RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s total point-of-sale transactions reached SR12.1 billion ($3.2 billion) in the week ending April 25, boosted by a 40.3 percent surge in hotel sector receipts. According to the latest data from the Saudi Central Bank, hotel spending rose to SR331.9 million, with the number of t»»»

Beijing: China on Friday slammed a proposal from a US regulator that would bar its labs from testing electronic devices for use in the United States, saying it undermined bilateral trade relations. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted Thursday to advance the proposal which, if green-li»»»

The long-awaited trade deal between South American bloc Mercosur and the European Union took effect Friday, at least provisionally. The initiative creates a trans-Atlantic market estimated at $22 trillion with 720 million potential consumers, and some nations expect to boost their exports by more t»»»

At her studio in Iran's capital, Amen Khademi prepared a fashion shoot for a jacket she designed with Persian-inspired motifs. But even as she applied lipstick to the model, she was distracted, worrying if her business would survive after four months without its main link to customers — the interne»»»

Damascus, May 1 (SANA) Syrian authorities expect wheat production to reach around 2.5 million tons in the upcoming season, citing positive agricultural indicators that could support food security and move the country closer to self-sufficiency. In a statement to SANA on Thursday, Director of the Gr»»»

A Russian drone attack overnight damaged port infrastructure in Ukraine's southern Odesa region and wounded two people in the city of ‌Odesa, regional ‌governor Oleh Kiper said ‌on ⁠Friday. In Odesa, an ⁠apartment was destroyed and the roof caught fire following strikes on a 16-storey building. In »»»

Sudanese 13-year-old Afrah wants to become a surgeon, and nothing will stop her, not even the war that has ravaged her country and forced millions of children out of school. Quiet and determined, she kept learning on her own for months, uprooted by the now three-year conflict between Sudan's army a»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli artillery shells the southern Lebanese town of Kawnin: Al-Manar correspondent 01-05-2026 10:03 AM Latest News Urgent News Lebanon’s»»»

On May 1, 1999, a meeting between the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic led to the release of three U.S. soldiers captured a month earlier by Serbian troops. 1 of 4 | Staff Sgt. Chris Stone (L), Staff Sgt. Andrew Ramirez (C) and Specialist Steven Gonzales, the three soldi»»»

The ongoing war between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah is far from the first conflict between them. The two have an enmity that goes back more than four decades, with outbursts of fighting or outright war punctuated by periods of tense calm. Here is a timeline of some significant eve»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanon’s Aoun Vows to Enhance Workers’ Conditions Despite ‘Challenges’ 01-05-2026 09:53 AM Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in an image from»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli Channel 13: According to Israeli army estimates, Hezbollah is believed to possess thousands of explosive-laden drones, including ru»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe First direct US-Venezuela flight in 7 years lands in Caracas 01-05-2026 09:27 AM Latest News Urgent News Spain summons Israeli charge d’aff»»»

STARKE, Florida: A Florida man convicted of beating and choking his brother's 13-year-old stepdaughter to death nearly 50 years ago was executed Thursday evening. James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. He was co»»»

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman has issued Royal Decree No. (50/2026) on establishing an Artificial Intelligence Special Zone in the Governorate of Muscat, Oman News Agency (ONA) reported. According to the Decree, the Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Special Econo»»»

1 of 6 | CJ ENM premiered its AI-hybrid film "The House" in Seoul Thursday, presenting the low-budget occult thriller as a test case for AI use in Korea's struggling film industry. Photo by CJ ENM SEOUL, May 1 (UPI) -- South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM premiered its AI-hybrid feature film The»»»

London: UK police said on Friday they had charged a 45-year-old man over the stabbing of two Jewish men in north London, the latest in a string of hate attacks. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed Thursday to boost security for the Jewish community after accusations from angry British Jews that hi»»»

Romania recorded an unemployment rate of 6.1% in March this year, up by 0.1 percentage points compared with February, with a still high level among young people (aged 15-24) of 28.2%, according to data published on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).According to the same source,»»»

Platform work is no longer a niche phenomenon in Romania, and flexibility remains essential for 92% of Romanians who support autonomy at work, according to a study conducted in 25 countries, which analyses the public's perceptions of platform work and future regulations in the field."As Romania pre»»»

Port Sudan, Sudan: Sudanese 13-year-old Afrah wants to become a surgeon, and nothing will stop her, not even the war that has ravaged her country and forced millions of children out of school. Quiet and determined, she kept learning on her own for months, uprooted by the now three-year conflict bet»»»

Employees are working more in 2026, earning the same and increasingly considering leaving, with one in three saying they are ready to change jobs in the next six months, according to a market research study.The balance between employees and employers has visibly eroded over the past three years."Em»»»

The RO AI Factory project, one of the most significant investments in artificial intelligence (AI) in Romania and part of the European EuroHPC Joint Undertaking initiative, will be presented at the 2026 edition of DataCenter Forum Romania, including through a keynote delivered by the National Insti»»»

The depreciation of the leu exchange rate to a historic high is determined by significant capital outflows and the decline in investor confidence in the context of the political crisis, and in the absence of a stable government and credible reform measures, the pressures on the national currency co»»»

Euro reaches new historic record: the National Bank of Romania (BNR) announced on Thursday an exchange rate of 5.14 lei. The national currency continues to depreciate against the euro. It is the lowest value since 2005, when the Central Bank calculates the average at which currency transactions tak»»»

The Government adopted, in an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, the draft law that bans the cumulation of pension and salary in the public sector. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced that he will send the draft to Parliament and is asking lawmakers to adopt it under an emergency procedure. The E»»»

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, president of the National Liberal Party (PNL), declared on public TV station TVR on Wednesday that the responsibility for the current government crisis "lies in the Social Democratic Party (PSD)'s court".The prime minister also spoke about the option of building a "mode»»»

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), said on Thursday that he held talks in recent days with the leadership of the European People's Party to inform them about the political situation in Romania, underscoring that it is important for them that the country remains»»»

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan on Wednesday evening said that defence is an insurance for complicated situations and compared it to an "underground district heating system."Referring to accusations by Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) leaders regarding the Government's alleged intention to div»»»

Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown, and Prince Radu are in Stockholm to attend official events marking the 80th birthday of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.On Wednesday, Prince Radu paid a visit to the Romanian Cultural Institute in Stockholm, where he attended the opening of the exhibiti»»»

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) announces that the gradual return to normal operations of the Consulate General of Romania in Odesa is "an objective desired by the Romanian community," according to a press release issued by the institution.On Wednesday, the Government approved the ap»»»

Sydney, Australia: A global study of over 2 million women and girls found major depression peaks about two weeks after childbirth, highlighting the need for earlier screening and support. The research, led by the University of Queensland (UQ) and published in The Lancet Psychiatry, analyzed data fr»»»

The UN Security Council voted Thursday to reduce the ceiling for the peacekeeping force in conflict-torn South Sudan from 17,000 to 12,000 troops with a mandate to prevent a return to civil war in the world's newest nation. The vote on the US-drafted resolution was 13-0 with Russia and China abstai»»»

Manila, May 1 (SANA) Economy ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) warned on Friday that ongoing conflicts and tensions in the Middle East pose growing risks to global energy security and regional economic stability. In a joint statement issued in Manila, the ASEAN Econo»»»

“We celebrate rights fought for over generations. But today, the right to decent work and fair income, justice, and social security are being put to the test - not only in Bulgaria, but globally as well,” President Iliana Iotova said in a Facebook post on the occasion of May 1 - International Worke»»»

First Sermon (Khutbah One) All praise is due to Allah, who has made the life of homes lie in their faith, placed their strength in their unity, and set their growth in the abundance of their offspring. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that our master and Prophet Muḥ»»»

Dubai: The UAE has barely turned the corner into May, yet temperatures across the country are already running well above seasonal norms. Across the UAE, temperatures have surged above what is typical for April, with the mercury breaking 44°C in parts of the country. The National Centre of Meteorolo»»»

TEHRAN, Iran: At her studio in Iran’s capital, Amen Khademi prepared a fashion shoot for a jacket she designed with Persian-inspired motifs. But even as she applied lipstick to the model, she was distracted, worrying if her business would survive after four months without its main link to customers»»»

Beirut: Nine people were killed and 13 others injured on Thursday evening in a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting southern Lebanon, Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health said. In a statement, the ministry reported that an airstrike on Nabatieh al-Fawqa killed two people and wounded 10 others. Ano»»»

US President Donald Trump congratulated Ali al-Zaidi on his nomination to be next prime minister of Iraq on Thursday, saying that he looked forward to a highly productive new relationship. Iraq's alliance of Shiite political blocs, the Coordination Framework, on Monday named Zaidi as its ‌nominee f»»»

UK police said on Friday they had charged a 45-year-old man over the stabbing of two Jewish men in north London, the latest in a string of hate attacks. "Essa Suleiman... has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place in relati»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Americans' wars fatigue is helping US antiwar activists attract more attention to the 2014 massacre in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, the coordinator of the Odessa Solidarity Campaign, Phil Wilayto, told RIA Novosti. "This at least makes it a little easier for antiwar activist»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli channel KAN: The escalating threat of Hezbollah drones keep security services on high alert, depriving them of any sense of ease 01»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Haaretz: The most difficult and bloody arena currently is Lebanon 01-05-2026 09:16 AM Latest News Urgent News Haaretz: The most difficult a»»»

A police vehicle burns as community members clash with authorities outside Alice Springs Hospital in Alice Springs, Australia, on Thursday. Photo by Rhett Hammerton/EPA May 1 (UPI) -- Authorities in central Australia called for calm Friday after police and rioters clashed overnight in remote Alice »»»

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Labour Court achieved significant milestones in safeguarding workers’ rights in 2025, successfully settling and disbursing financial entitlements to 12,536 workers, with a total value exceeding Dh309 million. Also Read: UAE celebrates International Workers’ Day amid excepti»»»

DUBAI: At just 27, Conor Dirks is shaping what modern beachside dining looks like in Dubai. As head chef of Bungalo34, he has been central to the restaurant’s Riviera-inspired identity since its 2022 opening — focusing on ingredient-led cooking and consistency that, he says, allows the kitchen to r»»»

Unsettled weather marks the start of May across Greece, with rain, strong northerly winds and a noticeable drop in temperatures expected to dominate conditions through the long weekend. According to the National Meteorological Service (EMY), cloud cover with scattered showers and isolated thunderst»»»

Brussels: The free trade agreement between the European Union and four countries from the Mercosur group in Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay) entered into provisional effect today, Friday. The agreement, which took 25 years to negotiate, aims to boost trade in goods and servi»»»

Doha, Qatar: Alqaqaa bin Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani delivered an impressive display to claim top honours in the Amateur class as the 12th round of the Longines Hathab Qatar Equestrian Tour got under way at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s main arena yesterday. Riding Bon Suela, Alqaqaa delivered a f»»»

The kiwi, New Zealand’s sacred national bird, vanished from the hills around Wellington more than a century ago. Now the capital's residents are waging an improbable citizen campaign to return the endangered flightless birds to the city. “They are a part of who we are and our sense of belonging her»»»