GENEVA: World Health Organization member states gather for their annual meeting in Geneva Monday amid concern over deadly hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks and uncertainty over announced US and Argentinian withdrawals.While the rare hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that has gripped global attentio»»»

HONG KONG: A Hong Kong court was hearing the final arguments Monday in the national security trial for two organizers of the large vigils remembering the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Hong Kong for decades was the only place in China where a large-scale public commemoration of the crackdown was »»»

NEW DELHI: Oil ‌prices extended gains on Monday as efforts to end the Iran war appeared to have stalled, after a nuclear power plant in the UAE came under attack and as US President Donald Trump is expected to discuss military options ​on Iran. Brent crude futures climbed $2.01, or 1.84 percent, to»»»

Doha, Qatar: Mubarak Saeed and Zakaria Al-Alami secured a one-two finish in the men’s 1500m as Qatar’s athletics team claimed two more gold medals, while Aya Mohammed triumphed in table tennis to lift the hosts’ gold tally to 39 at the GCC Games Doha 2026 yesterday. Qatar crossed the 100-medal mark»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar will take part in the seventy-ninth session of the World Health Assembly, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 18 to 23, as well as in a number of related meetings and side events. Minister of Public Health H E Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud will lead Qatar’s delegation to»»»

US President Donald Trump may order renewed limited military strikes against Iran amid what appears to be a deadlock in talks between the Chinese and US presidents last week in Beijing and the American leader’s growing frustration with Tehran. On Saturday, Israeli officials said the military is at »»»

Dubai: A breathtaking natural spectacle unfolded in Navi Mumbai as thousands of migratory flamingos descended on wetlands and creek areas near the NRI Complex in Nerul, turning the landscape into a vivid sea of pink. Large flocks of the birds gathered in shallow waters and mudflats, creating a stri»»»

The partnership goes beyond a standard vendor arrangement. It signals to the market that Rafeeq is placing artificial intelligence at the center of its next phase of growth, with a focus on transforming customer experience, operations, employee capabilities, and platform intelligence. Doha, Qatar: »»»

President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran on Sunday, saying it had to move quickly towards a peace deal or "there won't be anything left of them." Washington, locked in conflict with Tehran since US and Israeli forces launched major strikes on the country beginning February 28, has stru»»»

CTM360 has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first-ever Arab World software technology to be named among the 17 globally leading companies for “Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI)”. This is reflected in Gartner’s First CTI Magic Quadrant report, published on 4th May, signifying that the glo»»»

Manila: Rotational brownouts swept parts of Luzon as the Philippines’ power grid ran with razor-thin reserves while several large generating units and key transmission lines went “offline”, officials said. This forced utilities to cut electricity to selected areas to prevent a wider “blackout”. The»»»

”Based on the assessments and data currently available, as well as given the high level of uncertainty, the NBR Board of Directors decided at its meeting today, May 15, 2026, to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at 6.50 percent per annum. At the same time, it was decided to maintain the in»»»

Doha, Qatar: Relations between Angola and Qatar are entering a new phase of strategic cooperation driven by shared economic ambitions, expanding investment opportunities and growing collaboration in energy, agriculture, logistics and education, Ambassador of Angola to Qatar H E Antonio Coelho Ramos»»»

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel had almost completed a key goal of the war in Gaza -- eliminating all those responsible for orchestrating the October 7 attack. His remarks followed the Israeli military's announcement that Ezzedine Al-Haddad, commander of Hamas's armed wing»»»

Cuba has obtained more than 300 military drones and recently began discussing plans to use them to attack the US base at Guantanamo Bay, US military vessels and possibly even Florida, Axios reported Sunday, citing classified intelligence. The report comes as tensions simmer between Washington and H»»»

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar strongly condemned the attempt to target the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with drones, considering it an unacceptable act of aggression, a violation of the Kingdom's sovereignty, and a threat to its security and the safety of the region. The Ministry of Foreign A»»»

Israeli strikes killed seven people in Lebanon on Sunday, including an "Islamic Jihad commander", Lebanese authorities and state media said, despite a fragile ceasefire as Hezbollah called US-brokered talks between the two countries a "dead end". The health ministry published a "preliminary toll" f»»»

Israel has widened its military operations against Lebanon’s Iran-back Hezbollah group while Israeli media outlets have published leaks from the military indicating that it is urging the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to achieve a political solution. According to the leaks, the Isr»»»

U.S. President Donald J. Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, Thursday, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. Photo by Daniel Torok/The White House/UPI | License Photo May 18 (UPI) -- China has agreed to purchase at least»»»

Doha, Qatar: At a time when public discourse is increasingly shaped by outrage, speed and polarisation, Doha Debates is positioning itself as a space for something quieter but more enduring: thoughtful dialogue. According to Managing Director of Doha Debates Amjad Atallah, success is not measured s»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has announced the formation of the Qatari Hajj Mission for 2026 Hajj season, headed by Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs H E Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem Al Ghanim, as part of Qatar’s ongoing efforts to provide comprehensive services and e»»»

DOHA: The Department of Meteorology has warned of strong winds and high seas offshore on Monday. In its daily weather report, the department said inshore conditions until 6pm will be relatively hot to hot during the daytime, with the highest temperature in Doha expected to reach 36°C. Offshore area»»»

Serbia will submit its final position to Hungary’s MOL Group on the potential takeover of a majority stake in Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) on May 15, with the Hungarian firm expected to respond early next week, Energy Minister Dubravka Dedovic Handanovic said. MOL’s board is expected to decide on»»»

US President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing ends today and he has been forced to eat humble pie after coming out of the gate last year with an extremely aggressive policy on China. If you remember in the heady days of Trump's first term in office we still lived under the pax Americana. Trump launch»»»

Closures among Russia’s small and medium-sized enterprises accelerated in the first quarter of 2026, after the economy contracted in the first quarter of this year in real terms and economic pressure on small companies mounts. Russian Forbes reported that about 209,000 SMEs ceased operations during»»»

Russia accounts for 40 of the 50 tallest skyscrapers currently under construction in Europe, according to 2026 data published by World of Statistics, underscoring the country’s continued push into large-scale urban development despite sanctions and economic pressure linked to the war in Ukraine. Th»»»

Serbia will submit its final position to Hungary’s MOL Group on the potential takeover of a majority stake in Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) on May 15, with the Hungarian firm expected to respond early next week, Energy Minister Dubravka Dedovic Handanovic said. MOL’s board is expected to decide on»»»

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has praised the United States as a leading source of humanitarian assistance for his country despite the sanctions regime, Russian outlet RBC reported on May 15. Speaking at a meeting with Franklin Graham, president and chief executive of the Billy Graham E»»»

Is it possible to pay everyone on the planet — all adults — a universal basic income (UBI) without conditions, without expecting them to do do any work, or even if they're rich? It's like the ultimate socialist utopia. And what if, beyond UBI, a universal high income (UHI) is made possible by the A»»»

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis convened for the 10th summit of their tripartite cooperation mechanism last week. Their discussions culminated in a robust commitment to bolstering peace, stability, and co»»»

Driven by a wave of regional investor enthusiasm, the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) enjoyed a robust comeback, closing with significant gains this Thursday. The influx of regional buying power added a substantial LE 14.9 billion to the market’s capitalization. Leading the charge, the benchmark EGX 40 ind»»»

Cuba has run out of fuel and diesel, as the US blockade plunges the island deeper into an energy crisis. The government is now considering a renewed offer of aid from the Trump administration – but that financing would come with conditions. Also in the show: US President Donald Trump announces»»»

Cases of unauthorized use of enduro motorcycles and other motor vehicles on pastures and specially protected natural areas have been recorded in Bishkek and Chui region. Dozens of violations were identified during recent inspections, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervis»»»

Dubai: Humanoid robot monks joined thousands of participants at Seoul’s colourful Lotus Lantern Festival parade, drawing huge crowds ahead of Buddha’s Birthday celebrations. The robot monk, “Gabi”, created by South Korea’s Jogye Order, bowed, greeted spectators and marched alongside traditional lan»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CGB) is aiming to empower government employees across sectors, including artificial intelligence (AI) and project management, as part of ongoing efforts to reinforce institutional performance and support sustainable development acros»»»

Two citizens of Kyrgyzstan, wanted internationally on suspicion of murdering a foreign national in Chui region, have been detained in Thailand. The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan reported. According to the ministry, citizens R.A. and N.A., 26, were arrested in Phuke»»»

PARIS: Iran put to death over 2,150 people last year, a “staggering” increase that pushed recorded worldwide executions to their highest level since 1981, Amnesty International said Monday. Amnesty said it had confirmed the executions of at least 2,707 people globally in 2025. Of these cases, 2,159»»»

SRI VIJAYA PURAM: One of the last outsiders to make authorized visits to India’s only “uncontacted” tribe says it may be time to reconnect with the isolated people — in order to shield them from an encroaching world. Anthropologist Anstice Justin, 71, took part in the government’s limited contact m»»»

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel had almost completed a key goal of the war in Gaza — eliminating all those responsible for orchestrating the October 7 attack. His remarks followed the Israeli military’s announcement that Ezzedine Al-Haddad, commander of Hamas’s »»»

COLOMBO: Three ‌Finnish cave divers are joining efforts in the Maldives on Monday to try ​to find and recover the bodies of four Italian scuba divers who died in an accident in underwater caves, the DAN Europe divers’ network said. The team arrived on Sunday, DAN Europe said ‌in a ‌statement, after»»»

BANGKOK: The driver of a train that collided with a bus in Thailand’s capital, killing eight people, has tested positive for drugs and was charged with reckless driving, police said Monday. The freight train crashed into the public bus on Saturday afternoon at a busy junction in Bangkok, with the v»»»

SYDNEY: A former leader who supported ties with Taiwan and a China critic have won key roles in the new Solomon Islands government, signalling change for the South Pacific’s closest backer of Beijing. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale was elected on Friday by lawmakers after his predecess»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev will visit Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the Government press service said here Monday. Following the official welcome with military honours for the Bulgarian Prime Minister at the Chancellery, Radev and Merz will hold a one-on-one meeting. A ple»»»

A cruise ship that sparked global alarm after a deadly outbreak of hantavirus will end its voyage in Rotterdam on Monday, with its remaining skeleton crew facing weeks of quarantine. The MV Hondius is expected to dock in the Dutch port between 10am (0800 GMT) and midday (1000 GMT) on Monday, accord»»»

AMMAN — Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) Chairman of the Board of Directors Mohammad Thneibat said the company has achieved a major turnaround in its financial and operational performance between 2018 and 2025, overcoming significant financial and administrative challenges through a comprehens»»»

— Simplifying procedures, reducing time required for licenses, approvals to attract investments, facilitate projects— Expanding scope of investment incentives by reducing requirements for expansion, development, creative industries— Licenses to operate 'subject to compliance', significant amendment»»»

Authorities said the three suspects were arrested following a traffic stop of a white Kia Optima on Sunday. Two suspects were arrested at the scene while a third was detained a while later, following a pursuit. Photo courtesy Austin Police Department/X May 18 (UPI) -- Authorities said Sunday night »»»

Thirty new, modern Yutong electric buses will soon be purchased for Talas region. Ermat Dzhumaev, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the region, announced this on social media. According to him, the initiative is being implemented with the support of President Sadyr Japarov and is aimed at provi»»»

The FBI is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to capture and prosecution of a former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist who defected to Iran in 2013 and was later charged with revealing classified information to the Tehran government.  Monica Elfriede Witt, 47, was i»»»

The White House is making prayer a focal point of this weekend’s celebrations marking the US's 250th anniversary, staging a large-scale mass prayer that underscores the Trump administration’s wider push to amplify Christianity’s role in public and political life. Thousands of people gathered Sunday»»»