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KUALA LUMPUR: The Iranian men’s football team is still planning to play in the upcoming World Cup in North America, Asian football officials said Monday, despite a warning that they may be at risk. President Donald Trump warned the team on Thursday that their “life and safety” could be at risk, should they attend this summer’s football extravaganza, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The war, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on February 28, has thrown into doubt Iran’s participation. “As far as we know, Iran is playing,” said Windsor Paul John, the Asian Football Confederation’s general secretary. “We…

HOLLYWOOD: This year’s Oscars saw “One Battle After Another” cap its outstanding awards season by taking home the night’s top prize for best picture, as “Sinners” also won big. It was a particularly competitive night rife with impressive performances, quippy one-liners, high fashion on the red carpet and tearful acceptance speeches. Here’s a rundown of the night’s highlights: Musical moments and a rare tie The night’s first musical number recreated an extraordinary scene from vampire horror flick “Sinners,” a montage that traces the history of Black music from West Africa to the Delta Blues to hip-hop. Actor Miles Caton led…

ISLAMABAD (PEN) : Japan and Australia said on Monday they were not planning to send navy vessels to the Middle East to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, after US President Donald Trump called on allies to create a coalition to reopen the vital waterway. With the US-Israeli war on Iran creating turmoil across the Middle East and shaking up global energy markets in its third week, Trump on Sunday insisted that nations relying heavily on oil from the Gulf have a responsibility to protect the strait through which 20% of the world’s energy transits. Markets in Asia reacted cautiously, with Brent crude rising more…

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States could soon reach a deal with Cuba or take other action, signaling that developments in the long-strained relationship may come quickly. “Cuba also wants to make a deal, and I think we will pretty soon either make a deal or do whatever we have to do,” Trump said to reporters on Air Force One. “We’re talking to Cuba, but we’re going to do Iran before Cuba.” The comments come as tensions between Washington and Havana remain elevated following years of sanctions, diplomatic friction and disputes over migration and security, with…

BHUBANESWAR: At least 10 people were killed in a fire that broke out in the trauma care unit of a hospital in the eastern Indian state of Odisha on Monday, officials said. Five people were critically wounded, but it was not clear if it was from the fire or earlier injuries. The fire was likely to have been caused by a short circuit in the trauma centre in the early hours of Monday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told reporters after visiting the hospital. At least 23 patients were under treatment in the intensive care unit and 10 of them…

Dubai authorities brought under control on Monday a fire caused by a drone attack near the city’s international airport that forced a temporary suspension of flights, though no injuries were reported, they said. The US-Israel war against Iran has thrown global aviation into turmoil, with flights cancelled, rescheduled and rerouted, as most Middle East airspace stays shut over fears of missile and drone attacks, while the crisis sends fuel prices soaring. Monday’s incident is the third at the Dubai airport, one of the world’s busiest international travel hubs, since Iran began its attacks on Gulf nations on February 28, with strikes Tehran…

The construction and renovation project of Meuangxay Secondary School in northern Laos, a supporting project of the 1,000-MW solar power project under the CGN Laos Northern Interconnection Clean Energy Base, was completed and officially handed over on Wednesday. After six months of construction, the school has a brand-new look. For years, Meuangxay Secondary School faced aging facilities and difficult operating conditions. “The teaching equipment was damaged, and even the blackboards were old and cracked,” said Chanpheng Panyasack, the school’s principal, in an interview. Beginning in mid-2025, the CGN project team adopted a dual approach of new construction and renovation to…

National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the People’s Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov will pay a goodwill visit to China from March 17 to 19, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.

China’s Ministry of Commerce on Monday criticized the United States for launching a Section 301 investigation targeting China and dozens of other economies over alleged failures to ban imports made with “forced labor,” calling the move a typical act of protectionism that seriously disrupts the international trade order. China urged Washington to immediately correct the wrong action and resolve differences through dialogue and consultation. The United States initiated a Section 301 investigation on March 12 local time against 60 economies, including China, citing their alleged failure to prohibit the import of goods produced with “forced labor.” The probe came just…

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung in Hanoi on Sunday. During the meeting, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that following the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in January this year, the top leaders of the two parties agreed to hold the first ministerial meeting of the China-Vietnam “3+3” strategic dialogue on diplomacy, defense and public security and the 17th meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation. In accordance with the strategic consensus reached by…