The United States and Iran could finalise an agreement to end the Middle East war “within 24 hours”, key mediator Pakistan said on Saturday, after both sides expressed optimism about the chances of concluding a deal. The foes and mediators of the conflict have claimed a long-awaited accord is in its final throes, despite new skirmishes in the Strait of Hormuz in the months-long war that has roiled the region and global economy. Weeks of negotiations on a peace agreement after an April 8 truce...

Israel pounded south Lebanon with deadly strikes and widened its offensive with the first raid near Beirut in weeks where authorities said a woman and two children were killed despite a ceasefire. The attack near the capital came after heavy strikes on south Lebanon that authorities said had killed at least 14 people, including three children. The escalation comes as Lebanon and Israel prepare for talks between military delegations at the Pentagon on Friday, and for US-brokered talks early next...

US President Donald Trump lasted through scrutinising questions about his Iran war strategy and repeated weather disruptions during an interview with US broadcaster NBC – but angrily stormed out when confronted over his unfounded claims of election fraud. “You’re a one-sided, crooked network. Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time,” Trump told Meet the Press host Kristen Welker before standing up and walking out of the interview that aired...

Canada’s culture minister on Wednesday introduced legislation that would ban children under 16 from having social media accounts and require AI chatbot services to limit production of harmful content. The proposed Digital Safety Act makes Canada the latest in a wave of countries cracking down on social media platforms over concerns of harm to children. “We have seen the very serious consequences that online harms can have … The safety of children cannot be an afterthought,” said Culture Minister...

Afghan residents in the western city of Herat have told of witnessing multiple women detained by the Taliban government’s morality police, in a crackdown over clothing which has drawn criticism from the United Nations. The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said Sunday it was “concerned over multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat, Afghanistan, for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements”. Taliban authorities rule according to a strict interpretation of Islamic law, and have...

Portuguese police on Thursday arrested the mother of two young French boys found abandoned by a main road in the south of the country, alone and crying. The boys, aged four and five, were rescued on Tuesday by a passing motorist near the resort town of Comporta, where they had been left with backpacks containing food and water but no identity documents, according to Portuguese media. A manhunt was launched for the boys’ mother, 41, and on Thursday Portuguese police said they had arrested her in...

An Ankara court on Thursday annulled the 2023 leadership election of Turkey’s main opposition CHP party in a sharp escalation against the country’s embattled opposition. It is the latest in a string of moves targeting the Republican People’s Party, Turkey’s oldest political faction that won a huge victory over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AKP in the 2024 local elections and has been rising in the polls. The ruling overturned the result of a leadership election that brought in current...

A Norway court on Monday ordered the release of ailing Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son Marius Borg Hoiby, who faces a multitude of charges including rape and abuse, citing her health crisis. Prosecutors quickly appealed the decision, so Hoiby will remain in custody until the appeal is processed. The 29-year-old, Mette-Marit’s son from a relationship before her 2001 marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, was on trial from February 3 to March 19. He faces 40 criminal charges, including the rape of four...

The Trump administration has walked back its announcement that non-citizens seeking permanent US residency, commonly called a green card, would need to return to their home country to apply, The New York Times reported. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the newspaper on Friday that its policy announcement last week was not a requirement for all applicants, but would rather be implemented “on a case-by-case basis”. A Trump administration spokesman, Zach Kahler, said on May 22 that...

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday voiced hope of progress on ending the war with Iran, with mediator Pakistan’s army chief poised for talks in Tehran. The role played by Field Marshal Asim Munir, a powerful figure with a growing role in Pakistan’s foreign relations, has taken on increased significance as US President Donald Trump warned that negotiations to end the war were on the “borderline” between a deal and renewed strikes. “I believe the Pakistanis will be travelling to Tehran...

Paul McCartney led an all-star line-up for the final episode of The Late Show as frontman Stephen Colbert bowed out after broadcaster CBS cancelled his show as it courted US President Donald Trump. But one A-lister who eluded the comic to the end was the pope, whom Colbert, a devout Catholic, had long touted as his dream guest. “The pope, who was definitely my guest tonight, has cancelled,” Colbert joked, blaming a dispute over hot dogs before McCartney appeared to rapturous cheers. The show,...

Peru’s duelling presidential hopefuls have made a final pitch to voters, capping a bruising and razor-tight race dominated by anger over rising crime and political instability. Conservative Keiko Fujimori and leftist Roberto Sanchez staged rival events in Lima on Thursday ahead of Sunday’s vote, with ardent flag-waving supporters arguing their “communist” or “dictator” opponents would bring the country to ruin. “We cannot let them win with communism and terrorism,” said bandana-wearing...