Headlines

Iranian Kurds long for home as they mark Nowruz in Iraq

In Iraq's northern Kurdistan region, women perform a traditional dance, their long dresses spinning, gold tassels and heavy necklaces catching the firelight, as smaller crowds than usual celebrate Nowruz, overshadowed by the Middle East conflict. Among them were Iranian Kurds

Souped-up VPNs play 'cat and mouse' game with Iran censors

Iranians are managing to get online during the current war with the US and Israel despite drastic censorship and frequent blackouts, throwing the spotlight on to providers of tools such as VPNs (virtual private networks). AFP asked Adam Fisk, head of US-based nonprofit Lantern,

Trump says there are no leaders in Iran left to talk to

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that there are no leaders left in Iran to talk to about the war, with military strikes continuing to target Iranian officials. (Reporting by Gram Slattery and Steve Holland; Editing by Caitlin Webber)

Ukraine deploys units to intercept targets in Middle East

KYIV, March 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine has deployed interceptor units to protect critical and civil infrastructure in five Middle Eastern countries, Ukraine's security council secretary Rustem Umerov said after a visit to the region. "Work is also underway to expand coverage

'We were attacked': Hormuz sailors in perilous waters

"We were attacked," wrote a sailor in the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway blocked for weeks since US-Israeli strikes triggered a war with Iran, in a group chat seen by AFP on Friday. The conversations in Chinese on the messaging app WeChat -- provided by a worker whose

'War has aged us': Lebanon's kids aren't alright

Forced by yet another war in Lebanon to flee his home for the second time in just two years, and mourning lost relatives and friends, Hassan Kiki said he feels much older than 16. "War has aged us... We have lived through what no one else has," the tall teen from south Lebanon

Turkey in cultural diplomacy push to bring history home

When an ancient bronze statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius landed back on Turkish soil after decades abroad, it was more than a symbolic homecoming. It marked the latest victory in Turkey's increasingly assertive push to recover antiquities illegally taken abroad -- a

Russia issues fresh call for end to hostilities in Gulf

March 19 (Reuters) - Russia issued a fresh call on Thursday for an end to hostilities in the Gulf, starting with a halt to U.S. and Israeli attacks, and made a new offer to use its diplomatic leverage to help end the fighting. "We call for the fastest possible cessation of

The Iran war and the cost of killing 'bad guys'

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that it "takes money to kill bad guys" when asked if the Pentagon had requested $200 billion in funding for the Iran war. Exactly how much the war has cost so far has yet to be publicly disclosed, and the final bill will depend on

French foreign minister Barrot to go to Israel on Friday

PARIS, March 19 (Reuters) - France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will go to Israel on Friday, in an unscheduled visit, after visiting Beirut as part of efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon. The French foreign ministry added, as it announced Barrot's visit, that Barrot