In a dramatic turn of events yesterday, the Islamic Republic of Iran signalled its willingness to pursue a ceasefire in its ongoing war with Israel, even as heavy Israeli air raids continued to pound critical targets in and around Tehran, including the headquarters of Iran’s state television. Witnesses described a deafening explosion followed by chaos in surrounding neighborhoods. ‘All we …

Grieving families were due to hold funerals in India on Sunday for their relatives who were among at least 279 killed in one of the world’s worst plane crashes in decades. Health officials have begun handing over the first passenger bodies identified through DNA testing, delivering them in white coffins in the western city of Ahmedabad. ‘My heart is very …

Former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has been stripped of his Legion of Honour — the country’s highest distinction — following a conviction for graft, according to a decree published on Sunday. The right-wing ex-president ruled France from 2007-2012 and has been beset by legal problems since leaving office following a bruising presidential election defeat. An appeals court last year upheld …

World leaders on Friday raised the alarm over a looming regional crisis after Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iran, killing top military commanders. The attacks have escalated long-standing hostilities between the two countries. Among those killed in the early morning strikes were Iran’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein …

Britain’s unemployment rate has risen to its highest point in nearly four years, reaching 4.6 per cent in the three months leading up to April, according to data released on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics. The increase from 4.5 per cent in the first quarter of the year reflects growing pressure on businesses amid a combination of domestic …

A sweeping new travel ban introduced by United States (US) President Donald Trump came into effect at midnight on Monday, blocking entry into the United States for citizens of 12 countries and reviving a controversial policy from his first term, BBC reported. The measure, which the administration says is part of an intensified immigration crackdown, halts travel from nations including …

Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 13 Palestinians on Saturday, six of them in a shooting incident near a US-backed aid distribution centre in the territory’s south. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that at around 7:00 am (0400 GMT), ‘six people were killed and several others wounded by the forces of the Israeli occupation …

Zambia on Saturday has declared seven days of national mourning in honour of the country’s former President, Edgar Lungu, who died in South Africa on Thursday, the government said. Lungu, who died at the age of 68, ruled the large but sparsely populated southern African nation from January 2015 until August 2021, when he lost to current President Hakainde Hichilema. …

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Mali have released an official communiqué alleging the involvement of external actors — specifically Ukrainian operatives — in supporting terrorist activities within Malian territory and across the broader Sahel region. According to the communiqué, signed by the Mali’s Chief of Armed Forces, Major General Oumar Diarra, findings from a recent investigation conducted by …

United States Senator, Jim Banks, on Wednesday, introduced a new legislative proposal that would classify visa overstays as a federal offence, carrying penalties similar to those imposed on illegal border crossings. The bill, titled the Visa Overstay Penalties Act, aims to bolster national security by imposing harsher consequences for individuals who remain in the country beyond the validity of their …