IDF launches renewed operation in central Gaza Strip

Israeli forces launched a fresh deployment in the central Gaza Strip in the early hours of Thursday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said. The announcement referred to “a precise, intelligence-based operation to eliminate terrorist operatives and strik…

Tokyo stocks open slightly higher on firm tech issues

Tokyo stocks opened slightly higher Friday as technology shares tracked overnight gains by their U.S. counterparts. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 97.21 points, or 0.25 percent, from Thursday to 39,539.84. T…