An Israeli strike designed to free Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from house arrest in Tehran, U. S. officials said, was part of an effort to bring about regime change and put him in power.
'No longer fit for purpose': Politicisation of aid endangers millions, medical researchers warn Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Mon, 05/18/2026 - 16:49 A new report in The Lancet suggests millions of people are left to die when aid systems are guided by the whims of politicians A blood-stained gurney is seen at Nasser hospital in the city of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, after an Israeli air strike on 21 April 2026 killed three Palestinians nearby (Bashar Taleb/AFP) Off A dire warning from researchers at The Lancet medical journal says humanitarian aid, particularly in support of global public health systems, has been so reduced that it has become "rationing by design" and now demands an immediate overhaul. The architecture of the humanitarian system has become so selective and difficult to access that it is merely "survival triage", more than three dozen researchers from the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health and The Lancet Commission on health, conflict, and forced displacement argued in a report published on Wednesday. The politicisation of aid - when it is linked to national security and foreign policy priorities - is a key factor in the breakdown of the system, particularly after US President Donald Trump returned to power in January 2025 and gutted the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Iran's UN mission accuses US of spreading 'lies and disinformation' Iran’s mission to the United Nations accused the United States of “spreading lies, false accusations, and disinformation” about Tehran and its nuclear programme during discussions at the Security Council. In a post on X, the mission also accused Washington of violating international law through maritime blockades and continued support for Israeli actions across the region. “In fact, the culprit and the thief are now playing the role of prosecutor and judge, trying to whitewash his own crimes,” the Iranian mission said.
It took US lawmakers eight attempts to push through a largely symbolic resolution that is doomed to fail The US Senate has advanced a resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump's authority to continue military operations against Iran without congressional approval or a debate on the rationale, cost, strategy, and clear end goal.
It took US lawmakers eight attempts to push through a largely symbolic resolution that is doomed to fail The US Senate has advanced a resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump's authority to continue military operations against Iran without congressional approval or a debate on the rational
UAE and France sign new defence cooperation agreement The UAE and France have signed a new defence cooperation agreement during an official visit by UAE Minister of State for Defence Mubarak bin Fadhel al-Mazrouei. “The two sides also witnessed the signing of a Defence Cooperation Agreement, reflecting the depth of bilateral relations and the shared commitment to advancing military and defence collaboration between the UAE and France,” the UAE Ministry of Defence said in a statement posted on X. “They discussed ways to strengthen defence and strategic relations between the two friendly nations,” it added.
The Pentagon reportedly plans to significantly scale down the size of American forces Europe could rely on during a conflict The administration of US President Donald Trump is reportedly set to tell European NATO members that Washington will reduce the military capabilities it would make available to the bloc in the event of a major crisis, including an attack on a member state.
Washington DC [US], May 20 (ANI): US Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday (local time) said that Iran wants to reach an agreement with the United States and acknowledged that developing a nuclear weapon remains a 'red line' for Washington.
Death toll rises to 10 after Israeli strike on south Lebanon town The death toll from the Israeli air strike on the town of Deir Qanoun en-Nahr in Lebanon’s Tyre district has risen to 10, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. The dead include three women and three children, the agency reported. Three other people, including a girl, were wounded in the attack.
Chamber advances bill for first time as four Republicans join all but one of Senate’s Democrats The Senate voted on Tuesday to advance a war powers resolution aimed at forcing Donald Trump to end the war in Iran unless he receives congressional authorization to continue it. Tuesday’s vote marks the first time the chamber has advanced the bill. Continue reading...
With four Republican backers, Democrats won a vote to advance a resolution that would force the president to end hostilities or win authorization from Congress.
Airbus orders spending cuts over fallout from war on Iran European aerospace company Airbus has instructed staff to reduce “non-essential expenses” by 10 percent amid instability linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran. “We are asking for your support in adopting several cost containment measures to help our company navigate this unstable situation,” a company document seen by AFP said. “Our specific focus is on significantly pausing all activities and costs that are not strictly essential to our industrial activities and operations … We aim to reduce these costs by -10 percent compared to the 2025 baseline.
JD Vance says US seeks to ‘reset’ relations with Iran US Vice President JD Vance said Washington sees an opportunity to reshape relations with Iran after decades of hostility. “We have an opportunity here, I think, to reset the relationship that has existed between Iran and the United States for 47 years,” Vance told reporters. “That’s what the president has asked us to do, and that’s what we’re going to keep on working at.
Hezbollah says it launched fresh attacks on Israeli forces in south Lebanon Hezbollah said it carried out a new series of attacks targeting Israeli forces over the past few hours in southern Lebanon. The group said its fighters struck Israeli troops in Khallat Raj, near the town of Deir Siryan, using “artillery shells, rocket salvos, and attack drones”. In a separate attack, Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli forces in the town of Beit Leef with artillery fire.
US lobbied Saudi Arabia to release funds for Gaza 'Board of Peace' amid cash crunch Submitted by Sean Mathews on Tue, 05/19/2026 - 21:26 Israeli attacks and concerns about Palestinian representation have complicated Gulf funding for the board Youssef Rayyan mourns over the body of his son Ibrahim, killed in an Israeli strike, inside the morgue of Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on 17 May 2026 (Eyad Baba/AFP) Off A senior US official visited Saudi Arabia in April to shore up the kingdom’s $1bn pledge for President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Gaza , amid concerns that funding is not materialising, one Arab official and a US official familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye. Aryeh Lightstone, one of the key US officials overseeing the US’s post-war planning for Gaza, visited the kingdom, where he met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan to discuss the financial pledge Saudi Arabia made to the Board of Peace in February. The board includes a committee of Palestinian technocrats approved by Israel to manage daily affairs in Gaza.
Muslim-American groups blame mainstreaming of hate speech for mosque shooting Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Tue, 05/19/2026 - 17:15 Three people were killed by teenage gunmen at the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, on Monday Parents and children leave the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, after a shooting, on 18 May 2026 (Mike Blake/Reuters) Off Muslim-American groups have blamed what they describe as the mainstreaming of anti-Muslim hate speech for a shooting that killed three people outside a California mosque on Monday, pointing the finger at lawmakers and other right-wing influential figures. "We are deeply disturbed, but not at all surprised," the Council on American Islamic Relations (Cair) said in a statement. "Hate against American Muslims is completely out of control.
After an 80-day shutdown, the Tehran Stock Exchange reopened on Tuesday under heavy state controls, with 42 major firms still suspended and reported curbs on large-scale selling amid uncertainty over war damage and corporate losses.
Lebanese army chief discusses post-UNIFIL phase with UN official Lebanese army commander Rudolf Heikel met UN Undersecretary-General for Safety and Security Gilles Michaud at army headquarters in Yarzeh to discuss “the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as the post-UNIFIL phase”, according to a military statement. The Lebanese army said the talks focused on the security situation and future cooperation. During the meeting, Michaud “commended the efforts of the Lebanese Armed Forces” and praised the army’s role in maintaining stability in the country.
The competing narratives surrounding the latest US-Iran standoff have become so stark that even basic questions—who is deterring whom, who wants talks and who fears escalation—now produce entirely different answers depending on which capital is speaking.
Rubio discusses Strait of Hormuz with UN chief US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the US State Department. The discussion focused on US efforts to prevent Iran from placing mines and imposing tolls in the waterway, including a proposed UN Security Council resolution on the issue. “The Secretary emphasized the overwhelming support of a broad base of UN members for these efforts,” US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
