, a Chinese-Slovak…

German authorities searched 15 properties on Thursday in connection with a recent ban on activities of Hamas as well as pro-Palestinian group Samidoun, the German interior ministry said in a statement.KATHY IRELAND AMONG THOSE HONORING HOSTAGES ON THANKSGIVING WITH EMPTY SEATS AT DINNER TABLEThe searches in four German states, which started at…

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived Thursday at the bottom of the world on the cusp of international climate talks at COP28. He has previously said the world must slash carbon emissions to prevent this delicate environment from melting.EXCLUSIVE GLIMPSE OF ANTARCTICA: ‘EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED WHEN CRUISING’ THIS HARSH, COLD…

Protesters and rioters clashed with police officers and a police vehicle was set ablaze in Dublin, Ireland Thursday evening, following a knife attack earlier in the day in which five people were injured, including three children.Per Irish media outlet RTÉ, rioters attacked gardaí, officers of the state police force Garda, and…