US and Iran exchange fire, but Trump says ceasefire still in effect

Iran's military said the US targeted two ships entering the Strait of Hormuz and carried out strikes on Iranian territory. The US military said it fired in response to Iranian attacks.
8 May 2026

Trump gives EU until July 4 to ratify deal or face higher tariffs

President Donald Trump on Thursday urged the European Union to ratify its trade deal with the United States by July 4 or face "much higher" tariffs
8 May 2026

US and Iran explore short-term deal to end fighting

Tehran and Washington have scaled back ambitions for a sweeping settlement as differences persist
8 May 2026

Russia’s 2-day Ukraine truce to begin at midnight

The Kremlin yesterday said it would begin a two-day ceasefire with Ukraine starting at midnight that is meant to cover its patriotic May 9 parade, after ignoring a Ukrainian ceasefire earlier this week.
8 May 2026

US focuses on Europe, leftists

US President Donald Trump’s administration accused Europe of being an “incubator” for terrorism fueled by mass migration, in a new counterterrorism strategy unveiled on Wednesday.
8 May 2026

‘We will crush terror ecosystem’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday said India remains “steadfast as ever” in its determination to defeat terrorism and its “enabling ecosystem”, marking one year since a deadly clash with arch-enemy Pakistan.
8 May 2026

Britons set to punish Labour in local polls

Britons voted yesterday in local elections set to heap more pressure on beleaguered Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer and energise the rise of hard-right and left-wing populists.
8 May 2026

Israeli strike kills top Hamas official’s son in Gaza: hospital, Hamas

A Gaza hospital and Hamas yesterday said the son of the Palestinian Islamist movement’s chief negotiator had died from wounds sustained in an Israeli strike a day earlier.
8 May 2026

US awaits Iran’s response on peace deal offer

The United States was waiting yesterday for Iran to respond to its latest proposed deal to end the war in the Middle East and to reopen the key shipping lane out of the Gulf.
8 May 2026

Myanmar retakes control of trade route to China

Myanmar’s military yesterday claimed to have recaptured a key northern transport corridor towards China after a 15-month battle, touting a counterblow to rebels in the civil war.
8 May 2026

Mortar attack on Pak market kills six: police

Six people, including two children, were killed when mortar shells hit a market in a turbulent area of northwestern Pakistan, a police official said yesterday.
8 May 2026
7 May 2026

British Bangladeshi candidates emerge as a growing force in UK local elections

From East London strongholds to nationwide contests, the community’s political footprint expands across England
7 May 2026

Emirates Group annual profits up 3.0 pct despite Mideast war

The state-owned entity that owns Emirates, the world's biggest long-haul carrier, reported record pre-tax profits of $6.6 billion and record cash assets of $16.2 billion
7 May 2026

Plane believed carrying hantavirus-struck evacuee lands in Amsterdam: AFP

Of the two passengers who landed on Wednesday, one was taken to a hospital in Leiden, in the Netherlands, the other to Germany
7 May 2026

Iranian embassy denies armed forces struck South Korean ship in Hormuz

Panama-flagged HMM Namu, a cargo ship carrying 24 crew members, was struck on Monday
7 May 2026

New Trump counterterrorism strategy targets Europe, leftists

The strategy also focuses on rooting out "violent left-wing extremists" including "radically pro-transgender" groups, as Trump's conservative adminstration steps up its political attacks on opponents.
7 May 2026

Trump says Iran deal 'very possible' but threatens strikes if talks fail

Despite Trump's optimism, Iran has yet to respond to a new US proposal, with its chief negotiator warning that Washington was seeking to force the Islamic republic's "surrender."
7 May 2026

N Korea drops ‘unification’ from charter

North Korea has deleted all references to uniting with South Korea from its constitution, a document reviewed by AFP yesterday showed, underscoring Pyongyang’s push for a more hostile policy towards Seoul.
7 May 2026

G7 nations decry ‘economic coercion’ in swipe at China

The trade ministers of the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations yesterday criticised “economic coercion” by powers placing arbitrary restrictions on exports, particularly critical minerals, in a clear swipe at China.
7 May 2026