President Lee Jae Myung (R) welcomes Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at a hotel in Andong, about 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday, ahead of their summit. Photo by Yonhap Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived Tuesday at an airport in the South Korean city of Daegu for a »»»

Iran on Monday announced the formation of a new body that it said would “manage” the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively closed and wants to charge ships to traverse. It was not immediately clear what the new body would do, but the move comes as part of an Iranian effort to manage ship t»»»

Beijing: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing on Tuesday for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, looking to deepen a strategic partnership stretching from Scandinavia to Southeast Asia. Underpinning the two nuclear powers' relations is China's economic heft complemented by Russi»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iranian Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee spokesperson Ebrahim Rezaei: Any aggression against Iran will be met with»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Al-Manar correspondent: Enemy warplanes launched an attack shortly after midnight, targeting the towns of Kafra and Kfardounin 19-05-2026 0»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hebrew Channel 12: The Israeli army has observed in recent days a change in Hezbollah’s firing strategy, which is shifting to a war of attr»»»

Two teenage gunmen opened fire on Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, killing a security guard and two other men outside the mosque before the suspects were found dead, apparently from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said local law en»»»

A prominent Kurdish security official denied on Monday the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps’ (IRGC) repeated claims that the Iraqi Kurdistan Region had allowed American weapons shipments to the Iranian Kurdish opposition. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, the official describ»»»

President Donald Trump said he “held off” on a planned Tuesday strike on Iran, citing a request from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as negotiations to end the war grow more “serious.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said he had instructed his leadership “to be prepare»»»

Finance ministers and central bankers from the world's top economies are gathering in Paris as the US war on Iran threatens to undermine the global financial system. Meanwhile, inflation tied to the war sparks a rout on bond markets, and the US's busiest commuter rail system shuts down over a labou»»»

Washington: US President Donald Trump said he was planning a major new assault on Iran on Tuesday, but held off as he saw hope for securing a so far elusive agreement to end the war. Trump said that he stopped his purported attack plan at the urging of Gulf Arab allies, which Iran has threatened wi»»»

Some rude things are being said about the nostrums of Alex Karp. One British MP referred to his ‘manifesto’ as “the ramblings of a supervillain”. Another referred to it as “either a parody of a RoboCop film, or a disturbing narcissistic rant from an arrogant organisation.” The fact is, Alex Karp is»»»

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air defense system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defense pact, ramping up military cooperation with Riyadh even as Islamabad serves as the main mediator in the Iran war. The deployment, the full scale of which is repo»»»

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to host his "old friend" Vladimir Putin less than a week after Donald Trump's high-profile visit, as Beijing seeks to project itself as a stable and predictable power in a world shaken by trade tensions, wars and an energy crisis. China and Russia have cast Putin's »»»

“We will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow,” US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social. According to Trump, the decision followed requests from Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, who asked him to»»»

A Houthi-controlled court in Yemen has sentenced 19 people to death after their conviction for fighting for the legitimate government. Sunday's verdict, which can be appealed, came a few days after the Houthis and the government agreed on the largest prisoner swap in the conflict there, in which 1,»»»

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack against Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington, and that there was now a "very good chance" of reaching a deal limiting Iran's nuclear program. After Iran sent the US a new peace proposal, Trump said he had instr»»»

The daughter of late former president Alberto Fujimori, Keiko Fujimori will stand against the leftwing Roberto Sanchez in the second round of Peru's presidential elections. Sanchez's place in the contest was confirmed by the country's national election board on May 17 after he gathered over 2 milli»»»

A record increase in the number of death sentences and executions worldwide in 2025. This is what Amnesty International’s recently published annual report reveals. As usual, China accounts for the highest number of cases, thought to be the world's lead executioner. But the humanitarian organisation»»»

If Venezuela proved easier than Iran where Donald Trump's still looking for a win, could that explain why the attention seems to be turning to Cuba? The United States last week dispatching its CIA director to Havana and offering aid, while its crippling blockade plunges the Communist island nation »»»

The world's richest man Elon Musk lost his blockbuster lawsuit against artificial intelligence giant OpenAI on Monday, with a federal jury finding that the tycoon had waited too long to bring his case forward. The trial saw some of the most powerful figures in Silicon Valley go head-to-head with th»»»

Cuba's leader warned Monday of a "bloodbath" in the event of an American attack, while the US Treasury sanctioned Cuba's main intelligence agency and top leaders as tensions spiked between the arch-foes. President Miguel Diaz-Canel stressed Cuba's right to defend itself a day after US news site Axi»»»

US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that he was holding off on a military strike on Iran planned for Tuesday at the request of Gulf State leaders because “serious negotiations” were under way. The president threatened that Washington was ready for a "full, large-scale assault of Iran” if an»»»

A drone strike close to a UAE nuclear plant raised concerns of an escalation in the conflict. Amid stalled talks, Trump is expected to meet national security advisers to discuss options for military action on May 19 and warned the 'clock is ticking' for Iran. But domestically, the US president also»»»

At least five Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip on May 17. Israel has stepped up attacks in Gaza in the weeks since halting its ​joint bombing ‌with the US in Iran. Netanyahu's government says Hamas fighters are tightening their grip on the strip. The devastated Palestin»»»

The UAE says a drone strike triggered a fire near a nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi. There were no reported casualties or radiological release from the strike, whose origin is currently unknown, but all eyes are on Iran. In the wake of the attack, US president Donald Trump is reportedly set to co»»»

Iran has formed a new body to manage the Strait of Hormuz. It comes as peace talks with the United States appeared to remain stalled. It's not clear what the new body will do, but earlier this month Iranian media said vessels seeking transit would have to apply to it for a permit - disclosing owner»»»

A new report by the New York Times claims Israel built a second secret military base in Iraq’s western desert to support its strikes on Iran, and that the US had knowledge of it. Citing an Iraqi official and lawmaker, the NYT reported that the presence of these bases may have led to the death »»»

Iran announced a new body to oversee the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, signalling tighter control over the strategic waterway after months of disruption linked to its war with the United States and Israel. Tehran says the authority will manage maritime traffic and provide updates as tolls and restric»»»

Iran's top security body announced on Monday the formation of a new body to manage the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively closed and wants to charge ships to traverse. On its official X account, the Supreme National Security Council shared a post for the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (P»»»

The United States and Nigeria carried out air strikes against Islamic State group targets in northeastern Nigeria on Sunday. The region faces the double threat of attacks from jihadist groups and from criminal gangs that carry out kidnappings, including one that resulted in the abduction of&nb»»»

The number of worldwide executions jumped to their highest level since 1981 in 2025, pushed in part by a "staggering" increase in Iran's use of the death penalty, according to Amnesty International on Monday. The UK-based rights group said it had confirmed the executions of at least 2,707»»»

Bulgaria’s Finance Ministry has formally launched the budget procedure for 2026, with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev outlining a broad package of austerity and restructuring measures that he said would put an end to what he described as years of “financial acrobatics” and un»»»

BEIRUT: The death toll in the latest round of fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon surpassed 3,000, Lebanon’s health ministry said Monday. The ministry said the toll is now 3,020 killed in the Israeli strikes, including 292 women and 211 children. Fighting began on Ma»»»

A former boss of a notorious Libyan prison faces three days of hearings at the International Criminal Court from Tuesday, accused of war crimes including murder, rape and torture. Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, 47, is suspected of 17 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committ»»»

New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) In a significant breakthrough against rising street crime and mobile snatching incidents, the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of the South District Police apprehended a mobile phone snatcher on Tuesday. It recovered six stolen and snatched mobile phones from his possession, an»»»

LONDON: 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, accordin»»»

People look at a mural depicting Colombian-Venezuelan businessman Alex Saab in Caracas, Venezuela, on Sunday, a day after he was extradited to the United States. On Monday, Saab made his initial appearance in a Miami courtroom. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez/EPA May 18 (UPI) -- Alex Saab, a billionaire »»»

BEIJING: Russian President Vladimir Putin is traveling to China to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping less than a week after US President Donald Trump wrapped up his own trip to Beijing. Putin is scheduled to be in China on Tuesday and Wednesday in a visit likely to be closely watched as Beijing s»»»

THE HAGUE: A former boss of a notorious Libyan prison faces three days of hearings at the International Criminal Court from Tuesday, accused of war crimes including murder, rape and torture. Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, 47, is suspected of 17 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes allege»»»

GENEVA: The Middle East war is undermining wages and working conditions worldwide, according to a new report. The conflict could cost millions of jobs and force earnings down in 2026 and 2027, with a particular risk for migrant workers who send home remittances, the UN’s International Labour Organi»»»

Oil prices fell sharply in early Asian trade, extending losses after recent volatility tied to disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz began to ease and tanker traffic showed tentative signs of recovery. Market data at 9:27 a.m. Tokyo time showed: WTI crude at $102.5, down $1.87 (-1.79%) Brent crud»»»

Dubai: For UAE residents worried about global inflation and rising prices worldwide, the country’s latest economic outlook points to something increasingly valuable: stability. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The UAE is projected to maintain one o»»»

WASHINGTON: Statistically, attending a weekly worship service is a remarkably safe thing to do. Global annual attendance totals many billions; the number of people killed in attacks on individual houses of worship in any given year is generally less than a few hundred. Killings in the US are even m»»»

After weeks of near-standstill traffic through the world’s most critical energy chokepoint, maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz suddenly spiked — offering a glimmer of normalisation amid one of the most disruptive conflicts in recent global trade history. Data from maritime intelligence »»»

HAVANA: Cuba’s leader warned Monday of a “bloodbath” in the event of an American attack, while the US Treasury sanctioned Cuba’s main intelligence agency and top leaders as tensions spiked between the arch-foes. President Miguel Diaz-Canel stressed Cuba’s right to defend itself a day after US news »»»

MIAMI: A close ally of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was charged Monday with bribing top officials to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from lucrative contracts to import food at a time of widespread hardship in the South American country. Alex Saab made his initial court appearanc»»»

The US-Israeli war on Iran has already cost businesses throughout the world at least $25 billion, with losses continuing to mount, Reuters reported on Monday, citing an analysis of corporate disclosures from companies listed in the US, Europe and Asia. The outlet reviewed statements from businesses»»»

QNA Doha Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani received a phone call from Prime Minister of Pakistan Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif on Monday. Discussion during the call focused on bilateral relations and ways to support and strengthen them a»»»

QNA Doha Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi on Monday received a phone call from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Mohammad Ishaq Dar. During the call, the two sides discussed the latest regional d»»»