15 May 2026, 08:29 AM

Violent storm kills 104 in India’s Uttar Pradesh

A violent storm bringing rain and hail scythed across India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, killing more than 100 people, rescue officials said yesterday, as the chief minister ordered relief funds to be distributed within 24 hours.
15 May 2026, 00:00 AM

‘This is not a bulldozer state’

Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee swapped her signature white sari-and-shawl look for a black lawyer’s gown yesterday.
15 May 2026, 00:00 AM

US, China should not be rivals

Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday called for a “constructive, strategically stable relationship” with the United States during talks with US President Donald Trump in Beijing, while warning that mishandling Taiwan could lead to “clashes and even conflicts” between the two powers.
15 May 2026, 00:00 AM

Berlin launches trash-for-treats scheme

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and under a new scheme launched in Berlin on Wednesday, residents and visitors alike will be encouraged to collect rubbish in return for various rewards.
15 May 2026, 00:00 AM

New attacks reported on ships near Hormuz

US President Donald Trump discussed the Iran war with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing yesterday, as new attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz underscored the cost of a prolonged stalemate, with peace talks stalled.
15 May 2026, 00:00 AM

Iran war, oil dominate BRICS meet

BRICS nations, including Iran and Russia, met in New Delhi yesterday, where India warned of “considerable flux” in a world hit by conflict, economic uncertainty and energy insecurity.
15 May 2026, 00:00 AM

Boeing 737 crash: US jury awards $49.5m damages to victim’s family

A US jury awarded $49.5 million in damages on Wednesday to the family of a 24-year-old American who perished in a 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash.
15 May 2026, 00:00 AM

WHO confirms eight cases of Andes hantavirus in outbreak

Eight people infected in the hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship have tested positive for the Andes virus, the only strain transmitted between humans, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
15 May 2026, 00:00 AM

5 soldiers, 7 militants killed in Pak clashes

At least five soldiers and seven militants were killed in clashes in Pakistan’s turbulent south-western province of Balochistan, officials said yesterday.
15 May 2026, 00:00 AM

UK minister quits ahead of Starmer challenge

Britain’s health minister Wes Streeting yesterday announced that he had resigned, paving the way for him to launch a leadership challenge against embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
15 May 2026, 00:00 AM

Protests rock Havana amid power cuts

Protests broke out across the Cuban capital of Havana on Wednesday evening as the city confronted its worst rolling blackouts in decades amid a US blockade that has starved the island of fuel.
15 May 2026, 00:00 AM

Trump says Xi offered help to open Hormuz, vowed not to arm Iran

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said President Xi Jinping had offered China's help to open the Strait of Hormuz and pledged not to send military equipment to aid Iran
14 May 2026, 21:39 PM

Xi's 'blunt' warning to Trump on Taiwan exposes profound risks: analysts

'Taiwan question is the most important issue,' Xi made it clear to Trump
14 May 2026, 20:25 PM

Cuba ready to consider $100 mn US aid offer: minister

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio renewed an offer of $100mn aid
14 May 2026, 19:37 PM

Iran allows Chinese ships to pass Hormuz since Wednesday: Iranian media

Passage requested by Beijing began on Wednesday evening after an understanding on Iranian management protocols
14 May 2026, 19:30 PM

UK health minister Streeting resigns in new blow to PM Starmer

Wes Streeting announced Thursday that he has resigned as Britain's health minister, paving the way for a potential leadership challenge against embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer
14 May 2026, 18:24 PM

Trump says talks with Xi 'extremely positive and productive'

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that talks earlier with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had been "extremely positive" while addressing a banquet on the first full day of a closely watched summit in Beijing
14 May 2026, 17:38 PM

Violent storm tears through India's most populous state, killing over 100

At least 104 people died in about a dozen districts, the worst hit being the area around the Hindu pilgrimage city of Prayagraj, the office of the state's relief commissioner, Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod, told Reuters.
14 May 2026, 14:29 PM

Vessel off UAE coast 'taken', now bound for Iran waters: UK maritime agency

A ship off the UAE coast near the Strait of Hormuz has been taken by unknown people and is now headed towards Iranian territorial waters, a UK maritime agency said on Thursday.
14 May 2026, 13:32 PM