The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is sweeping votes in the state of West Bengal, where senior leaders have been campaigning extensively in for weeks.

Global brands such as Cartier, Omega and Rolex – once considered out of reach for many Indian consumers – are now seeing growing traction in the market.

The return of the crew was coordinated with Washington and Tehran, according to Pakistan's foreign ministry.

Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said defence cooperation with Indonesia would make a "contribution to peace and stability ... for the region as a whole" amid "an increasingly complex and tense international situation".

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi spoke after an agreement with Australia to deepen cooperation on energy and critical minerals.

Rising fuel subsidies and global supply disruptions are pushing the country to accelerate biodiesel adoption. 

Investors were also cheered by news that Iran had submitted fresh proposals to end its war with the United States.

After nearly four years of bilateral tensions, Beijing and Manila have signalled an intent to improve ties, but analysts say domestic and geopolitical pressures could limit how long the thaw lasts.

The US President returned the number of American troops stationed in Germany to pre-Ukraine War levels.

Barisan Nasional (BN)'s chairman and UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi however adds that there would still be a need to reach some understanding with other political blocs.

Washington has accused Pyongyang of ramping up a cyber-warfare program responsible for the theft of billions of dollars in virtual assets in recent years.

United States President Donald Trump says his upcoming visit will be an “amazing event”, while Chinese observers say both sides need to prioritise risk management in the face of rising uncertainty worldwide.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met delegates to the ruling party's youth league congress in Pyongyang, a once-in-five-years political gathering aimed at mobilising citizens aged roughly 14 to 30. 

The suckermouth catfish originating from South America is swarming waterways in parts of Southeast Asia.