DUBAI: In the early stages of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, officials explored a plan to reinstall former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to US sources qouted by the New York Times. The proposal, developed by the Israeli’s, included a high-risk strike intended to free Ahmadine»»»

Torrential rain and floods hit parts of China this week, killing at least 12 people and forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate, state media reported. State broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday five deaths and 11 people missing in Shimen County of Hunan province in central China after rai»»»

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched one of its largest Hajj medical operations in Saudi Arabia, deploying hundreds of health care workers and expanding medical infrastructure to support pilgrims facing extreme summer heat and rising infection risks during this year’s pilgrimage. The operation comes as»»»

The deadly hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks show that while the response to declared public health crises has improved, awareness of pandemic risks still lags, a leading pandemic expert warned Tuesday. Over six years after the World Health Organization declared the Covid-19 pandemic, global efforts t»»»

Three crude oil supertankers bound for East Asia are reportedly attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, signaling a possible easing of one of the world’s most dangerous energy chokepoints. Bloomberg reported that a South Korean-flagged VLCC appears to be making a crossing through t»»»

BRUSSELS: NATO is not drawing up any plans for a potential mission in the Strait of Hormuz and would need a political decision to do so, its top commander said on Tuesday, amid suggestions by some members that the alliance could play a role there. Any decision to launch a mission would require the »»»

A group of people watched three albino rats leap from small baskets into a big cage on Sunday as other rodents hid in makeshift tunnels or searched for applesauce offered by their keeper through the bars at an indoor hall in the Argentine capital. It's Ratapalooza, an annual Buenos Aires event that»»»

Cotton, the world's most profitable nonfood crop, is used more than any other natural fiber. Known for its comfort and durability, it has been utilized since antiquity in fabrics and other goods. Four species are grown commercially, but one is dominant, accounting for about 90% of global production»»»

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) denied on Tuesday reports about the release of RSF Brigadier General al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, known as Abu Lulu, who was arrested late last year following global outrage over videos of him executing unarmed people in al-Fashir. In a statement, the RSF»»»

The United Nations is considering how to respond to Israel's announcement that it will build a military complex on the former headquarters of the UN relief agency for Palestinians in east Jerusalem, an official said Tuesday. Israel at the weekend announced the government's approval for a defense mi»»»

ANDONG, South Korea: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed Tuesday to deepen energy cooperation by ensuring supplies of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas for both countries as heightened Middle East tensions raise the need for c»»»

Dubai: Dubai-based Indian chef Surabhi Suri has earned global recognition after being crowned World Vegetarian Champion and finishing as first runner-up at the World Food Championships 2026 held in Bentonville, Arkansas, USA. The self-taught chef, who built her culinary identity in Dubai through he»»»

Mudflows occurred in Ala-Buka district and the town of Mailuu-Suu in Jalal-Abad region due to heavy rains. The office of Presidential Envoy to the region informed 24.kg news agency. According to authorities, mudflows were registered in Baltagulov rural area of Ala-Buka district on the evening of Ma»»»

GENEVA: The body overseeing the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza will ask the United Nations Security Council to press the Hamas militant group to disarm, according to a report seen by The Associated Press on Tuesday. The report by the Board of Peace, an international body set up by US President Donal»»»

The Saudi Embassy in China has reminded citizens travelling to China to complete the electronic arrival card before departure to facilitate entry procedures at Chinese ports. The embassy said travellers should fill in the Digital Arrival Card accurately and comply with instructions issued by Chines»»»

Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, is moving onto the global aviation stage through London, with an ambition that goes beyond conventional air travel. The carrier, which reflects the Kingdom’s view of aviation as a strategic industry and econ»»»

Beijing: The death toll from heavy rains across central and southern China since the weekend has risen to 22, state media reports showed Wednesday, with 20 more people still unaccounted for. Natural disasters and extreme weather events are common in China, particularly in the summer, when some regi»»»

While many were waiting to learn who would become the new head of Hamas’s political bureau, the movement issued a rare and surprising statement last Saturday saying the result could not be decided in the first round and that a second would be held. Asharq Al-Awsat asked Hamas sources inside and out»»»

The National Assembly is expected on Wednesday to debate at first reading three bills amending and supplementing the Criminal Procedure Code, according to Parliament’s draft agenda. The amendments were approved by the ad hoc legal affairs committee earlier in May. Two of the bills were submitted by»»»

ANDONG, South Korea: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed Tuesday to deepen energy cooperation by ensuring supplies of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas for both countries as heightened Middle East tensions raise the need for c»»»

Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday in a meeting meant to reaffirm ties and that takes place only days after a visit by US President Donald Trump to China. Xi welcomed Putin with a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People. The two delegations »»»

Two Chinese tankers laden with oil exited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, shipping data showed, brightening hopes that the US-Israeli conflict with Iran may soon be resolved after positive comments from the US president and his deputy. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the war would be over»»»

Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed at least 19 people, including four women and three children, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said, the latest in near-daily attacks from both sides that have not stopped despite the fragile, US-brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war. Israel»»»

1 of 2 | Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., conceded defeat Tuesday night to challenger Ed Gallrein, a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo May 19 (UPI) -- Former Navy SEAL-turned-farmer Ed Gallrein defeated Donald Trump critic Rep. Thomas Massie in Ke»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Adylbek Kasymaliev, held a working meeting on the operations of Zhongda refinery (China Petrol Company CJSC). The meeting participants discussed the current state of the refinery, the progress of its technological modernization, and the production»»»

Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Rex Li, Research Affiliate of Lau China Institute and Professor of International Relations at the School of Global Affairs King's College London, says that Vladimir Putin has been "warmly welcomed by Chinese leaders" compared to Donald Trump, explaining that "Ru»»»

The Russian President arrived in China. At Beijing Capital International Airport, Vladimir Putin was welcomed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a diplomatic delegation. As the Russian leader walked down the red carpet, a welcoming group of children and students waved Russian and Chinese flags»»»

JERUSALEM: Israel’s finance minister has ordered the eviction of a Palestinian village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that has long been a target of Israeli authorities, saying the measure is a response to reports that he may be a target of international war crimes prosecutors. It was not clear »»»

VIENNA: An Austrian court is expected to rule on Wednesday on a former intelligence official charged over spying for Russia, the most high-profile espionage case to have shaken the EU member in recent years. Austria has been rocked by several cases centered on suspected spying for Moscow, with the »»»

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday the International Criminal Court prosecutor had sought an arrest warrant against him, blaming the Palestinian Authority for the move. Smotrich said Israel would respond by ordering the evacuation of the Palestinian Bedou»»»

On the evening of 15 May, Israeli aircraft bombed a residential building in central Gaza City and a car that was driving away. It destroyed six apartments, killed at least eight people, and injured 45 others, according to Palestinian medical sources. Shortly after, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel »»»

The ministerial countersignature of K. Endre’s pardon case was lawful but handled through an unusual procedure, as then-President Katalin Novák had urged the countersigning of pardon requests citing the papal visit, Róbert Répássy, former state secretary at the Ministry of Justice, told MTI on Tues»»»

EU lawmakers and member states reached a deal early on Wednesday to implement the bloc’s trade pact with the United States, ending months of wrangling over the accord as President Donald Trump threatened fresh tariffs unless it was approved by July 4. The compromise followed late-night negotiations»»»

Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting an official welcoming ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday, opening a packed day of talks and events aimed at further deepening ties between the two countries. Putin arrived in the Chinese capital on Tuesday night for a two-da»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday, seeking to underline their unshakeable alliance in the wake of Donald Trump's visit to the Asian superpower economy. Trump had been received with pomp last week but left without major breakthroughs includin»»»

The passports see everything. Mohammad Zahid Khan’s family has preserved two of them like heirlooms. There’s an unsaid reverence that exists around the two hardbound books sitting on a well-polished table. The pages are turned gingerly, and you see names written in ink and the stamps of visas from »»»

Global banking giant Standard Chartered is preparing a major workforce overhaul, announcing plans to cut more than 15% of its back-office roles — roughly 7,800 jobs — by 2030, as it accelerates its shift toward artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, the BBC reported. The London-headquartered »»»

The UAE is expected to experience generally fair but dusty weather today, with temperatures rising slightly and active winds of up to 40 km/h stirring up dust and creating rough sea conditions, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). The NCM said the country remains under the influen»»»

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia had a basic problem: having ignored investing into anything except military technology, the newly independent country found that nothing worked properly. All its technology and machinery was vastly inferior to their Western analogues. And it made no sense »»»

HEBRON, Kentucky: Kentucky US Rep. Thomas Massie lost his Republican House primary Tuesday in another test of President Donald Trump’s power over his party after he handpicked challenger and ultimate winner Ed Gallrein to oust the incumbent. The result showed the president’s persisting influence ov»»»

Share: Iran announced a new body to oversee the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, signalling tighter control over the strategic waterway after months of disruption linked to its war with the United States and Israel. Here is the lates on the Middle East war President Trump says he was “an hour away” from»»»

Dubai: Travellers in the UAE trying to secure Schengen visa appointments for Europe this summer are increasingly facing a new problem: bots and unofficial agents snapping up free appointment slots and reselling them at inflated prices. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.A»»»

Waving Union Jacks, tens of thousands of supporters of far-right activist Tommy Robinson descended on London’s streets last Saturday for a rally known as “Unite The Kingdom.” Addressing the crowd, Robinson said “we are here in our millions”, and his supporters followed suit online, sharing ima»»»

The government of Greenland has condemned an unofficial visit by a US doctor to assess the island’s healthcare system during an American diplomatic trip to Nuuk. The controversy comes amid US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to take over the autonomous Danish territory. The four-day visit »»»

Washington DC: The Senate advanced a measure seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to launch future military action against Iran without congressional approval, passing the procedural vote 50–47. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman broke with his party to oppose the measure, while four Rep»»»

SINGAPORE: Two Chinese supertankers carrying 4 million barrels of ​Middle East crude oil exited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after waiting in the Gulf for more than two months, shipping data on LSEG and Kpler showed. Chinese-flagged ‌Very Large ‌Crude Carrier (VLCC) ​Yuan ‌Gui Yang ⁠loaded ​2 »»»

BEIJING: China and Russia’s leaders are set to meet for a summit in Beijing on ​Wednesday featuring discussions on bilateral and international issues, capped by an intimate tete-a-tete between “old friends” over tea. Coming on the heels of US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Chinese capital, t»»»

For patients with needle phobia, the arrival of oral GLP-1 weight-loss medicines is not a shortcut. It is an opening. The UAE’s approval of Foundayo, alongside the availability of oral semaglutide under Rybelsus, changes the way we can speak to patients about obesity, diabetes, and metabolic health»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN body which President Donald Trump stopped funding, was "late" in identifying a deadly outbreak of Ebola. Asked by reporters how the United States would respond to the virus outbreak, Rubio said: "The lea»»»