Hyderabad, March 19: (PMI) The Shawwal moon was not sighted across India on Wednesday, confirming that Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on March 21, 2026. Reports from several major cities, including Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, and Kolkata, indicated that the crescent moon was not visible despite efforts by moon-sighting committees and …

Hyderabad’ March 19 (Shahewer Fatima-PMI) Despite rising literacy rates and rapid urban development, Telangana continues to face a serious issue of domestic violence, largely hidden within households. According to data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), about 37 percent of married women in the state have experienced physical or …

 New Delhi, March 19:(PMI) India continues to witness a steady rise in natural gas consumption, with current daily usage estimated at around 190–195 million standard cubic meters (MMSCMD). The demand is largely driven by industrial activity, followed by power generation, transport, and domestic sectors. According to energy sector estimates, the …

19-03-2026 KABUL/ ISLAMABAD: 408 people were killed and 265 wounded in an airstrike by Pakistan on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, a spokesman of the Afghan Taliban government said on Tuesday, a sharp escalation in the conflict between the neighbors. Pakistan rejected the statement as ‌false and misleading and …

19-03-2026 JOHANNSESBURG/ WASHINGTON: South Africa has no reason to cut ties with Iran, its director general of foreign affairs said, after the new US ambassador was quoted as saying the ‌country’s association with the Islamic Republic was an impediment to good relations with Washington. In an interview over the weekend, …

19-03-2026 TEHRAN: Iran’s new supreme leader has rejected de-escalation proposals conveyed to Tehran by intermediaries, demanding Israel and the United States first be “brought to ​their knees”, a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had ‌held his first foreign policy session since being named supreme leader, and …

19-03-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: Indian technology stocks have seen an unprecedented rout over the past few weeks over fears of artificial intelligence upending the traditional outsourcing model that powers the country’s $300bn (£223bn) back-office industry. The sell-off, part of a global correction in traditional software and IT stocks, preceded …

19-03-2026 WASHINGTON/ BEIJING: US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is planning to delay a high stakes visit to China later in March by about a month because of the Iran war. “We’ve requested that we delay it a month or so,” he told reporters at the White …

19-03-2026 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report ISLAMABAD/ KABUL: Families have gathered outside a drug treatment centre in the Afghan capital, Kabul, looking for their loved ones after it was hit in a Pakistani air strike, which Taliban authorities said killed 408 people. The attack on Kabul’s Omar Addiction Treatment …

19-03-2026 LONDON/ NEW YORK: Ties between the US tech giant Palantir and the United Kingdom government are coming under increased scrutiny following the arrest of former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson over his links to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Palantir, which was a client of …