Starbucks Korea's chief executive has been sacked over a campaign perceived as referring to a bloody historical incident, according to BBC. The promotion, which used the English words “Tank Day,” was for Starbucks Korea’s Tank Series drink tumblers touted to have “spacious volume” for a large amoun»»»

Torrential rain and floods hit parts of China this week, killing at least 12 people and forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate, state media reported. State broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday five deaths and 11 people missing in Shimen County of Hunan province in central China after rai»»»

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched one of its largest Hajj medical operations in Saudi Arabia, deploying hundreds of health care workers and expanding medical infrastructure to support pilgrims facing extreme summer heat and rising infection risks during this year’s pilgrimage. The operation comes as»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Central Bank (QCB) has announced the availability of its Eidiya ATM service starting on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at various convenient locations around Qatar. It announced that a total of 52 ATMs will be available at 10 locations, allowing users to withdraw Qatari Riyal bills of 5»»»

A planned strike at South Korean chip giant Samsung Electronics will go ahead from Thursday, its union said, after talks on bonus payouts collapsed, raising concerns over a disruption to the country's key semiconductor industry. The walkout, set to begin Thursday, is expected to dwarf a 2024 strike»»»

The deadly hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks show that while the response to declared public health crises has improved, awareness of pandemic risks still lags, a leading pandemic expert warned Tuesday. Over six years after the World Health Organization declared the Covid-19 pandemic, global efforts t»»»

Three crude oil supertankers bound for East Asia are reportedly attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, signaling a possible easing of one of the world’s most dangerous energy chokepoints. Bloomberg reported that a South Korean-flagged VLCC appears to be making a crossing through t»»»

BRUSSELS: NATO is not drawing up any plans for a potential mission in the Strait of Hormuz and would need a political decision to do so, its top commander said on Tuesday, amid suggestions by some members that the alliance could play a role there. Any decision to launch a mission would require the »»»

Doha, Qatar: Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, attended the ‘Qatar Foundation Schools Showcase’ at Qatar Science & Technology Park yesterday, where around 50 student projects in artificial intelligence, sustainability, science, health, and culture highlighted the role o»»»

A group of people watched three albino rats leap from small baskets into a big cage on Sunday as other rodents hid in makeshift tunnels or searched for applesauce offered by their keeper through the bars at an indoor hall in the Argentine capital. It's Ratapalooza, an annual Buenos Aires event that»»»

Cotton, the world's most profitable nonfood crop, is used more than any other natural fiber. Known for its comfort and durability, it has been utilized since antiquity in fabrics and other goods. Four species are grown commercially, but one is dominant, accounting for about 90% of global production»»»

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) denied on Tuesday reports about the release of RSF Brigadier General al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, known as Abu Lulu, who was arrested late last year following global outrage over videos of him executing unarmed people in al-Fashir. In a statement, the RSF»»»

The United Nations is considering how to respond to Israel's announcement that it will build a military complex on the former headquarters of the UN relief agency for Palestinians in east Jerusalem, an official said Tuesday. Israel at the weekend announced the government's approval for a defense mi»»»

Dubai: Dubai-based Indian chef Surabhi Suri has earned global recognition after being crowned World Vegetarian Champion and finishing as first runner-up at the World Food Championships 2026 held in Bentonville, Arkansas, USA. The self-taught chef, who built her culinary identity in Dubai through he»»»

Mudflows occurred in Ala-Buka district and the town of Mailuu-Suu in Jalal-Abad region due to heavy rains. The office of Presidential Envoy to the region informed 24.kg news agency. According to authorities, mudflows were registered in Baltagulov rural area of Ala-Buka district on the evening of Ma»»»

GENEVA: The body overseeing the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza will ask the United Nations Security Council to press the Hamas militant group to disarm, according to a report seen by The Associated Press on Tuesday. The report by the Board of Peace, an international body set up by US President Donal»»»

The Saudi Embassy in China has reminded citizens travelling to China to complete the electronic arrival card before departure to facilitate entry procedures at Chinese ports. The embassy said travellers should fill in the Digital Arrival Card accurately and comply with instructions issued by Chines»»»

Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, is moving onto the global aviation stage through London, with an ambition that goes beyond conventional air travel. The carrier, which reflects the Kingdom’s view of aviation as a strategic industry and econ»»»

Beijing: The death toll from heavy rains across central and southern China since the weekend has risen to 22, state media reports showed Wednesday, with 20 more people still unaccounted for. Natural disasters and extreme weather events are common in China, particularly in the summer, when some regi»»»

While many were waiting to learn who would become the new head of Hamas’s political bureau, the movement issued a rare and surprising statement last Saturday saying the result could not be decided in the first round and that a second would be held. Asharq Al-Awsat asked Hamas sources inside and out»»»

KABUL: The United Nations said in a report on Tuesday that they are expecting almost three million Afghans to return to the country by the end of the year, more than half of whom will be women and children. Since September 2023, 5.9 million Afghans have returned, mainly from neighboring Iran and Pa»»»

Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday in a meeting meant to reaffirm ties and that takes place only days after a visit by US President Donald Trump to China. Xi welcomed Putin with a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People. The two delegations »»»

Two Chinese tankers laden with oil exited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, shipping data showed, brightening hopes that the US-Israeli conflict with Iran may soon be resolved after positive comments from the US president and his deputy. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the war would be over»»»

Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed at least 19 people, including four women and three children, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said, the latest in near-daily attacks from both sides that have not stopped despite the fragile, US-brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war. Israel»»»

Mumbai: The stock markets opened with heavy selling pressure on Wednesday as the Indian rupee hit a fresh record low against the US dollar, while Brent crude oil prices continued to remain elevated amid global geopolitical tensions. The Nifty 50 index opened at 23,457.25, declining by 160.75 points»»»

1 of 2 | Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., conceded defeat Tuesday night to challenger Ed Gallrein, a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo May 19 (UPI) -- Former Navy SEAL-turned-farmer Ed Gallrein defeated Donald Trump critic Rep. Thomas Massie in Ke»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Adylbek Kasymaliev, held a working meeting on the operations of Zhongda refinery (China Petrol Company CJSC). The meeting participants discussed the current state of the refinery, the progress of its technological modernization, and the production»»»

Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Rex Li, Research Affiliate of Lau China Institute and Professor of International Relations at the School of Global Affairs King's College London, says that Vladimir Putin has been "warmly welcomed by Chinese leaders" compared to Donald Trump, explaining that "Ru»»»

Dubai: Fakeeh University Hospital has earned Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) accreditation, officially recognised by the UAE Ministry of Health, Public Health and Prevention Department on behalf of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). One of »»»

JERUSALEM: Israel’s finance minister has ordered the eviction of a Palestinian village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that has long been a target of Israeli authorities, saying the measure is a response to reports that he may be a target of international war crimes prosecutors. It was not clear »»»

VIENNA: An Austrian court is expected to rule on Wednesday on a former intelligence official charged over spying for Russia, the most high-profile espionage case to have shaken the EU member in recent years. Austria has been rocked by several cases centered on suspected spying for Moscow, with the »»»

The US administration plans to inform later this week its European allies in NATO of reduced military support it is ready to provide if a conflict or another major crisis occurs, Reuters reported, citing sources. The decision will probably be announced at a meeting of defense policy chiefs in Bruss»»»

Heavy rain flooded Ak-Suu—Karakol road. Video from the scene has been posted on social media. Eyewitnesses report that, due to heavy rains, Ak-Suu River has also burst its banks and flooded the road.»»»

The national youth football team of Kyrgyzstan (U20) defeated Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Football Union reported. The final round match ended 1-0. Zhanbolot Ormonov scored the goal in the 53rd minute. It’s worth noting that Kyrgyz national team forward Amantur Isakov received a red card in the 39th min»»»

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday the International Criminal Court prosecutor had sought an arrest warrant against him, blaming the Palestinian Authority for the move. Smotrich said Israel would respond by ordering the evacuation of the Palestinian Bedou»»»

San Diego: Two teenagers who shot and killed three people in an attack on a California mosque were radicalized online where they first met and shared white supremacist views, according to authorities and writings they authored. The pair "didn't discriminate on who they hated," Mark Remily, the lead»»»

On the evening of 15 May, Israeli aircraft bombed a residential building in central Gaza City and a car that was driving away. It destroyed six apartments, killed at least eight people, and injured 45 others, according to Palestinian medical sources. Shortly after, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel »»»

The ministerial countersignature of K. Endre’s pardon case was lawful but handled through an unusual procedure, as then-President Katalin Novák had urged the countersigning of pardon requests citing the papal visit, Róbert Répássy, former state secretary at the Ministry of Justice, told MTI on Tues»»»

Ras Al Khaimah: Ras Al Khaimah Police has warned motorists against violating mandatory lane discipline after releasing a traffic awareness video showing a driver making an illegal left turn from a lane designated only for going straight — an offence punishable by a Dh400 fine. The footage, shared a»»»

Dubai: A Dubai court has reduced a Dh1.2 million labour law penalty to Dh60,000 after partially accepting an appeal filed by a company manager convicted of shutting down a business without resolving the status of 12 sponsored workers. In a ruling issued on May 12, 2026, the Dubai Court of Appeal up»»»

EU lawmakers and member states reached a deal early on Wednesday to implement the bloc’s trade pact with the United States, ending months of wrangling over the accord as President Donald Trump threatened fresh tariffs unless it was approved by July 4. The compromise followed late-night negotiations»»»

Twenty religious educational institutions (madrasahs/hujras) operating illegally without registration or permits have been discovered in Suzak district of Jalal-Abad region. The press center of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) reported. According to the security service, the facts w»»»

Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting an official welcoming ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday, opening a packed day of talks and events aimed at further deepening ties between the two countries. Putin arrived in the Chinese capital on Tuesday night for a two-da»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday, seeking to underline their unshakeable alliance in the wake of Donald Trump's visit to the Asian superpower economy. Trump had been received with pomp last week but left without major breakthroughs includin»»»

The passports see everything. Mohammad Zahid Khan’s family has preserved two of them like heirlooms. There’s an unsaid reverence that exists around the two hardbound books sitting on a well-polished table. The pages are turned gingerly, and you see names written in ink and the stamps of visas from »»»

Global banking giant Standard Chartered is preparing a major workforce overhaul, announcing plans to cut more than 15% of its back-office roles — roughly 7,800 jobs — by 2030, as it accelerates its shift toward artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, the BBC reported. The London-headquartered »»»

The UAE is expected to experience generally fair but dusty weather today, with temperatures rising slightly and active winds of up to 40 km/h stirring up dust and creating rough sea conditions, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). The NCM said the country remains under the influen»»»

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia had a basic problem: having ignored investing into anything except military technology, the newly independent country found that nothing worked properly. All its technology and machinery was vastly inferior to their Western analogues. And it made no sense »»»

WASHINGTON: An Iranian citizen who holds permanent US residency has been released from prison in Iran and has returned to the United States, the State Department confirmed Tuesday. “The State Department happily welcomes the safe return of Shahab Dalili from his detention in Iran,” a department spok»»»

HEBRON, Kentucky: Kentucky US Rep. Thomas Massie lost his Republican House primary Tuesday in another test of President Donald Trump’s power over his party after he handpicked challenger and ultimate winner Ed Gallrein to oust the incumbent. The result showed the president’s persisting influence ov»»»