. The raid signals the interim government’s push to eliminate ISIL and reclaim contested areas. PHOTO: REUTERS DAMASCUS: Syria said Thursday a suicide bomber who killed a security forces member in Aleppo on New Year’s Eve was in the Islamic State group, which planned attacks on churches and gatherings. IS recently increased its attacks in … Read more

Netflix’s flagship sci-fi drama closed out its final season to such extraordinary demand that the streaming platform briefly crashed, as millions of viewers rushed to watch the long-awaited finale when it premiered on New Year’s Eve. The concluding episode went live at 5pm Pacific Time and was followed almost immediately by reports from subscribers who … Read more

. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his daughter Kim Ju Ae (C) and wife Ri Sol Ju (L) watching a New Year’s celebration performance at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang. Photo: AFP SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised his troops fighting abroad as forging an “invincible alliance” with Russia in … Read more

. People walk past closed shops, following protests over a plunge in the currency’s value, in the Tehran Grand Bazaar. Photo: Reuters (file) TEHRAN: Protesters and security forces clashed in three Iranian cities on Thursday, with six people reported killed, the first deaths since the cost-of-living demonstrations broke out. The protests began on Sunday in … Read more

Mahira Khan. Photo: Screengrab/CNN Screen icon Mahira Khan has reflected on her long-running creative bond with Fawad Khan, calling their partnership a mix of respect, craft and quiet friendship as she looked back on what she described as an “amazing” and “wholesome” 2025 during a New Year appearance on CNN. The ‘Humsafar’ star, who also … Read more

. Russia blames Ukraine for deadly New York drone attack. Photo: AFP MOSCOW: Russia on Thursday said Kyiv was behind a drone strike on a hotel in the Moscow-held part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region that killed at least 20 people celebrating the New Year, accusing it of “torpedoing” peace attempts. The accusation came at … Read more

[ Experts allege Indus Waters Treaty violations after Chenab flows drop; farmers warn of crop losses ISLAMABAD: Following Pakistan’s victory over India in a short-term war, India has launched what experts describe as a “water war” against Pakistan by releasing and storing water in its dams in a manner that has damaged Pakistani crops. Experts … Read more