Escalating Tensions, Shifting Alliances, and Political Realignmentactive

The Iranian regime stated this Sunday that it has established a "new legal and security system" in the Strait of Hormuz, and warned that countries that implement U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic will face difficulties in navigating this strategically important waterway. "From now on, countries that follow the United States in implementing sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran will undoubtedly face problems when traversing the Strait of Hormuz," said Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia, the spokesman for the Iranian military, in an interview with the IRNA news agency. Akraminia stated that Iran now exercises "fundamental and strategic" control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's major energy corridors. According to the military official, this new situation could have economic, political, and security implications, and could even help to neutralize U.S. secondary sanctions and part of the primary sanctions. "Today, we exercise sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and any vessel that wishes to transit it must coordinate with us," he stated. The military official also said that, until now, Iran had not fully utilized the geopolitical potential of the strait, and had allowed the passage of both allies and adversaries. However, he argued that the conflict has led Tehran to take advantage of this strategic capability and to redefine the framework of cooperation...

"We do not understand this. And why is the Armenian prime minister not trying to reconcile this with his own statements? We cannot explain that at this time," Peskov added.

Un South Korean cargo ship was struck by unidentified aircraft last Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Sunday, days after the HMM Namu, damaged by a fire, arrived at the port of Dubai. "On May 4th, two unidentified aircraft collided with the outer plating of the port ballast tank at the stern of the HMM Namu, at intervals of approximately one minute, causing flames and smoke," said ministry spokesperson Park Il at a press conference, without specifying the type of aircraft involved in the attack. The South Korean ministry clarified that, however, "there is a limitation in determining the exact type and physical size of the object," and that the remains found, including engine components, will be analyzed in more detail. It also stated that the possibility of a mine or torpedo causing the explosion is low, and that the entire crew was unharmed. This conclusion comes after U.S. President Donald Trump previously stated that the ship had been attacked by Iran, a claim that Tehran vehemently denied through a statement from its embassy in Seoul. The Iranian embassy also said on Thursday that it had not had any contact with South Korean officials since the statement was released, in response to a question about whether Tehran had directly conveyed its position to Seoul.

But can Democrats win them over?

China unveiled some of its most advanced military technology, including robot dogs and an AI-enabled underwater system that can neutralise mines, at a defence expo. Autonomous underwater vehicles designed to be launched by submarine were one of the most noteworthy products that featured at the 2026 Chengdu Defence Technology Industry Expo in mid-April. The vessels, which can be launched from 260mm or 533mm torpedo tubes, are mainly designed to conduct high-precision deep-ocean surveys and seabed...

Even if Labour’s local-election defeat is devastating

More than a decade ago, Law Yin-ping moved into a village house in Yick Yuen Tsuen, Hung Shui Kiu, in northwestern Hong Kong, with her granddaughters. She never imagined that one day they would be homeless – and forcibly separated. The Tuen Mun village is located within the government's planned Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area, which is slated to become a high-end professional services and logistics hub as part of the Northern Metropolis megaproject. Law, who is nearly 70, said on Sunday...

Starmer's Labour Party suffered the worst losses for a governing party in local elections in over three decades.

Rhun ap Iowerth says he hopes his party’s programme for government will get backing from across the Senedd UK politics live – latest updates The leader of Plaid Cymru is hoping to become Welsh first minister as early as Tuesday after his party won a historic victory in the Senedd elections, soundly beating Labour and holding off Reform UK. Plaid fell short of winning a majority in the Welsh parliament but Rhun ap Iorwerth said on Sunday he hoped that other parties would work with him and told UK Labour not to punish Wales over the result. Continue reading...

The former German chancellor has been linked to an EU mediator role in Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

"This is our war, and we will win it."

Saudi Arabia’s state oil company’s profits up 26% to £26.9bn in first three months of year Business live – latest updates Saudi Arabia’s state oil company reported a 26% jump in profits in its first quarter as its east-west pipeline allowed it to ship millions of barrels of oil out of the Gulf despite conflict in the Middle East. Profits at Saudi Aramco hit $33.6bn (£26.9bn) in the first three months of the year, while revenue rose nearly 7% compared with a year earlier to $115.5bn. Continue reading...

The salacious gossip website is hounding politicians and tracking vacationing members of Congress TMZ has only been in Washington DC for a matter of weeks, but the salacious gossip website is already having an impact: hounding politicians, tracking vacationing members of Congress and reporting on a senator taking a trip to Disney World. It’s been quite the start as the website and TV channel attempts to break into the political scene, with its first focus on members of Congress taking a two-week recess – typically meaning the politicians return to their home districts and states to meet constituents – during a record partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Continue reading...

Property disputes, predatory developers and surging sea levels are putting the historic Black community at risk On Arthur Champen’s half-acre property in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, a thicket of southern live oaks, palmettos and pine trees muffle the roar of cars on nearby highway 278. His haint blue house, lightened by the sun, sits on stilts to protect it from flooding that comes with the high tide. During the spring, it is common for the marshland adjacent to his land to turn into a muddy soup. “Other than the cars,” Champen, 81, said, “you hear how peaceful it is?” About a decade ago, Champen’s family nearly lost the grassy marshland next door that their family bought several generations ago. Continue reading...

During the May 9 commemorations, Russian photographer Mary Gelman walked the streets of Vladimir Putin's hometown to take the pulse of a country sealed off from the world.

The U. S. lost much of its furniture industry to China years ago. Now, American tariffs and overseas competition are punishing manufacturers.

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said the upcoming meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could yield a "remarkable breakthrough." Gingrich appeared on the "Cats Roundtable" radio show hosted by John Catsimatidis on WABC 770 AM, where he said Trump's visit to Beijing is "the biggest thing in the near future." Trump requested to move…

Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated after reports of US fire on Iranian-linked tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Tehran warned of retaliation against American targets in the region as diplomatic efforts continue over a proposed deal involving sanctions, nuclear limits, and maritime security.

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A recent police raid on Germany's neo-Nazi scene has revealed how alarmingly young some of its members are. But those targeted by this hatred are fighting back.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he intends to lead the UK for 10 years even as calls for his departure grow from within the governing Labour Party and rivals threatened to launch a leadership challenge in the coming days.

Iran’s army spokesman says if the ‘enemy’ were to attack again, they would face new methods of warfare.

US President Donald Trump's US$500 billion Stargate AI project is being undermined by the war with Iran, a conflict that is accelerating the decline of the United States, according to Chinese analysts. The project, designed to cement US dominance in the field of artificial intelligence, was announced in January of last year, shortly after Trump's return to power, and involves leading companies such as OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle. A critical component of this plan was building the world's largest AI...

Deal advice has evolved into a huge legal business but leaves firms vulnerable to misuse of confidential information

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that WHO experts on the ground are working together with the Spanish Health Ministry

Education secretary says voters feel let down but do not want Labour to ‘spend more time talking amongst ourselves’ UK politics live – latest updates Labour MPs would be wrong to remove Keir Starmer, even though voters have given the party a “real kicking” at the ballot box and people feel “bitterly let down”, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said. Phillipson said Labour had been “too gloomy” and had made a mistake in trying to withdraw the winter fuel allowance, after the party lost control of about 40 councils and 1,500 seats at the local elections on Thursday. Continue reading...

Germany is renewing efforts to purchase American long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles after the Pentagon abandoned plans to station an American battalion equipped with these weapons in Germany, creating a gap in the system of deterrence against Russia in Europe.

Assoutenti: "Please explain whether it is permissible to circulate while waiting for the issuance of the required permit, without incurring fines."

German family shareholders want to press ahead with listing of Paris-backed group at €15bn-€20bn valuation

Keir Starmer vowed Friday to remain as Britain's prime minister after disastrous local elections saw his centre-left Labour party humiliated across the UK, with disillusioned voters backing hard-right and nationalist parties. Thursday's ballots – Starmer's biggest electoral test since Labour ousted the Conservatives in 2024 – left the British leader under intense pressure after the party suffered a historic mauling in its Welsh heartlands.

Iran was already struggling economically before 2026 brought widespread instability. A government-imposed internet shutdown has crippled an entire sector.

Electing such candidates for governor would give deniers key oversight of the 2028 presidential election in swing states like Arizona, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

In Ukraine, specialized tour guides are ready for a small but unstoppable flow of visitors who ignore blunt travel advisories.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's diplomatic balancing act during his visit to China last month stood in stark contrast to a European Union struggling with geopolitical upheaval and economic stagnation. Sanchez advocated for closer ties with Beijing while also raising concerns about a persistent bilateral trade deficit and the war in Ukraine, an approach that analysts said could serve as a diplomatic model for Brussels amid its strained relationship with Washington. According to Wang Hanyi, a...

The conflict is not only threatening oil revenue, but also Gulf states’ efforts to expand their economies beyond it.

Fashionable A-listers evoked the theme “fashion is art” to embody works of art at the Met Gala, Moscow held a modest annual Victory Day parade that didn’t include heavy weapons for the first time in nearly two decades and anti-immigration party Reform UK made significant gains across England in local and regional elections: FRANCE 24 looks back at some of the week's most striking images.

A wave of pink swept through the center of Rome, with the campaign "120,000 Donors."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that the conflict in Ukraine is nearing its end after he oversaw a military parade on Red Square commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II – a show that didn't include heavy weapons for the first time in nearly two decades. Talking to reporters, Putin accused Western “globalist elites” of arming Ukraine to defeat and break up Russia and declared that “I think the matter is coming to an end.”

Passengers aboard the cruise ship at the center of the hantavirus outbreak are being screened by public health authorities at the Spanish island of Tenerife before being put on planes to be repatriated to their home countries. The passengers will be brought ashore by nationality via small boats, according to tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions. Their luggage will remain aboard the ship, which will continue on to the Port of Rotterdam with the remaining crew. It is expected to take five days for the ship to reach the Netherlands. The MV Hondius anchored early Sunday at the Port of Granadilla in the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities set up large reception tents and restricted access to the waterfront. France, Germany, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands sent planes to repatriate their citizens, while the European Union sent two additional planes for the remaining EU nationals, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told a press conference on Saturday in Madrid. The United States and Britain are coordinating planes for non-EU citizens from countries that were unable to send transport. All of the more than 100 passengers are being tested for the hantavirus, which is a rare disease typically caused by exposure to infected rats. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday that there are a total of six confirmed cases of the “Andes” hantavirus variant linked to the cruise ship and two probable cases. The Andes is the only variant known to spread among humans, and the incubation period lasts up to nine weeks. Spanish nationals will be flown to Madrid and put into mandatory quarantine at the Gomez Ulla military hospital. The U. S. plans to send its citizens home to self-isolate after undergoing an initial assessment at a federal quarantine center. The World Health Organization has sought to calm fears that the hantavirus could trigger another global pandemic, with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus writing on social media Sunday morning that “the risk to the people of Tenerife is low because of the nature of the disease and the actions of the Spanish government.”

Focus group participants expressed skepticism that replacing Keir Starmer would improve the party's prospects, with some expressing interest in Reform or the Green Party. UK politics – live As Keir Starmer faces the possibility of a leadership challenge, former Labour voters in a Birmingham constituency were feeling anxious about the potential consequences last week. A month ago, the group from Birmingham Yardley had very little positive to say about the prime minister, comparing him to a rat or a donkey. They said they felt he had let them down. Continue reading...

Piyush Goyal will be in Canada from May 27-29, and will first hold meetings in the capital Ottawa, before moving on to a series of industry and business events in Toronto

Four days after Leavitt introduced her newborn to the world, Iran sent congratulations but with a reminder of children killed allegedly by US in Minab

Among the targets, the military press service listed "structures used for military purposes," "weapons storage facilities," and "a launcher"

Over the past 24 hours, the Russian troops carried out 18 attacks on settlements in the Donetsk region; there are casualties.

The meeting, which took place in Paris in February, was only revealed on Wednesday by Agence France-Presse. In December, Bardella was received by the US ambassador in Paris. In mid-April, Marine Le Pen met with the Israeli ambassador to France.

The United States is awaiting an official response from Iran to its proposals aimed at ending over two months of clashes in the Middle East. On Saturday, military activity in the region decreased significantly, giving way to a day marked by anticipation and caution. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had anticipated that the Iranian response would arrive within hours, but so far, there have been no updates from Iran or Pakistan, the mediating country that hosted the initial in-person and indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Diplomatic efforts intensified with a meeting between Rubio and the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, held in Miami. During the meeting, both leaders emphasized the need to maintain regional cooperation to deter threats and promote stability in the Middle East. The official statement from the U.S. delegation avoided explicitly mentioning Iran in the summary of the meeting. In recent days, the region has experienced some of the most intense fighting since the ceasefire was declared a month ago. On Friday, the United Arab Emirates reported that its air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles and three drones originating from Iran, an attack that caused minor injuries to three people. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran warned on Saturday that…

China’s flagship civilian aircraft maker is planning to upgrade the cabin capacity of its C919 narrowbody airliner to improve passenger experience and boost the plane’s chances of challenging the Boeing-Airbus duopoly, a source with knowledge of the plans said. Bigger overhead luggage compartments and drip-proof air conditioning outlets are among the design upgrades being sketched out by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). “Comac has realised it must make passengers as...

Allegri's and Gasperini's teams are fighting for a significant chance to finish among the top four in today's matches.

Firefighting efforts are underway in the Exclusion Zone of the Kyiv region to extinguish a large-scale forest fire covering 1,200 hectares.

No vessel will pass through it without the permission of the Islamic Republic, Haji Babaei said

And Trump posted photos of his golf course and the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial.

In the coming hours, a special procedure will be implemented for the disembarkation of passengers.

Former junior minister Catherine West says that unless a cabinet minister comes forward to challenge the PM by Monday, she will. Good morning. There were many predictions for Labour’s future ahead of the English, Scottish and Welsh elections, which have been terrible for the party, but there is one outcome foreseen by no one: a leadership challenge by Catherine West. West, MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet and a junior Foreign Office minister until she was sacked in the reshuffle last year, announced yesterday afternoon that, unless a cabinet minister comes forward to challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership by tomorrow morning, she will do it herself. She would need the support of 81 Labour MPs to trigger a contest; there is no evidence that she has those numbers and (for reasons that are probably a mystery to anyone under the age of 50 – more on that later) she is being described as a stalking horse. I’m not going to walk away from the job I was elected to do in July 2024. I’m not going to plunge the country into chaos. Continue reading...

The United States and Iran are keeping the Middle East on edge, as Washington awaits a response to its proposal, delivered to the Iranian regime with the primary goal of agreeing to a ceasefire. The formal end of the conflict, the resolution of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, and the opening of a 30-day period for broader negotiations are the three key points of the agreement presented by the administration of President Donald Trump to Iran. From Tehran, the spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Bagaei, stated that the American initiative is still under review. "The proposal is being studied, and once we reach a definitive conclusion, we will undoubtedly announce it," he said, according to the Tasnim news agency. The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, held a meeting on Saturday in Miami with the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, to discuss the war in Iran, but no further details of the meeting were released. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a new attack against more than 40 infrastructure targets, reportedly eliminating more than 10 members of the Hezbollah terrorist group in southern Lebanon. Here is the minute-by-minute coverage: Pakistan has pledged to continue its mediation efforts to bring an end to the war in the Middle East. The Pakistani army chief...

Putin declared the war in Ukraine was "heading to an end" on Saturday, even though the first day of a US-brokered ceasefire was marred by mutual accusations of violations and a scaled-down Victory Day parade.

Our reporter Emma Bubola visits the foothills of the Argentine Andes to find out why a giant Chinese-sponsored telescope is sitting dismembered.

It was widely believed that the United States and Israel could militarily defeat Iran, a notion reinforced by the "12-day war" of the previous year, which left Iran without air defenses and with its nuclear program in disarray. However, the problem is that this year, starting on February 28th, the goal was to bring an end to the Islamic Republic (IR), a goal that has not been achieved. Its mere survival is now considered a victory, along with the transformation of the Strait of Hormuz into an international economic crisis. More than any military success on Iran's part – which today lacks both an air force and a navy – it is the automatic mechanism of international maritime insurance that has been at play, halting ships. The mere threat and the firing of shots from a small boat have been enough for insurance companies to immediately halt navigation in those waters. Washington's decision was to block all trade with Iranian ports, seeking a double effect: to bankrupt Iran's economy and to cause its oil wells to collapse due to the inability to sell its oil. In other words, a devastating effect that could be achieved without the need for troops on the ground, forcing Tehran to negotiate. However, this has not yielded the expected results due to the internal divisions between politicians within the regime who are willing to negotiate, and the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), the de facto power today, who have rejected any agreement. In the Middle East, where too many things change, it is difficult to use the term...

Relative calm prevailed around the Strait of Hormuz early on Sunday after days of sporadic flare-ups, as the United States waited for Iran’s response to its latest proposals to end more than two months of fighting and begin peace talks. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington expected a response within hours. But there have been no signs of movement from Tehran ‌on the proposal, which would formally end the war before talks on more contentious issues, including Iran’s...

Open letter criticizing the invitation to Nigel Farage warns of association with "racism and inflammatory rhetoric." Political leaders have been invited to a rally opposing antisemitism on Sunday, with British Jews hoping the "silent majority" will join them for a "million mensch march" across central London. The prime minister, Keir Starmer, is considering attending the Standing Strong: Extinguish Antisemitism rally, which is backed by more than 30 Jewish groups, while the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is expected to speak. The Liberal Democrats' leader, Ed Davey, has also been invited. Continue reading...

Iranian Army Spokesman Mohammad Akraminia also emphasized that the military conflict against the United States and Israel had forced Iran "to use the geopolitical potential of the Strait of Hormuz" and that the Islamic Republic was now "exercising sovereignty" over it

In the coming hours, a special procedure will be implemented for the disembarkation of passengers. The five French citizens will be repatriated today.

Richard Hext, chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, said that, the industry’s main priorities at the moment are ensuring that crew members have food and drinking water, as well as providing emotional support

East-west pipeline allows oil company to circumvent the Strait of Hormuz and keep pumping

France's far-right leaders have met the ambassadors of Germany and Israel in recent months as their party, once deemed antisemitic, seeks to court foreign envoys in the run-up to next year's presidential elections.

Ceremony organisers taking event procedures ‘extremely seriously’ after broadcast of racial slur in February Continue reading...

Fraudsters exploit confusion or anxiety over new IHT rules by offering a ‘safe haven’ for savings pots The caller pitches a great deal. Shift the moneysaved in your pension and reinvest it in a scheme overseas where you can avoid it being caught under next year’s changes to the UK’s inheritance tax (IHT) system. From April next year, any money left in a defined contribution pension after your death, which is most workplace and all private pensions, will be pulled into the IHT net. Continue reading...

Denis Pushilin stated that he has no doubts that a number of European countries, particularly Germany, possess the technical capabilities, but that this issue can be resolved through political means.

Vietnam has become the latest country to enter talks to buy India’s supersonic BrahMos missile – and at least 15 more are reportedly interested – as defence ministries across Asia and elsewhere increasingly look beyond Western-made systems. New Delhi and Hanoi are in advanced negotiations over a potential US$700 million deal, with talks progressing during Vietnamese President To Lam’s visit to India this week, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other...

The cruise ship MV Hondius arrived at the Spanish port of Granadilla early Sunday morning. Passengers will be disembarked there following a hantavirus outbreak that has resulted in three deaths and has put international health authorities on alert. The ship arrived escorted by a vessel from the Civil Guard. Part of the crew will then continue on to the Netherlands. This is a developing story.

India and Pakistan each claim strategic successes after the four-day conflict, as tensions continue to simmer.

Fifteen civilians were evacuated under shelling from the frontline town of Beryslav in the Kherson region.

The base in Iraq allowed Israel to get closer to the battlefield in Iran. According to a report, Israel deployed search-and-rescue teams to respond more quickly

The Ukrainian company AIDronesUA produces a ground-based robotic evacuation complex called "Maul," designed to transport wounded soldiers from the most dangerous areas of the frontline without putting additional crews at risk. It was developed together with the First Separate Medical Battalion.

Support for Ukraine remains the position of the majority in Germany, but in society and within part of the governing coalition it is still not sufficiently understood that this is not about charity, but about protecting one's own security and the European order.

Russia’s Almaz-Antey Group continues cooperating with aviation administrations and air navigation service providers in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Deputy Director General Dmitry Savitsky said

US leader enters talks with superpower rival from vulnerable position, but will be hoping for economic wins amid turbulent backdrop If all goes to plan over the next few days – and that is a big if – Donald Trump will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for a highly anticipated summit with Xi Jinping, China’s leader. The trip will mark the first time a US president has visited China in nearly a decade. The last visit was also made by Trump, during his first term, in 2017. Continue reading...

Defence minister plans Washington trip after Chancellor Friedrich Merz falls out with US president

Consumer credit fintech issued more new personal loans than any other UK lender

As Reform UK’s leader aims for government, he must juggle a growing crowd of admirers and influence-seekers

CFO Victor Vial says world trading routes will be permanently reshaped after the conflict

Kim Rivers, 48, founder and CEO of the cannabis company Trulieve, will never forget December 18, 2025. The Florida entrepreneur was among the guests in the Oval Office when U.S. President Donald Trump signed the historic order to reclassify marijuana in the United States as a lower-risk drug, moving it from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. The president's order, which recently took effect, does not legalize recreational marijuana nationwide, but it allows companies like Trulieve to operate with far better tax treatment and opens the door to scientific and medical research in an industry valued at more than $30 billion. Political favors and a legal scandal Kim Rivers's husband, John "J.T." Burnette, was sentenced in 2021 to three years in prison and a $1.25 million fine on corruption charges involving bribes to Tallahassee officials and efforts to influence public decisions affecting real estate projects and state regulations. He was also accused of attempting to shape state legislation—including rules related to the cannabis sector—by pushing for regulatory requirements that would benefit certain actors and make it harder for competitors to enter the market. Rivers was neither investigated nor implicated. She received immediate backing from Trulieve's board of directors, which helped her remain insulated from the scandal and preserve her position without damage to her professional reputation.

For many Germans, due to a lack of their own historical experience, it is difficult to understand that Russia does not want peace and that the occupation of Ukraine would mean genocide.

More than 100 people aboard a cruise ship that departed from Fort Lauderdale in Florida last month have fallen ill from norovirus, according to the US Centres for Disease Control. The Caribbean Princess, a Princess Cruises ship, departed from Port Everglades on April 28 for an 11-day voyage, according to Cruise Mapper. But on Thursday, the CDC announced that 102 passengers and 13 crew members were sick and had been isolated. There are more than 4,000 people on board, according to the CDC. The...

The Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thero holds one of the most revered positions in the Buddhist world.

This East Coast US state is home to 12% of the world's capacity for the massive data centers essential to AI, which it has attracted largely through tax breaks. Local residents are especially concerned about their environmental impact.

While leading US artificial intelligence developers such as Anthropic and OpenAI unveil new models with enhanced cybersecurity capabilities, China is also aggressively scaling up its own AI-driven cyber defence market. Anthropic’s Mythos, launched in April, sparked a rapid global response due to its ability to discover and exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities with unprecedented speed and efficiency. “Our assessment is that China’s own Mythos will definitely emerge, though currently the overall...

INCHEON, May 10 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Sunday that South...

The search for two missing Singaporean hikers ⁠after a volcanic ⁠eruption of Mount Dukono ⁠was still hampered by continuous eruptions and bad weather on Sunday, an Indonesian official said, though they were feared to be dead. Some 150 personnel with two thermal drones have been deployed since ‌Sunday morning, the head of local rescue agency Iwan Ramdani said, with the focus of the search around 100-150 metres (492 feet) of the crater rim. “However, Mount Dukono continues to erupt and rain is...

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Friday warned Democrats against forming alliances with former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), accusing the former lawmaker of being a "proven bigot." At an event hosted by the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics, a student asked Ocasio-Cortez about working across the aisle with Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Tim Burchett.

A large chunk of the world’s sulfur comes from Persian Gulf oil refineries and gas plants and has been choked off at the Strait of Hormuz

British anti-royalists held a "No Kings" protest outside Buckingham Palace in London.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has achieved what appears less like a reprieve and more like a postponement of the inevitable. Following Thursday's local elections, his Labour Party's position is bleak by almost any historical standard. It lost approximately 1,500 council seats in England, failed to unseat the Scottish National Party in Scotland, and, most symbolically, ceded Wales to Plaid Cymru for the first time in over a century. Meanwhile, far-right politician Nigel Farage's Reform UK continued its advance across Labour's former strongholds, while the Green Party strengthened its hold on younger, progressive voters. Despite the panic in Westminster, there appears to be no immediate move to remove the prime minister. A few members of parliament have publicly questioned his leadership, but Cabinet ministers and backbench organizers have not yet crossed the line from despair to open revolt. Starmer will survive for now because the party, particularly its influential soft-left faction, seems to be waiting for Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester. Burnham's allies expect him to return to Westminster within months through a by-election triggered by the resignation of a sympathetic Labour MP – a prospect that is already influencing calculations within the party. Burnham's popularity is currently rising, while that of former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is waning, amid concerns that she is less popular with voters. Health Secretary Wes Str…

Satellite images have captured a suspected oil slick spanning dozens of square kilometres near Iran’s Kharg Island.

Global oil stockpiles dropped by about 4.8 million barrels a day between March 1 and April 25, the news agency said

Russian President condemns Western support that has allowed Ukraine to resist, and requests talks with Gerhard Schröder, in remarks following a significantly reduced Victory Day parade. Vladimir Putin stated that he believes the war in Ukraine is nearing its end. These remarks came a few hours after he had vowed to defeat Ukraine at Moscow's most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years. "I think that the matter is coming to an end," Putin told reporters regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, Europe's deadliest conflict since the Second World War. He said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, and that his preferred negotiating partner would be Germany's former chancellor Gerhard Schröder.

The Russian leader sees potential for Ukraine negotiations, but condemns the West's backing for President Zelensky.

According to the portal, the mediators are urging both parties to de-escalate and focus on getting a deal

The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, met this Saturday in Miami with the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, to discuss the situation in Iran. "The Secretary expressed his appreciation for the alliance with Qatar on a number of issues," said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott in a statement about the meeting between Rubio and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is also the Foreign Minister of Qatar. The meeting took place as the United States awaits a response from Iran to its peace proposal. "They discussed U.S. support for Qatar's defense, and the importance of close coordination to address threats and promote stability and security throughout the Middle East," the statement noted. The meeting was part of a series of diplomatic efforts aimed at moving towards a peace agreement between Washington and Tehran, in the context of an escalation of low-intensity attacks and ongoing negotiations. The United States and Qatar discussed a one-page memorandum of understanding that would serve as a basis for broader negotiations aimed at ending the conflict in Iran. According to the U.S. State Department, the immediate goal was to establish a cessation of hostilities and lay the groundwork for a lasting peace, although authorities in the Iranian regime have not yet…