Breaking World News

US Plans to Deploy More Missile Launchers to the Philippines Despite China’s Alarm 

World A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fires a missile during a Combined Joint Littoral Live Fire Exercise at the joint military exercise called "Balikatan", Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder in a Naval station in Zambales province, northern Philippines on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (AP)

US Plans to Deploy More Missile Launchers to the Philippines Despite China’s Alarm 

The United States plans to deploy more high-tech missile systems to the Philippines to help deter aggression in the South China Sea, where the treaty allies on…

World This undated photograph in an unidentified location released by the US Justice Department on December 19, 2025, shows Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy US financier who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking underage girls. (Handout / US Department of Justice / AFP)

New Mexico Approves Comprehensive Probe of Epstein’s Zorro Ranch 

New Mexico lawmakers on Monday passed legislation to launch what they said was the first full investigation into what happened at Zorro Ranch, where the late…

World US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Air Force One at Pope Army Airfield at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on February 13, 2026, on his way to Palm Beach, Florida, to spend the weekend. (AFP)

Trump Says He Will Be Involved Indirectly in Iran Talks 

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would be involved "indirectly" in high-stakes talks between Iran and the US over Tehran's nuclear program set…


World This picture taken on February 13, 2026 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on February 14, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting the under-construction Memorial Museum of Combat Feats in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

NKorea's Kim Praises Bravery of Soldiers Fighting for Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un paid tribute to the "matchless bravery" of his country's soldiers fighting in Russia's war with Ukraine as he visited a…

Asharq Al Awsat
World An Iranian woman walk past anti-US mural depicting Iran and US negotiation table, painted on the outer walls of the former US embassy, in Tehran on February 6, 2026. (AFP)

UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief Says Iran Inspection Accord ‘Terribly Difficult’

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi said Friday that reaching an accord with Iran on inspections of its processing facilities was possible but …

World Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak speaks at the Halifax International Security Forum, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Israel’s Barak Says He Regrets Knowing Epstein After Documents Detail Their Long Friendship

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has apologized for his yearslong friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that included regular…

World  German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, February 13, 2026. (Reuters)

Merz Eyes European Nuclear Shield in Call for Reset with US

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that Berlin had begun confidential talks with France about a European nuclear deterrent, saying the region had…

World An Iranian man speaks on his mobile phone as he walks past a huge national flag hanging above shops, in Tehran on February 6, 2026. (AFP)

Iran Releases on Bail Senior Reformists Arrested After Protests

Iranian authorities released the leader of the country's reformist coalition on bail Friday, days after she was arrested following anti-government protests,…

World Afghan families receive food rations for the coming holy month of Ramadan in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, 09 February 2026. (EPA)

Return of Millions of Afghans from Pakistan and Iran Pushes Afghanistan to the Brink, UN Warns

The return of millions of Afghans from neighboring Pakistan and Iran is pushing Afghanistan to the brink, the UN refugee agency said on Friday, describing an…

World The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Iran's Ex-crown Prince Calls for Fresh Anti-government Actions

The exiled son of Iran's last shah has called for anti-government actions in his homeland to coincide with protests in Germany and other countries, as the key…

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World FILED - 19 December 2024, Russia, Moscow: Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual end-of-year press conference. Photo: Kremlin Press Office/dpa

Kremlin Says Ukraine Talks in Geneva on February 17-18

The Kremlin said Friday that the next round of US-brokered talks seeking to end the war in Ukraine will take place in Geneva on February 17-18, Russian state…

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World The protest demonstrations in Türkiye against the arrest of İmamoğlu have been ongoing since March 2025 (account of the Republican People's Party on X)

Jailed Istanbul Mayor Dares Erdogan to Call Early Elections Now

Almost one year after he was jailed, Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has told Reuters that Tayyip Erdogan should call elections "now" and predicted that the…

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World Iranians walk on a street in Tehran on February 7, 2026. (AFP)

Iran Announces Enquiry Team to Investigate Deadly Protests 

The Iranian government announced on Friday the establishment of a commission of enquiry to look into protests against the high cost of living that turned into…

World People protest outside the High Court as judges prepare to rule on a legal challenge to the British government’s decision to designate pro‑Palestinian group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, in London, Britain, February 13, 2026. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy

London's High Court: UK Terror Ban on Pro-Palestine group Unlawful

The British government's ban on pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization is unlawful, London's High Court ‌ruled on…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
World Firefighters work at the site of a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine in this handout picture released February 13, 2026. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Odesa region/Handout via REUTERS

Russian Strikes on Ukrainian Energy and Port Facilities Kill 6

Six people died in Russian strikes across Ukraine overnight that targeted the southern port city of Odesa and energy infrastructure, officials announced on…

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World A China Coast Guard vessel No.2502 sails near a Japan Coast Guard vessel Motobu off Uotsuri Island, one of a group of disputed islands called Senkaku Islands in Japan, also known in China as Diaoyu Islands, in the East China Sea April 27, 2024, in this photo released by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

Japan Seizes Chinese Fishing Vessel, Arrests Captain

Japan seized a Chinese fishing boat and arrested its skipper, authorities said Friday, an incident that could deepen a spat between the Asian giants. The…

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World FILE - Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 2, 2019. (Jorge Silva/Pool Photo via AP, File)

North Korea Warns of 'Terrible Response' if South Sends More Drones

North Korea threatened on Friday a "terrible response" if it detects any more drones buzzing across the border from the South. South Korean President Lee…

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World FILE - In this photo provided by the US Navy, the USS Gerald R. Ford embarked on the first of its sea trials to test various state-of-the-art systems on its own power for the first time, April 8, 2017, from Newport News, Va. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ridge Leoni/US Navy via AP, File)

World’s Largest Aircraft Carrier is Being Sent to the Middle East

The world’s largest aircraft carrier has been ordered to sail from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East, a person familiar with the plans said Thursday, as US…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World US President Donald Trump poses for a photo with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before he boards Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, near Tel Aviv, as Israel's President Isaac Herzog watches at left. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump Says Herzog ‘Should be Ashamed’ as Israeli President Undecided on Netanyahu Pardon

Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s office said in a statement on Thursday that he is still waiting on a legal opinion from the Justice Ministry as he responded…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World A Shahed drone on display during the 47th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution in Tehran, Iran February 11, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Moscow Warns of Possible US Military Operation in Iran

Russian Deputy Foreign ‍Minister Sergei Ryabkov has warned it was still possible that the United States will carry out a new military operation in Iran. …

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World President Donald Trump listens to a question from a reporter during an event with Environmental Protection Agency director Lee Zeldin to announce the EPA will no longer regulate greenhouse gases, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump Warns Iran of 'Very Traumatic' Outcome if No Nuclear Deal

US President Donald Trump threatened Iran Thursday with "very traumatic" consequences if it fails to make a nuclear deal -- but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin…

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World Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves after a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House February 11, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Netanyahu Skeptical of an Iran Breakthrough

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was skeptical that US nuclear talks with Iran will lead to a breakthrough but described his meeting with US…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World A view shows the front of the Reichstag building, the seat of the German parliament, the Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany March 5, 2025. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo

German Court Rejects Palestinian's Claim over Weapons Exports

Germany's highest court on Thursday threw out a case brought by a Palestinian civilian from Gaza seeking to sue the German government over its weapons exports…