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Russia, North Korea Connect Road Bridge Ahead of Summer Opening

World This handout image released by the Russian Transport Ministry on April 21, 2026, shows a ceremony marking the connection of the two sides of the new Russia-North Korea road bridge over the Tumen River, set to open this summer. (Handout / Russian Transport Ministry / AFP)

Russia, North Korea Connect Road Bridge Ahead of Summer Opening

Russia and North Korea held a ceremony Tuesday to mark the joining of the first road bridge connecting the countries, set to open for traffic this summer,…

World  Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Luxembourg, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP)

Germany Rejects Push to Suspend EU-Israel Cooperation Deal

Germany on Tuesday poured cold water on calls to suspend the EU's cooperation deal with Israel, despite rising anger over the war in Lebanon and the situation…

World  Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, April 20, 2026. (Reuters)

UN Maritime Agency Urges Help for Seafarers Stranded in Hormuz

The head of the UN maritime agency appealed on Tuesday for help for thousands of seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, as the Middle East war paralyzes…

World EU High Representative and Vice-President for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas listens during a joint press statement with Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Palestinian Prime Minister before a Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) Ministerial Meeting, in Brussels on April 20, 2026. (AFP)

EU Top Diplomat Expects ‘Positive Decisions’ on Ukraine Loan

EU foreign chief Kaja Kallas said she expected "positive decisions" on Wednesday to unblock a badly needed 90-billion-euro ($106 billion) loan for Ukraine, as…

World  Migrants attempt to cross the English Channel in a smuggler's boat off the coast of Gravelines, northern France, on April 14, 2026. (AFP)

Some 7,900 People Died on Migration Routes in 2025, Says UN

Around 7,900 people died or disappeared on migration routes in 2025, taking the total dead and missing since 2014 beyond 80,000, the United Nations' migration…


World Vessels depart a port in Tomakomai, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan, where a tsunami warning was issued following an earthquake, April 20, 2026, in this photo taken by Kyodo. (Kyodo/via Reuters)

Six People Hurt but No Serious Damage from Powerful Japan Quake

At least six people were reported injured on Tuesday, a day after a powerful quake rattled northern Japan, but there appeared to be no major damage from the…

World Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) battle tanks take part in a live fire exercise at East Fuji Maneuver Area in Gotemba on May 27, 2023. (AFP)

Japan Overhauls Decades-Old Weapons Export Rules

Japan will ease decades-old arms export rules, the government's top spokesman Minoru Kihara said on Tuesday, a policy shift that paves the way for the sale of…

World United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) secretary-general Rebeca Grynspan speaks during a press conference, part of the 16th United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) ministerial conference, in Geneva on October 22, 2025. (AFP)

Contenders to Head Crisis-Wracked UN Face Live Grillings

The four candidates vying to become the next United Nations secretary-general face live hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday on their bids to lead the troubled…

World A view of Iranian-flagged cargo ship M/V Touska as the US Navy Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer USS Spruance conducts its interception in a location given as the north Arabian Sea, in this screen capture from a video released April 19, 2026. (CENTCOM/Handout via Reuters)

Report: Dual-Use Items Likely Onboard Seized Iranian Ship

The Iranian-flagged container ship Touska, which was boarded and seized by US forces on Sunday, is likely to have what Washington deems dual-use items ‌that…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
World Airstrike craters are seen at the perimeter installation on Iran's Fordo Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), Qom, Iran, June 24, 2025. (AFP)

Trump Says Recovering Iran Uranium ‘Will Be a Long and Difficult Process’

US President Donald Trump said late Monday the United States obtaining uranium from Iran would be "long" and "difficult" in the aftermath of last year's US…

World  Police officers stand guard on a road leading to the Serena Hotel, as Pakistan prepares to host the US and Iran for the second phase of peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 21, 2026. (Reuters)

US, Iran Warn Ready for War as Talks in Limbo

The United States and Iran each warned they were ready for war as the clock ticked down Tuesday on a ceasefire, with uncertainty on talks that President Donald…

World Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)

Erdogan Vows New Measures After Deadly Türkiye School Shootings

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that his government would introduce sweeping measures, including restrictions on gun ownership, after two school…

World Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a session at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 18, 2026. (Reuters)

Russia Urges US-Iran to Keep Ceasefire, Continue Talks

Moscow on Monday called for the US-Iran ceasefire to be maintained and for diplomatic efforts to continue, after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with his…

World  French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as he attends a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Gdansk, Poland, April 20, 2026. (Reuters)

France's Macron Urges Iran, US to De-Escalate Amid Hormuz Tensions

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for the United States and Iran to de-escalate amid increased tensions over the weekend over the Strait of…

World  Tisza Party head and prospective prime minister Peter Magyar attends attends a press conference during the first meeting of the future faction in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, April 20, 2026. (Robert Hegedus/MTI via AP)

Hungary’s Magyar Says Would Carry Out ICC Warrant Against Netanyahu

Hungary's incoming prime minister Peter Magyar said Monday the country will execute International Criminal Court warrants against anyone, after he invited…

World EU High Representative and Vice-President for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas speaks during a joint press statement with Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Palestinian Prime Minister before a Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) Ministerial Meeting, in Brussels on April 20, 2026. (AFP)

EU to Gauge Member States’ Willingness to Punish Israel

The EU's top diplomat said Monday the bloc will gauge the willingness of member states to take measures against Israel, after Spain re-upped demands to suspend…

World FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed miniature model of Donald Trump and the US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken January 15, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Iran Says 'No Decision' Yet on Joining New Round of US Peace Talks

Iran said it had yet to decide whether to attend a new round of peace negotiations with the United States on Monday, casting uncertainty on a push to stop the…

Asharq Al Awsat

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World Commuters make their way past a giant billboard of slain Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei at the Valiasr Square in Tehran on April 19, 2026. (AFP)

Over 3,300 People Have Died in Iran During War

Iran on Monday offered a new death toll for its war with Israel and the United States, with its forensic chief saying at least 3,375 people had been killed in…

World 13 April 2026, China, Beijing: Guo Jiakun, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, speaks to journalists. (dpa)

China Voices Concern Over US Seizure of Iranian Cargo Ship, Urges Further Talks

China has expressed concern over the "forced interception" by the US of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday,…

World People visit the observation deck at Vorobyovy gory (Sparrow Hills) with the main building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia in the background during a spring day in Moscow, Russia, 17 April 2026. (EPA)

Russia Arrests German Woman in Alleged Bomb Plot

Russia said Monday it had arrested a German woman found with a homemade bomb in her backpack in what it alleged was a Ukrainian-hatched plot to blow up a…

World An Iranian woman walks next to a wall painting of Iran’s national flag on a street in Tehran, Iran, 20 April 2026. (EPA)

Iran Foreign Ministry Says US Not Serious About Pursuing Diplomacy

Iran's foreign ministry said Monday that the United States was not serious about pursuing diplomacy, citing what it called "violations" of their two-week…

World A television screen shows a news report on Japan Meteorological Agency's tsunami warning, saying it expected tsunami waves of up to 3 meters (9.84 feet) to reach large coastal areas in northern Japan after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 struck off the northeastern coast of Japan, in Tokyo, Japan April 20, 2026.(Reuters)

Tsunami Warning as 7.4-Magnitude Quake Hits Northern Japan

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan Monday, Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, issuing a tsunami warning for waves up to three meters (10…

World Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Italy Discussing Expanding EU Aspides Mission to Include Strait of Hormuz, Defense Minister Says

Italy’s defense minister said discussions are underway to expand the European Union’s Red Sea naval mission, Aspides, to include the Strait of Hormuz, warning…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Rome)
World A member of the Iranian security forces stands guard next to a banner honoring Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on March 31, 2026. (AFP)

Israeli Intelligence Reveals Major Fracture in Iran’s Leadership

Tel Aviv has confirmed a major fracture in the Iranian leadership, which implies a partial collapse of the regime in Tehran in wake of the US-Israeli war on…

Nazir Magally (Tel Aviv)
World This handout satellite image courtesy of 2026 Vantor taken and made available on April 16, 2026, shows smoke rising from the Tuapse oil refinery of in Tuapse, south-western Russia. (Handout / Satellite image ゥ2026 Vantor / AFP)

Ukrainian Drones Kill Man in South Russia

A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse sparked a fire and killed at least one person, Russian officials said on Monday, only hours after…

World This picture taken on April 19, 2026 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 20, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (L) and his daughter Kim Ju Ae (R) inspecting the test-fire of a ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (KCNA via KNS / AFP)

North Korea Uses Cluster Bombs in Latest Missile Test

North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles that tested the power of its cluster munitions, its government news agency said on Monday, confirming…

World Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer reacts as he prepares to leave the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on April 17, 2026 following an international summit on efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. (AFP)

Starmer Admits Mistake in Appointing Mandelson as UK Ambassador but Resists Calls to Resign

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged Monday that he made the wrong judgment when he appointed Jeffrey Epstein ’s friend Peter Mandelson as UK…

World The Pugh and Elkins families gather while grieving the death of family members on April 19, 2026 in Shreveport, Louisiana. (Getty Images via AFP)

Eight Children Dead in US Domestic Violence Shooting

A man shot dead eight children -- seven of them his own -- early Sunday in the southern US state of Louisiana in an incident of domestic violence that spanned…

World Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet takes part in a discussion at the University of Valparaiso, Chile, on March 31, 2026. (AFP)

‘Save Humanity’: Four Figures Battling It Out to Lead Embattled UN

Four contenders are squaring up to succeed Antonio Guterres as leader of the United Nations, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own…