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Turkey

Latest news and updates on the country which straddles both Europe and Asia.

Capital

Ankara

Head of State

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Head of Government

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Smoke rises behind the Azadi Tower in Tehran following a US-Israeli military strike on Iran in early March. Photo: ISNA/AP

US, Israel war on Iran

No victory, no defeat: Iran war pauses with a fragile freeze

Thousands dead, hundreds of billions lost and an agreement many analysts expect to collapse. The Iran ceasefire, explained.

16 Jun 2026 - 1:25PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

The US and Iran have signed a ‘great deal’. So what happens now?

15 Jun 2026 - 3:50PMvideocam

Britain

UK anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson says he was detained under terrorism laws

15 Jun 2026 - 5:28AM

US, Israel war on Iran

In latest about-face, Trump calls off ‘very hard’ attack on Iran

After warning of imminent military action, US president says an agreement may be days away in a repeat of claims made in recent weeks.

12 Jun 2026 - 9:13AM

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly predicted a breakthrough with Tehran, even as fighting persisted and negotiations faltered. Photo: Reuters

Malaysia

Malaysia’s hunt for Russian oil tests Anwar’s ‘friends with all’ policy

Sourcing crude from Moscow to counter Middle East supply shocks risks drawing a backlash from the West.

11 Jun 2026 - 7:15PMvideocam

Russia

Disgruntled parents and children force Russia to remove Roblox ban

Moscow banned access to the gaming platform last year, accusing it of promoting ‘LGBT propaganda’.

11 Jun 2026 - 5:53PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Israel and Iran hold fire after exchange, but warn of escalation if provoked

Middle East foes lift immediate safety restrictions while actively preparing for the next wave of retaliation.

9 Jun 2026 - 3:47PMvideocam

The remains of an Israel-bound Iranian ballistic missile that landed in an agricultural field in the Damascus countryside, Syria, following Monday's exchange of fire. Photo: EPA

United States

US to send third-country deportees to Central African Republic

Amid demonstrations across the US against Trump’s immigration policies, the impoverished African country has agreed to take deported migrants from other countries.

7 Jun 2026 - 11:41PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Pakistan’s mediators in Iran as US downs drones, Lebanon looks for peace

Pakistan’s interior minister visited Tehran to restart US-Iran negotiations as the US military said it shot down two Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz.

7 Jun 2026 - 7:52PM

Ukraine war

Ukrainian drones target St Petersburg after Putin rejects Zelensky’s offer

St Petersburg residents told to remain at home as the attack underscores Kyiv’s growing ability to hit deep inside Russia.

6 Jun 2026 - 8:21PM

Russia

UK’s Keir Starmer says Russia could attack Nato within 4 years

His comments echo similar time frames expressed by other European leaders and Nato chief Mark Rutte.

5 Jun 2026 - 11:25PMvideocam

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (left) is shown a Vanta system during a Friday visit to STARK, a leading defence tech company in Swindon, to hear how the defence industry is learning lessons from Ukraine. Photo: dpa

China’s aircraft carriers

Why do China and other powers still want aircraft carriers?

Submarines and drones are ‘the story of naval warfare in the 21st century’ but carriers continue to be an important symbol of military might.

2 Jun 2026 - 12:00PM

Music

US rapper Travis Scott panned in Turkey for 20-minute performance

Fans demand refunds for the heavily delayed set that the hip-hop star later claimed was just a ‘party’ for a friend.

2 Jun 2026 - 10:50AM

Malaysia

‘We are a small country’: why Malaysia is resisting US defence spending call

Malaysia faces a dilemma in modernising an ageing military without overwhelming public finances or appearing to choose sides, analysts say.

1 Jun 2026 - 5:56PMvideocam

Malaysia’s Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

How ‘strategic ambiguity’ made Turkey a winner in the Iran war

However, experts caution that the country’s economic instability and enduring regional rivalries have capped its gains.

1 Jun 2026 - 6:08PMvideocam

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated his country’s support for peace talks. Turkey can be a “natural release valve” for companies trying to deal with the instability caused by the Iran war, an expert has said. Photo: AFP

Italy

Italy bans Kanye West concert over security concerns

Authorities scrap festival performance following pressure from local Jewish groups over rapper’s controversial history.

1 Jun 2026 - 9:58AM

Islamic State

Man jailed for 15 years over foiled Taylor Swift concert attack plot in Austria

Austrian court convicts 21-year-old over planned 2024 bombing that forced the cancellation of concerts.

29 May 2026 - 3:13PM

Fashion

Who is Jonathan Andic, son of fashion brand Mango’s founder Isak Andic?

After joining the Spanish fashion brand in 2005, Jonathan rose to be its executive vice-president a decade later – and a few weeks after his father’s death.

27 May 2026 - 6:00PM

Jonathan Andic, the son of late Mango founder Isak Andic, was named a suspect and arrested over his father’s death. Photo: Getty Images

Drones

South Korea aims to join top tier of ‘loyal wingman’ combat drone race

Planned indigenous engine for the most complex UAV technology to support crewed fighter jets ‘a deliberate bid’ by Seoul.

27 May 2026 - 6:19PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US hits Iran with fresh strikes amid negotiations to end war

Marco Rubio insists a deal with Iran remains within reach after the US military claimed its attacks were in ‘self-defence’.

26 May 2026 - 9:34PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump now ties Iran deal to major expansion of Abraham Accords

US president suggests Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other regional powers normalise ties with Israel to secure peace.

26 May 2026 - 8:42AM

US President Donald Trump speaks on the phone inside his limousine on Monday. Photo: EPA

Tourism

Checklist tourism trends as travellers go for selfies over ‘real stories’

From Paris to Turkey, tourists blitzing through sites for social media snaps are causing crowding and concerns that they’re missing the point.

26 May 2026 - 7:37AM

Tourists in Paris pose for a selfie with the Eiffel Tower in the background. From France to Aruba, more tourists are treating historical sites as merely boxes to tick off a list and reducing them to social media backdrops. Photo: AP

Middle East

Turkish riot police storm opposition party HQ to evict ousted leadership

Security forces unleash tear gas and rubber bullets inside CHP offices following a highly controversial court ruling.

25 May 2026 - 11:44AM

Indonesia

‘So rough’: father of Indonesian on Gaza flotilla claims Israeli mistreatment

Nine Indonesians were among those detained when Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla on Monday.

22 May 2026 - 6:02PMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

Israel deports hundreds of Gaza flotilla activists as arrivals recount abuse

Detainees land in Turkey as their treatment in Israeli custody draws an international outcry.

22 May 2026 - 5:18PMvideocam

Activists disembark from a plane upon arrival at Istanbul Airport. Photo: Reuters

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Court rules to oust leadership of Turkey’s main opposition party

The abrupt judicial annulment of Ozgur Ozel’s 2023 election deals a serious blow to the nation’s oldest political faction.

22 May 2026 - 11:24AM

Ozgur Ozel addresses supporters outside the CHP headquarters in Ankara on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Israel-Gaza war

‘Welcome to Israel’: videos of bound Gaza flotilla activists trigger furore

Netanyahu scolds Israel’s security minister for releasing footage taunting hundreds of detained civilians as international backlash grows.

21 May 2026 - 12:45PM

Israel-Gaza war

Israel intercepts Gaza aid flotilla, denies using live ammunition

Israeli forces halt vessels in Mediterranean operation, detaining hundreds of international activists.

20 May 2026 - 10:49AM

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