An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 struck off the northeastern coast of Japan on Monday afternoon, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. It warned of a tsunami as high as 3 metres (9.84 ft) in Iwate, Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures, reports Reuters. The tremor had an epicentre in t
Iran's foreign minister said on Friday that passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon. The passage of vessels through the strait will be on the coordi
Indian and Pakistani strategic experts, parliamentarians, and former diplomats have participated in at least four back-channel meetings since the high-intensity conflict in May 2025. The first of these engagements took place just two months after Operation Sindoor, according to the Hindustan Times
Arakan Army Commander-in-Chief Maj Gen Twan Mrat Naing has said they are expected to secure “final victory” in Rakhine State by 2027. He made the comments at an event marking the group’s 17th founding anniversary on Friday. Since late 2023, the Arakan Army has taken control of 1
Police lobbed tear gas shells and used "minimum force" on Monday to quell a factory workers' protest in the Indian national capital's suburb of Noida, which turned violent on its fourth day, with vehicles torched and stones pelted in parts of the satellite city. Noida is among the largest planned
Iran expects to restore most damaged refining and distribution facilities to 70–80 per cent of their pre-attack capacity within one to two months, a senior oil official said, as authorities work to recover from a wave of strikes on energy infrastructure. Deputy Minister of Oil Mohammad Sadeq
Saudi Arabia has restored full oil pumping capacity through the East-West pipeline to about seven million barrels per day, it said on Sunday, days after providing an assessment of damage on its energy sector from attacks during the Iran conflict. The ministry said energy facilities and the pipelin
South Korea's justice minister has pledged to expand access to judicial remedies for victims of state-led abuses, including foreign adoptees whose adoptions were marred by widespread fraud under previous military governments. Using unusually strong language for a senior South Korean official, Just
Pranay Kumar Verma, the Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, has been appointed as the country’s next ambassador to Belgium and the European Union. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs made the announcement in a press release on Friday. “He is expected to take up the assignment
Voting has begun across key Indian regions, with turnout gaining momentum in Assam while Kerala remains slightly behind in the current phase of elections. On Thursday, polling opened for high-stakes contests in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, setting the tone for a competitive electoral round. Th
In a significant recognition of international media leadership and South Asian representation in global governance, Raju Lama, International President of the SAARC Journalist Forum, will participate in the 25th Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) at th
India's sugar production is set to fall below consumption for a second straight year, as lower cane yields force mills to close faster than usual, trade officials told Reuters on Thursday. Lower output, coupled with rising exports, is likely to reduce domestic stockpiles and support local prices,
Myanmar's parliament will hold a bicameral vote to elect a president on Friday, house speaker Aung Lin Dwe said on Thursday, with the country's former military chief and junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in the running for the position. The 69-year-old general, who led a 2021 coup that ousted the democ
