International

07-07-2026 WASHINGTON/ NEW DELHI: Last month, the United States military renamed its Indo-Pacific Command back to Pacific Command. The Pentagon claimed it was just a return of history, going back to its old name while the jurisdiction remained the same but Geopolitics 101 will tell you names are never just …

07-07-2026 MOSCOW: A wave of Ukrainian long-range drones has struck the St Petersburg region overnight, hitting an oil terminal and a Baltic Sea port in one of the largest deep-strike operations targeting President Vladimir Putin’s home city. Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said air defences shot down 72 unmanned aerial …

07-07-2026 ROME: Pope Leo XIV has urged Europe to do more to protect and integrate migrants during a visit to Italy’s Lampedusa Island, a key arrival point for people crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. The pope made the appeal on Saturday during a symbolic trip to the island, which …

07-07-2026 BAMAKO: Armed men have launched ⁠attacks in five ⁠locations across Mali, the army says, more than two months after gunmen attacked the capital and other parts of the country. The attacks took place on Saturday in areas including ‌a northern town where government forces and Russian fighters are ⁠based, …

06-07-2026 NEW TORK: Taylor Swift and her American football-player fiance Travis Kelce have kicked off rumored wedding celebrations at Madison Square Garden in New York City. High-profile friends of the couple, from actress Lena Dunham to frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff were spotted Thursday evening in formal attire. Aerial footage showed …

06-07-2026 UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations’ weather watchdog is warning governments and humanitarian organizations to brace for “extreme weather events” including heatwaves, droughts and heavy rainfall due to the El Nino weather phenomenon. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a statement on Friday that El Nino conditions had already …

06-07-2026 NEW YORK/ MEXICO CITY: Substitute Goncalo Ramos’s headed goal edged Portugal into the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a gripping 2-1 win against Croatia. Ramos connected with a superb pass from Rafael Leao in the fourth minute of stoppage time on Thursday to snuff out …

06-07-2026 LONDON: Andy Burnham will have to find an additional 4.7 billion pounds ($6.2bn) to close a defence funding gap if, as is widely expected, he becomes the United Kingdom’s prime minister later this month. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday announced a long-delayed defence plan aimed at making the …

06-07-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: The government of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal has decided to drop eggs from a school lunch scheme that spans all government-run schools, stirring up debate about politics and nutrition. The government, led by Indian PM Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has …

06-07-2026 JOHANNESBURG: South African police have arrested more than 900 people during nationwide anti-migrant protests that were mostly peaceful but at times turned violent with shops looted and one person shot dead. The demonstrations on Tuesday were organized by a coalition of more than 20 civil society groups, including the …