http://www.toledoblade.com The Latest News from Toledoblade.com (v5) Fri, 15 May 2026 04:17:30 GMT en-us hourly 1 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/15/irans-top-diplomat-says-lack-trust-impeding-talks-end-war-with-us/stories/20260515106 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/15/irans-top-diplomat-says-lack-trust-impeding-talks-end-war-with-us/stories/20260515106#comments Fri, 15 May 2026 21:14:22 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/15/irans-top-diplomat-says-lack-trust-impeding-talks-end-war-with-us/stories/20260515106 NEW DELHI — Iran’s foreign minister said a lack of trust is the biggest obstacle in negotiations to end the war with the U.S., saying Friday that Tehran would be open to diplomatic help, particularly from China, to help ease tensions. President Trump walks to board Air Force One on May 15 at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/15/pentagon-halts-deployments-poland-germany-europe/stories/20260515102 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/15/pentagon-halts-deployments-poland-germany-europe/stories/20260515102#comments Fri, 15 May 2026 19:51:54 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/15/pentagon-halts-deployments-poland-germany-europe/stories/20260515102 WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is drawing down thousands of troops in Europe by canceling deployments to Poland and Germany as opposed to yanking forces already stationed there, U.S. officials say, as President Donald Trump has tussled with allies over the Iran war and called for changes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies at a House Appropriations subcommittee budget hearing for the Department of Defense on May 12 in Washington, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine listens. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, acting Army chief of staff, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee hearing on the budget request of the Department of the Army on Capitol Hill on May 15 in Washington. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/15/fbi-offers-200-000-reward-catch-ex-air-force-specialist-wanted-espionage-charges/stories/20260515087 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/15/fbi-offers-200-000-reward-catch-ex-air-force-specialist-wanted-espionage-charges/stories/20260515087#comments Fri, 15 May 2026 14:19:45 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/15/fbi-offers-200-000-reward-catch-ex-air-force-specialist-wanted-espionage-charges/stories/20260515087 WASHINGTON — The FBI is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to capture and prosecution of a former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist who defected to Iran in 2013 and was later charged with revealing classified information to the Tehran government. An FBI seal is displayed on a podium before a news conference at the field office in Portland, Ore., in 2025. This image provided by the FBI on May 14 shows the wanted poster for Monica Elfriede Witt. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/15/trump-weighs-taiwan-arms-package-summit-aimed-steadying-u-s-china-ties/stories/20260515086 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/15/trump-weighs-taiwan-arms-package-summit-aimed-steadying-u-s-china-ties/stories/20260515086#comments Fri, 15 May 2026 14:11:29 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/15/trump-weighs-taiwan-arms-package-summit-aimed-steadying-u-s-china-ties/stories/20260515086 BEIJING — President Trump said Friday that he has not made a decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Chinese President Xi Jinping. U.S. President Donald Trump, left, speaks as he is greeted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, China, on May 15. Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a meeting on the sidelines of their visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, China, on May 15. President Donald Trump walks to board Air Force One on May 15 at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing. President Donald Trump walks with China's President Xi Jinping at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound on May 15 in Beijing. President Donald Trump walks with China's President Xi Jinping at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound on May 15 in Beijing. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/14/china-s-xi-warns-trump-that-differences-over-taiwan-could-lead-to-conflict/stories/20260514100 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/14/china-s-xi-warns-trump-that-differences-over-taiwan-could-lead-to-conflict/stories/20260514100#comments Thu, 14 May 2026 11:11:25 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/14/china-s-xi-warns-trump-that-differences-over-taiwan-could-lead-to-conflict/stories/20260514100 BEIJING — China’s Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump on Thursday that the two countries could clash over Taiwan if the issue was not handled properly, an unusually harsh admonition that stood in contrast to the American leader’s praise for his counterpart. President Donald Trump, left, stands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Temple of Heaven on May 14 in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and U.S. President Donald Trump meet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14. China's President Xi Jinping arrives to welcome President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People May 14 in Beijing. President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, May 14 in Beijing. President Donald Trump listens as he meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People May 14 in Beijing. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/12/kuwait-says-iran-attacked-an-island-where-china-is-helping-to-build-a-port/stories/20260512081 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/12/kuwait-says-iran-attacked-an-island-where-china-is-helping-to-build-a-port/stories/20260512081#comments Tue, 12 May 2026 14:57:17 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/12/kuwait-says-iran-attacked-an-island-where-china-is-helping-to-build-a-port/stories/20260512081 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Kuwait accused Iran of launching a failed attack earlier this month on an island where China is helping build a port in the Middle East nation. Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system fires to intercept as air raid sirens sound in Tel Aviv, on Oct. 23, 2024. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/11/u-s-standoff-with-iran-deepens-and-strait-remains-closed-after-trump-rejects/stories/20260511081 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/11/u-s-standoff-with-iran-deepens-and-strait-remains-closed-after-trump-rejects/stories/20260511081#comments Mon, 11 May 2026 15:47:42 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/11/u-s-standoff-with-iran-deepens-and-strait-remains-closed-after-trump-rejects/stories/20260511081 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said the Iran cease-fire is on “life support” after he rejected Tehran’s latest proposal to end the war. Officials said the proposal included some concessions on Iran's disputed nuclear program, but Trump dismissed it as “garbage.” Motorbikes drive past a billboard with graphic showing the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the U.S. and Israel strikes on Feb. 28, with his framed fist amongst his supporters framed fists in downtown Tehran, Iran, May 6. A man waves an Iranian flag for a pro-government campaign under a billboard with graphic showing Strait of Hormuz and sewn lips of U.S. President Donald Trump in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, May 6. The front page of the Sunday May 10, 2026, edition of Iranian newspaper, Jamejam, is seen with a cartoon satirizing the U.S. President Donald Trump that asks: "Open the the Strait of Hormuz" on a news stand in northern Tehran, Iran. Women grieve as they carry the body of 6-month-old Mariam Fahos during a funeral procession for people killed a day earlier in an Israeli airstrike in the village of Saksakieh, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, May 10. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/10/russia-ukraine-accuse-each-other-violating-us-brokered-3-day-truce/stories/20260510124 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/10/russia-ukraine-accuse-each-other-violating-us-brokered-3-day-truce/stories/20260510124#comments Sun, 10 May 2026 21:42:39 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/10/russia-ukraine-accuse-each-other-violating-us-brokered-3-day-truce/stories/20260510124 Russia and Ukraine swapped accusations of breaking a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on Sunday, with both sides claiming to have suffered casualties in drone and artillery strikes over the past 24 hours. Russian servicemen march as they attend the Victory Day military parade in Moscow on May 9, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II. People carry portraits of their relatives, fighters, killed during military action in Ukraine, during the Immortal Regiment march at the Nevsky prospect, the central avenue of St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 9, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/10/iran-war-ceasefire-tested-as-cargo-ship-catches-fire-and-kuwaiit/stories/20260510117 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/10/iran-war-ceasefire-tested-as-cargo-ship-catches-fire-and-kuwaiit/stories/20260510117#comments Sun, 10 May 2026 13:06:06 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/10/iran-war-ceasefire-tested-as-cargo-ship-catches-fire-and-kuwaiit/stories/20260510117 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The shaky cease-fire in the Iran war was tested again on Sunday when a drone set a small fire on a ship off the coast of Qatar, while the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait reported separate drones entering their airspaces. Two men sit in a small boat on the water as cargo ships are anchored in the background in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 4. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/09/who-head-oversee-evacuation-passengers-crew-hantavirus-stricken-cruise-ship/stories/20260509086 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/09/who-head-oversee-evacuation-passengers-crew-hantavirus-stricken-cruise-ship/stories/20260509086#comments Sat, 09 May 2026 11:21:44 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/09/who-head-oversee-evacuation-passengers-crew-hantavirus-stricken-cruise-ship/stories/20260509086 TENERIFE, Spain (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization arrived in Spain on Saturday to oversee the evacuation of more than 140 passengers and crew from a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship headed to the Canary Islands. A passenger on the the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship, MV Hondius, takes a photo of the ship's weighing anchor in Praia, during the voyage to Spain's port of Tenerife on May 6. Crew members of the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship, MV Hondius, wait their turns for a first interview with epidemiologists, during the voyage to Spain's port of Tenerife on May 6. A passenger checks his camera inside his cabin on the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship, MV Hondius, during the voyage to Spain's port of Tenerife on May 6. Passengers on the the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship, MV Hondius, watch epidemiologists board the boat in Praia, during their voyage to Spain's port of Tenerife on May 6. Passengers on the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship, MV Hondius, scan the horizon with binoculars during their voyage to Spain's port of Tenerife on May 6. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/08/u-s-fires-on-and-disables-2-more-iranian-tankers-as-tensions-rise-in-the-strait/stories/20260508099 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/08/u-s-fires-on-and-disables-2-more-iranian-tankers-as-tensions-rise-in-the-strait/stories/20260508099#comments Fri, 08 May 2026 19:00:07 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/08/u-s-fires-on-and-disables-2-more-iranian-tankers-as-tensions-rise-in-the-strait/stories/20260508099 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. forces fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers on Friday after exchanging fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz overnight. The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, reported another Iranian missile and drone attack. Two men sit in a small boat on the water as cargo ships are anchored in the background in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran on May 4. A tanker, left, and a car carrier are anchored at sea in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from the coast near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates on May 1. Cargo ships, including bulk carriers and general cargo vessels, sit at anchor offshore as a small motorboat passes in the foreground, in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran on May 4. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/07/military-strikes-sites-iran-countries-exchange-fire/stories/20260507115 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/07/military-strikes-sites-iran-countries-exchange-fire/stories/20260507115#comments Thu, 07 May 2026 22:35:52 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/07/military-strikes-sites-iran-countries-exchange-fire/stories/20260507115 U.S. forces targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for launching a series of “unprovoked” missile, drone and small boat attacks against American warships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said on Thursday. A patrol boat moves through the water as cargo ships sit at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on May 2. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/07/trumpattempt-impose-new-10-tariffs-gets-struck-down-panel-judges/stories/20260507114 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/07/trumpattempt-impose-new-10-tariffs-gets-struck-down-panel-judges/stories/20260507114#comments Thu, 07 May 2026 22:21:55 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/07/trumpattempt-impose-new-10-tariffs-gets-struck-down-panel-judges/stories/20260507114 President Donald Trump’s 10 percent across-the-board tariffs are in jeopardy after a federal court ruled them illegal on Thursday, dealing a second major blow this year to the president’s signature economic policy. President Donald Trump leaves after an event with small business owners on May 4. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/06/china-s-top-envoy-calls-for-a-comprehensive-ceasefire-in-the-iran-war/stories/20260506087 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/06/china-s-top-envoy-calls-for-a-comprehensive-ceasefire-in-the-iran-war/stories/20260506087#comments Wed, 06 May 2026 11:52:23 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/06/china-s-top-envoy-calls-for-a-comprehensive-ceasefire-in-the-iran-war/stories/20260506087 BEIJING — China’s foreign minister on Wednesday called for a comprehensive cease-fire in the Iran war, in comments that could inject new energy into stalled efforts to end the two-month conflict between the United States and Iran. In this photo released by the Telegram channel of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, right, meets with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing China on May 6. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/05/u-s-attempt-to-open-strait-of-hormuz-tests-fragile-iran-war-cease-fire/stories/20260505089 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/05/u-s-attempt-to-open-strait-of-hormuz-tests-fragile-iran-war-cease-fire/stories/20260505089#comments Tue, 05 May 2026 11:08:51 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/05/u-s-attempt-to-open-strait-of-hormuz-tests-fragile-iran-war-cease-fire/stories/20260505089 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — President Trump said on Tuesday evening that he is pausing the U.S. effort to guide stranded vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz to finalize an Iran deal, but that the American forces’ blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place. Israeli soldiers drive a tank inside a village in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel May 5. An Iranian demonstrator waves a flag of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group under an anti-U.S. billboard depicting the American aircrafts into the Iranian armed forces fishing net with signs that read in Farsi: "The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed, The entire Persian Gulf is our hunting ground," during a pro-government gathering at Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, square in Tehran, Iran, May 4. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/04/u-s-led-task-force-tells-ships-to-reroute-on-first-day-of-new-effort-to-reopen/stories/20260504078 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/04/u-s-led-task-force-tells-ships-to-reroute-on-first-day-of-new-effort-to-reopen/stories/20260504078#comments Mon, 04 May 2026 10:34:48 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/04/u-s-led-task-force-tells-ships-to-reroute-on-first-day-of-new-effort-to-reopen/stories/20260504078 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States said Monday it is ready to “guide” commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz in a new effort to end the blockade wreaking havoc on the global economy. Cargo ships are seen at sea near the Strait of Hormuz, as viewed from a rocky shoreline near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates on May 1. Vehicles drive past a billboard with graphic showing Strait of Hormuz and sewn lips of U.S. President Donald Trump in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, May 2. A man stands in the water, appearing to fish, as bulk carriers, cargo ships, and service vessels line the horizon in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, April 27. A woman looks at jewelry in the window of a gold shop at Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar, Iran, May 3. People view rugs at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran, May 3. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/03/Ukraine-hits-key-Russian-oil-loading-port-and-3-shadow-fleet-tankers-1/stories/20260503127 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/03/Ukraine-hits-key-Russian-oil-loading-port-and-3-shadow-fleet-tankers-1/stories/20260503127#comments Sun, 03 May 2026 21:40:18 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/03/Ukraine-hits-key-Russian-oil-loading-port-and-3-shadow-fleet-tankers-1/stories/20260503127 KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine on Sunday launched a wave of strikes against Russian oil targets, hitting a key loading port on the Baltic Sea and two tankers that Ukraine alleges were illegally used to transport Russian crude. Ukrainian emergency crew responds to a fire in Ukraine's southern Odesa region after Russian attack overnight on May 3. A Ukrainian firefighter puts out a fire after Russia struck the southern Odesa region overnight on May 3. A Ukrainian emergency worker looks through rubble after Russia attacked Ukraine's Odesa region overnight on May 3. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/03/ship-attacked-near-strait-hormuz-iran-reviews-us-response-latest-proposal/stories/20260503124 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/03/ship-attacked-near-strait-hormuz-iran-reviews-us-response-latest-proposal/stories/20260503124#comments Sun, 03 May 2026 21:29:53 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/03/ship-attacked-near-strait-hormuz-iran-reviews-us-response-latest-proposal/stories/20260503124 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz said it was attacked by multiple small craft, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported on Sunday, the latest in at least two dozen attacks in and around the strait since the Iran war began. People walk as Iranian flags hang in the Grand Bazaar in Tehran on Sunday. A woman looks at jewelry in the window of a gold shop at Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar, Iran on Sunday. A woman reacts to the camera at Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar, Iran on Sunday. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/01/trump-says-he-s-not-satisfied-with-iran-s-latest-proposal-to-end-war-with-u-s/stories/20260501098 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/01/trump-says-he-s-not-satisfied-with-iran-s-latest-proposal-to-end-war-with-u-s/stories/20260501098#comments Fri, 01 May 2026 17:37:15 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/05/01/trump-says-he-s-not-satisfied-with-iran-s-latest-proposal-to-end-war-with-u-s/stories/20260501098 ISLAMABAD — President Trump said Friday he was “not satisfied” with Iran’s latest proposal in negotiations to end the war between the countries, rejecting the plan almost as soon as it was delivered. A man stands in the water, appearing to fish, as bulk carriers, cargo ships, and service vessels line the horizon in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran on April 27. An Emirati patrol boat, left, is near a tanker anchored in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from a coastal road near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates on May 1. Cargo ships are seen at sea in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, as viewed from a rocky shoreline near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates on May 1. Cargo ships are seen at sea near the Strait of Hormuz, as viewed from a rocky shoreline near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates on May 1. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/04/30/Iran-s-supreme-leader-vows-to-protect-nuclear-and-missile-capabilities/stories/20260430100 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/04/30/Iran-s-supreme-leader-vows-to-protect-nuclear-and-missile-capabilities/stories/20260430100#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:37:15 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/04/30/Iran-s-supreme-leader-vows-to-protect-nuclear-and-missile-capabilities/stories/20260430100 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s supreme leader vowed Thursday in a defiant tone to protect the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and missile capabilities, which President Trump has sought to curtail through airstrikes and as part of a wider deal to cement the war’s shaky cease-fire. A woman holds up pictures of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, left, and his father, the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a state-organised rally celebrating the birthday of Imam Reza, the 8th Shiite Muslims' Imam, and supporting the supreme leader, in Tehran, Iran on April 29. Girls sing a song as they show the movement of missiles with their hands next to the portraits of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, left, late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in a state-organised rally celebrating the birthday of Imam Reza, the 8th Shiite Muslims' Imam, and supporting the supreme leader, in Tehran, Iran on April 29. A police officer stands guard in front of a banner with portraits of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, left, and late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a state-organised rally celebrating the birthday of Imam Reza, the 8th Shiite Muslims' Imam, and supporting the supreme leader, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) A woman carries an Iranian flag and a poster of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a state-organised rally in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, celebrating the birthday of Imam Reza, the 8th Shiite Muslims' Imam, and supporting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)