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.

Captain of Iran’s women’s team withdraws Australia asylum bid: State media

The captain of the Iranian women’s football team has withdrawn her bid for asylum in Australia, Iran’s state media says, making her the fifth member of the delegation to change her mind after her team’s participation in the Asian Cup.

Oil prices keep rising as Trump seeks coalition to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Oil prices are continuing to rise as markets see no end in sight to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Netanyahu posts video in response to Iran rumours that he is dead

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video of himself getting a cup of coffee and chatting with his aide ​on Sunday, after rumours that he was dead or injured ‌were aired by Iranian state media and spread online in Iran.

Trump demands other countries help secure vital Strait of Hormuz as Iran vows defiance

President Donald Trump said on Sunday his administration is talking to seven countries about helping to secure the Strait of Hormuz ​amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, calling on them to help protect ships in the vital waterway that Tehran has mostly blocked to oil tanker traffic.

Inflation dims festive rush in Eid markets

During the last days of Ramazan, in the run-up to Eidul Fitr, markets across the country buzz with shoppers — especially women, children and young people — bargaining for festive wear and navigating packed lanes of discounts, bulging bags and brightly lit mehndi and bangle stalls.

Flights suspended at Dubai airport after fire

Flights have been temporarily suspended at Dubai’s international airport for safety reasons, the city’s aviation authority said on Monday (Mar 16), shortly after a drone incident sparked a fire nearby.

Trump says US may hit Iran’s Kharg Island again ‘just for fun’

US President Donald Trump threatened further strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island and urged allies to deploy warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway critical for global energy supplies, as Tehran promised to ⁠intensify its response.

Israel says it is planning at least three more weeks of military campaign in Iran

IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says the Israeli military has plans for at least three more weeks of operations in Iran, during which thousands of targets would be struck.

UK looking at all options to secure Strait of Hormuz, says Miliband

The UK is looking at ’’any options’’ - including working with the US and allies - to secure key oil shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, Ed Miliband has said.

China’s ban on fuel exports is deeply worrying for Australian air travellers

Australia’s vulnerability to liquid fuel shortages and price hikes has intensified amid reports China has told oil refiners to halt all fuel exports. This adds to continued global uncertainty about the duration of the Iran conflict and its impact upon oil supplies.

US, China economic chiefs to meet in Paris to clear path to Trump-Xi summit

Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials are set to launch a new round of talks in Paris on Sunday to iron out kinks in their trade truce and clear a ​smooth path for U.S. President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March.

Trump urges UK and other nations to send warships to Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump has urged the UK and other nations to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to help secure the key shipping route out of the Middle East.

Faith under siege: How forced conversions and marriages threaten minorities in Sindh

Forced conversion through marriage has emerged as one of Pakistan’s most entrenched yet least addressed human rights crises, unfolding largely beyond public scrutiny and disproportionately targeting girls from religious minority communities.

Iran confirms safe passage to Indian ships thorugh Strait of Hormuz

Amid the escalating war in West Asia, with crude prices on tenterhooks, Iran’s ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, on Friday (Mar 13) confirmed that Tehran will provide safe passage to vessels bound for India through the Strait of Hormuz, citing the long-standing friendship and shared interests between the two countries.

Trump threatens to hit Kharg Island oil network, Iran signals defiance

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to strike the oil infrastructure of Iran’s Kharg Island hub ​unless Tehran stopped attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a warning that could further roil markets coping with a historic supply disruption.

Iran warns UAE over US ‘hideouts’ after Kharg Island strike

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned the United Arab Emirates that locations used by the United States could become “legitimate targets” following US strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island.

North Korea fires ballistic missiles as US-South Korea hold military drills

North Korea has fired multiple ballistic missiles from its west coast as the United States and South Korean forces stage their annual military exercises, according to Japanese and South Korean defence forces.

US embassy in Iraq’s Baghdad hit in missiles attack, security sources say

The U.S. ​Embassy in ‌the Iraqi capital Baghdad ​was ​hit in a ⁠missiles ​attack, Iraqi ​security sources told Reuters on ​Saturday.

US offers up to $10m reward for information on Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

US State Dept website also lists four other officials, including the IRGC commander and secretary of defence council

US wiped out ‘every military target’ on Iran’s critical oil export hub Kharg Island, Trump says

President Donald Trump said Friday the US military had heavily bombed targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, which handles almost all of Iran’s crude exports, and he threatened to hit the island’s oil infrastructure.

Australian businessman found guilty of working for suspected Chinese spies

An Australian businessman has been found guilty of reckless foreign interference over his compilation of reports for two people who prosecutors said he should have suspected were Chinese spies.

Four killed after US refuelling plane crashes in Iraq, military says

Four of six crew aboard a US military refuelling aircraft have died after it crashed in Iraq, US Central Command (Centcom) says.