Iran defence minister, Guards commander killed in Israeli attacks; Reuters

Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour are believed to have been killed in Israeli attacks, two sources familiar with Israel’s military operations and one regional source said.

Burj Khalifa evacuated as Israel-Iran conflict reaches Dubai’s doorstep

Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, was evacuated after explosions were heard across the city as Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes targeting US military locations across the Gulf following joint American and Israeli attacks on Tehran.

Israeli security source says will continue Iran strikes ’as long as we need’

An Israeli security source said that strikes on Iran would continue for ’’as long as we need’’, after the US and Israel began targeting military and ballistic missile sites in the Islamic republic on Saturday.

Explosions in Israel, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait

Explosions rocked northern Israel as the country worked to intercept incoming Iranian missiles shortly after it attacked Iran. The blasts echoed just after the Israeli military said it would be using its air defence systems to bring down the Iranian fire. There was no immediate word on any casualties or damage from the ongoing attack.

Actor-Politician Vijay’s wife files for divorce

Actor-politician Vijay’s wife Sangeetha Sornalingam has filed for divorce in a court in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu. Sangeetha wants the marriage dissolved.

Chelsea to face holders PSG in Champions League’s last 16

Chelsea will play holders Paris St-Germain in the Champions League round of 16 while Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the knockout stages for a fifth straight season.

Father of Hong Kong activist sentenced to eight months in prison

Kwok Yin-sang, the father of pro-democracy activist Anna Kwok, has been sentenced to eight months in prison by a Hong Kong court for a national security violation - the first involving a family member of a wanted activist abroad.

Pakistan PM says can ’crush’ aggressors after Afghan strikes

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday his country’s armed forces can ’’crush’’ aggressors, following air strikes on neighbouring Afghanistan.

Netflix drops bid for Warner Bros, clearing way for Paramount takeover

Netflix has backed away from its proposal to buy Warner Bros Discovery, clearing the way for Paramount Skydance to win a months-long battle for one of Hollywood’s most storied studios.

Pakistan strikes Afghan cities as cross-border attacks escalate

Pakistan launched strikes on the Afghan cities of Kabul and Kandahar in the early hours of Friday, according to Pakistani government officials.

Robot performance at China’s Spring Festival Gala triggers online backlash

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has long used the Spring Festival Gala as a cultural megaphone, projecting an image of technological prowess and national pride to both domestic and international audiences.

India’s top court bans textbook for referring to judicial corruption

India’s Supreme Court has banned a school textbook after a chapter in it made a reference to corruption in the judiciary.

India’s Modi tells Israel’s Knesset: ‘No cause justifies killing civilians’

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended Israel’s devastating war on Gaza, saying it stands by the country “with full conviction” – despite accusations of genocide against the Palestinian people.

PM Modi becomes first world leader to cross 100 million Instagram followers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday became the first world leader and politician to cross 100 million followers on Instagram, marking a new milestone in his global digital presence.

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai wins appeal against fraud conviction

Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy media tycoon, has won an appeal against a fraud conviction in 2022, which had seen him sentenced to nearly six years in jail.

Anthropic accuses China AI firms of model mining

Anthropic has accused three Chinese artificial intelligence companies of running coordinated, large-scale operations to steal capabilities from its Claude models. The U.S.-based company said DeepSeek, Moonshot AI and MiniMax are conducting ’’industrial-scale campaigns’’ executed through tens of thousands of fraudulent accounts.

Japan to deploy missiles on island near Taiwan by 2031

Japan plans to deploy surface-to-air missiles to its remote western island near Taiwan by March 2031, its defence minister said, as regional tensions simmer.

PM Modi’s Israel visit: Defence ties, free trade agreement on agenda

Israeli Ambassador Reuven Azar on Monday said that Israel is excited to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week, noting that the two nations will move forward decisively during his visit.

Probe underway after illness kills 72 tigers in Thai tourist park

Authorities in Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand, are investigating the deaths of dozens of tigers at a popular tourist attraction this month.

Court rejects appeal of 12 pro-democracy activists in ‘Hong Kong 47’ national security case

A court in Hong Kong dismissed all appeals by 12 pro-democracy activists after they were convicted in the city’s largest case brought under the national security law.

Ranchi-Delhi air ambulance with 7 on board crashes in Jharkhand’s Chatra

An air ambulance flight from Ranchi to Delhi crashed on Monday evening in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.

Trump renews attack on US Supreme Court, vows other tariffs, licenses

President Donald Trump renewed his condemnation of the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday after it ruled against his sweeping tariff program last week, vowing to turn to other tariff powers and licenses but giving no details.

UK government quietly updates passport rules for dual citizens — again

British and Irish dual nationals may be able to use their expired British passports, along with a valid second passport, to enter the United Kingdom under new temporary measures — but only at the discretion of airlines and other carriers.

18 people killed as bus falls into river in Nepal

At least 18 people were killed when a passenger bus fell into the Trishuli river near Gajuri in the Dhading district of Nepal early morning on Monday.

EU says it will accept no increase in US tariffs after Supreme Court ruling: ’a deal is a deal’

The European Commission demanded on Sunday that the United States stick to the terms of an EU-U.S. trade deal reached last year, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s global tariffs and he responded with new levies across the board.

India, Brazil sign mining pact as Modi targets $20 billion trade in five years

India moved to deepen trade ties with Brazil on Saturday, signing a pact to expand cooperation in mining and minerals as it seeks to meet rising domestic steel demand and support capacity expansion amid a global race for raw materials.

Tech giants commit billions to Indian AI as New Delhi pushes for superpower status

Tech giants have committed to funnelling hundreds of billions of dollars into Indian AI efforts, against the backdrop of a major summit in the country that’s brought together world leaders and AI execs.

New York, other states under state of emergency as snow falls amid blizzard warning

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts governors issued state of emergency orders and a halt to non-essential travel as a major storm was expected to bring up to 24 inches of snow and strong winds to the region.

KH x RK: Kamal Haasan and Rajnikanth collab’s ’first-ever’ promo ft. Nelson and Anirudh drops

In a move that has sent shockwaves through the global film fraternity, Red Giant Movies has officially released the title glimpse for the most anticipated collaboration in Indian history: KH x RK Reunion. The film brings together the ’’Ulaganayagan’’ Kamal Haasan and the ’’Superstar’’ Rajinikanth for a full-length feature, a feat that fans have been dreaming of for decades.

They did deals with Trump to get lower tariffs. Now they are stuck.

It started as a week of trade wins for President Trump. On Tuesday, Japan committed $36 billion in investments in the United States, and on Thursday, the president of Indonesia signed a deal in Washington to open up critical sectors of the country’s economy to American companies.