GENEVA: Rainfall is likely to be below normal during the June–September 2026 southwest monsoon season across much of South Asia, with the strongest signal over central regions, according to a new seasonal forecast which will help millions of people prepare. A few parts of the north-western, north-e»»»

FIFA said Thursday it will review its ticketing strategy for the 2030 World Cup after a backlash over soaring prices for the 2026 tournament in North America, as officials defended costs as a reflection of demand while acknowledging fan anger. FIFA said Thursday it will review its ticketing strateg»»»

A fresh Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s Black Sea ​port of Tuapse, the fourth in the past week, sparked a fire at the sea terminal but caused no injuries, local officials said early on Friday. Tuapse has come under repeated attack, particularly the Black Sea port’s oil terminal. The strikes have»»»

NEW YORK: A massive, fiery explosion at a house in Queens sent several New York City police officers flying through the air early Thursday morning as they were responding to a call of a man inside armed with a knife and the smell of gas. Eight officers were treated for minor injuries — including bu»»»

WASHINGTON/DUBAI: Iran said on Thursday it would respond with “long and painful strikes” on US positions if Washington renewed attacks and restated its claim to the Strait of ​Hormuz, complicating US plans for a coalition to reopen the waterway.Aerospace Force Commander ​Majid Mousavi was quoted by»»»

VANCOUVER: Palestinian football federation President Jibril Rajoub refused to take part in a photo opportunity with Israel soccer official Basim Sheikh Suliman in a tense incident at the end of FIFA’s Congress on Thursday. After both Rajoub and Suliman had addressed delegates, FIFA President Gianni»»»

VANCOUVER: FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer. Infantino confirmed he ‌would run ‌for the 2027–2031 term in ​the ‌closing ⁠moments ​of the ⁠FIFA Congress in Vancouver,»»»

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday continued his attacks on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, saying he was “doing ​a terrible job” with his own country and should spend “less time on interfering” with Washington’s effort to tackle “the Iran nuclear threat.” Trump has been sparring w»»»

Dubai: Nearly nine weeks into the Iran conflict, Washington’s strategy has shifted from rapid escalation to a prolonged economic squeeze — raising a critical question: How long can the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz last, and is the war sliding into a “frozen conflict”?»»»

A Ukrainian drone attack has killed two teenagers on a motorcycle in Russia's Belgorod region, the local governor said early on Friday. "In the village of Volchya Alexandrovka, a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone deliberately attacked a motorcycle carrying two young men. Aged 18 and 15," Belgorod govern»»»

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump made a series of claims about Iran, its internal situation, and ongoing Washington's actions there, asserting that American intervention has prevented mass executions and significantly degraded Iran's military capabilities. Speaking during an executive order»»»

FORT COLLINS, Colorado: President Donald Trump granted a key approval Thursday for a major new oil pipeline from Canada into the U.S. that’s been dubbed “Keystone Light” over its similarities to a contentious project blocked by the Biden administration. The three-foot-wide (1 meter) Bridger Pipelin»»»

Uzbekistan's average monthly nominal wages rose 17.4% y/y in the first quarter to UZS 6.83mn ($568), according to national statistical committee data.  The increase extends a multi-year trend. Average monthly nom»»»

Dubai: When you use your Visa card in the UAE—whether ordering food, booking a ride, or shopping online—the speed and reliability of that payment is set to improve. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.Visa has appointed Emirates NBD as its National Ne»»»

Militants on Thursday called for a united front to depose Mali's ruling junta and to proceed with a "peaceful and inclusive transition," according to a statement which follows weekend attacks by militants and Tuareg separatists against key junta positions. The JNIM urged "all sincere patriots, with»»»

What started out as a joke on social media, has now got the US President’s backing. Donald Trump said he supports the idea of changing the name of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - or ICE - to a new acronym, “NICE.” This comes as the immigration agency continues to face mounting scrutiny o»»»

Amid fresh transatlantic tensions surrounding Iran, NATO, and US troops in Germany, Delano D'Souza is pleased to welcome Dr Christopher Featherstone, Associate Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of York. Dr Featherstone sees a strained alliance caught between perform»»»

Dubai: Dubai has launched a new support portfolio for its creative sector, giving artists, cultural institutions and small businesses access to workspaces, grants, training, exhibition opportunities and wider public visibility. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Creat»»»

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez on Thursday hiked the minimum wage package by 26.3 percent, to $240, in an attempt to quell growing discontent over difficult living conditions. Addressing thousands of government supporters in Caracas on the eve of International Workers' Day, Rodriguez,»»»

The UK terrorism threat level has been raised to "severe" after two men were stabbed in Golders Green on Wednesday. The government says the increase is not solely due to the stabbings, adding that the threat has been "rising for some time". Speaking from Downing Street earlier, the Prime Minister K»»»

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Department of Defense's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2027 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Thursday, where he was grilled on the costs of the war in Iran and whether President Donald Trum»»»

WASHINGTON: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has moved to address staffing issues that triggered concern and uncertainty among and about its workforce, including reinstating employees put on leave for publicly opposing agency policies, and extending contracts for some workers whose terms wer»»»

VANCOUVER: FIFA said Thursday it will review its ticketing strategy for the 2030 World Cup following anger over skyrocketing prices for the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, secretary-general Mattias Gr»»»

Elon Musk sparred with lawyers for a third day Thursday at his California trial against OpenAI, struggling to explain why his own for-profit AI empire differs from the one he is trying to take down. "Few answers are going to be complete, especially when you cut me off all the time," the visibly irr»»»

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on former Congolese President Joseph Kabila for his alleged role in funding and providing political support to rebel groups operating in the east of his country. The Treasury and State departments announced Thursday that they had targeted K»»»

Tunis, April 30 (TAP) - The Tunis-Afrique Presse (TAP) news agency signed, on Thursday, a partnership agreement with Tunisie Telecom for a period of three years, aimed at boosting joint cooperation and strengthening integration between the two...»»»

Tunis, April 30 (TAP) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mohamed Ali Nafti, held a remote meeting on Thursday with heads of Tunisian diplomatic and consular missions abroad. The meeting is in line with the President of...»»»

A search is underway for a missing 26-year-old hiker last seen along one of the Grand Canyon's most heavily traveled areas, according to the National Park Service. Sandarsh Krishna was last seen on Monday along the Rim Trail on the South Rim, between Bright Angel Lodge and Mohave Point along Hermit»»»

President Donald Trump is reportedly exploring more "aggressive options" to pressure Iran into a negotiated settlement, as talks remain deadlocked and Tehran’s leaders continue to reject America's core demands. The White House is emphasising “maximum pressure” tactics — especially economic pain — w»»»

A hailstone in Vigo Park, Texas, seen next to a Monster drink can on June 2, 2024. Photo by Val Castor/NSW A massive hailstone measuring 7.1 inches in diameter has been confirmed as a new state record in Texas, nearly two years after it was discovered near Vigo Park in the Texas Panhandle following»»»

LONDON: Authorities in Israel said on Thursday that they would release a Palestinian man who was seriously wounded by Israeli forces more than two weeks ago. Qusai Rayyan, 29, was shot during an Israeli raid in Salfit Governorate in the northwestern West Bank on April 15. The Palestinian Ministry o»»»

NEW YORK: Pain at the pump. Flights canceled, costlier airplane ticket prices and baggage fees. Everyday items such as soap and toothpaste getting more expensive. Higher postal prices. Consumers are paying for the Iran war 's disruption of global energy production as the conflict enters its third m»»»

Air defences were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday night after they were activated to counter small aircraft and drones, Iranian media reported. "The sound of air defence activation has been heard in some parts of Tehran. It is not yet clear whether this sound is related to a defence»»»

Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday said the US had been defeated in its war against the Islamic Republic and that its only place in the Persian Gulf was “at the bottom of its waters". Khamenei's written message, which was read on state TV, was released to mark the»»»

Israel on Thursday said that dozens of activists intercepted by the Israeli military from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters off Crete would be taken to Greek shores where they would disembark. FRANCE 24's Carys Garland reports.»»»

Tunis, April 30 (TAP) - The Senior UN Mission Leaders course concluded on Thursday evening at a hotel in the capital, in the presence of Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mohamed Ben Ayed, a...»»»

Dubai: Just hours after posting a heartwarming message on his social media accounts, "The soul of Dubai is found in its people," Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, is wi»»»

Tribune News Network Sanya (China) His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia and the Qatar Olympic Committee, on Thursday officially declared the conclusion of the 6th Asian Beach Games at the closing ceremony held at Yasha Park in Sanya, China. In his»»»

QNA Doha Police Academy, represented by the Center for Security Research and Studies, organised a scientific seminar titled ‘Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management: Towards a Flexible and Integrated National System’, in cooperation with the Civil Defence Council. The seminar aimed to review nati»»»

Minister of Environment and Climate Change HE Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie met with Ambassador of Italy to Qatar HE Paolo Toschi on Thursday. The two sides discussed bilateral cooperation in environmental and climate fields and ways to enhance it, along with a host of topics of mut»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Seasonal vaccines are being offered free of charge at health centres across Qatar, as the country marks World Immunisation Week with a renewed focus on disease prevention and public health awareness. Observed annually during the last week of April, this year’s campaign is »»»

QNA Doha QatarDebate Center, a member of Qatar Foundation in collaboration with the US Arabic Debate Union, concluded the second Midwest Arabic Universities Debating Championship, hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In a statement yesterday, the Centre noted that the championship»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Visit Qatar in collaboration with Paris Saint-Germain, has launched an official reveal video featuring PSG players wearing the Club’s special-edition jersey featuring the Visit Qatar logo. The collaboration forms part of a wider, multi-layered campaign centred around Paris»»»

QNA Doha The Ministry of Culture has announced that the 35th edition of the Doha International Book Fair (DIBF) will open on May 14 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. The 35th DIBF, which will run until May 23, will feature 36 participating countries, 515 publishing houses and other enti»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Al Jazeera Media Network has expressed deep concern for the safety of its correspondent Hafedh Mribah and cameraman Mahmut Yavuz, who were among the journalists accompanying the ‘Sumud Flotilla’, which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters. The network »»»

Reporters Without Borders warned of an unprecedented deterioration in press freedom worldwide, with more than half of all countries now classified as having a “difficult” or “very serious” situation for journalism—marking a first in the index’s 25-year history. The legal indicator recorded the shar»»»

QNA Doha Police Academy, represented by the Center for Security Research and Studies, organised a scientific seminar titled 'Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management: Towards a Flexible and Integrated National System', in cooperation with the Civil Defence Council. The seminar aimed to review nati»»»

Tribune News Network DOHA As part of its fifteenth anniversary programme, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art has opened Resolutions: Evolving Realities, a major exhibition reflecting on the institution’s origins while looking toward its future. On view from April 30 to August 22, 2026 across the mus»»»

The Doha Institute for Graduate Studies will hold its 10th master’s graduation ceremony for 248 graduates on May 21 at Sheraton Doha .The cohort comprises 164 students from the School of Social Sciences and Humanities and 84 from the School of Economics, Administration and Public Policy. Institute »»»

Damascus, May 1 (SANA) Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the German Foreign Ministry Clemens Hach said on Thursday that the Syrian-German Economic Cooperation Forum was very successful as a follow-up to President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s visit to Berlin. “Economy Minister Nidal al»»»