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04-05-2026 WASHINGTON: The past weeks have not been reassuring for those who thought Europe could navigate its tricky relationship with US President Donald Trump. Trump this week lashed out at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his criticism of the Iran war, calling him “totally ineffective,” and threatened to cut the …

04-05-2026 BEIJING: China will scrap tariffs for all African countries from Friday except Eswatini, which maintains ties with Taiwan. As of December 2024, China had already implemented a duty-free policy for 33 least-developed African nations. The policy now covers 53 countries, and will be in place until 30 April 2028. …

04-05-2026 OSLO: The interruption to supplies of fertilizer and its key ingredients due to the war in Iran could cost up to 10 billion meals a week globally and will hit poorest countries hardest, according to the boss of one of the world’s biggest fertilizer producers. Svein Tore Holsether, chief …

03-05-2026 NAYPYIDAW: The detained former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved to house arrest, the country’s state media has reported. The 80-year-old Nobel laureate has been held in detention probably in a military prison in the capital Nay Pyi Taw since she was removed from office in …

03-05-2026 MELBOURNE: Warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers. This article contains references to someone who has died. There has been violence outside an Australian hospital where a man suspected of murdering a five-year-old girl was being treated, as police said they were “coming for” anyone who may have …

03-05-2026 GAZA STRIP/ ATHENS: Israel has intercepted ‌aid ships bound for Gaza in international waters near Greece, flotilla organizers said on Thursday, decrying the move as an “escalation of Israel’s impunity”. The ships make up part of a second Global Sumud flotilla to try in recent months to break an …

03-05-2026 TEHRAN: Iran said on Thursday it would respond with “long and painful strikes” on US positions if Washington renewed attacks, and also reasserted its control over the Strait of Hormuz, complicating US plans for a coalition ‌to reopen the waterway. Two months into the US-Israeli war with Iran, the …

03-05-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies were projected to win two of four state elections, exit polls showed on Wednesday, projecting a surprise gain that would strengthen ‌the party’s dominance across the country. Modi’s BJP has won most state elections …

03-05-2026 BAMAKO: Mali’s capital city Bamako, a major West African hub and home to more than three million people, is under a partial blockade by Islamist militants, days after the country’s defence minister was assassinated there. “Our army isn’t capable of protecting us, how are we going to get back …

03-05-2026 BEIJING: China is set to ban the sale of drones in Beijing and introduce sweeping new restrictions requiring permits for all drone flights in the capital, under regulations taking effect on Friday. Under the new rules, drones and key components will be prohibited from being sold, rented, or brought …