International

28-01-2026 PARIS: France is on course to follow Australia in banning social media to younger teenagers, as debate on a new law opens in the National Assembly. The law would block access for under 15-year-olds to networks such as Snapchat, Instagram and Tiktok. President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants …

28-01-2026 NEW YORK: A dangerous winter storm has swept across the US, leaving at least seven people dead and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of homes. Schools and roads across the country have been closed and flights have been cancelled as “life threatening” conditions stretched from Texas to New …

28-01-2026 Bureau Report/ Agencies NEW DELHI/ BRUSSELS: India plans to slash tariffs on cars imported from the European Union to 40% from as high as 110%, sources said, in the biggest opening yet of the country’s vast market as the two sides close in on a free trade pact that …

28-01-2026 JERUSALEM: Medical charity Doctors Without Borders says it will provide Israeli authorities with the personal details of some of its Palestinian and international staff working in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory, leading to a backlash. Critics warn Israel, whose army has killed more than 1,700 …

28-01-2026 NAYPYIDAW: Polls have opened in Myanmar for the third and final round of a controversial general election, with a military-backed party on course for a landslide win amid a raging civil war. Voting began in 60 townships, including in the cities of Yangon and Mandalay, at 6am local time …

28-01-2026 BAGHDAD: Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi paramilitary group, has warned of a “total war” if Iran is attacked, signaling it would militarily support Tehran if conflict breaks out as the United States amasses military assets in the region. The Iran-backed group’s chief, Abu Hussein al‑Hamidawi, issued a fiery statement late …

27-01-2026 CANBERRA: Defence department boss Greg Moriarty will be the next Australian ambassador to the US, replacing outgoing ambassador Kevin Rudd. Moriarty has served as the Defence secretary for nearly a decade and was previously chief of staff to then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. The secretary has also held senior roles …

27-01-2026 MINNEAPOLIS: US immigration agents shot and killed a US citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday, officials said, sparking fierce protests and condemnations from local leaders in the second such incident this month. The Department of Homeland Security characterized the incident as an attack, saying a Border Patrol agent fired in …

27-01-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI/ GHAZIABAD: Indian drug-maker Abbott Healthcare’s supply chain is being scrutinized as part of a wider investigation into the alleged misuse of its codeine-based cough syrup which is prone to abuse by addicts, documents show. Abbott’s Phensedyl contains codeine, which is a narcotic used in cough …

27-01-2026 DAMASCUS: A ceasefire between Syrian military and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been extended by 15 more days, officials said, hours after the four-day truce expired. Syria’s defence ministry said late on Saturday that the extension, which began at 11pm local time (20:00 GMT), aims to support …