Yahoo

President Donald Trump’s administration has rejected Turkey’s offer to condition the release of an American pastor on clearing a top Turkish bank of billions of dollars in US fines, media reported Monday. Washington and Ankara are locked in a bitter feud over the nearly two-year jailing of Andrew Brunson over disputed terror charges, which has triggered a trade row and sent the lira into a tailspin. In exchange for Brunson’s release, and that of other US citizens as well as three Turkish nationals working for the US government, Turkey asked Washington to drop a probe into Halkbank, which is facing possible fines for helping Iran evade US sanctions.

MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte thinks political dynasties are bad. But the way the prevailing political winds are blowing, it looks like a dynasty of his own might be taking shape. Nine months away from mid-term elections that could determine the success or failure of his presidency, his daughter, Sara Duterte, is fast emerging as a power-broker who is aiming to shore up support for his ambitious policy agenda, and, say some experts and insiders, his eventual succession. By his own admission, the 73-year-old president is flagging. On Tuesday, he lamented his uphill struggle to tackle illicit drugs and cut state corruption, predicting that he’ll “hardly make a dent” in his remaining

NIck Jonas and family depart for the US. Abhishek Bachchan and Anurag Kashyap at Manmarziyan concert. Tiger Shroff and girlfriend Disha Patani Kareena Kapoor Karisma Kapoor and Amrita Arora Janhvi Kapoor Miss World Manushi Chhillar Shahid Kapoor Anushka Sharma Ranveer Singh Sonakshi Sinha Shilpa Shetty with family Athiya Shetty\ Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma at Suidhaaga Trailer Launch at Yashraj Studio. Alia Bhatt at a new collection launch of a lifestyle brand Caprese Jhanvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor and Boney Kapoor Kajol snapped at Helicopter Eela promotions. Vidya Balan at Sunny Super Sound. John Abraham arrived in an auto rickshaw for a screening of his film Satyamev Jayate. Aayush Sharma,

Coinciding with a dangerously explosive atmosphere inside Iran, the currency nosediving to less than half value in a mere five months and the relentless waves of protests spreading throughout the country, the noose of regional and international isolation is suffocating the clerical regime. The US is busy escalating sanctions against Tehran to end its malign regional meddling. In parallel fashion, the Iranian regime no longer has any hope in Europe and their “European package,” nor in Russia to provide cushioning in the face of Washington’s ongoing offensive. To add insult to injury, the US State Department has just launched the Iran Action Group headed by Brian Hook, the now US Special Representative on Iran.

Singer Lana Del Rey is facing criticism for ignoring calls to cancel a planned performance in Tel Aviv next month, suggesting her performance there may "shift the energetic vibration" of the region. The singer's planned appearance at the three-day Meteor Festival in September has drawn criticism from fans, who argued her presence will be used to legitimise Israel's treatment of Palestinians. In a statement published on her Twitter account late on Sunday, Del Rey said: "I understand many of [you] are upset that we're going to Tel Aviv for the Meteor Festival. Israel is subject to calls for a cultural boycott by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and several entertainers have cancelled appearances in the country in response.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - To understand how Iran views the United States after President Donald Trump pulled America out of the nuclear deal with world powers, one needs to look first at the past. More specifically, 65 years ago this week. Then, a 1953 US-backed coup toppled Iran’s elected prime minister and cemented the rule of the American-backed shah, lighting the fuse for the 1979 Islamic Revolution. For years after, authorities sought to eliminate the memory of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, whose downfall at the hands of the West linked directly back to his nationalization of vast British oil interests in Iran. Now, however, more and more officials across Iran’s political spectrum are reevaluating

Rescuers searched submerged villages in southwest India on Sunday in a desperate hunt for survivors after floods killed at least 370 people and drove more than 700,000 from their homes. Entire villages in Kerala have been swept away in the state's worst floods for a century. Rescuers fear the death toll will rise as they reach areas almost entirely underwater. Thousands remain trapped - often without food or water - in towns and villages cut off by the floods, and heavy rain forecast in coming days threatens to compound the disaster. Nearly 725,000 people have taken shelter in relief camps, state government spokesman Subhash T.V. told AFP on Sunday. Bedraggled survivors massing at evacuation