International

25-01-2026 WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump has drawn criticism from British politicians after claiming that NATO forces stayed away from the front line during the war in Afghanistan. The US president made the remarks in an interview with Fox News, a US broadcaster, where he again questioned the value …

25-01-2026 DAMASCUS: The Syrian government says it has taken over control of al-Aqtan prison, a facility in the northeastern city of Raqqa housing a number of ISIL (ISIS) detainees, following the withdrawal of Kurdish-led SDF fighters under a ceasefire agreement. The Interior Ministry said in a statement on Telegram on …

25-01-2026 Bureau Report + Agencies NEW DELHI/ PARIS: France’s Renault, opens new tab is banking on the cult following of its Duster SUV to help revive its Indian business, bringing back a nameplate that had better brand-recognition than the automaker itself before regulatory change led to its demise. The smallest …

25-01-2026 CANBERRA/ JERUSALEM/ GAZA STRIP: Three Australian and Palestinian legal groups have formally called on the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to investigate Israeli President Isaac Herzog for his role in alleged war crimes amid reports he will visit Australia early next month. The organizations said on Friday that they had …

25-01-2026 DAMASCUS: Damascus had breathed a sigh of relief when a ceasefire between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was announced on the night of January 18. Fireworks lit up the sky, car horns blared and Syrians gathered in Umayyad Square to dance in jubilation. The …

24-01-2026 TOKYO: Japan has suspended operations at the world’s largest nuclear power plant, hours after its restart, its operator has said. An alarm sounded “during reactor-start-up procedures” at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in Tokyo but the reactor remained “stable”, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) spokesperson Takashi Kobayashi said. Reactor number six restarted on …

24-01-2026 WELLINGTON: Two people have died and several are feared buried after landslides in New Zealand’s North Island. The deaths were reported at Welcome Bay, while rescue workers are still searching through rubble at a different site in a popular campground on Mount Maunganui. There are no “signs of life”, …

24-01-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: India will withdraw its diplomats’ families and dependents from Bangladesh in the face of security threats as tension rises ahead of a February 12 general election, an Indian official said on Wednesday. Campaigning begins on Thursday for Bangladesh’s election, which has sparked protests and counter-protests. …

24-01-2026 WASHINGTON/ DAMASCUS/ BAGHDAD: The United States has begun transferring detainees linked to ISIL (ISIS) from northeastern Syria to Iraq, as Syria’s army continues to take control of more territory previously held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The US military said in a statement on Wednesday that it …

24-01-2026 TEHRAN: Iranian state television has released the first official death toll from the recent antigovernment protests that engulfed the country, reporting that 3,117 people were killed during the crackdown. In a statement carried by Press TV on Wednesday, Iran’s Martyrs Foundation said that 2,427 of those killed in the …