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Iran claims 'complete control' of strait: Latest developments in Middle East war
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday they had "complete control" of the crucial Strait of Hormuz and Israel launched new strikes on Iranian and Lebanese targets as the war engulfing the Middle East continued into its fifth day.
North Korea unveils rare statue of leader Kim Jong Un
North Korea has unveiled one of its first-known statues of Kim Jong Un, using the "highly unusual" sculpture to depict the leader as a smiling man of the people, an analyst told AFP.
Greek court to hand down sentences in neo-Nazi party appeal trial
A Greek appeals court on Wednesday is to pronounce fresh sentences in a landmark trial over crimes committed by the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party at the height of the country's economic crisis.
Texas tests party fault lines as US midterms begin
A bruising Texas Republican primary is advancing to a runoff vote, laying bare the struggle for control of US President Donald Trump's party as the 2026 midterms began Tuesday, while Democrats sparred over their own direction.
Lebanon says Israeli strikes hit hotel, residential building
Israeli strikes hit a Beirut hotel and residential complex in Lebanon's east, Lebanese state media said Wednesday, as Israel announced broad strikes in response to Hezbollah missile and drone launches.
Khamenei to be buried in holy city of Mashhad: Iranian media
Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be buried in the holy city of Mashhad, the Fars news agency said Tuesday.
Lebanon reports broad Israeli strikes hitting hotel, residential building
Israeli strikes hit a Beirut hotel and a residential building in Lebanon's east, Lebanese state media said Wednesday, as Israel announced "broad-scale strikes" against Hezbollah after repeated missile and drone launches.
EU to unveil 'Made in Europe' rules despite pushback
The EU will on Wednesday unveil "Buy European" rules to boost domestic production, which Brussels says will help defend European businesses against fierce global competition, especially from China.
Nepali women still sidelined in post-uprising polls
Nepali women risked their lives in last year's deadly anti-corruption protests that toppled the government.
US says 2,000 targets hit as Iran retaliates across Gulf
Israel early Wednesday launched new attacks on Iran as the US military said it has hit nearly 2,000 targets inside the Islamic republic, which tried to impose a cost by expanding a missile and drone barrage across the region.
Iran will not 'automatically' fall after Khamenei's death, shah's widow tells AFP
Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei's death is "historically significant" but will not "automatically" lead to the fall of the Iranian system, the widow of the country's last shah told AFP in an interview Tuesday.
Trump insists he struck Iran on his own terms
President Donald Trump and his team scrambled Tuesday to reclaim the narrative on why he decided to attack Iran, after his top diplomat suggested the US struck only after learning of an imminent Israeli strike.
Beirut explosion, Qatar busts spy cells: Latest developments in Mideast war
An explosion rocked the Lebanese capital and Israel said it was launching a new overnight wave of strikes on Iran, as the war engulfing the Middle East continued into Wednesday.
Hezbollah says targeted Israel's Haifa naval base after strikes on Lebanon
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it targeted northern Israel's Haifa naval base on Tuesday in response to the Israeli military's ongoing strikes against the Iran-back movement's strongholds in Lebanon, including the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Canada PM calls for 'rapid de-escalation' of war in Middle East
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called on Wednesday for the rapid de-escalation of the conflict unleashed by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, urging all parties to respect the international rules of engagement.
Trump says US Navy could escort tankers, Iran aimed to strike first
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the US Navy was ready to escort oil tankers through a crucial Gulf shipping route, as he justified his war on Iran by saying he believed Tehran was about to strike first.
Will US oil companies be the big winners from the Iran war?
Energy prices have surged dramatically since the United States and Israel launched their attack on Iran Saturday, and that will almost certainly translate into bigger profits.
France deploys aircraft carrier to Mediterranean over Iran war
France is sending its flagship aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the widening conflict in the Middle East, President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday.
Trump threatens Spain ties over Iran war refusal
US President Donald Trump threatened Tuesday to sever all trade with Spain after it refused to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran, while also lashing out at Britain for not cooperating more.
France sends aircraft carrier amid new Israel, Iran attacks: Latest developments in Middle East war
French President Emmanuel Macron ordered an aircraft carrier group to the Mediterranean in response to the widening Middle East conflict and said the US-Israel strikes on Iran were outside international law.
US says Israel killed Iran's leader
The Pentagon's policy chief on Tuesday distanced the United States from the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying he was killed by an Israeli strike.
'Not Churchill': Trump ups criticism of Starmer over Iran strikes
President Donald Trump on Tuesday stepped up his criticism of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not initially permitting American warplanes to use UK bases to strike Iran, saying "this is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with".
Brazil's economy slows as high interest rates curb growth
Brazil's economy grew 2.3 percent in 2025, cooling from the previous year as its interest rates remained among the highest in the world, official data showed Tuesday.
Trump denounces UK, Spain over Iran stance
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday lashed out at Britain and Spain for not fully backing his attack on Iran, as he threatened to end "all trade" with Spain.
Trump says 'everything's been knocked out' in Iran
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday boasted of wide damage on Iran inflicted by the US-Israel attack, while denying that Israel had forced his hand into launching the war.
Tehran resembles ghost town as bombs rain down
Tehran feels like a ghost town, with residents who have not fled remaining shut away in their homes for fear of new explosions from the US-Israeli bombardment.
US Homeland Security chief grilled over immigration crackdown
US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief Kristi Noem came under withering criticism from Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday over the Trump administration's sweeping immigration crackdown.
Flights to evacuate stranded travellers in Middle East
Evacuation flights are set to rescue tens of thousands of travellers stranded in the Middle East even as some airlines resumed on Tuesday a limited number of scheduled flights.
Tens of thousands of Afghans displaced by Pakistan conflict
Tens of thousands of Afghans have been forced from their homes by fighting with Pakistani forces along the border in recent days, the United Nations said Tuesday.
Afghans escape from Iranian cities to get home
His hopes of reaching Turkey dashed by the Middle East war, Rashid Nazari fled back to Afghanistan where he described the search in neighbouring Iran for food, fuel and safety.
Iran targets Mideast energy industry and US missions
Drones hit the US embassy in Riyadh and more explosions rang out in Gulf cities Tuesday as Iran hit back at industrial and diplomatic targets across the Middle East and governments sought to evacuate their nationals from the region.
Thousands of Afghans displaced by Pakistan conflict
More than 8,000 Afghans have been forced from their homes by fighting with Pakistani forces along the border in recent days, the Taliban government said Tuesday.