Several factors make Bhabanipur a key battleground in Bengal polls

IANS | March 18, 2026 11:37 PM

Kolkata, March 18 (IANS) Of the 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal that will go to the polls in two phases next month, the spotlight is firmly on the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, where a direct contest between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has turned the seat into a high-stakes battle.

UN Chief calls for probe in Pakistan airstrike on Afghan hospital

Arul Louis | March 18, 2026 11:10 PM

United Nations, March 18 (IANS) UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres “strongly condemns” the deadly Pakistani air strike on a hospital in Kabul and has called for an independent investigation into the incident, his Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Wednesday.

Nepal’s Gen-Z wave brings historic political shift: Report

IANS | March 18, 2026 9:16 PM

New Delhi/Kathmandu, March 18 (IANS) While the Gen-Z movement has emerged worldwide, Nepal is the only country to bring about swift political transformation. Nepal's recent election results have defied expectation, leaving observers questioning whether they underestimated the wave of Balendra Shah, with his party, Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) - having entered the country’s political arena only in 2022 - winning close to a two-thirds majority, a report said on Wednesday.