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Israeli Defense Minister Says No Need for Opposition Approval to Launch Strikes

World 25 June 2024, Jerusalem: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz is pictured in Jerusalem. (dpa)

Israeli Defense Minister Says No Need for Opposition Approval to Launch Strikes

Israel's defense minister said Thursday that caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not need opposition permission to order fresh military operations…

World People walk past a television broadcast showing stock indexes and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in Taipei, Taiwan, 13 November 2026. (EPA)

US Lawmakers Summon Nvidia Ex-CEO After Affair with Suspected Spy

US lawmakers have called Jensen Huang, an architect of the artificial intelligence boom, to face their questions in December after the Nvidia ex-CEO quit over…

World Albert K. Barume, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, speaks during a press conference in Sydney on November 13, 2026. (AFP)

Indigenous Rights in Australia ‘Embarrassing’, Says UN Envoy

Cases of Indigenous women shackled while giving birth and growing numbers of children in detention are "embarrassing" to Australia, the UN's special rapporteur…

World  Leftist party La France Insoumise (LFI) candidate in France's 2027 presidential election Jean-Luc Melenchon gestures as he delivers a speech during a campaign rally in La Souterraine on November 11, 2026. (AFP)

Israel Says Will Ban French Hard-Left Leader Melenchon from Entry

Israel said on Thursday it would ban French hard-left presidential contender Jean-Luc Melenchon from visiting after he vowed that if he were elected, French…

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 This handout picture posted on the Telegram account of the Russian Foreign Ministry on April 15, 2026 shows Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) shaking hands with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing. (Handout / Russian Foreign Ministry / AFP)

Xi Calls China-Russia Ties ‘Precious’ in Current International Context

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that the stability and certainty of China-Russia relations are particularly “precious” in the face of an…

World A vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman’s Musandam province, April 12, 2026. (Reuters)

Pakistani Delegation Arrives in Tehran in Move to Ease Tensions and Arrange More US-Iran Talks

Pakistan’s army chief arrived Wednesday for talks in Tehran in the latest diplomatic move to ease tensions in the Middle East and arrange a second round of…

World Polish Far-right Confederation party MP Konrad Berkowicz dsiplays an Israeli flag marked with a swastika in the Sejm in Warsaw, Poland, 14 April 2026. (EPA)

Far-Right Polish MP Draws Outrage with Swastika on Israeli Flag

A far-right Polish lawmaker displayed a paper Israeli flag emblazoned with a swastika in parliament, accusing the country of "genocide" in the Middle East,…

World In this handout picture provided by the Russian Foreign Ministry on April 14, 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shake hands during a meeting in Beijing. (Handout / Russian Foreign Ministry / AFP)

Lavrov Blasts Efforts to ‘Contain’ Russia, China on Beijing Visit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized efforts he said were aimed at "containing" Russia and China on Tuesday during a visit to Beijing, where he…

World A ship is seen off the coast of Ras al-Khaimah, the day after the failure of US-Iran peace talks on April 13, 2026. (AFP)

US Says Six Vessels Turned Back by Iran Port Blockade

The US military said Tuesday that it successfully stopped six ships from sailing out of Iranian ports during the first 24 hours of a naval blockade against the…

World US President Donald Trump meets with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 17, 2025. (Reuters)

Trump Turns on Meloni, Says He Is ‘Shocked’ by Italian Leader

US President Donald Trump told ‌an Italian newspaper on Tuesday he was "shocked" by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and had expected her to be more…

World  Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks at the lower house of Parliament to report on her government’s actions and is expected to speak on the latest developments in Iran, in Rome, Italy, April 9, 2026. (Reuters)

Italian PM Says Suspends Defense Agreement with Israel

Italy has suspended its defense agreement with Israel, which involves the exchange of military equipment and technology research, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni…

World Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during Ministerial Statement on the Middle East at the House of Commons in London, Britain, April 13, 2026. (House of Commons/Handout via Reuters)

France, UK to Host Hormuz Talks Friday

France and Britain will co-host a video conference Friday of countries ready to contribute to a "purely defensive mission" to secure the Strait of Hormuz, the…

World Police forensic officers inspect a scene near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on April 7, 2026, following a shootout between gunmen and police. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)

School Shooting in Türkiye Leaves 16 Wounded, Attacker Dead

An ex-student opened fire at his former high school Tuesday in Türkiye, where school shootings are rare, wounding 16 people including students before killing…

Asharq Al Awsat
World US Vice President JD Vance (L) is welcomed by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ahead of their meeting on Iran  amid the US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad on April 11, 2026. (AFP)

Report: US, Iranian Teams Could Return to Islamabad for Peace Talks This Week

Negotiating teams from the US and Iran could return to Islamabad later this week, five sources said on Tuesday, days after the highest-level talks between the…

World Chinese President Xi Jinping and Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez shake hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China April 14, 2026. (Spanish Government/Handout via Reuters)

Xi Calls for Tighter Ties to Spain in Face of Global ‘Chaos’

China's President Xi Jinping warned against a return to the "law of the jungle" in international relations and called for closer economic ties with Spain as he…

World  Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles attends a joint press announcement with Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (not pictured) at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, Japan, April 8, 2026. (Reuters)

Australia to Spend Billions on Drones as Warfare Changes

Australia will boost spending on drones by up to Au$5 billion ($3.6 billion) in response to shifts in warfare seen in the Middle East, Defense Minister Richard…

World Iranians look at portraits of victims reportedly killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on the residential building near which they are displayed, in Tehran on April 13, 2026. (AFP)

Iran to Allocate Part of Oil Revenues for Reconstruction After Attacks, Minister Says

Iranian oil sales in recent weeks have been favorable and part of the revenue will ‌be allocated to ‌repairing damage ‌to ⁠industry caused by …

World Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, welcomes Minister of Defense for Indonesia Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin to the Pentagon, Monday, April 13, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Hegseth Announces 'Major' Defense Partnership with Indonesia

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday a "major" defense partnership with Indonesia following a meeting with the Southeast Asian nation's defense…

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World A billboard with a graphic design about the Strait of Hormuz on a building in Tehran, Iran, April 13, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

US Says Ball in Iran’s Court as Push Grows to End War

The United States said "the ball is in the Iranian court" on ending the Middle East war, as diplomats accelerated efforts on Tuesday towards a new round of…

World Two US Navy guided-missile destroyers conduct operations in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday (CENTCOM)

How Would a Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz Work?

Washington: Ephrat Livni After weekend peace talks in Pakistan between the United States and Iran ended with no agreement, President Trump on Sunday said…

World In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, center, visits to observe the test launches of missiles at an undisclosed place in North Korea Sunday, April 12, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

North Korea's Kim Oversees Navy Cruise Missile Test

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw new tests of strategic cruise missiles and anti-warship missiles launched from a naval destroyer, state media reported…

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World A ship is seen off the coast of Ras al-Khaimah, the day after the failure of US-Iran peace talks on April 13, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

US-sanctioned Tankers Pass Strait of Hormuz Despite US Blockade

A Chinese tanker sanctioned by the United States passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday despite a US blockade on the chokepoint, shipping data showed. …

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World A ship is seen in the Gulf off the coast of Sharjah the day after the failure of US-Iran peace talks on April 13, 2026. (AFP)

US Begins Iran Port Blockade, Oil Prices Ease on Hopes for Dialogue

The US military began a blockade of Iran's ports, angering Tehran and adding uncertainty around the crucial waterway, although hopes for dialogue to end the…

World Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni gestures in the Senate chamber during the briefing to Parliament on the government's activities in Rome, Italy, 09 April 2026. (EPA)

Italian PM Condemns ‘Unacceptable’ Trump Criticism of Pope

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Monday condemned US President Donald Trump's criticism of Pope Leo XIV as "unacceptable", after the US pontiff spoke…

World Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi waves after a press conference on the sidelines of the National People's Congress (NPC), in Beijing, China, March 8, 2026. (Reuters)

Middle East Ceasefire a ‘Priority’, China’s FM Tells Pakistan

Maintaining a ceasefire in the Middle East war is an "immediate priority" for resolving the conflict, China's top diplomat told his Pakistan counterpart in a…

World US President Donald Trump attends the signing ceremony for an executive order on mail ballots, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, March 31, 2026. (Reuters)

Trump Says Iranian 'Fast-attack' Ships that Come Close to US Blockade Will Be Eliminated

US President Donald Trump warned on Monday that any Iranian "fast-attack" ships that go near a US maritime blockade on Iran would be eliminated. "What we…

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World FILE PHOTO: Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

UN Maritime Chief Says No Country Has Right to Close Hormuz

The head of the UN maritime agency said Monday no country had a legal right to block shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a trade passage paralysed by the US-Iran…

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World FILE PHOTO: A NATO flag flutters at the Tapa military base, Estonia April 30, 2023. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo

NATO Allies Refuse to Join Trump's Strait of Hormuz Blockade

The United States' NATO allies said on Monday they would not get involved in President Donald Trump's plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, further ratcheting…

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