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How Iran's 'telegraphed' strikes on Qatari soil paved way to Israel truce

Iran's unprecedented strikes on a US base in Qatar were carefully calculated to provide an exit from hostilities with Washington and set up a truce with Israel, according to analysts and an official.

Gaza rescuers say 46 killed as UN slams US-backed aid system

Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed another 46 people waiting for aid in the Palestinian territory on Tuesday as rights groups and UN agencies slammed the US-backed food distribution system.

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Thai PM apologises as crisis threatens to topple government

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra apologised Thursday for a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen that has provoked widespread anger and put her government on the brink of collapse.

Iran strikes Israel as Trump weighs US involvement

Iran launched a fresh salvo of missiles at Israel on Thursday, with a hospital reported hit, as President Donald Trump warned he was weighing US military action in the conflict.

Thai PM faces growing calls to quit following Cambodia phone row

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faced mounting calls Thursday to resign after a leaked phone call she had with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen provoked widespread anger and prompted a key coalition partner to quit.

Mutilation ban and microchips: EU lawmakers vote on cat and dog welfare

Compulsory microchipping, as well as bans on ear-cropping and tail-docking, are among a set of new rules to protect cats and dogs that European lawmakers are due to vote on Thursday.

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi marks 80th birthday in junta jail

Myanmar's deposed democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi marked her 80th birthday in junta detention on Thursday, serving a raft of sentences set to last the rest of her life.

Homeland insecurity: Expelled Afghans seek swift return to Pakistan

Pakistan says it has expelled more than a million Afghans in the past two years, yet many have quickly attempted to return -- preferring to take their chances dodging the law than struggle for existence in a homeland some had never even seen before.

Syrians watch Iran-Israel crossfire as government stays silent

For days, Syrians have watched as Iranian missiles and Israeli interceptors light up the skies over their territory, but the new government in Damascus has so far remained officially silent on the unprecedented conflict.

Asian stocks drop after Fed warning, oil dips with Mideast in focus

Asian stocks fell Thursday after the Federal Reserve warned Donald Trump's trade war would likely reignite US inflation and dampen economic growth, while oil prices edged down as investors awaited developments in the Israel-Iran conflict.

Trump weighs involvement as Israel launches fresh strikes on Iran

President Donald Trump warned he was weighing US military action against Iran, as Israel launched fresh strikes against Tehran on Thursday.

Nippon, US Steel complete partnership deal

Nippon Steel and US Steel said Wednesday they had completed a long-debated transaction granting the US government a "golden share" -- a veto-like power over the Japanese company's strategic decisions.

Taiwan pursues homegrown Chinese spies as Beijing's influence grows

Taiwan is vetting hundreds of thousands of military service members, public school teachers and civil servants in a bid to root out potential homegrown Chinese sympathisers, as Beijing intensifies espionage on the island.

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi marks 80th in junta jail

Myanmar's deposed democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi marked her 80th birthday in junta detention on Thursday, serving a raft of sentences set to last the rest of her life.

Thai PM faces growing calls to quit in Cambodia phone row

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faced mounting calls to resign on Thursday after a leaked phone call she had with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen provoked widespread anger and a key coalition partner to quit.

From Tehran to Toronto via Turkey: an Iranian's bid to flee war

Dragging two suitcases and wearing a rucksack, Homa looked exhausted after crossing the Turkish border following a long trip from Tehran where she'd been on holiday when the Israel-Iran war began.

Bolivia risks debt default without new funding: president to AFP

Bolivia, battling an economic crisis that has plunged it into social unrest, risks defaulting on its loan payments if it does not obtain new foreign financing, President Luis Arce told AFP on Wednesday.

Waymo looks to test its self-driving cars in New York

Google-owned Waymo on Wednesday said it has applied for a permit to start testing its self-driving cars in New York City, a first for the Big Apple.

'Argentina with Cristina': Thousands rally for convicted ex-president

Tens of thousands of Argentines took to the streets Wednesday in support of former president Cristina Kirchner, who vowed to make a comeback as she serves a six-year fraud sentence under house arrest.

Gaza rescuers say 33 killed by Israel fire

Gaza's civil defence agency said 33 people were killed by Israeli fire in the Palestinian territory on Wednesday, including 11 who were seeking aid.

Khamenei vows Iran will never surrender, hypersonic missiles target Israel

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday Iran would never surrender, with the country unleashing a volley of hypersonic missiles at Israel on the sixth day of war between the longtime enemies.

US Fed keeps interest rates unchanged in face of Trump criticism

The US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady for a fourth consecutive meeting Wednesday, forecasting higher inflation and cooler growth this year as President Donald Trump's tariffs begin to take hold and geopolitical uncertainty swirls.

'Terrified': Supporters fear for prisoners trapped in Iran

As Israel presses its aerial attacks on Tehran, concern is growing over the fate of foreign nationals and Iranians seen by rights groups as political prisoners imprisoned in the capital who have no chance of fleeing to safety.

Oil prices drop following Trump's Iran comments, US stocks rise

Oil prices dropped Wednesday as comments by President Donald Trump trimmed concerns about an imminent US intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict.

Iran-Israel war: a lifeline for Netanyahu?

The Iran-Israel war has helped strengthen Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu domestically and overseas, just as his grip on power looked vulnerable.

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation initiative 'outrageous': UN probe chief

The use of the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to distribute food in the Palestinian territory is "outrageous", the head of a UN inquiry said Wednesday.

Gaza flotilla skipper vows to return

The Dutch captain of a Gaza-bound ship carrying activists including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg said Wednesday future missions could still be in the works as he returned to the Netherlands.

Putin T-shirts, robots and the Taliban -- but few Westerners at Russia's Davos

Russia's flagship economic forum kicked off Wednesday with stalls selling Vladimir Putin-themed merchandise and humanoid robots, but Westerners were few and far between -- despite warming ties between Moscow and Washington under Donald Trump.

Trump on Iran strikes: 'I may do it, I may not do it'

President Donald Trump said he was considering whether the United States will join Israeli strikes on Iran Wednesday, as he said that Tehran had reached out to seek negotiations.

Khamenei vows Iran will never surrender

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday the nation would never surrender and warned the United States of "irreparable damage" if it intervenes, while Israel said it had destroyed the internal security headquarters in Tehran.

Oil rises, stocks mixed as investors watch rates, conflict

Oil prices rose and stock markets diverged Wednesday as investors tracked the Israel-Iran conflict and a looming US interest rate decision.

Iran-Israel war: latest developments

Israel and Iran exchanged fire again on Wednesday, the sixth day of strikes in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East.

Iran threatens response if US crosses 'red line': ambassador

The United States is "complicit" in Israel's strikes in Iran, Tehran's ambassador to the United Nations claimed Wednesday, vowing that his country would respond if Washington crosses a "red line".

Iranians buying supplies in Iraq tell of fear, shortages back home

Near the once-bustling Iraqi border crossing of Bashmakh, Iranian driver Fatah stocked up on rice, sugar and tea, staples that have become increasingly hard to get back home.

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