International

07-04-2026 NEW DELHI: In mid-20th Century Bengal in eastern India, some of the biggest female stars on stage were actually men. Foremost among them was Chapal Bhaduri better known as Chapal Rani, the reigning “queen” of jatra, a travelling theatre tradition that once drew vast, fervent crowds. Male actors playing …

07-04-2026 JAKARTA/ BEIRUT: Indonesia has received the bodies of three United Nations peacekeepers who were killed in southern Lebanon during Israel’s invasion of the country, amid the ongoing United States-Israel war on Iran. The coffins of the killed soldiers arrived in Indonesia on Saturday. They were carried on the shoulders …

07-04-2026 KINSHASA: At least 43 people have been killed in an attack by a rebel group linked to ISIL (ISIS) in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the army. Regional army spokesperson Lieutenant Jules Tshikudi Ngongo said on Thursday that at least “43 compatriots were killed and 44 …

07-04-2026 TEHRAN: Inside the sprawling Shahid Beheshti University in northern Tehran, a research centre lies in ruins after warplanes bombed it. The attack on Friday on the Laser and Plasma Research Institute of the elite higher education facility is part of a growing pattern of civilian sites targeted by the …

07-04-2026 PARIS: A major gathering of Muslims in northern Paris is going ahead as planned after a French court overturned a government bid to ban it. The Paris police department argued that the four-day Annual Encounter of Muslims of France was a security threat because it could be a target …

07-04-2026 WASHINGTON: Lawyers have estimated that as many as 75 women may have a stake in the $72.5m settlement reached with Bank of America over accusations related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. United States District Judge Jed Rakoff had called on the lawyers to compile a broad list of …

07-04-2026 TEHRAN: Iran says it has downed two US warplanes, with the first shot down in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, and the other crashing in the Gulf. Two of US crew members have been rescued and at least one is believed to be missing. Celebrations break out in Tehran as …

06-04-2026 LONDON: Police forces are being offered specialist support from a new national democracy protection unit to deal with the rising level of threats and abuse facing MPs. Police chief Chris Balmer has been tasked with leading the new initiative to help forces investigate and tackle “anti-democratic crimes”. Reports of …

06-04-2026 WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Army Chief of Staff Randy George to step down from his post, according to media. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement on social media that George “will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff …

06-04-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: Indians are bracing for summer, with temperatures expected to cross 45C in some parts of the country but the war with Iran is already putting India’s $6bn bottled water industry under strain as manufacturers struggle to access crucial raw materials. Last month, market leader Bisleri …