US pushes for greater energy exports to India after Iran war The Trump administration is seeking to expand energy exports to India as Washington looks to boost US energy sales following the US-Israeli war on Iran and the continuing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. US ambassador to India Sergio Gor said India has shown interest in diversifying its energy sources, opening the door to increased American exports. “India has been receptive to diversification, and what that means is buying more American energy,” Gor told Bloomberg News in a phone interview.
Moscow and Beijing have inked dozens of agreements and pledged deeper cooperation Russian President Vladimir Putin has wrapped up a two-day state visit to Beijing, during which he and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, hailed "unprecedented" bilateral ties, describing the relationship as a stabilizing force amid growing global turbulence.
Israeli airstrikes target 8 towns in southern Lebanon Israeli forces carried out a series of attacks across southern Lebanon, targeting at least eight towns with air strikes and heavy gunfire, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. The Israeli army launched a large-scale ground incursion using machine guns in Khiam, while warplanes bombed Tayr Debba in the Tyre district. Air strikes also targeted Yater, Sarbin and Hadatha in Bint Jbeil district, as well as Kfardounine and Froun.
Iran announces 'controlled maritime zone' for ships transiting Strait of Hormuz Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority has announced the creation of a controlled maritime zone in the Strait of Hormuz requiring vessels to obtain authorisation before passing through the waterway. In a post on X, the authority said the zone extends from Kuh-e Mubarak in Iran to south of Fujairah in the UAE at the eastern entrance of the strait, and from the tip of Qeshm Island to Umm al-Quwain at the western entrance. It added that any transit through the zone “requires coordination with and authorization from the authority”, indicating tighter Iranian oversight of one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
Washington DC [US], May 21 (ANI): US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (local time) that the US is in the final stages with Iran, and cautioned they might do something 'nasty' if Iran doesn't sign a deal. Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews while travelling to Groton, Connecticut, Trump said, 'We're in the final stages with Iran. We'll see what happens.
Responding to the adoption of the climate accountability resolution at the United Nations General Assembly by overwhelming consensus today, Camile Cortez, Senior Campaigner on Climate Justice at Amnesty International, said: “Today’s vote marks an important step in advancing climate justice. By adopting this resolution, states have recognized that they have legal duties to address the […] The post Global: New UN climate accountability resolution an important step in advancing climate justice appeared first on Amnesty International .
Death toll in Gaza surpasses 881 since ‘ceasefire’ At least 881 Palestinians have been killed and 2,621 wounded since the supposed “ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas took effect on 11 October 2025. Meanwhile, at least 776 bodies have been recovered from beneath destroyed buildings. Medical sources said hospitals in Gaza received one body and 16 injured people over the past 24 hours.
An Iranian political prisoner sentenced to death on charges of “espionage and collaboration with a hostile state (Israel)” is at imminent risk of execution after being transferred to solitary confinement, the Norway-based rights group Hengaw said on Wednesday.
Trump says Iran talks in 'final stages' to end war, as Tehran weighs proposal Submitted by Sean Mathews on Wed, 05/20/2026 - 20:44 US president delivered another vague and contradictory message while Iran said US must end 'piracy' for any deal to be reached US President Donald Trump raises his fist as he attends the United States Coast Guard Academy commencement ceremony on Cadet Memorial Field in New London, Connecticut, on 20 May 2026 (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP) Off President Donald Trump said that negotiations with Iran were "in the final stages” as Iran said it was studying a new US proposal to end the war. "We're in the final stages of Iran. We'll see what happens.
Iran stock market reopens after nearly three-month shutdown Iran’s stock market reopened this week after a closure lasting nearly three months, with trading resuming under controlled conditions and investor restrictions. While trading sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday allowed some investors to access liquidity, broader economic difficulties remained apparent. More than one-third of the market’s major participants were absent in an effort to shield shareholders from the impact of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Al Jazeera reported.
Trump administration charges Cuba's Raul Castro with murder Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Wed, 05/20/2026 - 19:15 This sets the stage for Castro to potentially be brought to the US to face trial in the way President Nicolas Maduro was abducted from Venezuela Cuba's President Raul Castro, centre, talks to Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega, left, and Ortega's wife Rosario Murillo during a wreath-laying ceremony at the mausoleum of 19th-century Cuban independence hero Jose Marti in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, on 26 July 2013 (Alejandro Ernesto/Reuters) Off The US has unsealed an indictment against Cuba's former president, Raul Castro, charging him with conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder related to the 1996 shootdown of two American aid planes close to the island. Five other defendants are named: Lorenzo Alberto Perez‑Perez, Emilio Jose Palacio Blanco, Jose Fidel Gual Barzaga, Raul Simanca Cardenas, and Luis Raul Gonzalez‑Pardo Rodriguez. The move sets the stage for 94-year-old Castro to be brought to the US to face trial, potentially via the same "law enforcement operation" that the Trump administration employed to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Israeli strike in south Lebanon wounds three people An Israeli air strike on the town of Mahrouna in southern Lebanon wounded three people, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. Civil defence teams responded to the attack and transported the injured to hospitals in the Tyre district.
Some shipping industry professionals eye leaving Dubai for Greece Submitted by Sean Mathews on Wed, 05/20/2026 - 19:19 Western expats reassess their commitments to the city-state due to the US-Israeli war on Iran A man stands holding a smartphone in front of the Dubai skyline, with the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, seen from Creek Harbour, on 3 April 2026 (Fadel Senna/AFP) Off Some shipping industry workers based in Dubai are looking to relocate from the UAE as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran , one ship owner and two industry sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye. Western expats working in the maritime industry are eyeing the Greek capital, Athens, and Cyprus as potential alternatives to Dubai, given those countries’ dominant positions in shipping and the favourable tax policies they offer the industry, the sources said. The search for alternatives to Dubai underscores how some expats, particularly westerners with easy access to Europe, do not expect the Gulf to return to its pre-war position anytime soon.
Qatar says flotilla abuse exposes decades of Palestinian suffering under occupation Qatar’s foreign ministry has condemned the abuse of Gaza flotilla activists abducted by Israel in international waters. In a statement, the ministry said it “condemns the brutal treatment” of dozens of protesters captured at sea, calling it “inhumane treatment that constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law”. The ministry added that the incident “clearly reveals the scale of violations endured by Palestinians languishing under the weight of occupation and apartheid for decades”.
The director of Armageddon and Transformers is teaming up with Universal Pictures for a military drama based on recent events Michael Bay is set to direct a military drama based on the recent rescue of two US crew members who crashed in Iran . According to Deadline , the director of action films such as Armageddon and Transformers, will work with Universal Pictures to bring the story to screen. In April, two soldiers were rescued after their fighter jet was downed, something Donald Trump called “one of most daring search-and-rescue operations in US history”.
'Welcome to Israel': Ben Gvir's treatment of Gaza flotilla detainees sparks backlash Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 05/20/2026 - 18:57 European leaders, Israeli officials and social media users criticised footage posted by Israel’s national security minister Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir seen taunting flotilla activists in video posted online (screengrab/X) Off A video posted by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir showing detained Gaza flotilla activists kneeling in front of Israeli law enforcement officers with their hands restrained has triggered international condemnation and a wave of outrage online. Israeli forces intercepted all 77 ships participating in the latest flotilla mission, the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF ), organisers said on Tuesday, more than a day after the interceptions began. According to flotilla organisers, the Israeli navy deployed a “fully equipped naval fleet” to stop and board the vessels before detaining hundreds of international volunteers.
Huckabee says Ben-Gvir video ‘betrayed dignity’ of Israel US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir “betrayed dignity of his nation” by publishing footage showing human rights campaigners bound, abused and humiliated. Huckabee also described the Gaza-bound flotilla as a “stupid stunt”.
