International

08-03-2026 BEIRUT/ JERUSALEM: Israeli airstrikes pounded the southern suburbs of Beirut overnight and on Friday, smashing up city streets in an escalating conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah that has sent tens of thousands of Lebanese from their homes. Israel ordered everyone in the densely-populated suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, to leave before …

08-03-2026 BAGHDAD/ TEHRAN: Iran has spent decades and billions of dollars preparing foreign proxy fighters like A.J., a commander in a pro-Iranian paramilitary group in Iraq, for a moment just like this. Since the US and Israel went to war on the Islamic Republic a week ago, A.J. has been …

08-03-2026 UNITED NATIONS/ KABUL: Pakistani and Afghan troops exchanged fire at dozens of points along their border on Friday as the UN said their week-old conflict has forced the displacement of more than 100,000 people. The South Asian nations show no signs of rapprochement ‌in their worst fighting in years, …

08-03-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: The southern Indian state of Karnataka, home to the tech hub of Bengaluru, ‌banned the use of social media by those under the age of 16 on Friday, becoming the first in India to join global calls for more scrutiny of minors’ digital usage. Concerns …

08-03-2026 KYIV: The US has asked Ukraine for help defending Gulf allies against Iranian drones, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. He said Ukraine’s partners had been reaching out and there had been “requests from the American side”. Zelensky said he had given instructions “to provide the necessary means and ensure …

07-03-2026 BEIRUT: Hezbollah has deployed elite fighters to confront Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, sending them back into the border region from which they withdrew after a war in 2024, three Lebanese sources familiar with the deployments said, as the ‌Iran-backed group wades deeper into the conflict in the Middle …

07-03-2026 HAVANA: Millions of people were left without power in Cuba on Wednesday, the latest in a string of blackouts to hit the island as it struggles with fuel shortages worsened by pressure from the US. Two-thirds of the island was plunged into darkness following what officials described as an …

07-03-2026 CANBERRA: Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has joined Mark Carney in declaring an end to the international rules that have governed the Western world since World War II, in a pivotal moment underscoring how middle powers such as Canada and Australia are dealing with the volatility of a second …

07-03-2026 BEIJING: China has cut its annual economic growth target to a range of 4.5%-5%, the lowest expansion goal since 1991 as it grapples with challenges both at home and abroad. It is the first time the target has been lowered since it was cut to “around 5%” in 2023. …

07-03-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: India is in talks with the United States to secure marine cover for vessels shipping oil from the Middle East, as New Delhi seeks to shield buyers from potential supply disruptions caused by the crisis in the Gulf, a ‌government official said on Thursday. “So …