World News

Israel-Iran conflict: Who are the Kurds and why are they in focus again

Spread across Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, the Kurds are the world's largest stateless ethnic group. Their long struggle for autonomy now intersects with rising geopolitical tensions

What is force majeure and why are global energy firms invoking it now

As tensions in West Asia disrupt oil and LNG flows through the Strait of Hormuz, Indian energy firms are invoking force majeure clauses to suspend contractual obligations amid rising maritime risks

Iran state TV airs ayatollah call for 'shedding blood' of Israelis, Trump

The message came from Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli and represented one of the few clerical statements coming from Iran as it faces a combined airstrike campaign from Israel , US

Iran promises to avenge US sinking of warship in Indian Ocean waters

The IRIS Dena was in India from February 15 to 25 to participate in the International Fleet Review, alongside vessels from 40 other countries, including the US and Russia

Iran warns US will bitterly regret precedent after submarine sinks frigate

The comment by Abbas Araghchi represents the first Iranian government acknowledged of the sinking of the IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean

Nepal records 6% turnout till 9.30 am in first polls since Gen Z protests

More than 18.9 million eligible Nepalese will be exercising their franchise to elect the 275-member House of Representatives from among the 3,406 candidates vying for 165 seats

IRGC launches 19th wave of 'Operation True Promise 4' against US, Israel

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) earlier announced that it had carried out strikes against Israeli and American targets across the region

In a first, bust of Mahatma Gandhi unveiled in US state of Montana

The bust has been installed at the prestigious Mike Mansfield Centre of the University of Montana in Missoula on Tuesday, a press release by the Consulate General of India in Seattle said

Canada, Australia urge war de-escalation, but agree Iran can't get nukes

Canada's Mark Carney and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese discussed the war during their meeting in Australia's capital, Canberra

Nepal elections: All you need to know about 1st polls since Gen Z protests

Nepal heads to the polls for the first time since Gen Z-led protests that toppled former PM K P Sharma Oli's government. RSP's Balendra Shah has emerged as a frontrunner for the country's top post

China hikes defence budget to $275 bn as military modernisation accelerates

China announced a 7.2-per cent increase for its national defence budget to $249 billion for 2025, which is a $17 billion rise compared to 2024

US submarine launches its first torpedo in combat since World War II

Since 1991, Navy subs have launched scores of cruise missiles in combat, but the torpedo attack off Sri Lanka is a return to form after 80 years

Morgan Stanley lays off 2,500 employees despite record profits in 2025

Job cuts hit bank's three major business segments: Investment banking and trading, wealth management, and investment management

Anthropic reopens talks with US Pentagon after feud over AI safety

If both sides strike a new agreement, it would allow the military to resume using Anthropic's AI while lessening the risk that the Pentagon would officially blacklist the company

China sets low growth target of 4.5% to 5% for 2026 amid property slump

China's economy grew by 5 per cent last year to $20.01 trillion, riding high on the robust exports despite US tariffs, while domestic consumption, its bugbear, remained sluggish

Kurdish groups preparing to join fight against Iran with US support

Khalil Nadiri, an official with Kurdistan Freedom Party, based in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, said Wednesday that some of their forces had moved to areas near the Iranian border

Sustained war in Iran may leave US vulnerable, says Antony Blinken

His remarks come on the fifth day of combat operations after the US and Israel launched a war with Iran, and as concerns grow that this conflict could end up becoming a war of attrition

Iran launches missiles at Israel as war in West Asia enters day 6

Israel announced the incoming attack shortly after its military said it had begun new strikes in Lebanon targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Beirut's southern suburbs

Judge's 'bias' forced me to pay full price for Twitter, says Elon Musk

The jury is hearing claims by Twitter investors that Musk defrauded them by manipulating the platform's share price so he could acquire it more cheaply

Spain denies cooperating with US in West Asia, contradicting White House

Moments after a White House spokesperson said that the Spanish government in Madrid had agreed to help the US, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares came out and flatly denied the claim