Taiwan has carried out the maiden torpedo test firing for its first domestically developed submarine, a major milestone in a project aimed at strengthening deterrence against the Chinese navy and protecting vital sea lanes in the event of war. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has ma»»»

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has dismissed the country's military chief and a finance minister who had been in post for less than three months, state media reported late on Wednesday. The dismissals were the latest of frequent ‌changes in the top ‌ranks of Kiir's government ‌in ⁠recent years »»»

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell earlier confirmed that the Department of War plans to withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany over the next six to 12 months. Polish President Karol Nawrocki said that he will try to persuade US counterpart Donald Trump to keep the forces in Europe.He added that Poland»»»

DOHA: The Department of Meteorology has forecast hot daytime conditions inshore until 6pm on Thursday, accompanied by slight dust in some areas and intermittent cloud cover. Offshore conditions are expected to be hazy at first, with clouds appearing at times. A marine warning has been issued due to»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s first-quarter 2026 budget performance figures showed the government remained firmly committed to development and social spending, with total expenditure surging 20 percent year on year to about SR387 billion ($103.2 billion), compared with SR322 billion in the same period a y»»»

BusinessGermanyCOVID pioneer BioNTech: The fall of Germany's pandemic heroNik MartinBioNTech, once celebrated for its COVID-19 vaccines, is grappling with falling demand, restructuring and the departure of its founders. Can its ambitious cancer trials turn it from a one-hit wonder into a biotech gi»»»

The EU’s turn to American ‘identity politics’ was the product of a legitimacy crisis facing the bloc in the aftermath of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, argues Frank Furedi, executive director of MCC Brussels, a conservative think-tank. Questions about European identity are now at the heart of a cu»»»

People watch a live TV broadcast at Seoul Station on Thursday showing the appeal hearing of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The court reduced Han's sentence to 15 years over his role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law.. Photo by Yonhap An appeals court on Thursd»»»

AMSTERDAM: Countries worldwide scrambled on Thursday to trace people ​who had left the cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak before it got marooned off the coast of Cape Verde, in an effort to prevent further spread of the disease. Three people — a Dutch couple and a German national — died in th»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military struck Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday, targeting a top Hezbollah commander. "The Israeli army has struck in Beirut to target the commander of Hezbollah's Radwan force, in an attempt to neutralize him," a joint statement issued by N»»»

BOSTON: At IBM Think 2026 in Boston, IBM’s bet on Saudi Arabia went beyond expanding its role in AI infrastructure. The US technology company sought to position itself as a partner in a tougher phase, turning that investment into large-scale industrial and institutional execution. That message came»»»

Doha, Qatar: From Brazil to China, Mauritania, and beyond, the graduates who represent Qatar Foundation’s Class of 2026 are entering the next stage of their lives with a more defined sense of purpose – with their journeys at Education City having shaped not only how they see the world, but also how»»»

National Intelligence Service chief Lee Jong-seok (C) attends a plenary session of the intelligence committee at the National Assembly in Seoul on Thursday. Pool photo by Yonhap North Korea has significantly tamped down its hostility toward South Korea in its recently revised constitution, while ma»»»

Dubai: Dubai gold prices moved higher on Thursday morning, extending a strong rebound that has taken 24K gold back near Dh570 a gram after a sharp rise earlier in the week. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and India.) Sign up for ou»»»

Doha, Qatar: Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, is advancing orthopedic care in Qatar with the introduction of a specialised pediatric orthopedic sports medicine service. The latest offering from the Orthopedics Department, delivers growth-sparing surgical techniques, tailored for childr»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has inaugurated the Saif bin Saif Al-Maadadi Jami’ mosque in the Muaither Al-Wukair area, marking a new addition to the country’s expanding network of places of worship designed to meet growing community needs. The newly opened mosque, construc»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) organised humanitarian visits for cancer patients, including children at Sidra Medicine and adult patients at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research, as part of its sustainable “Patient Visits” programme. The initiative aims to provide psychosocial »»»

LONDON: British voters cast ballots Thursday in midterm local and regional elections that could shake up the country’s politics and deliver a heavy blow to embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer.Starmer’s center-left Labour Party is bracing for big losses in polls that will choose about 5,000 local »»»

JUBA: South ‌Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed the country’s military chief and a finance minister who had ​been in post for less than two weeks, state media reported late on Wednesday. The dismissals were the latest of frequent changes in the top ranks of Kiir’s government in recent years»»»

Iranian football chief Mehdi Taj said on Wednesday he will have a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the next three or four days at which he would seek assurances that his country will be respected at the World Cup in the United States.Canada, which is co-hosting the June 11 to July 19»»»

Abu Dhabi: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar. At the start of the meeting, Jassim Al Thani conveyed to Sheikh Mohamed the UAE President the »»»

RIYADH: Medical teams of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program on Thursday began the complex procedure of separating 18-month-old Tanzanian twin girls Nancy and Nice. The surgery is taking place at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital in Riyadh. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, advisor to the royal co»»»

Australia will look to stave off energy shortages by forcing major gas companies to reserve 20 percent of their exports for domestic use, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Thursday. The country is one of the world's largest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG), a key fuel source in hot demand as»»»

Greece’s state-owned broadcaster, ERT, has removed BBC News from its national terrestrial airwaves, replacing the long-standing English-language service with its own international channel, ERT World. The shift leaves the country’s sizable expatriate community and millions of annual tourists with fe»»»

In 2025, Nasos, a performance-led growth company, generated over $150 million in revenue for its clients across the GCC and beyond. This milestone reflects a broader shift in how modern businesses approach growth, moving away from fragmented marketing efforts toward fully integrated, revenue-focuse»»»

Dubai: The Emirates Group has announced a remarkable 20-week salary bonus for its employees following a record performance in the fiscal year 2025-2026 after the group achieved historic highs in net profits, revenues, and cash balances. Dubai's flagship airline recorded these earnings despite the o»»»

On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat sank the British liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland, killing nearly 1,200 people. 1 of 6 | On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat sank the British liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland, killing nearly 1,200 people. File Photo by Library of Congress May 7 (UPI) -- O»»»

French utility Engie is still looking to grow and develop its profile of energy assets in the Middle East despite the disruptions ⁠from the Iran War, Engie's ⁠finance chief Pierre-Francois Riolacci told reporters on Thursday. "We don't see ⁠any questioning of our development plan in the Middle East»»»

A total 268 migrants have reached the southern island of Crete over the past 24 hours, as arrivals in small boats from north Africa have picked up again following a brief hiatus. According to the Coast Guard, a total 142 people were rescued off three small boats overnight and taken to a temporary r»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Shareholders’ Council of the Arab Investment & Export Credit Guarantee Corporation “Dhaman”, chaired by the head of the Lebanese Republic’s delegation, elected a new Board of Directors for the Corporation for the next three years during its 53rd meeting in the UAE. The Council also»»»

Doha, Qatar: Elegancia Facilities Management, a subsidiary of Estithmar Holding, has secured a prestigious portfolio of high-value contracts across Qatar, further strengthening its position in the region’s facilities management sector as a trusted partner to the nation’s most iconic institutions. A»»»

Doha, Qatar: Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ) Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Faisal Al-Thani met with Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the State of Qatar H E Johnny Mayani. During the meeting, the two sides discussed cooperation efforts in trade & investment and exc»»»

The medical and surgical teams of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program (SCTP) began on Thursday the complex procedure of separating 18-month-old Tanzanian twin girls, Nancy and Nice. The surgery is taking place at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital (KASCH) at King Abdulaziz Medical City of »»»

Damascus, May 7 (SANA) Syrian Economy and Industry Minister Nidal al-Shaar met Wednesday with an Emirati business delegation led by businessman Mohamed Alabbar to discuss investment opportunities and economic cooperation between Syria and the United Arab Emirates. The meeting, attended by UAE Ambas»»»

The Black Sea Defense and Aerospace (BSDA), the leading defence and security industry event in the Black Sea region, will be held under the patronage of President Nicusor Dan. The BSDA returns to Bucharest on 13-15 May at the ROMAERO Baneasa site.According to a press release issued on Wednesday, th»»»

The collapse of Romania's governing coalition could complicate talks on the 2027 budget, Karen Vartapetov, Lead Analyst for CEE & CIS Sovereign Ratings at S&P Global Ratings, warned on Wednesday, Reuters reports."This is important as Romania's commitment to cut fiscal deficits implies additional co»»»

Romania has entered a new period of political uncertainty that risks accentuating economic problems, and the signals that Bucharest is now sending to foreign markets are vital to keep the economy afloat and to save the country's rating, says consultant Adrian Negrescu in a specialist analysis publi»»»

Romania needs, as soon as possible, a government to continue the process of budgetary deficit reduction and absorb as much as possible of the European resources, says the chairman of the Fiscal Council, Daniel Daianu."The turmoil in the foreign exchange market (the depreciation of the leu) is to be»»»

Romania has closed 24 out of the 25 committees in the OECD accession process and is the first among the states who started negotiations in 2022 – 2023 getting closer to the final stage of accession, stated on Tuesday the state secretary in the ministry of foreign affairs, Luca Niculescu, national c»»»

The total number of citizens with voting rights registered in the Electoral Register on 30 April is 19,026,518, down by 2,295 compared with 31 March, the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) announced.According to an AEP press release, 19,028,813 Romanian voters were listed in the Electoral Register»»»

The President of UDMR (Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania), Kelemen Hunor, stated that his party considers the main solution to be the re-establishment of the governing coalition that had been in place until a month ago - made up of PSD (Social Democratic Party), PNL (National Liberal Party)»»»

Chairman of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) George Simion claims that President Nicusor Dan is breaching Article 103 of the Constitution by holding "secret" meetings with political leaders to form "his own government", arguing that AUR must be included in the process of forming a new »»»

People in northern Tulcea county and Galati received a new RO-ALERT message on Thursday morning amid Russia's war in Ukraine.The extreme alert message sent at 8:40 a.m. advises people to take shelter in safe places, warning of possible falling objects from the airspace.The duration of the extreme a»»»

Doha, Qatar: beIN Sports, the leading sports broadcaster in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), will mark the one-month milestone to the FIFA World Cup 2026 with comprehensive, bi-lingual, multi-channel coverage across the region on Monday 11 May. The 23rd edition of the global football showpi»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Arabi SC completed a historic domestic treble after overpowering Al Sadd SC 84-63 in the final of the 2025-2026 Amir Basketball Cup yesterday. At Al Gharafa Hall, the final saw Al Arabi dominate from start to finish and cap one of their most successful seasons in the club’s basketba»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prof. Khalid Mubarak Al-Shafi, Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula has delivered a deeply informed and compelling analysis of one of the most pressing current affairs subject of the day. Written with clarity and authority, the article reflects both academic rigor and a seasoned editorial »»»

Beverly Hills: FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Tuesday defended World Cup ticket prices, insisting that football’s global governing body was obliged to take advantage of US laws that allow tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above face value. FIFA has faced searing criticism over the c»»»

Doha, Qatar: Excitement is building ahead of the highly anticipated Amir Cup final, with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) yesterday confirming full readiness to host Saturday’s showdown at the iconic Khalifa International Stadium. Record 19-time champions Al Sadd will take on defending champion»»»

CEBU: Conflicts far beyond Southeast Asia are expected to dominate meetings of the regional ASEAN bloc that began on Thursday in the Philippines, with the Middle East crisis posing serious challenges for its fuel import-dependent economies. Concerns of energy and food supply security will take cent»»»