International

29-06-2026 DUBAI: The price of oil has fallen to levels not seen since before the Iran war as traffic through the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route gradually resumes. Global benchmark Brent crude briefly fell below $72.48 (£55) a barrel, the price it was at the day before the US …

29-06-2026 LONDON: The British maritime security agency UKMTO reported on Thursday that a ship had been struck 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman’s port of Dahit by “an unknown projectile”. No casualties were reported. Maritime risk management firm Vanguard said the ship, Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely, continued through strait despite the …

29-06-2026 CARACAS: Rescuers are searching through rubble in a rush to save lives after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela near the capital, killing at least 235 people and injuring more than 1,500. In Caracas and the nearby coastal city of La Guaira, people could be heard calling for help from …

29-06-2026 PARIS: A group of women, who have alleged sexual assault or rape in France, are calling for the abolition of the statute of limitations which they say has prevented them seeking justice in criminal proceedings. It is the first time more than 50 women alleging sexual assault and rape …

28-06-2026 TEHRAN/ WASHINGTON: The US has conducted new strikes on Iran, following a drone attack on a Panama-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. US Central Command (Centcom) said it hit multiple targets across Iran in direct response to “continued aggression” against commercial shipping. In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic …

28-06-2026 WASHINGTON: The White House has asked lawmakers to approve $87.6bn (£66.5bn), mostly for “urgent needs” connected with the US war on Iran, a day after Congress passed a resolution rebuking the military action. The bulk of the funding, $67bn is for the Defence Department, including $21bn for munitions, $17.3bn …

28-06-2026 By SJA Jafri + Agencies QUETTA/ KARACHI: When Dr Mahrang Baloch was a teenager, she joined hundreds of families across Pakistan’s south-western province of Balochistan to search for her father, who was allegedly arrested by security forces and later killed. Years on, the doctor-turned-activist became one of the most …

28-06-2026 MADRID/ PARIS/ LONDON: A heatwave gripping western Europe has led to a series of unprecedented temperature highs, with France experiencing its hottest day ever, the UK seeing record heat for June and Spain reaching its highest daily average since 1950. Tens of millions of people are grappling with punishing …

28-06-2026 BEIJING: China has displaced the United States on an influential ranking of the world’s fastest supercomputers, underscoring Beijing’s growing capability to compete with the world’s leading superpower in cutting-edge technology. China’s LineShine is the most powerful system on the planet, overtaking the US-based El Capitan, according to the biannual …

28-06-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: India is drawing up plans to prepare for weaker-than-usual monsoon rains and the likely impact on crops in the world’s most populous nation. The monsoon season has so far brought rains about 43 percent below average and India’s Meteorological Department has forecast continued weak precipitation …