Gaza truce talks in final stage

JERUSALEM, Dec 17 (BBC): After months of deadlock, there are new signs that Israel and Hamas could be moving closer to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.A senior Palestinian official involved in the indirect negotiations told the BBC that talks were in a "decisive and final phase". Israel's defence...

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Syria's new rulers step up engagement with different countries

DAMASCUS, Dec 17 (AFP): Syria's new rulers stepped up engagement on Tuesday with countries that deemed ousted president Bashar al-Assad a pariah, with the French flag raised at the embassy for the first time in over a decade.Assad fled Syria just over a week ago, as his forces abandoned tanks...

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Trump loses bid to toss hush money conviction

NEW YORK, Dec 17 (Reuters): Donald Trump on Monday lost a bid to overturn his criminal conviction stemming from hush money paid to a porn star in light of the US Supreme Court's July ruling recognising immunity from prosecution for a president's official acts.Justice Juan Merchan's denial of Trump's motion...

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