Iran hit a tanker off the coast of Qatar and Kuwait International Airport as Tehran acknowledged for the first time that Washington had been in direct contact about a possible ceasefire. Israel sounded warnings of incoming fire from both Yemen and Iran on Wednesday, while launching its own attacks in Lebanon that killed at least five people. With no sign of the war abating and more than 3,000 lives already lost, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested it could be over within two weeks even as he moved to bring thousands more troops to the region.
Amsterdam is marking 25 years since the world's first gay marriages were celebrated in the Netherlands. Three couples married at City Hall on Wednesday just after midnight, led in a ceremony by Mayor Femke Halsema. More than 40 countries now allow same-sex marriages. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who is gay, says the milestone inspired him as a teenager. The LGBTQ movement is facing challenges elsewhere. Advocates cite new efforts in some U.S. states to challenge marriage equality and rising hostility toward LGBTQ+ people in parts of Africa.
Asian shares are sharply higher after U.S. stocks soared to their best day in almost a year over renewed hopes that the Iran war could soon end. South Korea's Kospi was up 8.1% and Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rose 4.5% on Wednesday. Oil prices have steadied. The renewed optimism comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will be done attacking Iran probably within two to three weeks. Trump is expected to deliver an address on the Iran war Wednesday evening. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 jumped 2.9% Tuesday for its largest gain since May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 2.5%, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 3.8%.
TRIKORFO, Greece (AP) — Can a centuries-old ritual of spiritual renewal rekindle a New Year’s resolution to build healthy eating habits before it fades in the spring?
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Chang Ung, a former North Korean member of the International Olympic Committee who once led sports exchanges with rival South Korea including joint marches of their athletes at the Olympics, has died, the IOC announced Wednesday. He was 87.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance are both seen as the Republican Party’s strongest potential candidates in the next presidential election, but the Iran war could prove to be a political millstone for them. Rubio’s full-throated support for the war could come back to haunt him depending on how the war turns out. Vance, meanwhile, risks accusations of disloyalty if he were to stray too far from President Donald Trump's messaging, but an appearance of support for the war could be seen as an about-face given his longtime skepticism of foreign military interventions.
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — A scrawny hippie and a nerdy engineer who became prank-playing friends vowed to change the world when they founded a Silicon Valley startup on April Fools' Day 50 years ago and then — no joke — pulled it off.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s online safety watchdog said Tuesday it was considering court action against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube alleging they are not doing enough to keep Australian children younger than 16 off their platforms.
Iraqi officials say an American journalist was kidnapped in Baghdad and security forces are pursuing her captors. The journalist was identified as freelancer Shelly Kittleson by one of the outlets she worked for. A U.S. official blamed the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah. Two Iraqi security officials said the journalist was kidnapped on Tuesday and that she has U.S. citizenship. They said that two cars were involved in the kidnapping, one of which crashed while being pursued near the town of Al-Haswa in Babil province southwest of Baghdad. The journalist was the transferred to a second car that fled the scene. The U.S. Embassy had warned about kidnapping risks to U.S. citizens during the Iran war.
A Russian oil tanker has reached Cuba with a huge shipment, easing a dire fuel shortage after months without deliveries. The ship docked at the port of Matanzas on Tuesday, carrying about 730,000 barrels of oil. Cuban officials and residents celebrated as blackouts have dragged on and shortages of food and medicine grow. Cuba makes only about 40% of the fuel it needs. Experts say the cargo could cover diesel demand for around nine or 10 days. The Trump administration let the tanker proceed despite U.S. pressure on Cuba. The vessel also faces Western sanctions tied to Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday night said he has “no problem” with a Russian oil tanker off the coast of Cuba delivering relief to the island, which has been brought to its knees by a U.S. oil blockade. “We have a tanker out there. We don’t mind having somebody get a boatload because th…
President Donald Trump lashed out at allies who have been unwilling to do more to support the U.S. war effort against Iran. The president on Tuesday told them to “go get your own oil” and said it was not America’s job to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the military could end its offensive in two to three weeks and that the U.S. won’t have anything to do with what happens next in the strait, which has been closed by the Islamic Republic. Instead, he told reporters, the responsibility for keeping the vital waterway open will rest with countries that rely on it.
Australia is considering bringing court action against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube after alleging they are not doing enough to keep Australian children younger than 16 off their platforms. Australia banned young children from holding accounts on 10 social media platforms in December. The first report from the eSAfety commission about compliance with the law was issued Tuesday. It found significant concerns with five platforms and was gathering evidence against them before deciding whether to initiate court action. The law also applies to Reddit, X, Kick, Threads and Twitch, but they aren't under investigation.
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III is going ahead with a state visit to the United States despite calls for the ceremonial event to be called off due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of the British government for failing to support the war in Iran.
U.S. gas prices have jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 as fuel prices continue to soar worldwide amid the Iran war. According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now $4.02 — over a dollar more expensive than before the war began on Feb. 28, marking the largest monthly jump the motor club has seen on record. As drivers pay more to cover necessities like gas, many households may be forced to cut their budgets in other places. And as businesses face higher transportation costs, prices of things like groceries and other goods people buy each day could also rise.
MATANZAS, Cuba (AP) — A Russian tanker docked Tuesday at the Cuban port of Matanzas laden with 730,000 barrels of oil, marking the first time in three months that an oil tanker reached the island.
President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with allies who have been unwilling to help the U.S. war effort, telling them to "go get your own oil" as the conflict with Iran and its closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent average U.S. gas prices past $4 a gallon. He made the comments on social media after U.S. strikes hit a city that is home to one of Iran's main nuclear sites. Tehran meanwhile attacked a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday. The attacks showed the intensity of the war more than a month after the U.S. and Israel launched their first strikes. The conflict has left more than 3,000 dead.
Witnesses captured huge blasts and fires early Tuesday over Isfahan, home to a major Iranian air base and other military sites, as well as one of Iran’s nuclear sites.
U.S. stocks surged to their best day since last spring as doubt swung back to hope on Wall Street about a possible end to the war with Iran. The S&P 500 leaped 2.9% Tuesday for its largest gain since May. Just a day before, worries about the war had sent the main measure of Wall Street’s health more than 9% below its all-time high set early this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 1,125 points, or 2.5%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 3.8%. Stocks strengthened after oil prices eased, which also sent yields lower in the bond market.
Cuba’s deepening economic crisis is pushing struggling families into hunger and forcing them to rely on donations and the black market. One Havana mother says she sometimes has no lunch for herself and her daughters, as fuel shortages, daily blackouts and cuts to rationed food impact families across the island. Cuba’s once-lauded universal health care system has so deteriorated that it struggles to provide basic care. Hospitals face a critical backlog, with some 96,000 surgeries pending, including 11,000 for children, according to local authorities and the United Nations.
ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Tuesday promised to “continue to support” Iran’s preparations for the World Cup as he met the Iranian national team for the first time since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on the country a month ago.
LONDON (AP) — The outcome of Prince Harry 's final lawsuit against the British tabloids could rest on the credibility of a private eye who previously admitted snooping on the royal.
Top European diplomats are visiting Ukraine to mark the anniversary of atrocities committed in a town near Kyiv by Russia’s invading forces four years ago. U.S.-led efforts to end the war are on hold as Washington’s attention is gripped by the conflict in the Middle East. But European governments are keen to keep a spotlight on the war in Ukraine. A group of 12 European foreign ministers arrived by train on Tuesday in the Ukrainian capital. They were welcomed in Kyiv by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha who noted the “grim anniversary” of the atrocities in Bucha. Ukraine’s long-range drones meanwhile hammered Russian oil facilities in the Baltic Sea on Monday night.
The Supreme Court is once again hearing arguments on whether President Donald Trump can deny citizenship to children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily. The Wednesday case stems from an executive order Trump signed on the first day of his second term ending what’s known as birthright citizenship, which guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil. But while the concept has been part of U.S. law for well over a century, it is relatively rare around the world. Only about three dozen countries guarantee citizenship to children born on their territory. Most countries follow the principle of jus sanguinis, or “right of blood,” with a child’s citizenship based on the citizenship of their parents.
A humpback whale that has become stranded repeatedly off Germany’s Baltic Sea coast in recent days has got stuck again, less than a day after swimming free. But rescuers were hopeful that it could still find its way out into the open sea. The whale swam free late Monday from the spot near the German port of Wismar where it had been stuck since the weekend. It disappeared from view for hours until it was seen Tuesday morning. Police and environmentalists sent rubber boats to accompany the whale, but it turned off a course that would have taken it out of Wismar Bay and into an inlet, where it was stranded again.
Since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on Feb. 28, the Trump administration claims to have all but “obliterated” the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities. But after more than a month of fierce U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, a degraded Iranian military nonetheless remains a stubborn foe. Its steady stream of strikes against Israel and Gulf Arab neighbors are causing regional chaos and an outsized economic shock. President Donald Trump has sought negotiations and threatened a major escalation in hopes of securing Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and compelling it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Experts say that for Iran to maintain its leverage, it just needs to withstand the conflict long enough to pressure Washington to seek an off-ramp.
President Donald Trump is threatening to deploy ground troops to seize critical oil infrastructure on Iran’s Kharg Island. It's a military gambit that experts say would risk American lives and could still fail to end the war. Trump has said he could hobble Iran’s oil industry and attack power plants if the country doesn't reach a deal to end the conflict. Trump also says the U.S. could seize Kharg Island. Experts say a better option might be setting up a blockade at sea against oil tankers leaving the island. They say that's because Iran could strike easily from the mainland, and a U.S. seizure of Kharg Island might not force the country to capitulate.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Satellite images are beginning to be released giving a glimpse into the toll of the Iran war, with ships ablaze in an Iranian port and destroyed buildings at American bases in the region.
President Donald Trump has prioritized efforts to calm the financial markets during the Iran war, but his go-to moves are starting to fall flat. When the markets have flashed danger, Trump has been quick with a social media post or a remark to claim the war he launched in late February could soon end. That messaging appears to be wearing thin as the Republican president’s various pronouncements have done little to change the reality that a large chunk of the world’s energy supplies is stranded by the conflict. Just 38% of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling the economy and only 35% support him on Iran.
Israel’s parliament has passed a law approving the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, a measure critics condemn as discriminatory and inhumane. The bill’s passage on Monday marked a major victory for Israel’s far-right, which has long pushed the measure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to the chamber to vote yes in person. The law makes the death penalty — by hanging — the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted for nationalistic killings. It also gives Israeli courts the option of imposing the death penalty on Israeli citizens convicted on similar charges but legal experts say the language rules out Jewish citizens of Israel. The law is expected to face legal challenge in Israel’s Supreme Court.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf allies of the United States are urging President Donald Trump to keep prosecuting his war against Iran, saying the month of strikes has not weakened Tehran enough. That's according to U.S., Gulf and Israeli officials who were not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive diplomatic conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are pushing the hardest, with the UAE favoring a ground invasion. Oman and Qatar prefer diplomacy. Gulf leaders want big changes in Iran’s behavior, including ending its nuclear and missiles programs. Meanwhile, Iran is threatening Gulf neighbors' infrastructure if the war expands.
China is reporting that factory activity expanded in March, reversing two straight months of contraction. However, analysts say the prolonged impacts from the Iran war could weigh on growth prospects. The National Bureau of Statistics said Tuesday that the manufacturing purchasing managers index rose to 50.4 from 49 in February, its highest level in a year. A years-long property sector slump in China has weighed on economic growth and weakened domestic consumption and investment demand in China, the world’s second-largest economy after the U.S. It has been reliant on growth in exports to help drive its economy, which analysts say could now be prone to rising global energy costs caused by the Iran war.
U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital infrastructure, potentially including desalination plants that supply drinking water. Trump leveled the threats Monday, saying the U.S. would strike if a deal to end the war is not reached “shortly.” Iran, meanwhile, struck a key water and electrical plant in Kuwait, and an oil refinery in Israel came under attack. A drone hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker in Dubai waters, causing a fire. Israel and the U.S. launched a new wave of strikes on Iran, as the war raged with no end in sight.
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Earlier this month, Iraq coach Graham Arnold was stranded in Fujairah, on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates, due to the Mideast war. He wondered if his national team would even be able to compete for one last chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Asian nations are increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts amid the U.S. and Israeli war in Iran, which has choked off roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply. Much of the oil from the mostly shut Strait of Hormuz was headed for Asia, hit hardest by recent energy shocks. To shore up global crude oil supplies, the U.S. has temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil shipments already at sea — first for India, then for the rest of the world. Experts say there's a limit to how much Moscow can boost its exports of crude oil, and it is already exporting at a level close to its previous peak.
ROME (AP) — Thieves made off with three paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth millions of euros from a museum near the city of Parma in northern Italy, police said Monday.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum met on Monday with FIFA's President Gianni Infantino to assess preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada in June and July.
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