Polling opened at 7:00am across 152 constituencies, with voters queuing early at booths in both urban centres and rural districts.

The Pentagon announced his departure in a brief statement, saying he was leaving the administration "effective immediately." But it did not provide a reason or say whether it was his decision to go.

Investors have spent most of the week upbeat that a breakthrough to end the seven-week conflict will be made soon, while healthy earnings and a resumption of the AI trade has also provided support.

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said they forced two ships to the Iranian shore from the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow gateway for one-fifth of the world's oil.

Getting around without Google Maps. No longer scrolling Instagram at the bus stop. Ditching your headphones to hear the birds sing.

Nato chief Mark Rutte yesterday said the alliance would do “what’s necessary to defend” its members including Turkey after intercepting four missiles fired from Iran and heading into Turkish airspace over the past weeks.

The EU yesterday gave the green light to unblock a 90-billion-euro ($106 billion) loan for Kyiv, after the deadlock was broken in a months-long row between Ukraine and Hungary over a damaged pipeline.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday insisted he would not resign, claiming allegations of misleading MPs over his appointment of a party loyalist as UK envoy to Washington had been “put to bed”.

Nepal’s home minister stepped down yesterday over growing criticism of his finances, the second member of the cabinet to leave the new government just weeks after it was formed.

An Israeli strike killed two people in southern Lebanon yesterday, Lebanon’s state news agency reported, and Hezbollah said it launched an attack drone at Israeli forces in the south, further straining a ceasefire between the Iran-backed group and Israel.

At least 23 people, including three children, were killed Tuesday in three separate attacks blamed on jihadists and criminal gangs in northeastern and northwestern Nigeria, according to two security reports.

Uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz deepened yesterday after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized two container ships trying to cross, hours after US President Donald Trump unilaterally extended a ceasefire to allow more time for talks.

Iran and US remain divided on ceasefire, blockade, nuclear issues and control of strait

Increasing pressure on Baghdad to dismantle powerful Iranian-backed groups, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday

Defendants face charges linked to tens of thousands of crimes amid rights concerns over due process and emergency powers

Trump said in a statement on social media the US had agreed to a request by Pakistani mediators "to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal

Washington targets 14 entities aiding Iran’s weapons procurement

The two sides have offered different timelines for the expiration of the truce

President Donald Trump yesterday said that he did not want to extend a rapidly expiring ceasefire in the US-Israeli war on Iran and that the US military was “raring to go” if negotiations were not successful.

The Iranian embassy in Dhaka yesterday said it will continue its efforts to facilitate the safe passage of Bangladeshi vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and has also facilitated the safe evacuation of 186 Bangladeshi nationals from Iran via Azerbaijan.