A devastating market fire in Paniai, located in Indonesia’s Central Papua province, has killed 11 people, including six children, and destroyed at least 40 kiosks and houses. The blaze broke out shortly after midnight on Monday, sweeping rapidly through tightly packed shophouses and market stalls. Police spokesman Henry J Manurung said the fire burned for […]
Gulf states are reassessing one of their core foreign‑policy assumptions — that a close strategic partnership with the United States guarantees regional stability. The ongoing Iran war has shaken that belief, prompting governments across the region to explore multiple security partnerships and greater self‑sufficiency. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al‑Ansari said the conflict has shown
US Navy SEALs secretly spent four months clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes, according to a report cited by The Financial Times. The covert operation took place amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, with both sides exchanging strikes across West Asia. Intelligence
Economist Jim O’Neill, who coined the term “BRIC” in 2001, says the future of BRICS — and the global economic order — will depend heavily on how India and China manage their relationship. In an interview, O’Neill noted that both countries have outperformed his original projections, showing stronger accumulated growth over the past 25 years
Tripura’s ruling BJP will contest this month’s Village Committee elections in formal alliance with TIPRA Motha and the IPFT, Chief Minister Manik Saha confirmed Saturday, following a 90-minute meeting at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence that also included TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma. The announcement papers over what had been, until this weekend,
GST 2.0 is approaching its first anniversary. The reform, effective September 22, 2025, collapsed India’s four-slab tax structure into essentially two working rates — 5 percent and 18 percent — plus a narrow 40 percent band for luxury and sin goods, moving most everyday items, from packaged food to household appliances, into lower brackets than
President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States would cut its reciprocal tariff on Indian goods from 25 percent to 18 percent, rescinding an additional 25 percent punitive duty imposed over India’s Russian oil purchases, was met in New Delhi with visible relief. Prime Minister Modi called it a “wonderful announcement” and thanked Trump “on
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unveiled the country’s newest 5,000‑ton‑class destroyer, declaring it will form a key component of Pyongyang’s state nuclear response system. According to state media KCNA, Kim said the vessel has the potential to deliver “annihilating retaliatory strikes”, though he did not specify whether it will carry nuclear weapons. Kim
Chinese rescue teams have recovered 12 additional bodies from the devastating tsunami‑like mudslide that destroyed the Gyirong border crossing between China and Nepal, as search operations continue for hundreds still missing. The disaster was triggered on 26 August, when a glacier collapsed on the Nepal side, unleashing a massive surge of water, mud, and debris
AGARTALA: Political activity has intensified ahead of the upcoming Village Committee (VC) elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), with former Chief Minister and CPI(M) leader Manik Sarkar reacting to the polls. The elections, due to be held after a long gap in ADC areas, are being viewed as significant, with political
