International

29-01-2026 MELBOURNE/ SYDNEY: Firefighters in the Australian state of Victoria are battling at least six major fires as a record-breaking heatwave hits the country’s south-east. Two fires are currently burning at “emergency level” according to local broadcaster ABC News. Several communities have been issued emergency warnings to either evacuate, watch …

29-01-2026 WASHINGTON: A top US immigration official is expected to leave the US city of Minneapolis in what may mark a shift in the White House’s tone after the fatal shooting of a second US citizen by federal officers over the weekend. As Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and some …

29-01-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: India and the European Union have agreed on a huge trade deal creating a free trade zone of two ‌billion people, European Commission President Ursula ‍von der Leyen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have said. In a post on social media during her visit …

29-01-2026 ZURICH/ WASHINGTON: Former FIFA Chief Sepp Blatter has backed a proposed fan boycott of World Cup 2026 matches in the United States because of the conduct of President Donald Trump and his administration at home and abroad. Blatter is the latest international football figure to call into question the …

29-01-2026 TEHRAN/ WASHINGTON: Iran has escalated its rhetoric as the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group moves closer to regional waters, with IRGC affiliated media issuing a direct warning to Washington. The statement claimed Iran has the capability to sink the aircraft carrier using “advanced hypersonic missiles” in the event …

29-01-2026 UNITED NATIONS/ JUBA: The United Nations says it is gravely concerned after a senior military leader in South Sudan urged his troops to “spare no-one” including “children, the elderly, and civilians” when they are deployed to opposition-held areas of the country. “Inflammatory rhetoric calling for violence against civilians, including …

29-01-2026 WASHINGTON: President ⁠Donald Trump ​has revived the threat that the United States is ready to launch a military attack against Iran as he demanded that Tehran make a deal over its nuclear program. “A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and …

28-01-2026 BRUSSELS: The European Commission has launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s X over concerns its AI tool Grok was used to create sexualized images of real people. It follows a similar announcement in January from the UK watchdog Ofcom. If the site is found to have breached the rules …

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 …