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Iran and US Closing in on Deal to End War

World Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, May 22, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Iran and US Closing in on Deal to End War

The United States and Iran could strike a deal to end the Middle East war as early as Sunday, Washington's top diplomat said, while Tehran insisted the…

Asharq Al Awsat
World European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks with the media as she arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Marius Burgelman)

EU's Kallas: Russia Showing 'Reckless Nuclear Brinkmanship' in Latest Attacks on Ukraine

Russia's latest attacks against Ukraine, which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said involved an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, showed 'reckless…

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World A person poses for photo holding a Taiwan flag at a rally to support government plans to increase defense spending in Taipei, Taiwan May 23, 2026. (Reuters)

Taiwan, China Coast Guards in Standoff at Top of South China Sea

The Taiwanese and Chinese coast guards were engaged in a tense standoff for the second day near the strategically located Pratas islands at the top of the…

World  Supporters of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the former Republican People’s Party (CHP) chairman reinstated by a court decision, scuffle with supporters of ousted party chairman Ozgur Ozel as they try to enter the party’s headquarters in Ankara, Türkiye, May 24, 2026. (Reuters)

Türkiye Orders Police to Evict Ousted Opposition Leadership from Headquarters

Turkish ‌authorities ordered police to evict the leadership of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) from their headquarters on Sunday,…

World  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at a joint presser with India’s Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar (not pictured) following their talks in New Delhi, India, May 24, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via Reuters)

Rubio Says Announcement Possible Later Sunday on Iran War

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an announcement was possible later Sunday on a deal with Iran that could formally end the Middle East war, insisting…


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…

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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…

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World 09 May 2026, India, Prayagraj: A man sleeps under a water tanker on a hot day. Photo: Prabhat Kumar Verma/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Dust Storms and Lightning Kill at Least 96 People in Northern India

Dust storms, heavy rain, and lightning damaged homes and other structures and killed at least 96 people in northern India, officials said Thursday. The…

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World Vehicles drive on a road during heavy rain in Lahore, Pakistan, 13 May 2026. EPA/A. HUSSAIN

Pakistan: Five Soldiers, Seven Militants Killed in Clashes

At least five soldiers and seven militants were killed in clashes in Pakistan's turbulent south-western province of Balochistan, officials said on Thursday. …

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World United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese was slapped with US sanctions for her work. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP/File

US Court Suspends Sanctions on UN Expert on Palestinians

A US judge on Wednesday imposed a temporary injunction on sanctions imposed last year by Washington on a United Nations expert on the occupied Palestinian…

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World Six passengers who sailed on a hantavirus-affected cruise are set to fly to Australia in protective gear. JORGE GUERRERO / AFP/File

Six Hantavirus Cruise Passengers Head to Australia

Six passengers who sailed on a hantavirus-affected cruise will fly to Australia from the Netherlands on Thursday while dressed in full protective gear, the…

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World Rescuers work at a residential building partially destroyed following Russian drone and missile strikes in Kyiv on May 14, 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP)

Russia Hits Kyiv with Drones and Ballistic Missiles, 1 Dead and 31 Wounded

Russia attacked Ukraine's capital with a mass drone and missile attack early Thursday morning that killed at least one and injured 31 people, local authorities…

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World Children hold Chinese and US flags, as US President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 14, 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool

Xi and Trump Meet in High-profile Summit in Beijing

Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump on Thursday wrapped up a meeting in Beijing after about two hours of discussions focusing on trade, Taiwan and other…

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World The Iran flag flutters from a tall flagpole over high-rise buildings in northern Tehran on May 12, 2026. (AFP)

US Senate Backs Trump on Iran War Despite Deadline Lapse

US senators on Wednesday rejected a resolution curbing President Donald Trump's power to wage war on Iran -- their first vote on the conflict since a 60-day…

World The cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, leaves the port of Granadilla de Abona, in Tenerife, Spain, May 11, 2026. (Reuters)

Tests in Italy, Spain Come Back Negative in Global Hunt for Hantavirus

Seventeen people under observation in Italy and Spain for possible hantavirus infection have tested negative, the countries' health ministries said on…

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

Trump Says No Need for China’s Help on Iran as Shippers Seek Way Through Hormuz

US President Donald Trump has said he does not expect to need China's help to end the war in Iran and ease Tehran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, in remarks…

World  A local resident waits for the end of an air alarm at one of the subway stations in Kyiv on May 13, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

Daytime Russian Barrage of 800 Drones Kills 6 in Ukraine

A daytime Russian drone barrage mainly targeting western Ukraine killed at least six people and wounded dozens, the Ukrainian president said on Wednesday, in…

World A mural depicting the late leader of the Iranian Revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini, and the late Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, May 12, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Series of Tremors Near Tehran Renew Concerns over Major Quake Risk

A series of nine small earthquakes struck the Pardis area east of Tehran overnight, Mehr news agency reported on Wednesday, renewing fears among experts and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tehran)
World US President Donald Trump (C) is escorted by China's Vice President Han Zheng (R) upon his arrival at Beijing Capital Airport in Beijing on May 13, 2026. (AFP)

Trump Arrives in China to Meet with Xi in Beijing

US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for his highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a restless moment for a world…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington )
World Motorbikes cross an intersection in downtown Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran Hangs Man Accused of Spying for Israel

Iran on Wednesday hanged a man found guilty of selling information to Israeli intelligence, the judiciary said, the latest in a wave of executions during the…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
World Election campaign billboards of candidates for Cyprus parliamentary election, to be held on May 24, are placed on a street in Nicosia, Cyprus May 6, 2026. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou

Cypriot President: UN May Put Cyprus Peace Plan Forward this Year

The United Nations is likely to launch a fresh push to resolve the decades-old split of Cyprus before the term of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expires at…

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World President Donald Trump waves from the stairs of Air Force One as he boards upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Tuesday, May 12, 2026, for a trip to China to meet President Xi Jinping. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Trump Posts Graphic of Venezuela as 51st US State

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday posted a map graphic on his Truth Social platform depicting Venezuela with an inset American flag and the label "51st…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World Taipei 101 rises in the background above residential buildings while people walk across a street in Taipei, Taiwan, May 12, 2026. REUTERS/Ann Wang

Ahead of Trump Summit, China Says Ready to 'Crush' Any Taiwan Independence Bid

China is resolved to oppose independence for Taiwan, and its capability to "crush" separatism is "unbreakable", the country's Taiwan Affairs Office said on…

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World Maria Fernanda Espinosa, the Ecuadorian candidate seeking to oust actual Organization of the American States Secretary General, Luis Almagro, is seen before an interview with AFP journalists in a Washington, DC hotel on February 6, 2020. (AFP)

Former Ecuadoran Top Diplomat Enters Race for UN Chief

Ecuadoran former foreign minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa has become the fifth candidate to enter the race for the next head of the United Nations, the UN…

World Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with media following his meeting with foreign delegations at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 09 May 2026. Russia marks the 81 st anniversary of its victory over Nazi Germany and its allies in World War II. (EPA)

Kremlin Releases Video of Putin Out and About in Moscow After Western Bunker Claims

The Kremlin has released ‌a video of Vladimir Putin driving in Moscow and meeting an old school teacher in a hotel lobby, after Western media outlets…

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

Pentagon Says US Cost of Iran War Nearing $29 billion

The Pentagon said Tuesday that the cost of the war with Iran had climbed to nearly $29 billion, as President Donald Trump faced mounting scrutiny over the…

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World This video grab from AFP TV video shows a view of Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaking during a virtual press conference on the hantavirus cluster linked to a cruise ship travel, in Geneva, on May 7, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

WHO Chief Says 'Work not Over' after Hantavirus Evacuation

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday "our work is not over" to contain hantavirus after evacuations from a cruise ship…

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World FILED - 26 July 2023, Russia, Saint Petersburg: FILE PHOTO - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a meeting at the Konstantinovsky Palace. Photo: Vladimir Smirnov/KREMLIN/dpa

Kremlin Says Preparations for Putin Visit to China are in Final Stages

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that preparations ‌were ‌in the ‌final ⁠stages for a visit ⁠by President Vladimir Putin ⁠to ‌China. Kremlin spokesman ‌Dmitry…

World A person rides a motorcycle over a US flag painted on a street, in Tehran, Iran, May 12, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

Iran Chief Negotiator Says US Must Accept Proposal or Face ‘Failure’

Iran's chief negotiator on Tuesday issued an ultimatum to the United States to accept the conditions in Tehran's 14-point proposal for peace in the Middle East…