Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said a “new equation” is emerging in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the US and its allies themselves have endangered maritime security and energy transit through their actions. In a post on his X account, Ghalibaf said the security of s»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov received Barry Faure, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora of the Seychelles, in Cholpon-Ata. The presidential press service reported. The parties discussed the development of bilateral cooperation, including strengthening political dialogue and expandi»»»

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday accused Russia of “utter cynicism” for launching deadly attacks while also seeking a truce to stage its May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow. Several people were killed in overnight strikes that came after both Moscow and Kyiv announced uniliter»»»

RIYADH: Saudi fighter Ahmed Albrahim is set to make his professional debut later this month when PFL MENA arrives in Dubai, with the welterweight determined to deliver a statement performance on one of the region’s biggest stages. Albrahim will face Egypt’s Khaled Mahmoud at PFL MENA 9: Pride of Ar»»»

Ongoing supply disruptions, threatened international corridors, and rising concerns — driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East — have created a global crisis that has extended beyond political and military frameworks into global energy markets. The US–Israel–Iran war has triggered the wor»»»

POLITICS The news media are reporting widespread speculation about the composition of the government of Progressive Bulgaria, which is expected to be sworn in on Friday. On Tuesday, President Iliana Iotova is meeting with the six parliamentary groups, starting with Rumen Radev's party, which has 13»»»

Tokyo, Japan: The population of children under the age of 15 in Japan has shrunk to an estimated 13.29 million as of April 1, down by 350,000 from the previous year, hitting a record low, according to government data released Monday, a day before Japan's national Children's Day. The decline has con»»»

Amman, May 5 (SANA) Jordan reaffirmed on Tuesday its commitment to supporting the voluntary return of Syrian refugees in line with international law, Jordan’s Minister of Government Communication Mohammad Momani said. Momani said in a post on X that Jordan continues to play a humanitarian role desp»»»

G7 trade ministers are set to meet in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss issues such as critical minerals and small packages but will not directly address the latest US threat to impose additional tariffs on European vehicles. The second meeting of trade ministers under the French G7 preside»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday accused Russia of "utter cynicism" for launching deadly attacks while also seeking a truce to stage its May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow. Several people were killed in overnight strikes that came after both Moscow and Kyiv announced uniliteral cea»»»

Dubai: Dubai is taking a major step toward the future of artificial intelligence with a new initiative that could change how businesses operate and how people experience everyday services. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of»»»

Gold prices continued to weaken today, slipping below $4,580 per ounce in global markets, as investors balanced geopolitical developments in the Middle East with tightening monetary expectations, according to Bloomberg and Reuters. The metal fell by roughly 0.8–0.9% in early trading, marking a seco»»»

CAIRO — Egypt is strengthening its position as a regional investment hub, ranking among the top markets in the Middle East and North Africa for openness to foreign capital, according to a report by Fitch Solutions cited by the Information and Decision Support Center. The report places Egypt third i»»»

RIYADH: Non-oil business growth across the Middle East and North Africa slowed in April, with the UAE losing momentum and Kuwait and Egypt remaining in contraction, S&P Global data showed. The UAE’s Purchasing Managers’ Index slipped to 52.1, down from 52.9 in March, marking the softest improvement»»»

- Symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, recurrent cough, and chest tightness. - Fear of “cortisone” remains one of the most common misconceptions about preventive inhalers. Doha, Qatar: On the first Tuesday of May each year, attention returns to a chronic condition that may seem familiar »»»

The Taiwanese town of Fenglin has grown a reputation as a place where life moves slowly and people can catch their breath. Rather than push against this rhythm, the town of around 10,000 has chosen to embrace it and make it part of its identity. Enter the snails. Fenglin has been putting on snail r»»»

An explosion at a fireworks factory in southern China left 26 dead and 61 injured, state media reported Tuesday. File Photo by Paul Hanna/UPI | License Photo May 5 (UPI) -- An explosion at a fireworks factory in China's Hunan Province has killed 26 people and injured dozens more, state media report»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector returned to expansion in April, with the Riyad Bank Purchasing Managers’ Index rising to 51.5 from 48.8 a month earlier, signaling a modest recovery. Business activity and new orders rebounded after a contraction in March, as firms reported stronger dom»»»

PRAIA, Cape Verde: Passengers and crew desperately hunkered down in isolation on a ship stuck off Cape Verde on Monday, after local authorities barred it from docking following the death of three people in a suspected hantavirus outbreak. The island nation’s refusal to allow them to disembark came »»»

Abu Dhabi Police have urged pedestrians to use designated bridges, tunnels and crossings to ensure their safety and reduce road accidents. The call forms part of the GCC Traffic Week 2026 themed “I Cross Safely”, aligned with the strategic priority of smart road safety and the goal of anticipating »»»

A major Chinese enterprise operating in the Gwadar Port Free Zone, has cancelled its earlier plan to exit Pakistan after receiving support from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal to resolve permit issues. The Chinese Hangeng Trade Company, a major investor in the Gwadar»»»

A cruise ship with nearly 150 people aboard was waiting for help off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after three passengers died and at least three other people were left seriously ill in a suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus, according to the World Health Organization»»»

European officials have been working on ways to convince Donald Trump to keep the United States in NATO despite severe tensions over the Iran war. But his abrupt move to cut US forces in Germany is the latest sign that such efforts have their limits and are far from certain to succeed. The substanc»»»

The US military said it launched another strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing two people Monday. The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 18»»»

Chancellor Friedrich Merz marks a year in office this week facing the biggest crisis with Washington in decades, after President Donald Trump said he would hit European auto imports with 25% tariffs and pull thousands of troops out of Germany. The moves, announced on Friday after Trump reacted angr»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iran’s Araghchi: No Military Solution to Political Crisis, Project Freedom is Project Deadlock 05-05-2026 09:50 AM Iran Foreign Minister Ab»»»

Washington, May 5 (SANA) International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned on Monday that prolonged conflict in the Middle East could have significantly worse consequences for the global economy, as rising energy costs fuel inflation and cloud growth prospects. Speaking at a»»»

Sources close to the Syrian government told Asharq Al-Awsat that a cabinet reshuffle is expected in the coming days, alongside a restructuring of several ministries, including sovereign portfolios, as well as a wave of changes affecting several provincial governors. The anticipated changes come mor»»»

Doha, Qatar: Coach Roberto Mancini said he focused on recovery after Friday’s gruelling 6-4 win over Al Shamal as Al Sadd gear up for their Amir Cup semi-final against arch-rivals Al Duhail. The Qatari giants meet at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium tonight with a place in the May 9 final at stake. Fresh from»»»

BANGKOK: Thailand on Tuesday canceled a longstanding agreement with Cambodia to work toward joint offshore energy exploration, Thailand’s premier said, defying calls from its ​neighbor to stay the course on the 25-year-old pact. The Thai cabinet’s cancelation of the 2001 agreement, which seeks to d»»»

WASHINGTON: The US military said it launched another strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing two people Monday. The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed»»»

Jakarta: Indonesia's economy grew 5.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, the national statistics agency said Tuesday, topping the government's own forecast despite pressures of the Middle East war. The reading exceeded the 5.4 percent recorded in the final three months of 2025, Stat»»»

WASHINGTON: US intelligence assessments indicate that the time Iran would need to build a nuclear weapon has not changed since last summer, when analysts estimated that a US-Israeli attack had pushed back the timeline to up to a year, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The assessm»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of Abdulla Al Ghurair Group, warned business owners and investors against selling assets during a crisis, saying panic decisions can destroy long-term value at the exact moment when opportunities begin to appear. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download th»»»

AMMAN — President Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Khalil Haj Tawfiq, held discussions in Cairo with Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Mohamed Saleh, on ways to enhance economic, investment and trade cooperation, and to expand ties between the two countries’ business communities.Acc»»»

Three people have died aboard a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic after an outbreak that includes a confirmed case of hantavirus, the World Health Organization said Sunday, raising concerns about a rare but potentially severe infection at sea. Three people have died on a cruise ship in the Atlantic»»»

A Dutch cruise ship carrying 149 people of 23 nationalities is awaiting urgent assistance off Cape Verde after a suspected hantavirus outbreak left three passengers dead and others seriously ill. Health authorities and the World Health Organization are investigating as the vessel remains under stri»»»

Three people have died and three others are ill ⁠after a Netherlands-based cruise ship in the Atlantic was hit by a suspected outbreak of hantavirus. The virus is transmitted to humans through infected wild rodents, such as mice or rats, which shed the virus in their saliva, urine and droppings. In»»»

TOKYO: Japan has taken delivery of its first stockpile of oil from Russia since global supplies were choked off by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the Iran war, reports said. A tanker carrying crude that was produced as part of a Sakhalin-2 natural gas development project reache»»»

Israel carried out air strikes in southern Lebanon on Sunday, killing one person and wounding eight others, including four rescue workers, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said. The attack took place beyond the Israel-controlled area designated as a “security zone” and despite the ceasefire between »»»

Seven OPEC+ countries including Russia and Saudia Arabia increased their oil production quotas on Sunday, the organisation said. Analysts say the decision is aimed at projecting stability following the United Arab Emirates' sudden departure from the bloc effective Friday.  Saudi Arabia, Russia»»»

Israel has carried out fresh air strikes in southern Lebanon. Officials there said at least one person was killed and four others were wounded.The strikes came after the Israel Defense Forces issued new evacuation warnings on Sunday for residents in more than ten villages and towns, including the c»»»

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz escalated Monday after US President Donald Trump announced Washington was beginning "Project Freedom," to help "guide" ships stranded by Iran's closure of the crucial waterway. Iran said the US had "disregarded" its warning shots and that it had struck a US frigate »»»

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez vowed on Sunday to crack down on illegal raves as he visited the area in central France where a massive free party was held on a military base despite authorities' warnings about the risk of unexploded mortars. Organisers said they chose Nunez's hometown of Bo»»»

Iran’s imprisoned Nobel peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi has been transferred to hospital to receive urgent care after experiencing a “catastrophic deterioration” of her health, a foundation run by her family said on Saturday. Mohammadi was moved on Friday after suffering a heart attack and expe»»»

Hong Kong’s government on Friday slammed foreign media and press freedom groups, rejecting claims of a crackdown on press freedom as “slander” after jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai was awarded a free speech prize in Germany. Press freedom in the city has sharply declined since a 2020 Nation»»»

In Indonesia, almost 1 million minors are thought to have an online gambling habit. Worse, authorities say more than 80,000 online players are aged below 10. For these youngsters, gambling is not a pastime they can control, but a dangerous obsession, driven by a desperate desire for a quick and eas»»»

A patrol police officer in Bishkek rescued a young woman who jumped into the Big Chui Canal, the Department of the Patrol Police Service reported. On May 4 at around 8:30 p.m., the 102 service received a report of a suicide attempt at the intersection of Shabdan Baatyr Avenue and Auezov Street. Off»»»

A Dutch cruise ship with nearly 150 people aboard, including 17 Americans, was waiting for help off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after a suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus killed three passengers and left at least three others seriously ill, the World Health Organi»»»

Russia threatened on Monday to launch a "massive missile strike" on Kyiv if Ukraine breached a two-day truce initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin to coincide with World War II commemorations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Moscow's threats saying Kyiv would observe its»»»