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Britain’s ambassador to the U.S., Sir Kim Darroch, reportedly described Donald Trump as “inept” and at risk of ending his presidency in “disgrace.” An unprecedented leak of recent official diplomatic cables, reported by the Mail on Sunday, revealed Sir Kim’s frank views on the U.S. leader. In one excoriating message, …

Iran will not be pressured into negotiations by the United States, but if authorities in Washington act towards it with respect, Tehran will respond accordingly, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said today. The two countries have been drawn into starker confrontation since May, when Washington mounted pressure on Tehran …

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Monday that it carried out drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport and Tihama power station, the group’s Al-Masirah TV reported.  

Britain’s seizure of an Iranian oil tanker off Gibraltar last week will not be “unanswered”, Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, said on Tuesday, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. “Capture of the Iranian oil tanker based on fabricated excuses … will not be unanswered …

A South African man who won the chance to be the first black African in space has died in a motorbike crash before turning his dream into reality, his family announced Sunday. Mandla Maseko, a part-time DJ, and candidate officer with the South African Air Force, was nicknamed “Afronaut” after …

The U.N. atomic watchdog policing Iran’s nuclear deal with major powers is still verifying Iran’s announcement that it has enriched uranium beyond the maximum purity allowed under the deal, the agency said on Monday. “We are aware of Iran’s announcement related to its uranium enrichment level. We are in the …

Germany on Monday rejected demands by the United States to deploy ground troops in Syria, a stance likely to anger President Donald Trump who wants Chancellor Angela Merkel to commit to a bigger military role in the Middle East. “When I say the government envisages sticking to the current measures …

The capture of an Iranian oil tanker by Britain has set “a dangerous precedent and must end now”, Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter on Monday. “Iran is neither a member of the EU nor subject to any European oil embargo. Last I checked, EU was against …

China regrets Iran’s decision to boost uranium enrichment above a cap set in a landmark 2015 nuclear deal, its foreign ministry said on Monday, reiterating that the standoff needed to be resolved diplomatically. At a daily briefing, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang also reiterated that China called on all sides involved …

The United States did not allow Iranian people to benefit from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said on Monday, according to the IRIB news agency. U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal last year and reimposed sanctions, a move intended to push Iran to …

  Iran is not looking for war with any country, Iranian army chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said on Monday, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. Tensions have spiked between Iran and the United States after the Islamic Republic shot down an American drone last month. Iranian officials have …

  The Israeli military says at least five troopers have been injured after a Palestinian drove a car into a group of soldiers near a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank. The military said in a statement on Sunday that the alleged incident took place near the West Bank town …

Emergency officials in southern California’s high desert are braced for strong, potentially dangerous aftershocks from a major earthquake that damaged buildings, ruptured gas lines and sparked numerous fires near its remote epicenter. The magnitude 7.1 tremor rocked the Mojave desert town of Ridgecrest near Death Valley National Park as darkness …

A Norwegian ex-cabinet minister has been given five years in jail for sexually abusing three asylum seekers. Svein Ludvigsen, 72, was found guilty of abusing his position as a regional governor and exploiting the vulnerable situation of the three young men. They said they believed their response to Ludvigsen’s demands …

A Virgin Atlantic flight has made an emergency landing in Boston after a fire broke out on board. The plane was traveling from New York to London on Thursday night when the fire started, forcing the crew to divert the flight. No major injuries were reported and all 217 passengers …

Four tigers have mauled their trainer to death during a rehearsal at a circus in southern Italy. One tiger set upon Ettore Weber, 61, on Thursday evening in Triggiano, near Bari, before the other three joined in. They then played with his body in their cage until paramedics and circus …

Iraqi Defense Ministry announced Friday that its minister, Najah al-Shammari, ordered to form an inquiry commission following the release of an audio clip attributed to the commander of Anbar operations, Mahmoud al-Falahi, to communicate with the CIA. Iraqi Defense Minister “ordered the formation of an inquiry commission to find out …

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed decided Friday to ban the niqab Muslim face covering for women in Tunisian government offices “for security reasons”, his office said. It said Chahed signed a government circular “banning access to public administrations and institutions to anyone with their face covered… for security reasons”. The ban …

A Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet has intercepted a US spy plane that was approaching Russia’s border over the Black Sea. “A Su-27 fighter jet, as part of the Southern Military District’s air defenses, was scrambled to intercept the target,” the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday, adding, “The crew …

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said three Syrians were killed in the Turkish town of Reyhanli close to the Syrian border in a car blast that may be terror-related. “The initial findings suggest there may be more of a link with terror,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul. “It …