A former Libyan prison boss was described as a "notorious torturer" known as the "Angel of Death" who raped, murdered and abused detainees, the International Criminal Court heard on Tuesday.
The ICC was kicking off three days of hearings against Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, 47, suspected of 17 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed at Mitiga prison near Tripoli between February 2015 and early 2020.
Oil prices eased and stocks wavered on Tuesday, with investors tracking a potential deal between the United States and Iran and rising bond yields sounding the alarm on interest rate expectations.
The yield on 30-year US Treasury bonds hit its highest level since during the global financial crisis 19 years ago, hitting as high as 5.19 percent during the session, compared to around 4.6 percent before the US-Israel war on Iran began in February.
The move indicated growing market unease over inflation, energy prices and fiscal worries.
US President Donald Trump said he was postponing a planned attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday at the request of Gulf leaders amid "serious negotiations" with Tehran.
Trump's sudden announcement on social media on Monday came after Iran said it had responded to a new US proposal aimed at ending the war.
Trump said he would "hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow," in a message on his Truth Social network.
Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:
- 'Good progress' in Iran talks -
US Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that Iran talks are making "good progress" but Washington was "locked and loaded" to restart military operations if there is no deal.
Vance's comments came hours after President Donald Trump said he had come within an hour of ordering fresh strikes and gave Tehran "two or three days" to reach an agreement.
- Strike on nuclear plant condemned -
The first attack targeting an Arab nuclear site has sent a symbolic warning to the United Arab Emirates and its allies, even as Iran and the US remain in negotiations to end the Middle East war, analysts say.
An unclaimed drone struck an electrical generator on Sunday near the Arab world's first nuclear power plant in Barakah in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, triggering a fire but causing no injuries nor radiation leak.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was slightly higher last week, returning to levels in line with the average recorded since the start of the Middle East conflict after hitting a wartime low.
A total of 55 commodities vessels crossed the strategic waterway between May 11 and 17, according to data from maritime tracking firm Kpler as of Monday morning.
One of Indian billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani's companies will pay the United States $275 million to settle a probe into whether it violated Washington's sanctions against Iran, the US Treasury said Monday.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the agreement had been reached with Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), part of the magnate's sprawling multinational conglomerate of companies.
Iran's football team arrived in Turkey on Monday for a training camp and to complete visa applications ahead of the 2026 World Cup, AFP correspondents said.
The 22 players and coaching staff in the "Team Melli" delegation flew into the Turkish resort of Antalya where they could be seen leaving the airport dressed in navy blue tracksuits.
The players were to stay several weeks before heading to the global tournament that is being co-hosted by the United States, which began bombing Iran on February 28 alongside Israel, sparking war.
Iranian Nobel peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi has returned to her home in Tehran after being discharged from hospital in the wake of her release on bail, her family and supporters said Monday.
They warned of the risk of any return to prison for the 2023 laureate, who suffers from a heart condition and whose health deteriorated drastically following her most recent arrest in December.
Mohammadi was sent home on Sunday after 18 days of hospitalisation in Zanjan, where she had been in prison, and then in Tehran, her foundation said in a statement.
Iran's national football team was headed to Turkey on Monday to play a final friendly match and apply for visas to fly to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, Iranian media reported.
The team plan to participate in the tournament despite co-host Washington having launched a war against Iran with a massive wave of attacks alongside ally Israel on February 28.
