International

05-02-2026 DAMASCUS: The Syrian army has moved into the northeastern city of Hasakah, which was formerly under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a first step towards implementing a US-backed ceasefire deal. A large convoy of trucks was seen entering the city on Monday hours after the …

05-02-2026 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report QUETTA/ KARACHI: Pakistani security forces have killed at least 145 fighters in the restive Balochistan province in a manhunt launched after a series of coordinated gun and bomb attacks that left nearly 50 people dead. The announcement on Sunday came a day after …

05-02-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: India is in talks with China-related Ant International to allow digital payments platform Alipay+ to be linked to India’s leading instant payments system for cross-border transactions, two government sources told media. The move would help make payments easier for Indian tourists as they would be …

05-02-2026 HAVANA: The Cuban government has rejected accusations that it poses a threat to the security of the United States, insisting that it stands ready to cooperate with Washington. The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Monday calling for dialogue and stressing that the Caribbean island does …

05-02-2026 BEIJING: China has executed four people found guilty of causing six Chinese citizens’ deaths and running scam and gambling operations out of Myanmar worth more than $4bn. The Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court in southern China announced the executions on Monday morning in a statement. However, the timing of the …

05-02-2026 TEHRAN: Iran has said that it expects progress on a framework to restart nuclear talks with the United States as unverified reports suggest the country’s president has ordered the revival of the negotiations. Tehran said on Monday that it is examining several diplomatic processes pitched by countries in the …

04-02-2026 MINNEAPOLIS: A Minnesota federal judge on Saturday declined to order a halt to President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis, in a lawsuit by state officials accusing federal agents of widespread civil rights abuses. US District Judge Kate Menendez in Minneapolis handed down the ruling. The lawsuit by …

04-02-2026 TEHRAN: Ever since the crackdown on protests in Iran between January 8 and 10, there has been contention on what the true death toll of those bloody events is. According to figures provided by the Iranian government, 3,117 people were killed, including civilians and security forces. Yet estimates from …

04-02-2026 DHAKA: Sukumar Pramanik, a Hindu teacher in Rajshahi city about 250km (155 miles) from Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, says the country’s upcoming national election could be his final test of trust in politics. Electoral periods in Bangladesh have seen spikes in communal and political violence throughout the country’s history, with …

04-02-2026 NIAMEY: The ISIL (ISIS) armed group has claimed responsibility for an attack on an air force base at Niger’s main airport. The ISIL-affiliated Amaq News Agency reported on Friday that the group carried out a “surprise and coordinated attack” on the base at Diori Hamani International Airport near the …