Share: China is eager to “help” peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran, U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday, as he concluded a two-day presidential summit in Beijing. In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Trump said his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, had ruled out sending mil»»»

Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2027 on Tuesday. On Friday, he faced the same committee to answer why troop deployment to Poland was canceled. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Phot»»»

LONDON: As self-proclaimed King of Switzerland and, to give his full titles, Emperor of the Lauwiner Empire, Grand Master of the Order of Merit, Admiral of the Empire Fleet and Field Marshal of the Empire Legion — to say nothing of his recent election to the municipal council of the Swiss city of B»»»

Iran 's foreign minister said a lack of trust is the biggest obstacle in negotiations to end the war with the U.S., saying Friday that Tehran would be open to diplomatic help, particularly from China, to help ease tensions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said contradictory messages have "m»»»

MOSCOW: A court in Moscow ruled in favor of the Russian Central Bank in its lawsuit against Euroclear, the Brussels-based clearing house that holds the bulk of Russian assets frozen by the European Union, Russian media reported Friday. The lawsuit sought to recover 18.2 trillion rubles ($249.7 bill»»»

Lebanon and Israel on Friday extended a ceasefire for 45 days, despite a new flareup in violence, the U.S. State Department said after mediating talks. "The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said. He sa»»»

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks at a press conference after attending the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi, India, Friday. Araghchi signaled a willingness to negotiate with the United States. Photo by Rajat Gupta/EPA May 15 (»»»

Lebanon and Israel on Friday extended a ceasefire for 45 days, despite a new flareup in violence, the US State Department said after mediating talks. "The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said. He said»»»

As Egypt strides towards a cashless future, the recent launch of Apple Pay and the upcoming introduction of Google Wallet in 2025 mark significant milestones in the nation’s financial inclusion strategy. These advancements are integral to Egypt’s 2022-2025 plan to embrace contactless payment method»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress in the negotiations, US State Department Spokesperson Thomas Pigott said on Friday. "On May 14 and 15, the United States hosted two days of highly-productive talks between Israel a»»»

By far, the occupation that could face the greatest labor shortage in Chile is motorcycle drivers, where 61.1% of workers are Venezuelan. File Photo by Ronald Pena/EPA SANTAIGO, Chile, May 15 (UPI) -- The departure of more than 30,000 Venezuelan workers from Chile's labor market in recent months ha»»»

We welcome the agreement on the release of detainees, following talks held in Amman between Yemeni parties. We appreciate the contributions of all relevant parties to this process. We trust that this agreement will contribute to advancing efforts toward a comprehensive political solution to the con»»»

Windhoek: Food security in Namibia has improved compared to last year, though climate-related shocks continue to strain vulnerable communities, the World Food Program (WFP) said in its April 2026 country brief. According to the brief, about 456,000 people are projected to face acute food insecurity»»»

Pakistan is repatriating 11 of its nationals and 20 Iranians from vessels seized in the high seas by the US, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday. They were repatriated through Singapore to ‌Bangkok en ‌route to Pakistan's capital Islamabad ‌on ⁠Friday night, Dar ⁠added in an X post, with the »»»

LONDON: Dozens of British celebrities, including singer Paloma Faith and actor Juliet Stevenson, have signed an open letter urging the UK government to formally apologize for its actions in Palestine during the Mandate period between 1917 and 1948. The letter was released on May 15, Nakba Day, whic»»»

LONDON: Sitting comfortably in his office in Amman, Dr. Ziad Rifai does not immediately strike you as someone whose grand mission is to fight information warfare. The dean of the Jordan Media Institute and architect of its media literacy program — one of the first and most comprehensive initiatives»»»

RIYADH: Saudi media experts have affirmed that contemporary conflicts are no longer waged by military means alone but through “narrative wars,” pointing to the US-Israeli-Iranian war as evidence that media is not a neutral conduit but a principal actor in shaping the balance of power. The remarks c»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on Friday to launch more retaliatory strikes on Russia, a day after a Russian strike on Kyiv killed 24 people, including three children, according to officials. Russia has shown little sign of halting its more than four-year invasion of Ukraine, launchin»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received a phone call on Friday from Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. During the call, they reviewed the strong fraternal relations between the two brotherly »»»

The IMF has warned that Pakistan's economy remains dangerously tied to the Gulf Cooperation Council, which supplies over four-fifths of its fuel and half of all remittances. The International Monetary Fund has issued a stark warning: A staggering 85% of Pakistani fuel imports and 50% of its remitta»»»

Starbucks workers holds signs on a picket line when they hold an employee strike outside of a Starbucks location in lower Manhattan on November 21, in New York City. Starbucks is planning to lay off 300 employees across the country as it tries to lower costs and reorganize, the company announced Fr»»»

Israel carried out new strikes in southern Lebanon that it said targeted the Hezbollah group on Friday, wounding 37 people as the two countries' envoys started a second day of peace talks in Washington. United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza condemned the "unacceptable" toll»»»

New York, May 15 (SANA) The UN Security Council heard a stark picture of Syria on Friday, with deputy special envoy Claudio Cordone and humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stressing both progress toward accountability and persistent humanitarian shortages. Claudio Cordone told the Council that there is»»»

Damascus, May 15 (SANA) Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat on Friday discussed with Spain’s Special Envoy to Syria Antonio González Zabala and Chargé d’Affaires of the Spanish Embassy in Damascus Francisco Javier Puga Llopis ways to reactivate the 1978 cooperation agreement between S»»»

JEDDAH: A new documentary analyzing the importance of the discovery of the 18th-century Umluj shipwreck, just off the coastline of the Red Sea, has been unveiled. “Submerged” is a 10-minute film featuring Heritage Commission experts. It follows the first fully Saudi-led marine archaeological missio»»»

New Delhi: The UAE has reaffirmed its categorical rejection of what it described as Iranian claims and attempts to justify terrorist attacks targeting the country and other states in the region, during the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in New Delhi. Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of Sta»»»

Emirates NBD has announced that it has received all required regulatory and governmental approvals, including from the Government of India, for its planned acquisition of a majority controlling stake in RBL Bank Limited. The bank said the milestone clears the path for the imminent completion of the»»»

The US boasts impressive military capabilities that solidify the country’s position among the world’s military powers. This also applies to missile technology – the US maintains its status as a major global missile power, and long competed with the Soviet Union in the missile and space race. The US»»»

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces now control 60 percent of the Gaza Strip, suggesting troops have expanded into more of the Palestinian territory than set out in an October ceasefire plan. His comments come as Gaza remains gripped by daily violence, and as efforts to»»»

The Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, arrives at Downing Street in London for a meeting with regional mayors on March 31. Burnham announced Thursday his intention to quit and challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership of the party and the position of prime minister of »»»

ConflictsChinaUS-China summit exposes Trump's limits on Iran war, TaiwanAndrew Zi-Qi Fang Washington DC | Darko JanjevicDonald Trump hopes to have China help him end the war in Iran, but this goal seemed far from guaranteed as he wrapped up his two-day visit to Beijing. Xi Jinping, in turn, took th»»»

BEIRUT: Israel carried out new strikes in southern Lebanon that it said targeted the militant group Hezbollah on Friday, hours before the two countries’ envoys were set to meet for a second day of peace talks in Washington. A truce in the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has been in pla»»»

PSKOV, Russia: Europe’s Baltic states lie just half an hour away — sealed off and on edge — from the Russian border city of Pskov, where the locals shrug off fears their country will attack as they play their part in supporting Moscow’s army fighting in Ukraine. Beneath the round towers of Pskov’s »»»

CHISINAU - Serbian FM Marko Djuric, who is attending the 135th Council of Europe (CoE) Committee of Ministers meeting in Chisinau, said Pristina would not become a CoE member on Friday even though some European ministers had openly called for granting Pristina membership in the organisation. "Good »»»

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has deployed the Middle East’s first heavy traffic load simulator to test the durability of Hajj roads and evaluate their ability to withstand long-term pressure equivalent to more than 20 years of traffic movement. In a video published on the official X account of the Saudi Pr»»»

Dubai: More than 33,000 buses and 5,000 taxis have been prepared to serve pilgrims during the 2026 Hajj season, Saudi Arabia’s Transport General Authority announced, as part of operational plans aimed at ensuring smooth mobility and improving transport efficiency across the holy sites. The authorit»»»

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India, explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE»»»

Bangkok: Thailand's parliament on Friday revived a law that would enshrine the right to breathable air and tax emitters, setting up a final vote in the senate on the landmark legislation. Several cities in Thailand, including Bangkok and northern tourist hub Chiang Mai, suffer from seasonal smog, s»»»

Pope Leo XIV has condemned rising European military spending, warning that rearmament betrays diplomacy and fuels tensions in a world already being “maimed by wars.” Global military spending approached a record $3 trillion in 2025 despite lower US outlays, according to a SIPRI report released last »»»

In tonight's edition: Congolese Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege slams the US-brokered peace deal in eastern DR Congo as predatory. Also, once dominant in Senegal's economy, France is now being overtaken as China and Turkey emerge as the country's leading investors. Plus we take a squint at the stellar»»»

More than 4,000 police officers will be deployed in London Saturday to prevent disorder when a Palestinian solidarity demonstration marking Nakba Day and a far-right rally converge in the heart of the British capital.  London police were gearing up for one of their largest operations in recent»»»

Latvia’s national carrier airBaltic posted losses of €70.1mn in the first quarter of 2026, more than double the figure recorded during the same period last year, despite rising revenues andd passenger numbers, BNS, a pan-Baltic news agency, reported on May 14. The carrier welcomed a new CEO, Erno H»»»

Debris from a fire-damaged cargo ship said to have been attacked by unidentified aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz arrived in South Korea on Friday for investigation, the foreign ministry said. Iran has largely blocked shipping through the vital strait since conflict broke out with the United States»»»

Israel and Lebanon are expected to agree on an Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanese territory in exchange for the disarmament of Hezbollah, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported on Friday. The report stated that the CIA has prepared a plan for disarming the group, and that deleg»»»

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India, explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE»»»

GOMA: In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a conflict that drags on despite peace talks has taken a dangerous new turn, with civilians now struck from the air by drones, far from the front line. The region has been plagued by violence for more than 30 years but fighting intensified in early»»»

Workers at Hana Bank in central Seoul celebrate the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index breaching the landmark 8,000 points on Friday. It later plunged, closing down more than six percent. Photo by Yonhap South Korean stocks plummeted more than 6 percent Friday, after briefly topping the hi»»»

US President Donald Trump has said Chinese President Xi Jinping promised him that China will not send military aid to Iran. The leaders held talks in Beijing on Thursday, marking the first visit by a US president to China since 2017. US officials sought to persuade China to help pressure Iran into »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) departed from Beijing on Friday after a two-day summit. In this photo from Thursday, he shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo by Chinese Foreign Ministry/UPI | License Photo May 15 (UPI) -- U.S. President Don»»»

Beijing, May 15 (SANA) China on Friday called for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in the Middle East and urged the reopening of international maritime routes amid ongoing regional tensions. According to Agence France-Presse, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on the sidel»»»