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Pope’s Plane in Spain Delayed by Technical Glitch

World Pope Leo XIV (L) and King Felipe VI disembark from the plane that was supposed to take the pontiff back to Rome after his seven-day trip to Spain, due to technical problems preventing its takeoff from Los Rodeos Airport, Tenerife Island, Canary Islands, 12 June 2026. (EPA)

Pope’s Plane in Spain Delayed by Technical Glitch

Pope Leo XIV's departure from Tenerife at the end of a week-long visit to Spain was delayed Friday by a technical problem with the plane which led him to…

World British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in London, Britain, June 10, 2026. (House of Commons/Handout via Reuters)

UK PM Starmer Says He Has Not Lost Authority, Will Fight to Stay in Job

British Prime ‌Minister Keir Starmer on Friday rejected the idea that he had lost authority in his role, and said he would fight to keep his job, adding…

World 27 April 2026, Russia, Saint Petersburg:  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives for a meeting in Saint Petersburg. (Kremlin/dpa)

US-Iran Deal 'Never Been Closer', Says Iranian FM

The United States and Iran have "never been closer" to a deal on ending the war in the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday. …

World  Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with participants of the special military operation at the Senate Palace of the Kremlin in Moscow, Friday, June 12, 2026. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Putin Says Ukraine Drone Strikes Aim to Divide Russians

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Ukraine's increasing drone strikes on Russia aimed to "sow confusion" and damage the country's economy. …

World  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte after talks, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, June 3, 2026. (Reuters)

Ukraine Hikes Military Pay and Seeks More Foreign Fighters, Zelenskiy Says

Ukraine ‌will hike military wages and seek to recruit more fighters abroad, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday, as the army faces a manpower…


World France's Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu looks on during a press conference following a meeting with several political parties and security institutions representatives on safeguarding democratic debates against foreign interference after Paris prosecutors opened in May a probe to investigate whether an Israeli company interfered in local French elections, at the Matignon Hotel in Paris on June 11, 2026. (AFP)

Israeli Firm BlackCore Suspected of Meddling in New York and Scotland Votes, France Says

Israeli firm BlackCore, suspected of interfering in France's local elections in March, is also suspected of meddling in elections in New York City and Scotland…

World US President Donald Trump. (AFP file)

Trump Says Iran’s Leaked Deal Terms Are Untrue

US President Donald Trump denied on Friday that the United States has made major concessions to Iran and a senior US official called an emerging pact …

World Acting Executive Director of the UN World Food Program (WFP) Carl Skau. (Turky Al-Agili)

UN Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Hunger Threatening 300 Million People Around the World

Acting Executive Director of the UN World Food Program (WFP) Carl Skau warned that severe hunger was threatening 300 million people around the world, with the…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
World TOPSHOT - Volunteers of the Democratic Republic of Congo Red Cross wearing personal protective equipment carry the body of an Ebola virus disease victim from the morgue of the Rwampara health center, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on June 8, 2026 before loading it into a vehicle for transfer to a cemetery as part of safe and dignified burial operations aimed at preventing the spread of the virus. (Photo by Jospin Mwisha / AFP)

Ebola Spreading into New Areas in Northeast DR Congo, Warns WHO

The Ebola outbreak is spreading into new areas of the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and is bigger in scale than hitherto detected, the World Health…

Asharq Al Awsat
World A damaged minibus is seen on the M1 motorway near Gyor, Hungary, 12 June 2026. EPA/Csaba Krizsan HUNGARY OUT

2 Collisions on Hungarian Highway Kill 8 People

Two collisions one after another on a highway in western Hungary early Friday killed eight people, police said. A truck caught fire after colliding with a…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Iranians walk past a large-scale political billboard featuring Iranian missiles and a sword at Vanak square in Tehran, Iran, 11 June 2026.EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

Iran Media: Draft US Deal Sees Release of $24 Bn Frozen Assets

Iran's Mehr news agency on Friday published a draft deal with the United States which would, if adopted, secure the release of $24 billion in frozen assets…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives to Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ahead of G7, Carney Softens Tone toward Trump with Trade Talks at Stake

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney became a symbol of middle power resistance after a celebrated speech earlier this year, but he is expected to be more muted…

Asharq Al Awsat
World A Thai woman mourns while holding a photograph of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn (R) and his daughter Princess Bajrakitiyabha (L) following the announcement of her death at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, 12 June 2026. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT

Thai Princess Dies Aged 47 after Three Years in Hospital

Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the king's eldest daughter, has died aged 47, the royal palace announced on Friday, more than three years after she was…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (C) displays his certificate of return as the flag bearer of his party after emerging victorious during the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential primary election at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Center on May 24, 2026. (Photo by Light Oriye Tamunotonye / AFP)

Nigeria Says 'Neutralized' 13,000 'Terrorists' in Past Year

Nigeria has killed more than 13,000 "terrorists" in the past year, President Bola Tinubu said Friday, adding that the death toll from the country's militant…

Asharq Al Awsat
World People enjoy the view of the city's skyline and traditional Hutong alleyway houses from the Drum Tower in Beijing on June 5, 2026. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP)

China Says Holding American Citizen Suspected of Spying

China said on Friday it was holding an American citizen, who is also an analyst at a policy think tank focusing on Myanmar, on suspicion of spying. Min Zin,…

Asharq Al Awsat
World (FILES) This photograph taken on April 27, 2026, shows Rafale fighter aircraft parked on the flight deck of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during the NATO military exercise Neptune Strike 26-2, off the coast of the Greek island of Crete. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)

NYT Reports: US Plans Major Cut to Fighter Jets, Warships for NATO Operations in Europe

The United States plans to significantly reduce the aircraft and warships that it makes available for NATO operations in Europe, the New York Times reported on…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Kosovo Security Forces parade during celebrations to mark the 18th anniversary of independence, in Pristina, Kosovo, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP)

NATO Will Gradually Adjust Strength of Peace Support Mission in Kosovo over Next Year

NATO will gradually adjust the strength of its peace support mission in Kosovo, which has been in place since 1999, over the next year due to the steady…

Asharq Al Awsat

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World  Residents pass by a collapsed structure after an earthquake in General Santos, Philippines on Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP)

Disaster Drills Helped Prevent More Deaths When Powerful Quake Hit the Southern Philippines

Philippine officials said Friday that years of disaster-preparedness drills helped prevent a larger casualty toll when one of the strongest earthquakes in 50…

World President of Colombia Gustavo Petro speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Middle East, at UN Headquarters in New York, on June 10, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

Colombian Leader Says US Prevented Him from Meeting Mamdani

Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the United States of trampling his freedom by preventing him from meeting New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a fellow…

Asharq Al Awsat
World A photo published by Fars news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, showing rocket launchers being fired from a speed boat during military drills in the Strait of Hormuz (archive photo).

US Forces Shoot Down Two Iranian Attack Drones

US forces shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones as ‌Tehran ‌appeared to ‌attempt ⁠to strike commercial ships ⁠transiting the Strait of…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Smoke rises above the city after a Russian strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 10 June 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (EPA)

Ukraine and Russia Trade Overnight Drone Strikes, Officials Say

Ukraine and Russia exchanged overnight drone strikes into early Friday, with Ukraine targeting a major oil processing and petrochemical region while Russia…

World Men sit at the foot of a dune in Taklamakan Desert outside the village of Jiya near Hotan, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China, March 21, 2017. (Reuters)

China Warns of Risk of ‘Extreme Floods’ in Desert Regions

China warned communities in its northwestern Xinjiang and nearby regions on Friday to prepare for "extreme floods" this summer, driven by abnormally high…

World South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a hearing of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP)

S. Korea’s Ex-President Gets 30 Years over North Korea Drone Incident

A South Korean court sentenced ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison on Friday for sending military drones into North Korea, saying he planned the…

World US President Donald Trump gives remarks during a signing ceremony for the “Secure America Act” in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 10 June 2026. EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL

Trump Cancels Iran Strikes, Touts Imminent Deal

US President Donald Trump withdrew his threat of further strikes against Iran on Thursday and said a deal with Tehran to end the war could be signed in coming…

Asharq Al Awsat
World An old car drives past debris from a demolished house occupying part of the seaside promenade in the Centro Habana neighborhood, in Havana on June 9, 2026. (Photo by Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP)

US Sanctions Cuban State Oil Company

The United States issued sanctions against Cuban state oil company Unión Cuba-Petróleo (CUPET), the Treasury Department website showed on Thursday. The…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, US, March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

Hazardous Materials Incident Prompts Pentagon Lockdown

A hazardous materials incident put the Pentagon on lockdown on Thursday as fire officials investigated the air quality issue, defense and fire officials said. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World Philippines' Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr speaks at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, May 31, 2026. REUTERS/Caroline Chia

China Sanctions Philippine Defense Chief for 'Irresponsible Remarks'

China announced on Thursday sanctions against the Philippines' defence minister over "irresponsible remarks", escalating tensions between Beijing and Manila as…

Asharq Al Awsat
World FILE PHOTO: Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey walks outside 10 Downing Street, on the day of a cabinet meeting, in London, Britain, June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

UK Defense Minister John Healey Announces Shock Resignation

British Defense Secretary John Healey resigned on Thursday, in a shock move which he blamed on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the finance ministry failing to…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

Iran Maritime Body Says Hormuz Completely Closed 'Until Further Notice'

Iran's new body overseeing the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday confirmed a complete closure order for the strategic waterway until further notice, after the…

Asharq Al Awsat