Featured
Last news
Iran denies ship attack as Trump warns of renewed bombing, eyes deal
Iran denied on Thursday attacking a South Korean cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz this week, as US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the war was "very possible" but warned Washington would resume bombing if talks failed.
EU weighs options as summer jet fuel threat looms
How big is the jet fuel threat to Europe's summer holidays? The EU says it is not facing shortages yet, but it is readying for the worst -- and weighing options including using US kerosene as a back-up.
Japan fires missiles during drills, drawing China rebuke
Japan fired surface-to-ship missiles and sank an old warship in waters between the Philippines and Taiwan as part major military exercices that include US forces, angering China.
Rubio seeks to ease tensions with US pope
America's top diplomat, Marco Rubio, will visit the first US pope, Leo XIV, on Thursday, seeking to ease tensions between Washington and the Vatican while also promoting President Donald Trump's interests.
AI disinfo tests South Korean laws ahead of local elections
In an airy office in South Korea, workers comb through social media, uncovering AI-generated content whose growing sophistication is testing toughened election laws ahead of local polls.
Lobito Corridor: Africa's mega-project facing delivery test
The Lobito Corridor mega-project linking three African countries is shifting from blueprint to proving ground in the global race for critical minerals.
Trump to host Lula in test of fitful relationship
US President Donald Trump will host his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the White House on Thursday -- the latest test of the ideological opposites' tenuous relationship, with security and investment topping the agenda.
K-pop stars BTS draw 50,000-strong crowd in Mexico
Around 50,000 fans of K-pop superstars BTS gathered outside Mexico's National Palace on Wednesday to get a look at the group, who waved to the crowd from a balcony after meeting with President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Britons set to punish Starmer's Labour in local polls
Millions of Britons vote Thursday in local elections set to heap more pressure on beleaguered Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer and showcase the rise of hard-right and left-wing populists.
Wars in Middle East, backyard loom over ASEAN summit
Leaders of the ASEAN states are descending on the central Philippines for what President Ferdinand Marcos has pledged will be a "bare bones" summit focused on economic issues tied to the Middle East war.
US court releases purported Epstein suicide note
A US judge on Wednesday released a suicide note purportedly written by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein weeks before his death in a New York jailhouse.
Israeli court rejects flotilla activists' appeal challenging detention
An Israeli court on Wednesday rejected an appeal contesting the detention of two foreign activists seized by Israeli forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla, with the rights group representing them denouncing the ruling as "unlawful."
Trump says Iran deal 'very possible' but threatens strikes if talks fail
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he believed a deal with Iran was "very possible" but threatened to again bomb the country if negotiations fell apart.
Russia warns diplomats in Kyiv to evacuate in case of strike
Russia sent an evacuation warning to foreign diplomats in Kyiv on Wednesday, saying it would attack the city if Ukraine disrupted World War II commemorations in Moscow this weekend.
First hantavirus infection could not have been during cruise: WHO expert
The first hantavirus case on the MV Hondius could not have been infected during the cruise, a World Health Organization expert told AFP on Wednesday.
Trump says Iran deal 'very possible', but threatens strikes if not
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he believed a deal with Iran was "very possible", but threatened to resume his bombardment of the country if negotiations fell apart.
Lula heads to Washington to meet Trump in fraught election year
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva flew to Washington Wednesday for talks with US President Donald Trump on thorny issues, while seeking to boost his image at home ahead of October elections.
French aircraft carrier pre-positions for possible Hormuz mission
France's aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle was on Wednesday heading towards the southern Red Sea to pre‑position for a possible mission to restore navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Paris said.
Wave of arrests, abductions after attacks on Mali junta
Malian opposition figures and military personnel have been detained or abducted following large-scale attacks by jihadists and separatists on junta positions, security, legal and family sources told AFP on Wednesday.
Zelensky says Russia choosing war as dual ceasefires falter
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Russia had decided to reject efforts to halt fighting and save lives by launching fresh attacks on Ukraine, which had called a unilateral ceasefire.
US pauses guiding ships through Hormuz, cites Iran deal hopes
President Donald Trump said he was pausing the US military operation to guide stranded commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz shortly after it began, citing a chance to seal a deal that would end two months of war with Iran.
Former Russian insider says fear pushed elites to embrace Putin war
Fear and distrust took hold in Moscow soon after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Oil tumbles and stocks rally on peace hopes, Samsung tops $1 trillion
Oil prices dived again Wednesday on fresh hopes for an end to the Iran war, while Samsung blasted past the $1 trillion valuation mark in an equity markets rally stoked by the AI tech boom.
US pauses Hormuz escorts, Trump says progress on Iran deal
The United States will pause escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz barely a day after it began doing so, President Donald Trump said, citing a desire to reach a peace deal with Iran.
Tradition, Trump and tennis: Five things about Pope Leo
On May 8, 2025, Robert Francis Prevost became the first pope from the United States, taking the name Leo XIV.
Ukraine reports strike as Kyiv's ceasefire due to begin
The unilateral ceasefire announced by Kyiv was due to take effect on Wednesday, but Ukraine accused Russia of new strikes just hours after attacks killed at least 28 people in cities across the war-battered nation.
Australia says 13 citizens linked to alleged IS members returning from Syria
A group of 13 Australians related to alleged Islamic State jihadists is returning home from Syria, Australian authorities said Wednesday, warning some will face arrest.
Iran war jolts China's well-oiled manufacturing hub
Vacuum cleaners and vapes could get more expensive if the Iran war drags on for much longer, Chinese factory owners and traders warn, as the world's manufacturing hub reels from "crazy" costs.
Oil sinks and stocks rally on peace hopes, Samsung tops $1 trillion
Oil prices extended losses and stocks rallied Wednesday on fresh hopes for an end to the Iran war and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while Samsung blasted past the $1 trillion valuation mark as the AI tech boom continued apace.
Rubio rising? Duel with Vance for 2028 heats up
It was the perfect split-screen for the race to succeed Donald Trump -- so long as your name is Marco Rubio and not JD Vance.
US pauses Hormuz escorts in bid for deal, as threats continue
The US will pause escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz barely a day after it began doing so, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday, citing a desire to reach a peace deal with Iran.
Trump says pausing Hormuz operation in push for Iran deal
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was halting the US military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after just one day, in a bid to reach a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war.