world

Canberra: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tied the knot with Jodie Hayden in a private ceremony at The Lodge, his official residence in Canberra. At 62, Albanese became the first Australian Prime Minister to marry while in office. This is his second marriage, following his divorce from former NSW politician Carmel Tebbutt in 2019. Albanese has a son, Nathan, from his first marriage. Albanese had proposed to Hayden on Valentine’s Day last year, and their wedding had been widely anticipated ever since. Several key members of his cabinet attended the ceremony, including Jim Chalmers, Penny Wong, Katy Gallagher, Richard Marles, and actor Rice Muldoon. Hayden’s 5-year-old niece Ella and her brother Patrick also served as witnesses. The couple has received congratulations from acro...

Colombo: Cyclone Ditwah has unleashed massive destruction across Sri Lanka, leaving at least 123 people dead and around 130 still missing, according to government officials on Saturday. The toll is expected to rise as rescue teams have not yet been able to reach several devastated regions. The cyclone-triggered flash floods and landslides have displaced more than 44,000 people, who have now been shifted to temporary shelters set up across the country. Sri Lanka has been grappling with severe weather for over a week, but conditions deteriorated dramatically on Thursday and Friday as Ditwah intensified, inundating residential regions and triggering landslides in hill districts. Officials estimate property damage worth billions of rupees, with many homes, roads, bridges, and public faci...

Dhaka: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia continues to remain in a critical and fragile medical condition, a day after she was admitted to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. Senior leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) confirmed that a special medical team is closely monitoring her health round the clock, while prayers are being offered across the country for her swift recovery. According to BNP officials, Nobel laureate and Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus had sent his legal adviser Asif Nazrul and special aide Monir Haider to the hospital on Friday night to review the condition of the BNP chairperson. After returning, Nazrul wrote in a late-night Facebook post around 1 a.m., “I visited Evercare Hospital and have just returned. Begum Khaleda Zia’s physical conditio...

The United States has announced an immediate suspension of visa issuance for all individuals traveling on Afghan passports, following a deadly shooting targeting two National Guard members. In a parallel move, the Trump administration has also halted all asylum application decisions until further notice—marking one of the toughest immigration measures in recent years. Visa Freeze Announced After Attack on National Guard On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed through a post on X that visas for Afghan passport holders had been stopped without delay.“There is no priority greater than the safety of our nation and our people,” Rubio wrote, underlining the seriousness of the government’s response. The decision comes just days after two National Guard members were shot ...

Kathmandu: Nepal’s central bank has released a new 100-rupee currency note featuring a revised national map that includes the disputed Indian territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura. The move is likely to escalate tensions between India and Nepal, as these areas have long been recognized as part of India. According to the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the map had previously appeared on older notes, but the government recently revised it specifically for the 100-rupee denomination. Other denominations, including 10, 50, and 500 rupees, do not feature the new map. The new 100-rupee note prominently displays Mount Everest on the left, Nepal’s national flower, the rhododendron, as a watermark on the right, and a light green map of Nepal in the background. The Ashoka Pillar, indica...

Kabul: Afghanistan has sent a strong message to Pakistan, asserting its sovereignty after finalizing a major medicine supply deal with India. Taliban Health Minister Noor Jalal stated that Afghanistan is not beholden to any country and will no longer tolerate external interference. Following disruptions in trade with Pakistan, Afghanistan faced a severe shortage of medicines. Pakistan had reportedly used medical supplies as leverage to pressure the Taliban government. In response, Afghanistan signed a $100 million agreement with Indian pharmaceutical companies to import essential medicines. Minister Jalal emphasized that this partnership ensures the country’s health needs will be met and strengthens ties with international partners. Speaking after inaugurating a 200-bed hospital in K...

Ankara: Turkey has once again drawn attention to the Kashmir issue, signaling its continued support for Pakistan on the global stage. This time, the remarks came not on an international forum but within Turkey’s own Parliament, highlighting Ankara’s ongoing alignment with Islamabad. During a budget session for the Foreign Ministry, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan referenced Kashmir while presenting the 2026 budget to the Planning and Budget Committee. Speaking on South Asian disputes, Fidan emphasized that the Kashmir conflict should be resolved through dialogue and in accordance with international law. “Our stance remains firm that bilateral disputes, especially over Kashmir, must be addressed through negotiation guided by international law,” Fidan said. “We observed in May tha...

Kyiv: The skies over Ukraine have become a battlefield for air supremacy, with Russian Su-35 fighter jets clashing against French-made Mirage 2000 aircraft. Both sides are releasing videos to demonstrate their aerial dominance, reflecting the ongoing struggle for control in the region. Russian state-owned company Rostec claimed that its Su-35S jets forced Western F-16s and Mirage 2000s into low-altitude maneuvers, while targeting enemy positions from hundreds of kilometers away. According to Rostec CEO, the Su-35’s advanced Irbis-E radar can detect targets up to 400 km away, and long-range missiles like R-77 and R-37M enhance its strike precision. Russia has reportedly lost around eight Su-35 jets in the conflict so far. Meanwhile, Ukraine has highlighted the performance of its Mirag...

Washington D.C.: U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a permanent ban on migration from what he referred to as “third world” countries, alongside plans to review pathways to citizenship. The decision comes amid rising public anger after a shooting targeting two National Guard members in Washington D.C. The alleged shooter, an Afghan national, had arrived in the United States under a resettlement program for people who assisted U.S. forces during the Afghanistan withdrawal. The incident has sparked a broader debate over immigration policies and national security. Speaking on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated: “I will permanently halt migration from third world countries to fix the American system. I will end the millions of illegal admissions under Biden, including those he...

Islamabad: Concerns over former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s health are growing amid mounting rumors of mistreatment in custody. According to PTI sources, Khan has been allegedly assaulted in Adiala Jail and is being kept in isolation, denied access to family members and legal teams for several weeks. Reports indicate that Khan has been subjected to prolonged detention inside the jail, with his sisters repeatedly blocked from visiting him. Alima Khan, Imran Khan’s sister, questioned the authorities about this restriction and warned that the Pakistani public may soon protest against the ill-treatment of their former PM. Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohel Afridi staged a sit-in outside the jail to demand Khan’s access to his...