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26-05-2025 Bureau Report NEW DELHI/ MUMBAI: Monsoon rains hit the coast of India’s southernmost state of Kerala on Saturday, eight days earlier than usual, marking the earliest arrival in 16 years and providing the promise of a bumper harvest and relief from a grueling heatwave. The monsoon, the lifeblood of …

26-05-2025 PARIS: A power cut in southern France caused by suspected sabotage has disrupted screenings on the final day of the Cannes Film Festival. About 160,000 homes in the city of Cannes and surrounding areas lost power early on Saturday, before supply was restored in the afternoon. Officials said an …

26-05-2025 ZURICH, SWITZERLAND: Cristiano Ronaldo is in “discussions” to play at FIFA’s inaugural Club World Cup this summer, according to the president of the sport’s global governing body. Gianni Infantino says the former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward might play in the tournament, which is being staged in the …

26-05-2025 PARIS: An Iranian thriller film that explores corruption and state violence in the country has won the Palme d’Or, the coveted top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It Was Just an Accident, directed by dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, was crowned at the world-famous festival on Saturday, hours …

25-05-2025 BRUSSELS: The European Union has said it will defend its interests after United States President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50-percent tariff on all goods from the 27-member bloc. The EU’s top trade official, Maros Sefcovic, said in a post on X that he spoke on Friday with …

25-05-2025 DHAKA: On the surface, it was a routine closed-door meeting between Bangladesh’s interim leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and the chiefs of the country’s three armed forces, to discuss law and order but the May 20 meeting came amid what multiple officials familiar with the internal workings of …

25-05-2025 ISTANBUL/ DAMASCUS: Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other top officials in Istanbul as Western sanctions on Syria are lifted. The two leaders were pictured by Turkiye’s state media shaking hands after an official reception and joining for a meeting at the …

25-05-2025 ISLAMABAD/ KABUL/ BEIJING: As Pakistan remained embroiled in a war of words with its archrival India, following a dramatic exchange of missiles and drones nearly two weeks ago, it this week advanced diplomatic efforts with two other neighbors: China and Afghanistan, which could lead to the formal resumption of …

25-05-2025 DHAKA/ NAYPYIDAW: At least 427 Rohingya, Myanmar’s Muslim minority, may have perished at sea in two shipwrecks on May 9 and 10, the United Nations said, in what would be another deadly incident for the persecuted group. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement on …

25-05-2025 PARIS: French police were investigating a possible arson attack as being the main cause for a power outage which hit the Alpes-Maritimes region in southern France, including Cannes which is hosting its world-famous annual film festival. “We are looking into the likelihood of a fire being started deliberately,” a …