Seven leading artificial intelligence companies have reached deals to deploy their technology in classified Pentagon computer networks, the Defense Department said Friday. “Together, the War Department and these strategic partners share the conviction that American leadership in AI is indispensable»»»

Half a dozen people have been arrested in the southern Peloponnese region for allegedly illegally hooking up their homes to the power grid or the water distribution system, police said Friday. The six arrests took place during police raids Thursday on Roma encampments in the vicinity of Argos, in t»»»

Saint-Julien-Chapteuil, France: French bakeries sold crusty baguettes and flaky croissants with government backing Friday, defying labour unions arguing that May 1 should remain a sacred day of compulsory rest. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ordered several baguettes in front of the cameras in th»»»

Mexico City: Mexico City is sinking by about 25 centimeters a year, according to new satellite imagery released this week by NASA, making it one of the world’s fastest-subsiding metropolises. One of the world's most sprawling and populated urban areas, at 3,000 square miles (about 7,800 square kilo»»»

Dubai: Big Ticket has launched its May edition with a “a dynamic line-up of promotions,” headlined by the Dh20 million grand prize that will be awarded during a live draw on June 3. The draw will mark the moment one participant turns into a millionaire as the UAE heads into the summer season. This »»»

LONDON: Netflix rolled out a redesigned mobile app on Thursday, introducing a vertical video feed called Clips to help users more quickly discover shows, movies, and games. “Mobile is an important part of how Netflix members stay connected to the entertainment they love,” said Elizabeth Stone, Netf»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Sheikh Zayed Book Award, organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center, has opened submissions for its 21st edition (2026-2027), running from May 1 to September 1. The award spans 10 categories, including literature, translation, arts, critical studies, children’s literature, and»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Football Association has announced its squad for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2026, set to take place in Saudi Arabia from May 5 to 22. Head coach Alvaro Mejia has selected 23 players for the tournament, which features 16 teams competing for the title and qualification spots for th»»»

Tunis, May 1 (TAP) - Mark Gordon, Governor of Wyoming (a US state), highlighted the growing depth of cooperation between Tunisia and Wyoming, a long-standing state to country partnership, "especially as both sides face the same challenges and share...»»»

A major transformation is underway in sub-Saharan Africa: Governments are increasingly shifting borrowing away from external debt and toward domestic debt. This trend brings fresh opportunities to build resilience and support development—but also introduces new challenges that must be managed caref»»»

A major transformation is underway in sub-Saharan Africa: Governments are increasingly shifting borrowing away from external debt and toward domestic debt. This trend brings fresh opportunities to build resilience and support development—but also introduces new challenges that must be managed caref»»»

A major transformation is underway in sub-Saharan Africa: Governments are increasingly shifting borrowing away from external debt and toward domestic debt. This trend brings fresh opportunities to build resilience and support development—but also introduces new challenges that must be managed caref»»»

A major transformation is underway in sub-Saharan Africa: Governments are increasingly shifting borrowing away from external debt and toward domestic debt. This trend brings fresh opportunities to build resilience and support development—but also introduces new challenges that must be managed caref»»»

A major transformation is underway in sub-Saharan Africa: Governments are increasingly shifting borrowing away from external debt and toward domestic debt. This trend brings fresh opportunities to build resilience and support development—but also introduces new challenges that must be managed caref»»»

A major transformation is underway in sub-Saharan Africa: Governments are increasingly shifting borrowing away from external debt and toward domestic debt. This trend brings fresh opportunities to build resilience and support development—but also introduces new challenges that must be managed caref»»»

A major transformation is underway in sub-Saharan Africa: Governments are increasingly shifting borrowing away from external debt and toward domestic debt. This trend brings fresh opportunities to build resilience and support development—but also introduces new challenges that must be managed caref»»»

A major transformation is underway in sub-Saharan Africa: Governments are increasingly shifting borrowing away from external debt and toward domestic debt. This trend brings fresh opportunities to build resilience and support development—but also introduces new challenges that must be managed caref»»»

A major transformation is underway in sub-Saharan Africa: Governments are increasingly shifting borrowing away from external debt and toward domestic debt. This trend brings fresh opportunities to build resilience and support development—but also introduces new challenges that must be managed caref»»»

A major transformation is underway in sub-Saharan Africa: Governments are increasingly shifting borrowing away from external debt and toward domestic debt. This trend brings fresh opportunities to build resilience and support development—but also introduces new challenges that must be managed caref»»»

A major transformation is underway in sub-Saharan Africa: Governments are increasingly shifting borrowing away from external debt and toward domestic debt. This trend brings fresh opportunities to build resilience and support development—but also introduces new challenges that must be managed caref»»»

A major transformation is underway in sub-Saharan Africa: Governments are increasingly shifting borrowing away from external debt and toward domestic debt. This trend brings fresh opportunities to build resilience and support development—but also introduces new challenges that must be managed caref»»»

Lisbon: Benfica coach Jose Mourinho said Friday there has been no contact between him and Real Madrid, despite speculation the Spanish giants could turn to him this summer. The veteran Portuguese coach, who led Los Blancos from 2010 to 2013 in a heated rivalry with Pep Guardiola's Barca, is reporte»»»

ROME: Italian authorities on Friday evacuated some 3,500 people in its famed Tuscany region as they try to tame a wildfire there that has been raging for more than 24 hours. Over 800 hectares (nearly 2,000 acres) have been ravaged by the fire in the mountains between the historic cities of Lucca an»»»

Rome: Italian authorities on Friday evacuated some 3,500 people in its famed Tuscany region as they try to tame a wildfire there that has been raging for more than 24 hours. Over 800 hectares (nearly 2,000 acres) have been ravaged by the fire in the mountains between the historic cities of Lucca an»»»

Kathmandu: A centuries-old Buddha statue stolen from a Nepali temple was reinstalled in its original location on Friday, one of several artefacts returned from foreign museums and collectors in recent years. The statue, dating to the 13th century, was carried in a palanquin back to its pagoda-style»»»

GENEVA: The cost of sending some aid to Sudan — the world’s largest displacement crisis — has more than doubled due to the Iran war, as shipping disruption pushes up costs and delays the delivery of relief, the UN refugee agency said on Friday. Heightened insecurity around key Gulf shipping routes,»»»

A truck driver has been arrested for allegedly driving drunk in the wrong direction on a major highway in northwestern Greece, police said Friday. The man, only identified as a foreign national, was taken into custody Thursday near the town of Igoumenitsa that’s one of Greece’s two key seaports for»»»

London: UK police have charged a driver who crashed her car into a southwest London school three years ago killing two young girls, police and prosecutors said Friday. Claire Freemantle, 49, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving over the July 2023 crash in Wimbledon after "significant»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Iran conveyed its response to the United States regarding the latest US-proposed amendments to the deal to end the conflict, Axios reported on Friday, citing a regional source. The response was reportedly delivered on Thursday through Pakistani mediators. Also on Thursday, US»»»

Four students, a security guard and the suspect were injured in a stabbing at a Tacoma, Wash., high school Thursday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo May 1 (UPI) -- A student stabbed four students, a security guard and themselves at a Tacoma, Wash., high school. The four students at Fo»»»

Damascus, May 1 (SANA) The Governor of the Central Bank of Syria (CBS), Abdulkader Husrieh, announced on Friday an extension of the currency exchange period by 30 days, from June 1 to June 30, 2026. Husrieh said the extension is intended to give citizens additional time to complete exchange procedu»»»

Brazil’s Congress has voted to reduce the 27-year prison sentence of former President Jair Bolsonaro, though the highly controversial decision is expected to be appealed. Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election, and the move to shorten his sentence is »»»

THE HAGUE: A 33-year-old man will appear in court next week after he was detained on suspicion of plotting an attack on two Dutch princesses, prosecutors said Friday. According to details in a court scheduling order published on the website of The Hague Public Prosecutor’s Office, the man is suspec»»»

Occupied Jerusalem: Officials in Occupied Jerusalem have warned of what they describe as a "serious and systematic escalation" at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, citing increased activity by settler groups in recent weeks. In a statement, the Jerusalem Governorate said attempts were being made to impose new re»»»

Chevron exceeded Wall Street estimates for its first-quarter earnings on Friday, as elevated oil prices linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran helped boost results from its upstream business. The company reported adjusted earnings of $1.41 per share, well above the consensus estimate of 95 cents, acc»»»

Dubai: A Dubai-based stock controller has won Dh25,000 in the latest Big Ticket weekly e-draw, describing the moment as “completely unexpected” after years of trying his luck. Mohammed Sameer, a 33-year-old Indian national, has been living in Dubai with his family for the past 14 years. Like many U»»»

Police in Kozani, northern Greece, arrested a 29-year-old man after a search of his home on suspicion of drug, weapons and explosives violations. Officers from the local crime investigation unit said they seized two precision scales with traces of cannabis, cannabis residue in a glass jar, two grin»»»

Berlin: Germany began Thursday a two-month reduction in energy tax on gasoline and diesel to curb soaring fuel prices driven by the Middle East war, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Fuel prices fell by about 17 euro cents per liter under the temporary measure. Economy Minister Katheri»»»

Amsterdam: France said Friday it has sent firefighting units to the Netherlands to help battle woodland blazes flaring in several areas. Many of the fires, which sparked on Wednesday and Thursday, were raging in land used for military training, including an artillery range, in the south. Stretched »»»

In his first comment on the statement issued by the US Embassy in Beirut, which called on President Joseph Aoun to hold a direct meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat that the statement “speaks for itself, and I have nothing to a»»»

1/10A participant poses, caked in mud as they compete in the annual Maldon Mud Race in Maldon, east England.AFP2/10A couple with a dog ride a motorbike at Enqelab Square in Tehran.AFP3/10An aerial view shows people visiting a hillside in full bloom with azaleas during the annual Azalea Festival in »»»

Global Sumud Flotilla vessels hoist the Palestinian flag in Barcelona in September after being forced to abandon a mission to bring aid to Gaza due to bad weather. Two acitivists taking part in the latest effort have been taken to Israel for questioning after the Israeli military interdicted the fl»»»

President Donald Trump dropped tariffs on whiskey coming out of the United Kingdom -- scotch, in particular -- after King Charles and Queen Camilla concluded their trip to the United States this week. File Photo by Billie Jean Shaw/UPI April 30 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Thursday lifted tar»»»

Damascus, May 1 (SANA) Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh met on Friday with Norwegian Ambassador to Syria Hilde Haraldstad to discuss reconstruction support and ways to enhance economic and investment cooperation between the two countries. According to the Finance Ministry’s Telegram ch»»»

JEDDAH: Members of the Saudi-backed Masam Project for Landmine Clearance in Yemen have destroyed 4,076 landmines and other war remnants in Dofas, Abyan governorate. The operation was carried out on Thursday by the project’s First Special Tasks Team as part of ongoing efforts to clear Yemeni territo»»»

Berlin: German airline Lufthansa on Friday said it had apologised to Russian filmmaker Pavel Talankin for losing his Oscar statuette after US airport security banned him from taking it on a flight from New York. After a frantic search, Lufthansa said it found the missing statuette. Talankin, who wo»»»