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Kushner Says US Working Toward ‘Largest Prisoner Exchange’ of Russia’s War in Ukraine

World US special envoys Steve Witkoff, right, Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, left, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speak to the media at the airport in Dublin, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026.(AP)

Kushner Says US Working Toward ‘Largest Prisoner Exchange’ of Russia’s War in Ukraine

US President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner said on Thursday Russia and Ukraine agreed to expand the next round of talks to include European…

World  US Vice President JD Vance speaks at the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball in New Bern, North Carolina, US, November 12, 2026. (Reuters)

Trump Bluntly Tells JD Vance to Shift Focus from Iran to Targeting ‘Corruption and Crime’ at Home

President Donald Trump on Thursday directed Vice President JD Vance to shift his focus away from the Iran war and instead devote himself to fighting what the…

World Rescuers and security officers examine the wreckage of an ambulance helicopter after it collided with a hospital building and crashed into the ground, in Mugla, Türkiye, December 22, 2024. REUTERS/Kenan Gurbuz Purchase

Military Helicopter Crashes in Southern Türkiye, Killing 4

A military helicopter crashed in southern Türkiye on Thursday, killing four personnel, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. The aircraft crashed for unknown…

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World US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance look on during a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, US, November 11, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper

Trump Says US Does Not Need Iran Deal

President Donald Trump said on Thursday the US does not need a deal with Iran and directed Vice President JD Vance, who has played a role in efforts to resolve…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World Iran: Four Tankers Struck by Explosions in Strait of Hormuz

Iran: Four Tankers Struck by Explosions in Strait of Hormuz

Four oil tankers were hit by explosions in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's military said on Thursday, adding that the vessels had ignored warnings and entered…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)

World Frontier airlines planes are parked at the boarding gates at Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Florida, US, July 19, 2024. REUTERS/Octavio Jones/File Photo

Frontier Airlines Plane Suffers Engine Fire, Reportedly Hits Pedestrian in Denver

A Frontier Airlines passenger jet abandoned its take-off for Los Angeles late on Friday after suffering an engine fire and reportedly striking a pedestrian on…

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World Russian servicemen march during the Victory Day military parade on the Red square in Moscow, Russia, 09 May 2026. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV

Putin Attends Scaled-back WW2 Victory Parade

Russia held its most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years on Saturday due to the threat of attack from Ukraine, where victory for Moscow's forces has proven…

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World Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, May 8, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

US, Iran No Closer to Ending War

The US and Iran appeared no closer on Saturday to finding an end to their war after the two sides traded fire in the Gulf amid a tenuous ceasefire, while a US…

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World FILE PHOTO: A message reading "AI artificial intelligence," a keyboard, and robot hands are seen in this illustration taken January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Report: Iran Influencing US Public Opinion Through AI

Iran is gaining ground in the information war with a succession of viral AI-made videos that aim to widen divisions in the US and blur the line between…

Asharq Al Awsat (New York)
World This screen grab from a video posted on the X account of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on May 8, 2026, shows a vessel after being struck at the direction of Commander General Francis L. Donovan on May 8, 2026.. (Photo by US Southern Command / AFP)

US Says 2 Dead, One Survivor in Latest Eastern Pacific Boat Strike

The US military said on Friday it had struck another boat alleged to be trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people and leaving one…

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World  US President Donald J Trump makes remarks at an event he is hosting for a group including Gold Star Mothers and Angel Mothers to honor Mother’s Day 2026, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 08 May 2026.  EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL

Trump Announces 3-day Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire

US President Donald Trump said Friday the leaders of Russia and Ukraine have agreed to his request for a three-day ceasefire and an exchange of prisoners,…

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World An Iranian woman walks next to a huge anti-US billboard carrying a sentence reading in Persian “The Strait of Hormuz remains closed” at the Engelab (Revolution) square in Tehran, Iran, 08 May 2026. (EPA)

Adviser to Iran Supreme Leader Compares Control of Hormuz to ‘Atomic Bomb’

An adviser to Iran's supreme leader compared control over the Strait of Hormuz to having an "atomic bomb" on Friday, and vowed not to relinquish it. Adviser…

World  08 May 2026, United Kingdom, London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets Labour Party members at Kingsdown Methodist Church Hall. (Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire/dpa)

UK PM Starmer Vows to Fight on After Local Polls Drubbing

Keir Starmer vowed to carry on as UK prime minister Friday after taking responsibility for grim local election results that saw the hard right make big gains…

World Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, May 8, 2026. (Reuters)

US Fires on and Disables 2 More Iranian Tankers as Tensions Rise in Strait of Hormuz

US forces fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers on Friday after exchanging fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz overnight. The United Arab…

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World FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of the Iranian shores and the island of Qeshm in the strait of Hormuz, December 10, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Iran Says Redirects US-sanctioned Oil Tanker to Its Shores

Iran said on Friday it redirected a US-sanctioned oil tanker carrying Iranian oil back to its shores, though it was unclear from its statement why it would…

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World Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Palazzo Chigi in Rome on May 8, 2026. (AFP)

Rubio Urges Europeans to Share the Iran Burden

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded a two-day visit to Rome on Friday, where he sought to ease tensions with Pope Leo and urged Europeans to help…

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World US President Donald Trump looks on as he speaks to reporters near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as it undergoes renovations, in Washington, D.C., US, May 7, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper

Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds after Fighting Between the US and Iran Flares

US and Iranian forces clashed in the Gulf, but President Donald Trump said a ceasefire was still holding despite the flare-up, which dented hopes for a swift…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World The Taipei 101 building is seen at the Xinyi District in Taipei on April 30, 2026. (Photo by I-Hwa Cheng / AFP)

Taiwan's Parliament Approves $25 Bn Defense Spending Bill

Taiwan's parliament on Friday approved a $25 billion defense spending bill that opposition lawmakers say will be used for US weapons, following months of…

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World The USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier takes part in enforcing the US naval blockade on Iran (CENTCOM)

US Troops in Middle East Wait for the Next Big Moment

By Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt* US President Donald Trump tasked some 50,000 troops to his war against Iran, sending them in aircraft carriers,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World A site of a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine May 5, 2026. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia region/Handout via REUTERS

Russia, Ukraine Trade Major Attacks Ahead of Kremlin's WWII Celebrations

Russia and Ukraine launched major attacks on each other on Friday, with a two-day unilateral ceasefire that Moscow had declared around its World War II…

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World An Australian woman returning from Syrian refugee camps where they have been staying since the ISIS's demise walks past members of the media as they arrive at the airport in Melbourne on May 7, 2026. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP)

3 Australian Women Back from Syria Face Slavery and Terrorism Charges over Alleged ISIS Links

Three Australian women were refused bail when they appeared in courts on Friday charged with slavery and terrorism offenses after they arrived home from Syria…

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World A handout picture taken and released by Indonesia’s Geological Agency on May 8, 2026, shows smoke rising from the eruption of Mount Dukono as seen from Tobelo, North Maluku. (Photo by Handout / Indonesia's Geological Agency / AFP)

Indonesia Volcanic Eruption Kills Three Hikers

Three hikers -- two Singaporeans and a local -- died in an eruption Friday of Indonesia's Mount Dukono volcano where they found themselves in a no-go zone,…

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World This picture taken on May 6, 2026 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on May 8, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) visiting a munitions factory to inspect the production status of military hardware at an undisclosed location in North Korea. STR / KCNA VIA KNS/AFP

North Korea Will Deploy New Artillery Guns Targeting Seoul and Commission Its 1st Destroyer

North Korea said Friday it will deploy new long-range artillery systems this year that are capable of striking South Korea's capital region and will commission…

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World Test tubes labelled "Hantavirus positive" in this illustration taken May 7, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

WHO Warns of More Hantavirus Cases in 'Limited' Outbreak

The World Health Organization said Thursday that more hantavirus cases could emerge after the disease killed three passengers from a cruise ship, but it…

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World In this frame grab from video taken by WDAM, damaged trees and a house or structure following a storm that tore through part of Lamar County, Mississippi, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (WDAM via AP)

Tornadoes Cut Across Mississippi as Severe Storms Damage 500 Homes

Powerful storms that spawned at least three tornadoes tore through several Mississippi counties, damaging around 500 homes, uprooting trees and injuring at…

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World US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Iran Reviewing US Proposal as Trump Pressures Tehran for Agreement on Deal to End War

Iran said it was reviewing the latest American proposals to end the war after US President Donald Trump threatened the country with a new wave of bombing…

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World The Pakistani flag is seen in Islamabad. AP file photo

Pakistan Warns of Strong Response to Any Attack on Anniversary of Clash with India

Pakistan’s military warned Thursday it would respond strongly against any attack as it marked the anniversary of last year’s four-day conflict with neighboring…

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World Women walk past a banner depicting Iran's current supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei along a street Tehran on May 6, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

Pezeshkian Says he Recently Met with the Supreme Leader

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said he met recently with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, state media reported ⁠on Thursday, offering ⁠a first public…

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World This US Navy handout photo released on May 4, 2026, by US Central Command Public Affairs shows US sailors conducting maintenance on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) at sea on April 15, 2026. (Photo by US NAVY / AFP)

US and Iran Inch towards Short-term Deal to End Fighting

The United States and Iran are edging toward a limited, temporary agreement to halt their war, sources and officials said on Thursday, with a draft framework…

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