AROUND THE WORLD FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

World News

Iran hits Gulf neighbors and keeps stranglehold on oil shipping as concerns rise of energy crisis

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Explosions echoed across Beirut early Monday as Israel struck the Lebanese capital. It also launched a new wave of attacks on Tehran, while Dubai was forced to temporarily close its airport after an Iranian drone hit a fuel tank. Since being attacked by the United States and Israel more than two […]
6 months ago

Brent crude trades near $105 as Iran attacks more Gulf targets, while shares are mixed

BANGKOK (AP) — Brent crude oil traded near $105 per barrel on Monday as Gulf countries reported more attacks by Iran with the war entering its third week, while share prices were mixed. A barrel of Brent, the international standard, was up 1.6% at $104.73, dipping slightly after opening above $106 per barrel. It’s up […]
6 months ago

US-China trade talks open in Paris, paving the way for Trump-Xi summit

BEIJING (AP) — Representatives from Beijing and Washington began their economic and trade talks in Paris on Sunday, Chinese official news agency Xinhua reported. The meetings, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, are expected to pave the way for U.S. President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing to […]
6 months ago

Trump urges US allies to send warships to Strait of ​Hormuz as Iran vows to retaliate

CAIRO (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped allies would send warships to secure the vital Strait of ​Hormuz while Iran urged people to evacuate three ports in the United Arab Emirates as its war with the United States and Israel showed no signs of ending. Iran’s call to evacuate the Middle East’s […]
6 months ago
An American flag flies again at the US Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, March 14, 2026, sev...

American flag raised at US Embassy in Venezuela for the 1st time since 2019

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The U.S. flag was raised Saturday over its embassy in Venezuela for the first time since 2019, a move that highlighted the recent shift in relations between the two countries since former President Nicolás Maduro was captured by American troops in January. The reopening of the American embassy comes after several […]
6 months ago

Missile strikes a helipad inside the US Embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraqi security officials say

BAGHDAD (AP) — A missile struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, two Iraqi security officials said. Associated Press footage showed a column of smoke rising Saturday morning over the embassy compound. The sprawling embassy complex, one of the largest U.S. diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets […]
6 months ago
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during the Korea-Brazil Business Forum in Seou...

Brazil revokes U.S. official’s visa in reciprocal measure

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Friday his government revoked the visa of a U.S. State Department official, calling it a reciprocal measure after Brazilian officials had their visas revoked in the United States last year. Lula’s decision against Darren Beattie is tied to a move in August […]
6 months ago
Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces attend a funeral in Najaf, Iraq, Friday, March 13, 2026 ...

Iraq is caught in the crossfire of the Iran war, with attacks by both sides on its soil

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Iraq is getting caught in the crossfire of the Iran war as the only country facing strikes from both sides, and that threatens to drag the nation that has so far avoided two years of regional turmoil into a full-blown crisis. As the war nears two full weeks, Iraq’s situation is […]
6 months ago
A woman sits on rubble across from a residential building damaged last Sunday during the U.S.-Israe...

Residents of Tehran tell AP of rising fear and isolation as bombs strike without warning

CAIRO (AP) — An engineer crouches under a park bench as fighter jets roar overhead. An athlete wracked by anxiety can’t sleep as explosions go off. With the internet shut down, families and friends rely on each other for news about the war and the latest damage caused by airstrikes. Fierce U.S.-Israeli bombardment of Iran’s […]
6 months ago

Cuban president says talks were recently held with the US to resolve differences

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Friday that his government has held recent talks with the U.S., marking the first time the Caribbean country confirms such speculation. He said the talks “were aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two nations. International factors facilitated these exchanges.” He did […]
6 months ago

Trump threatens Iran following new wave of attacks on Gulf states and Israel

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched multiple attacks early Friday on Gulf Arab states, including dozens of drones at Saudi Arabia, following warnings from its new supreme leader about hosting American bases, and U.S. President Donald Trump threatened major new retaliation. “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today,” Trump wrote in a […]
7 months ago
A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities f...

Asia shares mostly lower and oil hovers around $100 a barrel over Iran war worries

HONG KONG (AP) — Asia shares were mostly lower Friday, tracking Wall Street losses, while oil prices hovered around $100 per barrel as anxiety remained over the Iran war and its impact on supplies of crude oil and gas. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index slipped 1.1% to 53,857.89. Technology-related stocks saw some of the bigger losses, […]
7 months ago
Toronto police investigate the scene after the U.S. consulate was hit by gunfire in Toronto on Tues...

Vehicle sought in US consulate shooting investigation found, Toronto police say

TORONTO (AP) — The suspect vehicle in a shooting at the United States consulate in Toronto this week has been found and policeon Thursday said that it was stolen. Toronto police said the white Honda CR-V was recovered “within hours” of the shooting on Tuesday, but they are not providing any other details. They said […]
7 months ago
FILE - A view of the peace Palace housing the International Court of Justice, the UN's top court, i...

US defends Israel against South Africa’s allegation of genocide filed to top UN court

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The United States will intervene in the genocide case against Israel brought at the United Nations’ highest court by South Africa, arguing that the accusations are false and warning that a ruling against Israel could undermine international law. The International Court of Justice is considering whether Israel’s military operation in […]
7 months ago
FILE - Eswatini's King Mswati III speaks during a news conference after talks with Serbian Presiden...

Eswatini receives third batch of migrants deported by the US

Johannesburg (AP) — Four more African migrants deported from the United States arrived in Eswatini, authorities said Thursday. This is the third batch of deportees that the Trump administration has sent to Eswatini. They are the latest of more than 40 deportees sent to Africa as part of largely secretive agreements with at least seven […]
7 months ago
FILE -A view of the island of Qeshm, which oversees the strategic waterway of the Strait of Hormuz,...

The islands off Iran’s southern coast are key to its economy and security. What to know about them

JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran’s parliament speaker warned on Thursday that attacks on the Persian Gulf islands that form Iran’s southern maritime frontier would provoke a new level of retaliation, underscoring how central they are to the country’s economy and security. In a social media post, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Iran “will abandon all restraint” if […]
7 months ago

Israeli military drops charges against soldiers charged in abusing Palestinian prisoner

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says it is dropping charges against five soldiers who were accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee in an encounter partially caught on camera. The army announced the decision in the high-profile case at a time when much of the country’s attention is focused on the war with Iran.
7 months ago
The National Assembly passes a law to implement hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. investments...

South Korean lawmakers pass law to manage Seoul’s pledge of $350 billion in US investments

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean lawmakers on Thursday passed a law to implement a pledge of $350 billion in U.S. investments Seoul made last year to avoid the Trump administration’s highest tariffs. Government officials had urged lawmakers to quickly pass the contested bill, submitted in November, as uncertainty mounts for the country’s trade-dependent […]
7 months ago

Iran’s unrelenting attacks on Mideast shipping and energy infrastructure send oil prices soaring

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Unrelenting Iranian attacks on shipping traffic and energy infrastructure pushed oil above $100 a barrel on Thursday, as American and Israeli strikes pounded the Islamic Republic with no sign of an end to the war in sight. Iran hit a container ship off the coast of Dubai, caused a […]
7 months ago

Brent crude oil tops $100 a barrel as Iran attacks on shipping worsen supply concerns

BANGKOK (AP) — The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, topped $100 a barrel early Thursday, just days after it spiked near $120. Oil prices shot more than 9% higher as supply concerns worsened with Iranian attacks on commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. benchmark crude oil jumped […]
7 months ago
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of ...

UN panel says racist hate speech by Trump and other US leaders has led to human rights violations

GENEVA (AP) — A U.N.-backed panel of independent experts focusing on racial discrimination says racist hate speech by U.S. President Donald Trump and other American political leaders, along with a crackdown on immigration in the United States, have led to “grave human rights violations.” The Geneva-based Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued its […]
7 months ago

Ecuador readies a major offensive on criminal groups, with US logistical support

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuador is preparing a “major offensive” against criminal organizations set to begin this weekend with logistical support from the United States, the interior minister said Wednesday. Speaking to a local radio station, Interior Minister John Reimberg also urged citizens to observe a curfew from March 15-30 in the provinces of Guayas, […]
7 months ago

South Africa summons new US ambassador over criticism

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The new U.S. ambassador to South Africa was summoned to explain his criticism of the country’s policies, the South African foreign minister said Wednesday, as a diplomatic rift continues. Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III made the comments at a meeting of business leaders on Tuesday. He challenged the South African government over […]
7 months ago
A man walks along the shore as oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen...

Photos of beachgoers in UAE where oil tankers and cargo ships line up in Hormuz Strait

KHOR FAKKAN, United Arab Emirates (AP) — People on the coast of the United Arab Emirates can see oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz while playing on swings, riding horses and camping out on the beach near Khor Fakkan, as the war in Iran affects the global energy supply. […]
7 months ago