In Tunisia, May usually heralds the start of the summer tourism boom, but as the Middle East war wreaks havoc on the region, the season is opening on uneasy footing. Industry officials blame the fallout from the conflict, which has sent oil prices and travel costs skyrocketing, even thousands of mi»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Pakistani navy has put on combat duty the Chinese-built PNS Hangor, the first of eight Hangor-class submarines, the Economic Times newspaper reported on Wednesday. Another seven submarines, built in the Chinese city of Sanya on Hainan Island, are expected to arrive in Pakista»»»

GENEVA: The UN’s high commissioner for human rights on Wednesday called on Israel to repeal a newly passed law that establishes a special military tribunal to prosecute Palestinians accused of involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. Volker Turk said victims of the attacks deserved justice and acco»»»

US President Donald Trump has said he does not expect to need China's help to end the war in Iran and ease Tehran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, in remarks made before he arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a summit with President Xi Jinping. The war is expected to feature in talks between Trump a»»»

The World Food Program said ‌on Wednesday it had halved emergency food assistance in Syria due to funding shortages, warning that millions remained vulnerable despite signs of stabilization in parts of the country. The UN agency's biggest donor, the United States, has slashed its foreign aid under »»»

Israel intensified strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday with the health ministry reporting 12 people killed in attacks targeting cars, mostly south of Beirut, despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The fresh raids, which also targeted various areas of the country's south, came on the eve of a»»»

JERUSALEM: Nickolay Mladenov, the top diplomat overseeing the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, said Wednesday the truce hinged on Hamas’ disarmament, a sticking point that has stalled progress on other fronts, including rebuilding the mostly destroyed enclave. The high representative for US President»»»

Rightwing forces in the European Parliament have extended by another six months a controversial scrutiny committee investigating NGOs that receive EU funds. The decision on Wednesday (13 May) prompted outrage from other political groups, including socialists, liberals, greens and leftwing lawmakers»»»

US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for his highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a restless moment for a world worried about war, trade and artificial intelligence. The visit occurs at a delicate moment for Trump’s presidency, as his popularity at home h»»»

The high representative for Gaza in US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace on Wednesday said the fragile ceasefire in the Palestinian territory was holding despite daily violations. "We have a ceasefire. It is holding... It is far from perfect. There are violations every day, and some of them a»»»

ANKARA/BAGHDAD: Just two weeks after Turkiye’s parliament made recommendations on how to advance the country’s peace process with Kurdish militants, the Iran war broke out, plunging the Middle East into fresh instability and bringing new doubts on both sides. Turkiye has warned of the risk of new K»»»

GENEVA: Real Madrid lost their appeal against UEFA at sports’ highest court after being fined for fans singing a homophobic chant at Pep Guardiola during a Champions League game against Manchester City. The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s judges decided the chant “was of a severe discriminatory na»»»

People mourn during a funeral procession for two members of the Lebanese Civil Defense in the southern coastal city of Sidon on Wednesday. The two were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, a day earlier. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 13 (UPI) -- After enduri»»»

In an article titled “Hezbollah’s unjammable drones pose new threat to Israel,” The Wahington Post indicated that “Israeli troops are confronting a new threat in their fight against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon: camera-equipped explosive drones that feed live video back to their operators via a fi»»»

Manila: Multiple gunshots sent Philippine senators into hiding in their offices late Wednesday, AFP journalists said, as a legislator wanted by the International Criminal Court has sought refuge in the building. There were no casualties and the search for the gunmen was ongoing, Interior Secretary »»»

A daytime Russian drone barrage mainly targeting western Ukraine killed at least six people and wounded dozens, the Ukrainian president said on Wednesday, in what appeared to be a pivot in Moscow's aerial bombardment strategy. Russia has been pounding Ukrainian cities for more than four years but u»»»

1 of 2 | Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa, right, a former national police chief under former President Rodrigo Duterte, attends a session at the Senate in Pasay City, Manila, Philippines, Wednesday. Dela Rosa is on his third day within the Senate premises and has asked Philippine President Ferd»»»

Dubai: Even as Iran faces mounting pressure from a US naval blockade and intensifying scrutiny over the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran appears to be quietly sustaining its oil exports through a vast network of shadow tankers and covert ship-to-ship transfers near Malaysian waters, according to an Associa»»»

Dubai: India’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the Class 12 board examination results on Wednesday, May 13, with students in CBSE schools across the UAE receiving their results as many Indian schools reported strong performances and announced their toppers. This year, the acad»»»

Gold prices slipped for a second consecutive session on Wednesday as war-led inflation concerns weighed on expectations for interest rate cuts, with markets also watching the upcoming Trump-Xi meeting. Spot gold was down 0.6% to $4,686.99 per ounce at 09:05 a.m. EDT (1305 GMT). US gold futures gain»»»

Iran has retained most of its missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing a classified intelligence assessment from earlier this month. The report follows a series of publications in the US media contradicting President Donald Trump’s claims that Iran’s »»»

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is ‌set to announce on Wednesday framework agreements that position it to potentially acquire over 10,000 low-cost, containerized missiles over three years starting in 2027. A statement seen by Reuters ahead of its release said that the Pentagon’s agreements are with Anduri»»»

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) concluded a highly successful participation at the 2026 Milken Institute Global Conference, held in Los Angeles from May 3 to 6, following a wave of major announcements in April by eight leading global financial firms managing a combined $4.4 trillion in assets, all u»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia and Central Asia increased their oil exports by approximately 17% in March 2026 compared with February, or by 933,000 barrels per day, reaching 6.6 million barrels per day, according to estimates in OPEC's March report published on Wednesday. "Total crude oil exports from »»»

Lebanon and Syria are expected in the coming weeks to translate the agreements and understandings reached during the recent visit of the Lebanese prime minister to Damascus into a series of measures and decisions to be issued successively, underscoring a clear decision by both states to move their »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Politico Expects “Shrinking Summit” between Trump and Xi amid Tensions over Taiwan, Iran War 13-05-2026 17:38 PM In an article titled “How »»»

Direct contacts have taken place between Baabda Palace and Ain el-Tineh, and indirect contacts have been made with Hezbollah, through Speaker Nabih Berri, to persuade the Iran-backed group to agree to a ceasefire if Israel does in the Thursday-Friday talks in Washington, a media report said. As of »»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US intelligence estimates that Iran has regained access to 30 out of 33 of the missile facilities it has along the Strait of Hormuz, including launchers and underground sites, The New York Times reported, citing sources. The data gathered by the intelligence community ear»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - The death toll in Iran during the conflict with the US and Israel stands at 3,483, the head of the press office of the Iranian Ministry of Health, Hossein Kermanpour, said on Wednesday. On April 18, the Iranian Martyrs and Veterans Foundation reported that 3,468 people had been k»»»

Syria is witnessing a cautious expansion of electronic payment services after the Central Bank of Syria authorized local financial institutions and payment companies to reconnect with global card networks including Visa and Mastercard for the first time in more than 15 years. The move comes amid br»»»

Iranian attacks on US military bases across the Middle East – which may not even be rebuilt – exposed “the central weakness of Washington’s regional order,” the Cradle reports. "The Iran war shows that even advanced air defenses can be overwhelmed by enough missiles and drones," former Swedish arme»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes appeared intended to project confidence and control to an American audience. Instead, much of the Israeli press saw something else entirely: a leader visibly worn down, politically disoriented, evasive on responsibility, an»»»

King Charles III waves from his State Carriage during the royal procession bringing him and Queen Camilla from Buckingham Palace to Westminster on Wednesday for the State Opening of Parliament. His Imperial State Crown, worn to deliver his King's Speech, was transported in a separate carriage prote»»»

1 of 2 | President Donald Trump boards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., for Beijing, China on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo May 13 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a two-day meeting with Chinese President Xi »»»

Civic organizations urge stronger international action on abductions, forced disappearances and ongoing human rights violations in North Korea United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk participates in a press conference in Mexico City, Mexico, 22 April 2026. Photo by Sáshenka Gu»»»

Saudi special envoy for Lebanon, Prince Yazid bin Farhan, intends to visit Beirut early next week to monitor political developments related to the Washington negotiations and the 'anticipated escalation of internal and regional disputes and pressures," al-Akhbar newspaper reported. According to the»»»

JAKARTA: The Indonesian military will deploy more than 700 peacekeepers later this month to serve in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, less than two months after its peacekeeping soldiers were killed by Israeli attacks in the region. Indonesia has contributed troops to UNIFIL since 2006, after the o»»»

US President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping aimed at easing deep tensions between the rival superpowers. Giving a fist pump, Trump descended the steps of Air Force One after touching down at Beijing Capital International Airport, »»»

REGGIO EMILIA, Italy: Britain’s Princess Catherine started a two-day visit to Italy on Wednesday focused on early childhood development, in her first official foreign trip since her 2024 cancer diagnosis.The Princess of Wales, whose husband Prince William is the heir to the British throne, was welc»»»

Iran has declared that the transit of US weapons through the Strait of Hormuz toward regional bases will no longer be permitted, with the Iranian Army stating that the strategic waterway is now under coordinated control of the country’s armed forces. Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani chaired the Cabinet's regular meeting on Wednesday at the Amiri Diwan in Doha. Following the session, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs HE Ibrahim bin Ali A»»»

ConflictsIndiaIndians growing anxious as Modi asks them to cut on fuelMurali Krishnan New DelhiWith energy prices rising, India's Narendra Modi has urged his compatriots to embrace voluntary austerity and protect the economy from the Iran war fallout. But ordinary Indians say there are already at t»»»

DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani chaired the regular Cabinet meeting held at its headquarters in the Amiri Diwan. Following the meeting, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs HE Ibrahim bin Ali Al Moh»»»

By order of Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Asya Pandzherova has been dismissed as Deputy Minister of Education and Science, the government information service said on Wednesday. Pandzherova submitted her resignation, saying that her decision was motivated by the public tension that had arisen in recen»»»

Multiple gunshots were heard on Wednesday inside the Philippine Senate, where a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court has sought refuge, AFP journalists said. The sound of at least five shots sent journalists fleeing for cover, minutes after soldiers with rifles and protective gear wen»»»

Manila: Multiple gunshots were heard Wednesday inside the Philippine Senate, where a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court has sought refuge, AFP journalists said. The sound of at least five shots sent journalists fleeing for cover, minutes after soldiers with rifles and protective gea»»»

Beijing: US President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping aimed at easing deep tensions between the rival superpowers. Beginning the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade, Trump touched down on Air Force One at Beij»»»

In an unprecedented diplomatic move, Lebanon has filed a formal complaint with the U.N. against Iran, accusing Tehran of violating the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, interfering in Lebanese sovereign affairs, and embroiling the country in a devastating war against its will, Independent »»»

US President Donald Trump has not ruled the possibility of traveling to Russia this year to help facilitate a settlement to the Ukraine conflict. Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Tuesday, prior to departing for an upcoming summit in China, the US president was asked if he could visi»»»

Austria has said it scrambled Eurofighter Typhoons to intercept US Air Force spy planes that entered its airspace without authorization on Sunday and Monday. According to Austrian Defense Ministry spokesman Michael Bauer, a pair of PC-12 turboprop aircraft flew over the Totes Gebirge mountains in U»»»