MADRID: Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands will send planes to evacuate their citizens aboard the Tenerife-bound cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, Spain’s interior minister said in Madrid on Saturday. The European Union is sending two further planes for remaining »»»

European Union crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib on Saturday urged increased humanitarian access in south Lebanon, where Israel has kept up strikes and Hezbollah has been launching attacks despite a ceasefire. "Humanitarian aid is ready, but too often it cannot reach those who need it most," Lah»»»

KARACHI: The government on Saturday invited bids from international suppliers for two spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes to meet the country’s energy requirements, as contracted supplies from Qatar remain uncertain amid continued disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The move »»»

Chennai: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) moved closer to forming a coalition government in Tamil Nadu on Saturday after receiving support from two Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) MLAs. VCK president Thol. Thirumavalavan formally handed over a letter of support to TVK General Secretary (Election»»»

The leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, said Lebanon “is facing an extremely complex dilemma, to the extent that merely observing developments is no longer enough to resolve it, because the root of the problem remains unresolved without effective treatment.” In an interview with Asharq Al-»»»

RIYADH: On a warm night in Riyadh, the sound of distorted guitars cuts through the air, pulling in a crowd that knows every riff by heart. For longtime fans of Saudi Arabia’s underground metal scene, the return of Dune feels less like a comeback and more like a continuation of a story that never re»»»

Edi Rama said Albania’s negotiations for membership in the European Union could continue until mid-2028, despite 2027 being set as the shared target for concluding the process. Speaking during the opening event of Europe Week marking May 9 celebrations in Tirana, Rama described 2030 as the broader »»»

Granadilla de Abona, Spain: A cruise ship hit with a deadly hantavirus outbreak is headed for Spain's Canary Islands, where most of the nearly 150 people on board will be evacuated and flown home after weeks at sea. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius is expected to reach waters off Tenerife at dawn, with»»»

As US-Iran talks continue to stall and regional tensions intensify, uncertainty surrounding Iran’s political and economic future deepens. Recent diplomatic efforts have some progress, but both sides remain divided over key security and strategic issues, while clashes and pressure campaigns continue»»»

Hezbollah Military Media released a new video on Saturday offering a rare look at how its fighters track and target Israeli troops along the Lebanon border, underscoring growing concerns over the group’s expanding drone capabilities. The one-minute footage, dated Friday, May 5, opens with an FPV (f»»»

Three Iranian oil tankers have bypassed what US President Donald Trump has called a naval “wall of steel” in the Strait of Hormuz and reached Iranian ports through Pakistani waters over the past two days, Tehran’s IRNA state news agency reported on Friday, citing maritime tracking data. Washington »»»

A parade and folk dance performances opened the day on which Veliko Tarnovo is set to welcome riders from the Giro d'Italia. The procession featured musicians from the Junior Band at Emiliyan Stanev Secondary School and local folklore ensembles, who marched through the main streets of the old capit»»»

Libya’s Brega Oil Marketing Company, a subsidiary of the state National Oil Corporation (NOC), announced yesterday that following the armed clashes that erupted in the early hours of yesterday morning in the vicinity of the Zawiya Oil Refinery, and the surrounding area, the Aviation Kerosene Tank 5»»»

Lebanese state media reported Israeli strikes on the country's south on Saturday after Israel's army issued an evacuation warning to several villages, as well as in other areas despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah. "In light of the terrorist Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF i»»»

The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) has eliminated four outbreaks of sheep and goat pox in the southern region of Plovdiv, and the affected farms have been disinfected, the Agency reported here on Saturday. The infection dates back to the summer of last year but had not been eradicated until no»»»

Louis Baudoin-Laarman Nablus, Palestinian Territories: Under the bleachers of a West Bank stadium, a dozen men from Gaza live in a former changing room, blocked from returning home by the war that erupted more than two and a half years ago. Among those stranded is Sameer Abu Salah, 54, who had been»»»

China's oil imports fell to the lowest level in almost four years in April as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz choked off supplies to the world's largest oil importer. Crude oil imports fell 20% in April to 38.5 million metric tons compared to a year earlier, hitting their lowest level since Jul»»»

Washington, May 9 (SANA) The International Monetary Fund expects to generate around $2.5 billion in net income during fiscal year 2026, despite continued uncertainty driven by geopolitical tensions and volatility in global financial markets, Reuters reported on Saturday. In a statement, the fund sa»»»

BETHLEHEM: Mohamad Al-Assi ran beneath the concrete wall as the sun rose over Bethlehem. His Nikes pounded the gravel, his breath fogging the air as graffiti and paint splatter blurred past with each stride.The road along the barrier separating Israel from the occupied West Bank makes up a stretch »»»

NABLUS: Under the bleachers of a West Bank stadium, a dozen men from Gaza live in a former changing room, blocked from returning home by the war that erupted more than two and a half years ago. Among those stranded is Sameer Abu Salah, 54, who had been working odd jobs in Israel’s commercial hub of»»»

Paris, France: Teenage substitute Mezian Mesloub gave Lens a 1-0 win over Nantes in Ligue 1 on Friday to clinch his side qualification for next season's Champions League, while relegating Nantes to the second tier. The result also keeps the Ligue 1 title race alive with second-placed Lens the only »»»

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that his soldiers in Ukraine were fighting an “aggressive force” backed by all of NATO, and that the Russian army’s cause was “just,” as he addressed an annual Victory Day parade on Red Square. “The great feat of the generation of victors inspi»»»

Hezbollah said it launched missiles and drones at military bases in Israel in retaliation for a recent attack on Beirut's southern suburbs and ongoing strikes in the south, where Lebanese authorities reported 11 people killed on Friday. Israel has kept up its attacks in Lebanon despite a truce agre»»»

The Israeli military called on residents of more than half a dozen villages in southern Lebanon to immediately evacuate on Saturday ahead of expected attacks against alleged Hezbollah targets despite a truce with Lebanon intended to halt the fighting. "In light of ... Hezbollah's violation of the c»»»

Dubai: Dubai students have eagerly welcomed the opening of Edufair 2026 at The H Dubai Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road on Saturday, describing it as the “best place” to explore higher education options and make informed decisions about their future careers. The two-day exhibition, running from May 9 to »»»

Israeli strikes on Friday killed 10 people in four locations in southern Lebanon, the health ministry said, raising an earlier toll. The dead include two children and three women, it said. Despite a truce in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, fighting has not stopped in south Lebanon, where an I»»»

As Libya battles extreme water scarcity, the Great Man-Made River Project (GMMRP) enters its final phase, promising to transform water access across the nation amidst challenges and hopes.* Libya, ranked among the world’s most water-deficient nations, is preparing to complete the final phase of the»»»

RIYADH: Startup investment activity across the Middle East and North Africa recovered in April 2026, with startups raising $150 million across 27 deals, according to Wamda’s monthly investment report. The figure represents a 211 percent increase compared to March, when regional funding activity had»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is no longer a market multinational companies cautiously test, but one they enter with clear strategies and long-term commitments, according to the CEO of business expansion platform AstroLabs. In an interview with Arab News, Roland Daher outlined how the Kingdom’s investment l»»»

In his speech marking Victory Day, President Putin honored the Soviet people’s decisive role in crushing Nazism - linking that legacy to Russia’s soldiers fighting in the Special Military Operation in Ukraine. “They are confronting an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc. De»»»

The US and Iran appeared no closer on Saturday to finding an end to their war after the two sides traded fire in the Gulf amid a tenuous ceasefire, while a US intelligence analysis concluded Tehran could withstand a naval blockade for months. Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting »»»

The fallout from the war on Iran and the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is triggering a geopolitical and economic shockwave far beyond the Gulf, reshaping alliance dynamics from Berlin to Manila and raising new doubts about the credibility of the so-called American security umb»»»

Israeli aggression in southern Lebanon continued on Saturday despite the declared ceasefire, with ongoing artillery shelling as well as drone and air strikes. The occupation army carried out sustained artillery shelling on the towns of Barashit, Safad Al-Batikh, and Touline, extending to Ghandouriy»»»

Despite the dire humanitarian crisis across the Gaza Strip, where a fragile ceasefire remains in place, a handful of Palestinian surfers are finding joy — and relief — riding the waves of the territory’s Mediterranean coastal waters. Only three or four men still surf due to a shortage of surfboards»»»

Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Senior Vice President of Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Knowledge Park, and Dubai Science Park, part of TECOM Group, inaugurated the 10th edition of Gulf News Edufair this morning at The H Dubai Hotel, marking the start of one of the UAE’s largest higher education»»»

Doha, Qatar: The US economy continues to display notable resilience against an increasingly complex and uncertain global backdrop, Qatar National Bank (QNB) said in its weekly economic commentary. QNB noted that this resilience comes despite several headwinds, including elevated uncertainty, persis»»»

PoliticsGermanyGermany's sugar tax sparks 'nanny state' debateBen KnightFriedrich Merz's government has agreed to introduce a sugar levy on soft drinks as part of its health care reforms. Critics have called it disproportionate interference, but dozens of countries already have such a levy. https:/»»»

Sputnik has recreated the voice of chief Soviet radio announcer revealing the start of World War II. ‘The enemy will be crushed’: Sputnik recreates voice of chief Soviet radio announcer revealing start of World War IIYuri Levitan was the defining voice of the WW2 era throughout the USSR.On June 22,»»»

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military called on residents of more than half a dozen villages in southern Lebanon to immediately evacuate on Saturday ahead of expected attacks against Hezbollah despite a truce with Lebanon intended to halt the fighting. “In light of the terrorist Hezbollah’s violation of »»»

In a week thats’s seen renewed hope for ending the war in Iran, ten weeks since it started, with four weeks of stalemate, a ceasefire and skirmishes over the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Intermittent peace talks have boiled down to a fourteen-point, one-page “memorandum of understanding”, craf»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Saturday said that May 9 will be a difficult working day for Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Every May 9 for the president is a difficult working day. Given that it is a solemn day, given that it is a Memorial Day, given that it is, as for an»»»

German exports rose unexpectedly in March, official data showed on Friday, lifted by higher demand from Europe, as industrial output fell despite a forecast rise, dampened by a drop in energy production. German exports rose 0.5% in March over the previous month, boosted by an increase of 3.4% in sh»»»

Moscow: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to uphold a three-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump while Russia holds its annual Victory Day parade on Saturday, though the event was set to be scaled back over security fears. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made the me»»»

Syrian authorities released a new group of SDF-linked detainees on Friday, in a sign that the government is pressing ahead with a prisoner release clause under an integration agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces. The move came as the government insisted Arabic remains Syria’s only official l»»»

Beijing: China's overseas shipments grew at a faster pace than expected last month, official data showed Saturday, despite pressure on the global economy caused by war in the Middle East. Exports from the manufacturing powerhouse were up 14.1 percent in April compared to the same month last year, t»»»

Iran is gaining ground in the information war with a succession of viral AI-made videos that aim to widen divisions in the US and blur the line between entertainment and propaganda, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal on Friday. The clips, produced and distributed by pro-Iran»»»

Los Angeles, USA: American passengers aboard the cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak will be quarantined in Nebraska upon arrival in the United States, NBC News reported Friday, citing an official from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The passengers will be »»»

Geneva: The World Health Organization's chief is due in the Spanish island of Tenerife on Saturday to help coordinate the evacuation of passengers hit by the hantavirus, Spanish ministry sources said. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will accompany Spain's health and interior ministers to a command post »»»

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez ‌has left the door open for an international return, saying he would reverse his retirement if he ​is needed for this year’s World Cup, potentially returning to the national side after over a 19-month absence. The 39-year-old retired from international football in Septem»»»

DEIR AL-BALAH: Despite the dire humanitarian crisis across the Gaza Strip, where a fragile ceasefire remains in place, a handful of Palestinian surfers are finding joy — and relief — riding the waves of the territory’s Mediterranean coastal waters. Only three or four men still surf due to a shortag»»»