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New French Protests Focus on Children and Police

World A protester waves a French flag amid tear gas smoke during a demonstration in Lyon, France. (Getty Images/AFP)

New French Protests Focus on Children and Police

France faces more rallies on Saturday with demonstrators venting frustrations ranging from inflation to opposition to a new police bill at the latest protests…

World The main entrance at the RAF Lakenheath airbase, which hosts United States Air Force (USAF) personnel, amid reports of a security threat in Lakenheath, Britain, November 13, 2026. (Reuters)

US Forces Responded to Suspected Drone Activity Over Base in Britain

US forces responded to possible unauthorized drone activity over a military base in Britain Friday, spokespeople from the two countries said, in the latest…

World  Secretary Marco Rubio delivers a keynote speech at Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention, in Washington, DC on November 13, 2026. (AFP)

Rubio Says Further US Military Action Is Not Needed Against Economically Weakened Iran

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that further US military action against Iran is unnecessary because the economic pain the US is inflicting on a…

World Traditional Russian wooden dolls depicting China's President Xi Jinping, the US president, Donald Trump, and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. (AP)

Trump, Xi, Putin to Hold Historic Meeting in China, Says White House

Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping will hold the first three-way meeting between the leaders of the United States, Russia and China at a summit in…

World  Travelers wait in line at ticket counters at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded flights nationwide. (AP)

‘I May Lose My Mind’: Frustrated Travelers Stuck in US Flight Havoc

Confusion reigned at airports across the United States on Friday as a rare grounding of all US flights stranded hundreds of thousands of frustrated travelers. …


World Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs the Security Council meeting via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Pavel Byrkin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Kremlin: Putin Could Meet Zelenskiy if Certain Agreements Reached

The Kremlin said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin could meet Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy, but only if certain agreements were reached. …

Asharq Al Awsat
World People carry shopping bags as they walk along Regent Street in London, Britain, 15 May 2025. EPA/TOLGA AKMEN

British Police Charge 3 Iranian Men with Spying after Counterterror Probe

British police said on Saturday they have charged three Iranian men - under the National Security Act - with spying offenses after an investigation by…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
World The Orleans Justice Center jail, left, in New Orleans is seen on Friday, May 16, 2025. (Brett Duke/The Advocate via AP)

10 Escape from New Orleans Jail Through Hole in Cell Wall

Ten men broke out of a New Orleans jail Friday in an audacious overnight escape by fleeing through a hole behind a toilet and scaling a wall while the lone…

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World RVs are damaged after a tornado in Nashville, Neb. on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via AP)

At Least 7 People Dead in the Wake of Severe US Midwest Storms

At least seven people died and authorities were searching from building to building for people who were trapped or hurt after severe storms including at least…

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World Service members of the 115th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fire a mortar towards Russian troops, at a position in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine May 16, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova

Russian Attack Kills 9 in Ukraine, Just Hours after Peace Talks

A Russian drone hit a bus, killing nine people and injuring four more in the region of Sumy, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday, in an attack that took place…

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World  Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives for a meeting with North Macedonia's Prime Minister during the European Political Community (EPC) summit, in Tirana on May 16, 2025. (AFP)

European Leaders Consult Trump, Then Agree Joint Response to Russian Foot-Dragging in Truce Talks

European leaders agreed on Friday to press ahead with joint action against Russia over the failure to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, UK Prime Minister Keir…

World Hadi Matar arrives for his trial on charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault dating to an attack on Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie, at Chautauqua County Court in Mayville, New York, US February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Robert Frank/File Photo

Man Who Stabbed Author Salman Rushdie on Stage Has Been Sentenced to 25 years in Prison

The man convicted of stabbing Salman Rushdie on a New York lecture stage in 2022, leaving the prizewinning author blind in one eye, was sentenced Friday to…

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World Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan chairs a meeting between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators in Istanbul, Türkiye, May 16, 2025. Arda Kucukkaya/Turkish Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

Russia Says Ukraine Talks Yielded a Prisoner Swap Deal and an Agreement to Keep Talking

Russia said on Friday that the first direct talks with Ukraine in more than three years had yielded a deal to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each soon and to…

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World People walk past an anti-US mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, May 11, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

Trump Says Iran Needs to Move Quickly on Nuclear Proposal

President Donald Trump on Friday said Iran had a US proposal about its nuclear program and knows it needs to move quickly to resolve a decades-long dispute,…

World European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen delivers a speech during the "Choose Europe for Science" event, to encourage researchers and scientists from all over the world to practice in Europe, in the amphitheatre of the Sorbonne University in Paris, France May 5, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool

EU Readying New Sanctions to Increase Pressure on Russia, Von Der Leyen Says

The European Union is working on a new package of sanctions to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, EU Commission…

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World France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot talks to the press as he arrives for an informal meeting of The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) foreign ministers, in Antalya, on May 15, 2025.

France Sues Iran at Top UN Court over Detained Citizens

Paris has filed a case against Tehran at the top UN court over two French citizens who have been held in Iran for three years, the French foreign minister said…

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World US President Donald Trump speaks as he attends a business forum at Qasr Al Watan during the final stop of his Gulf visit, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, May 16, 2025. (Reuters)

After Putin Is a No-Show at Talks in Türkiye, Trump Says He’ll Meet the Russian Leader Soon 

President Donald Trump said Friday he's moving to set up direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as he can. Trump's push for a face-to…

World A handout picture provided by the Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV during the audience with the Eastern Churches celebrating their Jubilee, in Vatican City, 14 May 2025. (EPA / Vatican Media handout)

Pope Meets World Diplomats, Stresses Peace and Dignity of Migrants

Pope Leo XIV, in his first address to world diplomats at the Vatican, said on Friday that the dignity of migrants had to be respected, while also calling on…

World (COMBO) This combination of pictures created on May 12, 2025 shows a pool photograph distributed by Russia's state agency Sputnik bearing Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024 and a picture of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press conference with French President at the Elysee palace in Paris on February 16, 2024.  (Photo by Mikhail KLIMENTYEV and Thibault CAMUS / POOL / AFP)

Russia and Ukraine to Hold First Direct Peace Talks in over 3 Years

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will meet in Istanbul on Friday for their first peace talks in more than three years as both sides come under pressure from…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Kabul faces a looming water crisis, driven by unruly and rapid urbanization, mismanagement over years of conflict, and climate change. Wakil KOHSAR / AFP

'Serious Problem': Afghan Capital Losing Race against Water Shortages

Every week, Bibi Jan scrapes together some of her husband's meagre daily wage to buy precious water from rickshaw-drawn tankers that supply residents of…

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World Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te delivers his speech inside a Naval base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 16 May 2025. (EPA)

Taiwan President Rallies the Troops Ahead of Possible Chinese Drills 

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te offered his support and encouragement to the armed forces on Friday ahead of what the government has warned could be a new round…

World US President Donald Trump has said a nuclear deal with Iran was 'getting close'. ATTA KENARE / AFP

Iran, European Powers to Hold Nuclear Talks in Türkiye

Iran is set to hold talks with Britain, France and Germany in Türkiye on Friday, after US President Donald Trump said a nuclear deal with Tehran was "getting…

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World FILE - People ride their scooters in the Gounghin district of Ouagadougou, Jan. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia, File)

Al Qaeda Affiliate: 200 Soldiers Killed in Attack on Burkina Military Base

An attack on a Burkina Faso army base killed 200 soldiers, the SITE Intelligence Group quoted Al Qaeda affiliate JNIM as saying on Thursday. The base in the…

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World FILE PHOTO: Tourists use their phones as they visit the Forbidden City in Beijing, China February 21, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo

China Allows Visa-free Entry for 5 Latin American Nations to Boost Ties

China will allow visa-free entry for nationals of five Latin American countries for one year to boost closer connections with the region. Starting June 1,…

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World The World Health Assembly is taking place at WHO headquarters in Geneva from May 19 to 27. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Pandemic Accord, Tightened Budget on Menu at Big WHO Meet

Next week promises to be a crucial one for the World Health Organization, with member states coming together in Geneva to adopt a landmark pandemic agreement…

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World A person sleeps on the floor of Terminal 4 at Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (Diego Radames/Europa Press via AP)

Spain to Limit Access to Madrid Airport for Nontravelers Because of Homeless Encampment Problem

Spain's airport authority will start to limit access to Madrid's airport during some parts of the day as a preventive measure to stop more homeless people from…

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World Indian ruling party rally in New Delhi. Tauseef MUSTAFA / AFP

India Says Pakistan Nuclear Arsenal Should Be under UN Surveillance

Pakistan's nuclear arsenal should be under the surveillance of the UN's nuclear watchdog, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday, following a four…

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World A soldier lowers the Taiwan national flag during the daily flag ceremony at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Taiwan Cannot Rule out China Holding More Drills as President Marks a Year in Office

Taiwan cannot rule out that China will hold more military drills to "stir up trouble" around the one year anniversary next week of President Lai Ching-te…

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World Protesters hold Palestinian flags during a silent demonstration in support of the Palestinian people on the day of the commemoration of the "Nakba", the Palestinian people's displacement during the creation of Israel, in Basel, on May 14, 2025. The demonstration takes place amidst the Eurovision Song Contest, in which Israel's participation is criticized over the war in Gaza. (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP)

Israel’s Presence Still Roils Eurovision a Year after Major Protests over the War in Gaza

Most contestants at the Eurovision Song Contest are seeking as much publicity as possible. Israel’s Yuval Raphael is keeping a low profile. The 24-year-old…

Asharq Al Awsat