US objectives in Iran have not changed, Hegseth says

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that ​the United States’ objectives in the ‌war against Iran have not changed since strikes started on February 28.

Japan PM to hold ’difficult’ talks with Trump as Iran conflict looms large

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is on her way to what she expects will be a ’’very difficult’’ meeting with US leader Donald Trump, days after his calls for allies to help secure the war-stricken Strait of Hormuz went largely unanswered.

Tehran intensifies strikes on gulf energy facilities after Israel hits Iranian gas field

Iran intensified its attacks on its Gulf Arab neighbors’ energy infrastructure Thursday, setting Qatari liquified natural gas facilities ablaze as it hit back following an Israeli attack on its main natural gas field, a major escalation in the Mideast war that has sent global fuel prices soaring.

India approves US$3.6 billion to develop industrial parks to boost manufacturing

India’s Cabinet approved spending US$3.63 billion to develop 100 industrial parks, information minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday (Mar 18), in a move aimed at boosting the country’s domestic manufacturing capabilities.

Pentagon wants $200 billion for Iran war. It’s nearly 50% of Tehran’s GDP

The Pentagon is reportedly seeking over $200 billion from the US Congress to fund President Donald Trump’s war of choice in Iran. If approved, the war funds will boost the US military campaign that began on February 28 and ramp up the production of weapons used during the conflict, according to a report by The Washington Post.

US intelligence chief says Iran’s regime ’intact’ but ’degraded’

The top intelligence official in the US said on Wednesday that the Iranian regime was ’’intact’’ but ’’largely degraded’’.

Labubu movie in the works as viral toys attempt film crossover

The hugely popular Labubu dolls will soon star in their own feature film, Chinese toy company Pop Mart and Sony Pictures have announced.

Iranian footballers return home after dropping Australian asylum bids

Five members of Iran’s national women’s football team who dropped their bids for Australian asylum have returned to the country with the rest of the squad.

Russia says ready to mediate in Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict if both sides request

Russia said that it is ready to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan amid border tensions if both sides make such a request to Moscow.

Ukraine faces missile shortage due to Middle East war, says Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine will face a deficit of missiles it is using to fight Russia due to the war in the Middle East.

Israeli media claim Iran’s intelligence minister targeted in attack on Tehran

Israel’s Channel 12 is reporting Israeli air strikes have targeted Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib.

Iran strikes Tel Aviv with cluster warheads in retaliation for killing of security chief

A defiant Iran said Israel’s killing of security chief Ali Larijani and other key officials would not hinder its operations with replacements swiftly appointed, as Israel launched a swathe of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Philippines rejects Beijing’s claim to sovereignty over entire South China Sea

The Philippines said on Monday it rejected Beijing’s assertion of sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, ​disputing a claim by China’s embassy that a Filipino diplomat had once conceded the ‌disputed Scarborough Shoal was not part of Philippine territory.

Pakistan strikes hit drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, Taliban says

A Pakistani airstrike hit a drug ​rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, killing or ‌wounding an unspecified number of people, an Afghan Taliban spokesperson said on Monday, an action that Pakistan ​rejected, saying it had targeted ’’military installations’’.

Iran allowing more ships through Strait of Hormuz, data suggest

Iran is allowing a small but growing number of commercial ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship tracking data.

The Pakistan-China drone nexus and the cost of strategic dependency

In October 2018, the Pakistan Air Force’s aerobatic display team, the Sherdils, announced via a social media post that Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group, a unit of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, had agreed to jointly produce 48 Wing Loong II unmanned aerial vehicles.

Israel says it has killed Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has been according to Israel’s Defence Minister Katz. Iran has not commented on the claim.

Iran renews attacks on US Gulf allies, Trump says that was not expected

Iran launched fresh attacks ​on the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, the kind of strikes on U.S. Gulf allies that President Donald Trump said had not been expected, but which sources said he had been warned about before the ‌conflict.

How India’s waking up to coffees that can beat climate change

In the traditional coffee belts of Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan in Karnataka, planters say the farming calendar no longer follows memory. Jacob Mammen, managing director of Badra Estates, says climate change is already affecting the cultivation of traditional coffee varieties such as Arabica and Robusta.

Trump seeks to delay meeting with Xi in China

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is planning to delay a high stakes visit to China later in March by about a month because of the Iran war.

Teens sue Musk’s xAI over Grok’s pornographic images of them

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company is facing a lawsuit from teenagers who say the company facilitated child pornography by allowing the creation of sexually explicit images of them.

Iran Navy Chief warns of “deadly retaliation” after sailors killed off Sri Lanka

The commander of the Iranian Navy has issued a stern warning following a fatal incident in the Indian Ocean, stating that the nation’s adversaries will encounter ’’deadly retaliation’’ after several sailors were killed off the coast of Sri Lanka, according to Iranian state broadcaster Press TV.

China’s push into Humanoid robotics accelerates

Humanoid robots have often been viewed as novelties, be it mechanical performers dancing at the 2026 Spring Festival Gala in Beijing, or sparring for applause at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Drones, rockets fired at US embassy in Baghdad, security sources say

Rockets and at least five drones were ​launched at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad ‌early on Tuesday from areas around the city, Iraqi security sources said, describing the attack as the most intense since ​the start of the U.S.-Israel war with ​Iran.

Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of killing 400 in attack on Kabul hospital

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan’s military of launching an air strike on a hospital treating drug users in the capital, Kabul, killing at least 400 people.

China’s expanding military purges raise concern for regional stability

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping’s yearslong purge of senior military and defense officials is broader than previously understood, affecting key leadership across multiple branches of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ ChinaPower Project.

Qatar Airways announces ‘limited’ flights to and from Doha

Qatar Airways has announced a limited flight schedule to and from the Qatari capital, Doha, as the US-Israeli war on Iran roils air travel in the region.

Dubai airport resumes some flights after drone attack caused fuel tank blaze

Dubai’s ​international airport was gradually resuming flights on Monday after a fuel tank fire caused by a drone attack forced ‌a temporary suspension, spotlighting the challenge for regional carriers grappling with the Middle East crisis.

India hopeful Iran talks will ease Hormuz route for its ships

Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has said he is hopeful that talks with Iran are beginning to ease shipping disruptions for the country’s vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Indian diplomacy beats warships in opening Strait of Hormuz amid Iran tensions

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says diplomacy, not warships, may be the most effective way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after direct talks with Iran allowed two Indian gas tankers to pass safely through the crucial waterway.