At least seven killed, several injured in explosion at restaurant in Kabul
The explosion appeared to have hit a restaurant in the Shahr-e-Naw district of the Afghan capital. In the first few minutes after the blast, a police spokesman, Khalid Zadran, had identified the facility affected as a hotel
19 January,2026 09:20 PM IST | Kabul | APJapan’s first woman PM Takaichi dissolves Lower House paves way for snap polls
Addressing a press conference, Takaichi said she intends to seek a fresh mandate from voters and has staked her continuation as PM on the election outcome. According to senior leaders of the ruling parties, the polling is expected to be held on February 8
19 January,2026 06:28 PM IST | Tokyo | mid-day online correspondentChina records lowest birth rate in 2025 as population falls for 4th year: Report
China’s birth rate hit a record low of 5.63 per 1000 in 2025, with population declining by 3.39 million for the fourth consecutive year. Despite demographic challenges, the economy grew 5 percent, aided by a record 1.2 trillion dollar trade surplus, though growth slowed to 4.5 percent in Q4
19 January,2026 03:48 PM IST | Beijing (China) | ANIEU leaders vow to uphold Greenland’s sovereignty against US pressure
European leaders reaffirmed support for Denmark and Greenland’s sovereignty after US President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on European countries to push a Greenland deal, warning that the move risks straining transatlantic relations amid rising Arctic security concerns
19 January,2026 03:22 PM IST | Brussels (Belgium) | ANIGaza ‘Board of Peace': Countries must commit 1 bn dollars for permanent seat
According to officials from the United States (US), the initiative seeks to bring together a coalition of nations to work on peace-building efforts under a charter that emphasises stable governance and long-term peace in conflict-affected regions
19 January,2026 02:07 PM IST | Washington DC | mid-day online correspondentGreenland will be free of Russian threat, says US President Donald Trump
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Sunday (local time) spoke with Trump on the security situation in Greenland and the Arctic, amid Washington's threat to impose 10 per cent tariffs on Denmark and European Union countries
19 January,2026 12:42 PM IST | Washington DC | mid-day online correspondentUS-based rights group says it has verified 3,919 deaths in Iran protests
The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution
19 January,2026 11:08 AM IST | Dubai | APSpain train tragedy: 21 dead as derailed high-speed train hits oncoming service
The tail end of an evening train between Malaga and Madrid with some 300 passengers went off the rails near Cordoba at 7:45 pm local time and slammed into a train with some 200 passengers coming from Madrid to Huelva, another southern Spanish city, according to rail operator Adif
19 January,2026 11:00 AM IST | Barcelona | APChina meets 5 per cent growth target in 2025 as exports offset domestic slowdown
That was the slowest quarterly growth since late 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The economy, the world's second largest, grew at a 4.8 per cent annual pace in the previous quarter
19 January,2026 10:53 AM IST | Hong Kong | AP“I will return to Iran,” says exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi amid unrest
Pahlavi said a future democratic Iran would abandon its nuclear military ambitions, end support for terrorist groups, normalize relations with the United States, recognize Israel, and emerge as a stabilizing force in the Middle East and a reliable partner to the global community
19 January,2026 10:49 AM IST | Paris | ANIIn photos: High-speed trains collide in southern Spain, killing at least 21
19 January,2026 11:32 AM ISTDonald Trump invites PM Modi to Gaza Peace Board under new plan
US Ambassador Sergio Gor shared President Donald Trump’s letter inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the proposed Gaza Board of Peace, part of a new US-led plan to stabilise Gaza
19 January,2026 09:39 AM IST | New Delhi | ANITwo killed, dozens injured in Russian drone strikes across Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa regions were targeted in an assault involving more than 200 drones
19 January,2026 07:07 AM IST | Kyiv | AgenciesSailing robots collect data from inside Category 5 hurricane at sea
The C-Stars robots can operate in swarms and survive at sea for up to 100 days at a time; they are relatively cheap but smart enough to collect useful environmental data
19 January,2026 07:04 AM IST | London | AgenciesTrump’s grudge letter to Norway exposes Nobel Prize disappointment
An extraordinary letter from President Donald Trump to Norway’s prime minister has sparked fresh controversy after Trump linked his threats to seize control of Greenland to not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. In the letter, Trump said he no longer feels obligated to think “purely of peace,” signaling a sharper and more transactional approach to foreign policy.