A Jackson Pollock painting sold for a record $181.2 million on Monday at Christie's in New York, leading a blockbuster day at the auction house. With its black drips of paint accented by touches of red on a huge canvas spanning over three meters (nine feet), Pollock's "Number 7A, 1948" sold for $18»»»

Britain has received supplies of the antiviral drug favipiravir from Japan as part of its response to a deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to the Hondius cruise liner, the UK Health Security Agency said on Monday. UKHSA said it accepted delivery of the drug, which remains experimental for use to ‌tr»»»

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 »»»

Three major Polish construction companies signed a cooperation agreement on May 15 to jointly target infrastructure projects as part of Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction, the Ministry of State Assets said. The signatories to the agreement, signed at the State Assets Ministry, include Budimex and Po»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh H E Tarique Rahman met yesterday with Minister of Labour of the State of Qatar H E Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri. The meeting provided an opportunity to review the state of bilateral relations between the two countries in the field of»»»

SEOUL: The head of Starbucks Korea has been fired after a marketing campaign sparked public outrage for evoking painful memories of a brutal military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1980. Shinsegae Group, the retail conglomerate that licenses and manages the US coffee chain in South Korea,»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Hajj Mission has intensified preparations for 2026 Hajj season by completing the preparation and outfitting of camps for Qatari pilgrims in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah according to the highest organizational and technical standards, ensuring a safe, comfortable and integrated»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani yesterday chaired the meeting of the Steering Committee for Smart Government and Digital Leadership. They discussed the progress achieved in national plans and projects related to dig»»»

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»»»

A joint European-Chinese spacecraft blasted off into orbit Tuesday to investigate what happens when extreme winds and giant explosions of plasma shot out from the Sun slam into Earth's magnetic shield. Particularly fierce solar storms can knock out satellites, threaten astronauts -- and create dazz»»»

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»»»

The US Department of Defence (also known as the Department of War) has quietly launched the largest drone buildup in American history — ordering 30,000 one-way attack drones with plans to scale beyond 300,000 units by 2028. But inside that surge lies a vulnerability. Few outside US defence circles »»»

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»»»

The sister of Ireland's President Catherine Connolly is among eight Irish citizens intercepted by Israel on Gaza-bound aid flotilla ships, organizers said Monday. Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla on Monday after it sailed from Türkiye last week, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu»»»

Doha, Qatar: The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), an initiative of Qatar Foundation hosted a policy dialogue yesterday spotlighting new global research on the integration of artificial intelligence in K–12 education. It drew on the perspectives of more than 3,000 teachers across multip»»»

Doha, Qatar: Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said Qatar has all the ingredients to emerge as a strong cricket destination, highlighting the country’s sporting infrastructure, government support and growing interest in the game. “Cricket can flourish in Qatar with many enthusiasts present. Th»»»

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»»»

The EU hopes Tuesday to strike a deal towards implementing its nearly year-old trade pact with the United States -- with an increasingly impatient Donald Trump threatening steep new tariffs unless it is done by July 4. The 27-nation bloc struck an accord with Washington last July setting levies on »»»

Half of all households in South Korea's capital Seoul have just one inhabitant. That trend is likely to continue, with more than 40 percent of men and women aged 25 to 49 saying they do not want to get married. Local authorities now consider solitude a serious public health issue. Seoul's municipal»»»

Doha, Qatar: The soft-spoken giant, who once caressed the ball through the covers with effortless grace, still carries the calm of his batting days. Even in retirement, Inzamam-ul-Haq speaks in measured tones, choosing diplomacy over drama, but when the conversation turned to India and Pakistan cri»»»

The State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) in Osh region has discovered a weapons and ammunition cache belonging to members of an organized crime group led by Kadyr Dosonov, known as «Dzhengo.» During operational measures, security services uncovered a hidden cache located near »»»

The Service for Combating Illegal Drug Trafficking of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan has suppressed the activities of a criminal group involved in transporting and distributing narcotics from Toktogul district to Bishkek and Chui region. According to the Interior Ministry’s press se»»»

According to Yes, Bulgaria Co-Chair Bozhidar Bozhanov, the ruling majority is proposing controversial amendments to Parliament's rules of procedure that would restrict the rights of the opposition. In a statement distributed by the party's press office on Monday evening, Bozhanov said the proposed »»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar have ramped up World Cup preparations with a high-intensity camp in Doha ahead of Thursday’s friendly against Sudan at 6:30pm. Doha, Qatar: The Asian champions are using the fixture as part of their build-up to football’s biggest stage, with head coach Julen Lopetegui continuing »»»

Doha, Qatar: Top Qatari cueist Ali Al-Obaidli defeated Saudi Arabia’s Ziyad Al Qabbani 3-0 in the 15-red snooker singles final to clinch the gold medal at the 4th GCC Games Doha 2026 yesterday. At the Main Hall of the Qatar Billiards & Snooker Federation, Al-Obaidli dominated Al Qabbani, winning th»»»

Charges brought against president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, focus on four mansion houses in the luxury estate co-op called Dynasty. These are identified as R1, R2, R3 and R4 by the SAPO (anti-corruption prosecutor’s office) investigation which claims that the suspe»»»

Ukraine has stepped up its drone strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure with one of the most intense weekends of bombing that targeted refineries, pipelines and storage facilities in a campaign that has reduced oil exports by about 10%. The number of refineries hit has doubled since the start of»»»

The son of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Monday said Fatah would prioritize Gaza and return it "to the fold of Palestinian legitimacy", the day after being elected to the movement's top decision-making body. Fatah's first congress in a decade came as the Palestinian movement faces existent»»»

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»»»

Azerbaijan is producing more university graduates than its economy can absorb, leaving thousands of young people to choose between working below their qualifications, paying bribes for public-sector positions, or emigrating, according to economists and graduates who spoke to Toplum TV and Aznews.az»»»

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»»»

Tech giants are increasingly looking beyond Earth to solve one of AI's biggest growing pains: where to put all the computers. Google is reportedly in talks with Elon Musk's SpaceX over a rocket-launch deal to place data centres into orbit, according to Wall Street Journal reports earlier this week.»»»

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»»»

A federal jury ruled Monday that Elon Musk waited too long to sue OpenAI and its co-founders, delivering a decisive victory to the ChatGPT startup and ending one of Silicon Valley's most closely watched courtroom battles. The swift decision caps a three-week trial that saw a parade of tech titans t»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has adopted a resolution establishing a council to manage the Tamchy special financial and investment zone. This zone will enjoy a special legal regime and status. According to the document, the newly established council will have independent legal capacity an»»»

Doha, Qatar: As Qatar accelerates its journey toward a knowledge-based digital economy, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) is reinforcing its commitment to developing future-ready talent through continuous digital learning and innovation. In a post on its X platform, M»»»

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»»»

A petition calling for the resignation of Minister of Education Dogdurgul Kendirbaeva has appeared on Change.org website, with citizens reportedly signing it. «I am alarmed by the current situation in Kyrgyzstan’s education system, and I can no longer stand by and watch our education system slide i»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan approved a large-scale state program «Development of Renewable Energy Sources in the Kyrgyz Republic for 2026–2030: Distribution and Microgeneration.» The document aims to fundamentally reform the country’s energy sector, increase the share of clean energy in »»»

SUWON, South Korea: ‌North Korea’s Naegohyang FC will focus only on football during their rare visit to South Korea, their coach said on Tuesday when asked about a 3,000-strong cheering squad organized by activist groups for their game against Suwon FC Women. Naegohyang face the South Korean club i»»»

HANOI: Millions of exhaust-belching motorbikes zip through Hanoi’s narrow streets every day fueling its chronic air pollution, but authorities have backtracked from an ambitious plan to ban them in favor of electric two-wheelers. Vehicular emissions account for more than half of the capital’s pollu»»»

In the current global economic environment, stability and international cooperation based on independence have become more important than ever before, Hungarian central bank governor Mihály Varga said on Monday in Budapest at the opening of the 11th Lámfalussy Conference. In his opening speech, Mih»»»

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»»»

A new US Special Inspector General report to Congress lays bare the corruption and embezzlement risks surrounding Washington’s Ukraine aid pipeline. Among the cases: the FBI and Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdog NABU conducted a parallel investigation into a $120 million drone procurement scheme. »»»

The government will publish on Tuesday on the government website the case file related to the pardon affair held by the Ministry of Justice, the prime minister announced on Monday at a press conference in Budapest following the cabinet meeting. Péter Magyar said the government had reviewed the file»»»

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»»»