Breaking World News

UK’s Ex-Health Minister Streeting Says Will Run to Replace PM Starmer

World  Britain’s former Health Secretary Wes Streeting delivers a keynote address at the Progress annual conference 2026, in London, Britain, May 16, 2026. (Reuters)

UK’s Ex-Health Minister Streeting Says Will Run to Replace PM Starmer

Wes Streeting, who resigned as UK health secretary this week, announced Saturday he will run to replace Keir Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister, after…

World Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrives at Naval Station Norfolk on May 16, 2026 in Norfolk, Virginia. (Getty Images/AFP)

USS Ford Returns Home After 11-Month Deployment Supporting the Iran War and Maduro’s Capture

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world largest aircraft carrier, returned home to Virginia on Saturday after an 11-month deployment, the longest since the Vietnam…

World  Night falls over the city and the Milad Tower in Tehran, Iran, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP)

Pakistani Minister Arrives in Tehran to ‘Facilitate’ US-Iran Peace Talks

Pakistan's interior minister arrived in Tehran on Saturday "to facilitate" the peace talks between Iran and the United States that have stalled despite a…

World Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney talks to reporters during the 8th European Political Community Summit in Yerevan, Armenia on Monday, May 4, 2026. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada Deepens Arctic Defense Ties with Nordics after Trump Threats

Since US President Donald Trump’s barrage of threats to seize Greenland, authorities on the frozen island have been seeking help from a northern ally: Canada. …

Asharq Al Awsat
World A handout photo made available by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) reacting following their release in a prisoner swap at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, 15 May 2026. (EPA/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service Handout)

Kyiv Says Russia Has Returned 528 Bodies to Ukraine

Kyiv said on Saturday that Russia had returned 528 bodies to Ukraine identified as Ukrainian soldiers killed in action, in one of the few areas of cooperation…


World Israeli soldiers seen in the village of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon, January 27, 2025. (AP)

End of the ‘People’s Army’ Myth: Israel Weighs Resorting to Mercenaries

As Israel’s military grapples with a severe manpower shortage estimated at 15,000 troops — a situation Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has described as “dangerous…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tel Aviv)
World  Russian President Vladimir Putin pauses as he meets with newly appointed acting governor of Belgorod region Alexander Shuvaev at the Kremlin in Moscow, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Putin to Visit China May 19-20 After Trump Trip

Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China on May 19 for a two-day visit, hot on the heels of US President Donald Trump's trip to Beijing, the…

World Mohammad Ali Jafari, a senior commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (File photo - state television) 

Former IRGC Chief Says No Direct Talks Before US Confidence-Building Steps

Mohammad Ali Jafari, former commander-in-chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Iran would not enter negotiations with the United States before…

Asharq Al Awsat (London) Asharq Al Awsat (Tehran)
World FILE - Raul Castro waves a Cuban national flag during a May Day parade at Revolution Square in Havana on May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)

Report: Trump Administration Prepares to Seek Raúl Castro Indictment as It pressures Cuba

The Justice Department is preparing to seek an indictment against former Cuban President Raúl Castro, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated…

Asharq Al Awsat
World A television screen shows a live broadcast of the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, at a restaurant in Taipei on May 14, 2026. Ann Wang, Reuters

Taiwan Says It is an 'Independent' Nation, after Trump's Warning

Taiwan said Saturday it is an "independent" nation, hours after US President Donald Trump warned the democratic island against declaring formal independence. …

Asharq Al Awsat
World A photo released by the US Justice Department shows Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi after his arrest. (US Justice Department)

US Accuses Iraqi Man of Helping Iran-Backed Faction’s Plans for Attacks in US, Europe

An Iraqi national accused of involvement in multiple attacks against US interests in Europe has been arrested and brought to the US to face six terrorism…

World  President Donald Trump gestures to reporters as he walks across the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, May 15, 2026, in Washington, on return from Beijing where he met with China's President Xi Jinping. (AP)

Nigeria Confirms Killing of Senior ISIS Leader in Joint US Operation

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu and the west African country's military on Saturday confirmed the killing in Nigeria of a senior ISIS leader in a joint…

World  Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, May 15, 2026. (Reuters)

Pakistan Says 11 Citizens, 20 Iranian Nationals Being Repatriated from Vessels Seized by US

Pakistan is repatriating 11 of its nationals and 20 Iranians from vessels seized in the high seas by the US, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday. They…

World An FBI seal is displayed on a podium before a news conference at the field office in Portland, Ore., Jan. 16, 2025. (AP)

FBI Offers $200,000 Reward to Catch Ex-Air Force Specialist Wanted on Espionage Charges in Iran

The FBI is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to capture and prosecution of a former US Air Force counterintelligence specialist who defected…

World  This undated handout photograph released by South Korea's Foreign Ministry on May 10, 2026, shows a damaged part of the South Korean cargo ship HMM Namu docked at a port in Dubai. (Handout / South Korean Foreign Ministry / AFP)

South Korea to Investigate Ship Debris from Hormuz Attack

Debris from a fire-damaged cargo ship said to have been attacked by unidentified aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz arrived in South Korea on Friday for…

World Participants attend the opening session of the 135th Ministerial Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Chisinau, Moldova, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP)

Ministers Adopt New Interpretation of Migrants’ Rights in European Legal System

European ministers adopted ‌a new interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights on Friday that could facilitate some migrant deportations,…

World Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives for a meeting during the two-day BRICS summit in New Delhi, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Araghchi Says Iran Has 'No Trust' in the US, Will Negotiate Only If it Is Serious

Tehran has "no trust" in the US and is interested in negotiating with Washington only if it is serious, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday,…

Asharq Al Awsat

Most Viewed

 
 

World A tourist, along with guides, returns after an open-water diving session near Rasfannu Beach in Malé on May 15, 2026. (Photo by Mohamed Afrah / AFP)

Authorities Search Waters in the Maldives after 5 Italians Killed in Cave Dive Accident

An Italian expert joined police divers and rescue vessels for searches in the Maldives on Friday, a day after five Italian divers were killed in a scuba…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Larry, the Downing Street cat, sits outside the British Prime Minister's official residence at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, 11 May 2026. (EPA)

UK Minister Calls for Cool Heads as Battle to Oust Starmer Looms

A British minister loyal to Prime Minister Keir Starmer in his fight to stay in power urged his colleagues to "take a breath" on Friday, saying no one had yet…

World US President Donald Trump gestures as he departs Beijing Capital International Airport aboard Air Force One, in Beijing, China, May 15, 2026. (Reuters)

Trump Leaves Beijing Touting Business Deals, Heaping Praise on Xi

US President Donald Trump departed China on Friday touting business deals that gave markets little to cheer, while Beijing warned Washington about mishandling…

World This video grab taken from a handout footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry on May 15, 2026, shows Russian prisoners of war (POWs) posing with flags in front of a bus following an exchange of prisoners at an undisclosed location in Belarus. (AFP / Russian Defense Ministry/ Handout)

Russia, Ukraine Swap 205 Prisoners of War Each

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war each on Friday, Moscow and Kyiv said, a week after US President Donald Trump announced a large swap would…

World A health worker puts on Ebola protection gear before entering the Biosecure Emergency Care Unit (CUBE) at the ALIMA (The Alliance for International Medical Action) Ebola treatment centre in Beni, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, March 31, 2019. Picture taken March 31, 2019. REUTERS

Deadly Ebola Outbreak in Eastern DR Congo

A deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus has been confirmed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, African health authorities said Friday. Some 246 suspected…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Ukrainian servicemen hit a Russian missile during a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine May 14, 2026. (Reuters)

Ukraine Vows More Strikes on Russia After Attack on Kyiv Kills 24

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on Friday to launch more retaliatory strikes on Russia, a day after a Russian strike on Kyiv killed 24 people,…

World US President Donald Trump, right, speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping while leaving after a visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, Friday, May 15, 2026. (Evan Vucci/Pool Photo via AP)

Trump Says He and China’s Xi Agree Iran Cannot Have Nuclear Weapons

US President Donald Trump said his patience with Iran is running out and he had agreed in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping that Tehran cannot be allowed…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Rescuers work at the site of an apartment building damaged during Russian missile and drone strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine May 14, 2026. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Russia Pounds Ukraine in Heaviest Wartime Drone Attack Over 2 Days

Russia carried out its largest aerial attack over a two-day period since the start of its war in Ukraine, pounding the capital Kyiv and other cities with…

Asharq Al Awsat
World File photo of a cruise ship operated by Ambassador Cruise Line. © John MacDougall, AFP

France Allows Asymptomatic Passengers off New Cruise Ship Struck by Stomach Bug Outbreak

Passengers unaffected by an illness outbreak on a British cruise ship have been allowed off the ship in the French port city of Bordeaux, while authorities…

Asharq Al Awsat
World (FILES) A boy looks as forensic investigators comb the ground for DNA evidence near a pile of twisted airplane debris at the crash site of an Ethiopian airways operated Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on March 16, 2019 at Hama Quntushele village near Bishoftu in Oromia region. (Photo by TONY KARUMBA / AFP)

US Jury Awards $49.5 Mn Damages to Boeing 737 MAX Victim's Family

A US jury awarded $49.5 million in damages on Wednesday to the family of a 24-year-old American who perished in a 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash. The suit was…

Asharq Al Awsat
World US soldiers take part in the "African Lion" joint military exercise between US and Moroccan forces in the Tan-Tan region in southwestern Morocco on May 8, 2026. (Photo by Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP)

US Army Says Body of Second Soldier Recovered in Morocco

The body of the second of two US soldiers reported missing during an international training exercise in Morocco has been recovered, the US Army said Wednesday…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer walks through the House of Commons to attend the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London on May 13, 2026. (Photo by Toby Melville / POOL / AFP)

Starmer Faces Possible Leadership Challenge, Vows to Fight On

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced the increasing prospect of a leadership challenge on Thursday, with his health minister reported to be ready to…

Asharq Al Awsat