International

01-06-2026 ROME: Historic messages and documents obscured by incomprehensible ciphers can be found in libraries and archives all over the world. Artificial intelligence is helping historians crack open these mysterious texts. Deep in the archives of the Vatican library, a mysterious hand-written book, scrawled with strange symbols, had lain unread …

01-06-2026 You may find some of the details of Messina Denaro’s crimes disturbing ROME: Anti-mafia investigators in Italy have seized cash, companies and other assets worth more than €200m (£175m) in an operation they say targeted the network of notorious late Sicilian mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro. The funds, described …

01-06-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: On a scorching afternoon in one of Delhi’s busiest markets, two different worlds exist side by side. One is inside brightly-lit, air-conditioned showrooms, where customers move slowly between racks of clothes, escaping the worst of the summer heat. The other is outside, under a blazing …

01-06-2026 JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to increase control of Gaza to 70%. Speaking at a conference on Thursday, he said: “We are currently squeezing Hamas; we now control 60% of the territory of the Strip, you know this. We …

01-06-2026 DUBLIN: Republic of Ireland midfielder ‌Jamie McGrath has warned that the controversy surrounding Nations League games against Israel could intensify after their friendly win over Qatar in ⁠Dublin was disrupted by pro-Palestinian protests. Ireland are set to host Israel at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on October 4, ⁠while a September …

01-06-2026 BRUSSELS: Romania and its NATO allies have reacted angrily after a Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest on Friday labelled the crash of the drone, part of an overnight attack aimed at Ukraine, a serious …

31-05-2026 ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST: Morocco has ranked first in Africa’s industrialization index for the first time, overtaking South Africa, which had held the top position since 2010, according to a new report by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The bank’s 2025 Africa Industrialization Index ranked Morocco at 0.8415 points, narrowly …

31-05-2026 DHAKA: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports that Bangladesh has requested a new assistance program as it struggles with the economic fallout of the United States-Israel war on Iran. We take a look at what assistance Bangladesh has sought, the South Asian country’s history with the IMF and how …

31-05-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: India’s interior minister has ordered the demolition of buildings along the border with Pakistan, as well as actions to combat a variety of “trans-border crimes”. Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Wednesday that buildings deemed “illegal” would be destroyed. In a statement, he explained that …

31-05-2026 GENEVA: A record-breaking hot year is almost certain by 2030 as the climate crisis intensifies, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization has warned. With an El Nino event expected later this year, the global temperature record could fall as soon as 2027. Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are continuing …