Oil prices extended losses on Thursday as the industry grappled with the growing global surplus of crude and the sharp coronavirus-led downturn in demand, with the outlook still grim despite April data showing a rise in imports into China. Brent crude LCOc1 was down by 24 cents, or 0.8%, to...

 Israel's Supreme Court approved Wednesday a coalition deal between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival-turned-ally Benny Gantz, paving the way for a unity government to be sworn in next week. The alliance formed last month between the right-wing incumbent and his centrist...

U.S. President Donald Trump vetoed Wednesday what he called a "very insulting" congressional resolution seeking to limit his war powers in Iran. In a statement, Trump said he had used his veto because the resolution -- a rare bipartisan rebuke to the president approved in March -- was based...

Mercenaries from the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization seen as being close to Vladimir Putin, are fighting in Libya, UN diplomats said Wednesday, citing an experts' report on the country's arms embargo. It was the first time the UN has confirmed claims first made in US media...

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday welcomed Iraq's formation of a government after months of instability, and extended a waiver on Iran sanctions to ease pressure on the new leader. In a phone call with Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhemi, Pompeo congratulated him on taking office...

 Syrian business tycoon Rami Makhlouf remains at one of his homes in Syria, despite publicly criticising President Bashar al-Assad in a rare display of dissent by a key member of the country's ruling family, Middle East Eye has learnt. Makhlouf, who is also Assad's cousin, is...

Iraq’s former spy chief was sworn in as prime minister by lawmakers early Thursday after weeks of tense political negotiations as the country faces a severe economic crisis spurred by plummeting oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic.  The majority of 255 legislators attending the...

At least three civilians were killed when militias loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar shelled Libya’s capital Tripoli on Wednesday, said an official. Amin al-Hashimi, media advisor to the Health Ministry, also said that another 19 civilians, including children, were wounded in the attack....

Oil prices slid and world equity markets see sawed Wednesday as investor hopes for a pickup in business activity were weighed against downbeat economic data and low fuel demand highlighted by a rise in U.S. crude stockpiles to three-year highs. The safe-haven Japanese yen and dollar rose on...

The United States will provide $225 million in emergency aid to Yemen to support food programs, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday, as aid groups there are forced to scale down operations due to Houthi interference and amid a spreading coronavirus outbreak. "This assistance...

The coronavirus pandemic is "under control" in Turkey, the country's health minister said Wednesday, but warned citizens they still need to take the necessary precautions. The number of deaths per day in Turkey has fallen in the past week, remaining under 100 within a 24-hour period since...

A senior United Arab Emirates official Wednesday stressed the need for de-escalation in the region to allow countries to focus on "the hurricane" caused by the coronavirus pandemic and review development models. Earlier Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani threatened a "crushing...

Spain's parliament on Wednesday voted to extend the country's state of emergency, allowing stringent coronavirus lockdown measures to remain in place for at least two more weeks. The government imposed a nation-wide lockdown nearly eight weeks ago to curb the outbreak, which has killed more...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- The Syrian Health Ministry has put under quarantine a family of four members after father was tested positive for the novel coronavirus, local news site said on Wednesday. The confirmed case was reported in the district of Kafr Batna in the eastern enclave of Damascus....

At least 90,000 health-care workers worldwide are believed to have been infected with COVID-19, and possibly twice that, amid reports of continuing shortages of protective equipment, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) said Wednesday. The disease has killed more than 260 nurses, it...

Yemen Wednesday reported the first three cases of the novel coronavirus in the southern province of Lahaj, one of whom has died, and another infection in the southern port of Aden. The emergency coronavirus committee of Yemen's Saudi-backed government also said one COVID-19 patient...

Shops and industrial enterprises in Bahrain can open from Thursday while restaurants will stay closed to in-house diners, the Health Ministry said, as the Gulf state eases restrictions designed to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Bahrain shuttered non-essential shops and businesses...

Players at Barcelona and Real Madrid started to undergo coronavirus tests on Wednesday as La Liga clubs planned to return to restricted training ahead of the proposed resumption of the season next month. Barca captain Lionel Messi and France international Antoine Griezmann were among...

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Wednesday that financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund was "mandatory" for an economic recovery, as the country sinks deeper into financial turmoil. Lebanon is in the thick of its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war,...

Iran warned of a "rising trend" in its coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday as it said 1,680 new infections took its overall caseload beyond the 100,000 mark. The Islamic republic has struggled to contain the Middle East's deadliest COVID-19 outbreak since announcing its first cases in...