BJP tightens grip in the east

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dominated national politics for years, but analysts say this week’s election victory in opposition-held West Bengal state could mark a watershed moment for his party’s Hindu nationalist agenda.
6 May 2026, 00:00 AM

‘Ceasefire still holds, but ready for combat’

US forces are ready to resume combat operations against Iran if ordered, Washington’s top military officer said yesterday, as the Pentagon threatened a “devastating” response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Hormuz strait.
6 May 2026, 00:00 AM

WHO says two hantavirus cases confirmed, five suspected on cruise ship

health agency launches contact tracing after infected passenger travelled to Johannesburg
5 May 2026, 16:07 PM

World leaders pressure Iran as ceasefire on brink

German, French, British leaders press Tehran to resume negotiations
5 May 2026, 12:24 PM

West Bengal Assembly polls: Full winners’ list by constituency

The overall winners’ list indicates a clear regional divide, with the BJP dominating large parts of the north, west and industrial belts, while the Trinamool Congress retained influence in select rural and minority-heavy constituencies.
5 May 2026, 10:32 AM

BJP’s Suvendu defeats Mamata in her own constituency

Exactly five years after handing Banerjee a bitter loss in Nandigram, Adhikari has repeated the feat, this time in her home turf.
5 May 2026, 09:29 AM

'Spreading like wildfire': Fiji grapples with soaring HIV cases

In the South Pacific nation -- a popular tourist destination of just under a million people -- there were over 2,000 new HIV cases recorded last year, a 26 percent increase from 2024
5 May 2026, 08:54 AM

Winners of 2026 Pulitzer Prizes

The Washington Post took home the prestigious award for public service for its reporting on the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk's sweeping cuts to federal agencies. The New York Times won three awards
5 May 2026, 08:50 AM

China fireworks factory explosion kills 21, injures 61

The explosion occurred at around 4:43 pm on Monday at the Liuyang Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company in Liuyang, Hunan province, state broadcaster CCTV said
5 May 2026, 08:47 AM

US intelligence indicates limited new damage to Iran's nuclear program, sources say

Iran would need around a year to build a weapon if leaders decided to pursue that path, sources say
5 May 2026, 08:37 AM

US-Iran ceasefire on brink as UAE reports attacks

The UAE, a close US ally and key Arab partner of Israel, said it came under a barrage of missiles and drones from Iran
5 May 2026, 08:31 AM

US sinks Iranian boats, intercepts missiles in Hormuz

Six Iranian fast boats destroyed; drones and cruise missiles intercepted
5 May 2026, 01:00 AM

Europeans ‘gotten Trump’s message’

Europeans have “heard” US President Donald Trump’s message of frustration over the Iran war and are “stepping up”, Nato chief Mark Rutte said yesterday after Washington announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany.
5 May 2026, 00:00 AM

How BJP won West Bengal

Seema Das, a househelp in New Delhi, took on a two-day journey to reach her village in India’s West Bengal state, changing trains to make sure she got home in time to vote in provincial elections.
5 May 2026, 00:00 AM

Tensions flare over Trump’s Hormuz plan

Tensions rose in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday as both the United States and Iran claimed attacks on vessels, with Donald Trump warning Iran that its forces would be “blown off the face of the earth” if they targeted US ships guiding vessels through the strait.
5 May 2026, 00:00 AM

Iran strikes ships in Hormuz, sets UAE port ablaze

Iran military tells US Navy to steer clear
4 May 2026, 23:35 PM

West Bengal delivers change, India’s political map recasts itself

State election results reflect a deeper transformation in voter sentiment – one rooted in expectations of governance, economic security and credibility
4 May 2026, 22:50 PM
4 May 2026, 22:41 PM

Dubai airport passenger traffic drops 66 percent over Mideast war

Traveller numbers at Dubai International, usually the world's busiest for international passenger traffic, sank to 2.5 million, down 66 percent year on year
4 May 2026, 14:48 PM

Pakistan facilitates return of Iranian crew from US-seized ship

The handover follows a tense maritime standoff in the Gulf of Oman, where US forces intercepted the Iranian-flagged vessel
4 May 2026, 14:43 PM