ISTANBUL: One of the border crossings between Turkey and Syria is to reopen on Tuesday, ending a 12-year closure, local officials said Monday.&nbsp;The reopening of the Akcakale crossing, which sits roughly in the middle of Turkey&#39;s 900-kilometre (550-mile) border with Syria, is the latest step in Damascus&#39;s move towards normalization with its neighbors.&nbsp;It was partially reopened in 2019 for trade, funerals and the crossing of government officials after a Turkish military operations.&nbsp;The decision will now mean the crossing is open to civilians.&nbsp;&quot;In light of the normalisation of life in the region... entry and exit procedures using passports to and from the Syrian Arab Republic via the Akcakale Land Border Crossing will start on Tuesday,&quot; the Sanliurfa governor&#39;s office said in a statement.&nbsp;The move will mean six of the 12 crossings between Turkey and Syria will be open.&nbsp;Turkey has forged close ties with Syria&#39;s new rulers, with President Ahmed al-Sharaa joining a diplomacy forum in Turkey&#39;s southern Antalya resort in April.

Middle East

Turkey will reopen the Akcakale border crossing with Syria to civilians on Tuesday, ending a 12-year closure. The move increases the number of operational crossings between the two countries to six, reflecting improving ties between Ankara and Damascus.

Turkey-Syria border gate to reopen after 12-year closure

PARIS: Here is a roundup of which countries have confirmed or probable cases of nationals infected by hantavirus after the outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius, according to the World Health Organization. Eight cases have been confirmed and two are listed as &quot;probable&quot;, according to the UN&#39;s top health body and certain national health authorities, with citizens of six countries affected. Three people have died, with two of those confirmed as having hantavirus and one probable case. Other suspected cases and potential close contacts of infected people are being investigated, according to health authorities. NetherlandsTwo Dutch people from the ship have died from the virus and one has been confirmed to have contracted the virus. A Dutch couple who had travelled around South America before boarding the ship in Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1 were the first fatalities. The husband, 70, showed symptoms on April 6 and died on April 11. His body was taken off the ship during its April 22-24 call at Saint Helena, an island in the south Atlantic. No hantavirus test was carried out and he is considered a &quot;probable case&quot;, according to the WHO. His 69-year-old wife also left the ship at Saint Helena, feeling unwell. Her health deteriorated during an April 25 flight to Johannesburg and she died in hospital a day later, with hantavirus confirmed on May 4. The third Dutch case was the ship&#39;s doctor, who reported symptoms on April 30. A test showed him positive for the Andes strain of the virus on May 6. He was evacuated to the Netherlands the same day after the ship stopped off Cape Verde, and was stable while being treated in isolation. BritainTwo British nationals have been confirmed as infected, and one is classed as a &quot;probable&quot; case. One British man became ill on April 24 with signs of fever and pneumonia and was evacuated three days later from the Atlantic island of Ascension to South Africa, where he was placed in intensive care. Hantavirus was confirmed in his case on May 2 and the Andes strain was confirmed through sequencing. A second British man working as a guide on the ship reported symptoms on April 27 and tested positive on May 6. He was evacuated to the Netherlands on May 7 from Cape Verde and was stable while being treated in isolation. A third British man left the Hondius on April 14 on the South Atlantic Archipelago of Tristan da Cunha and was treated in isolation there. He reported symptoms on April 28. The WHO listed him as a &quot;probable case&quot; pending laboratory results. British paratroopers and medics parachuted onto the island to deliver urgent medical supplies for him, ministers said. GermanyA German woman who had a fever on April 28 and later developed pneumonia died on May 2 on board the ship. A post-mortem sample was sent to the Netherlands with the evacuated patients, where tests confirmed infection by the Andes virus. Her body remained on board the Hondius, which was due to leave for the Netherlands from the Spanish island of Tenerife late Monday. SwitzerlandA Swiss man disembarked from the Hondius in St Helena on April 22 and flew to Switzerland on April 27 via South Africa and Qatar. He started suffering symptoms on May 1 after arrival in Switzerland. He was treated in isolation and tested positive for the Andes virus on May 5. FranceA French woman repatriated from the Hondius felt unwell late on May 10 and tested positive for hantavirus, France&#39;s Health Minister Stephanie Rist said. United StatesOne of 17 American citizens repatriated from the ship tested &quot;mildly PCR positive&quot; for the virus, while another had &quot;mild symptoms&quot;, the US Department of Health and Human Services said on May 10.

Americas

Europe

Eight cases have been confirmed, and two are listed as "probable", according to the UN's top health body and certain national health authorities, with citizens of six countries affected.

Hantavirus: What we know about confirmed cases by nationality

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday met with the US Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires Natalie Baker in Islamabad to discuss the evolving regional situation. During the meeting, the two sides discussed broader bilateral ties between Pakistan and the United States, according to a statement from the foreign office. FM Dar expressed hope that the &ldquo;ongoing diplomatic efforts would contribute to peace and stability&rdquo; in the region, which has been impacted by the US-Israel war on Iran. The foreign minister also appreciated Washington&rsquo;s assistance in the &ldquo;repatriation of Pakistani and Iranian seafarers through Singapore,&rdquo; said the statement. Later the same day, Dar also spoke with the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the regional situation and matters of mutual interest. The Saudi Foreign Minister appreciated Pakistan&rsquo;s constructive role and reiterated support for Islamabad&rsquo;s efforts aimed at promoting regional peace and stability. &ldquo;Both leaders also exchanged views on the importance of safeguarding maritime security, including in the Strait of Hormuz, and agreed to remain in close contact on regional and international developments,&rdquo; the statement added. Pakistan continues to facilitate and mediate diplomatic efforts between US and Iran as which stands on a ceasefire at the request of Islamabad.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker discuss regional tensions, bilateral ties, and diplomatic efforts linked to the Iran ceasefire.

FM Dar expresses hope for a ‘peaceful and stable’ region

ISLAMABAD: China&#39;s Foreign Office on Monday said that US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping will exchange views on major issues related to bilateral relations and world peace. In a statement on X, the foreign office said that President Xi will exchange views with President Trump during the latter&#39;s state visit to China from May 13 to 15. According to the statement, China and the US &ldquo;need to expand&rdquo; cooperation and manage differences in the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit, and provide more stability and certainty in a transforming and volatile world. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2053766432610210214&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c057ad8210b577d367c5a215d5a1554ad442b12d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 964px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div> </div>During his visit, Trump will attend a state banquet on Thursday evening, AP reported, citing White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, and then have tea and a working lunch with Xi on Friday before leaving.&nbsp; The two leaders will discuss creating a new Board of Trade to keep their countries talking about economic issues and to promote key industries such as energy, aerospace and agriculture, AP reported.

Asia

President Xi and President Trump will exchange views during the latter's state visit to China from May 13 to 15.

China, US to exchange views on ‘major issues’ during Trump visit

SARAJEVO: A Bosnian court on Monday jailed a Bosnian Serb for 15 years for the killing of five Muslims during the Balkan nation&#39;s 1990s war. Dusko Zoric, a 55-year-old extradited by Germany last year, was found guilty by Bosnia&#39;s state court of crimes against humanity during the 1992-95 conflict, which left about 100,000 people dead. At least 69 Bosnian Muslims, half of them women and children, were killed by Bosnian Serb forces in the village of Zecovi, near Prijedor, a Bosnian Serb-majority city, in July 1992. Prijedor is notorious for the creation of the Omarska, Keraterm and Trnopolje detention camps -- collectively known as the &quot;Triangle of Horror&quot; -- where around 6,000 people, mainly Bosnian Muslims and Croatians -- were killed by Bosnian forces between April and August 1992. Judge Saban Maksumic said the five men killed by Zoric had just been arrested in their homes in the village. The defendant, who was 21 at the time, killed them with an automatic rifle on a roadside. Maksumic said Zoric&#39;s involvement had been proved &quot;beyond all reasonable doubt&quot;. Zoric was acquitted however of charges of taking part in the killing two days later of about 30 women and children who were hiding in two houses in Zecovi. A survivor of the massacre, aged 15 at the time, identified Zoric, but the judge said there was no definitive proof. Five other Bosnian Serbs were jailed for between five and 20 years in 2023 for the massacre.

Bosnia’s state court sentenced Bosnian Serb Dusko Zoric to 15 years for killing five Muslim men during the 1992 Zecovi massacre near Prijedor.

Bosnian Serb jailed for wartime killing of Muslims

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday summoned the Afghan Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires and delivered a strong demarche to the Afghan Taliban regime over the deadly terrorist attack on the Fateh Khel Police Post in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province&rsquo;s Bannu district. According to a statement by the Foreign Office, the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack, carried out on May 9 by terrorists belonging to as Fitna al-Khwarij, martyred 15 police constables and injured four others, including a civilian. Pakistan uses the term &ldquo;Kharjis&rdquo; to refer to the proscribed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella network of terrorists groups. The ministry said a detailed investigation, supported by evidence and technical intelligence, indicated that the attack was masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan. Pakistan conveyed its grave concern over the continued use of Afghan soil for terrorist activities against Pakistan and warned that it reserved the right to respond decisively against those responsible for the &ldquo;barbaric act.&rdquo; The Foreign Office said the Afghan Taliban had been reminded of their commitment not to allow Afghan territory to be used for terrorism against other countries. It added that the continued presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and the permissive environment enabling their operations had been documented in reports by the United Nations Monitoring Team and other international organizations. Pakistan also urged the Afghan Taliban regime to take &ldquo;concrete and verifiable action&rdquo; against Fitna-al-Khwarij, Fitna al-Hindustan, and ISKP/Daesh elements allegedly operating from Afghan soil. According to the statement, Pakistan had engaged constructively with the Afghan Taliban through several rounds of talks mediated by friendly countries, but the Afghan side had failed to deliver meaningful and verifiable action against terrorist outfits. The Foreign Office reiterated that Pakistan would not compromise on its national security or the safety of its citizens if terrorist groups continued to find sanctuary across the border.&nbsp;Saddened by the tragic eventsUS Embassy in Islamabad conveyed its steadfast commitment to &ldquo;cooperate with Pakistani partners&rdquo; in confronting terrorism whereever it emerges, said in a post on its X.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are deeply saddened by the tragic events in Bannu. Our hearts are with the Government and people of Pakistan, KP police, and the family and friends of the victims,&rdquo; the statement added. The embassy added that Pakistan&#39;s citizens deserve security, peace, and a future &ldquo;unburdened by the scourge of terrorist violence.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;Iran condemnationIran &ldquo;strongly&rdquo; condemned the &quot;hideous and awkward terrorist attack&quot; on the Fateh Khel police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa&rsquo;s Bannu district. In a statement on his X, the Iran&rsquo;s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri&nbsp;extended his &quot;sincere and deepest condolences&quot; and sympathy to the government, police and people of Pakistan, particularly to the bereaved families. &ldquo;Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones. we pray for the safe and speedy recovery of the injured,&rdquo; the statement added.

Police officials and relatives offer funeral prayers for security personnel following a car bombing attack by Fitna al-Khwarij in the Fateh Khel area of Pakistan's Bannu on May 10, 2026. (File photo: AFP)

The Foreign Office says the Afghan Taliban have been reminded of their commitment not to allow Afghan territory to be used for terrorism against other countries.

Pakistan issues demarche to Afghan Taliban over Bannu attack

LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday that he would introduce legislation to nationalize Chinese-owned British Steel, after the government took control of the company last year.&nbsp;&quot;Legislation will be brought forward this week to give the government powers... to take full national ownership of British Steel,&quot; Starmer said in a speech aimed at resetting his leadership after disastrous local elections.&nbsp;The country&#39;s last factory that can make steel from scratch faced imminent closure last year after its Chinese owner Jingye said the plant was no longer financially viable.&nbsp;After unsuccessful negotiations with the company, the UK government passed emergency legislation to prevent the struggling plant&#39;s blast furnaces from going out.&nbsp;Since then, &quot;it has not been possible to agree a commercial sale with the current owner,&quot; the government said in a statement on Monday.&nbsp;&quot;The government believes introducing legislation to provide a route to public ownership is the appropriate next step,&quot; it said, adding that the move remained subject to a public interest test.&nbsp;Nationalization would bring British Steel back into government ownership for the first time since 1988.&nbsp;The government has seen the possible closure of the plant in northern England as a threat to Britain&#39;s long-term economic security, given the decline of the UK&#39;s once-robust steel industry.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer talks during a visit to the Kenton district of London on April 23, 2026. (File photo: AFP)

Starmer says Labour government would rebuild ties with Europe in a key speech aimed at resetting his leadership after disastrous local elections.

UK PM vows to put 'Britain at the heart of Europe'

ISLAMABAD: Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have found an ancient galaxy that is not spinning, surprising scientists who study how galaxies form, Space Daily reported on Sunday. The galaxy, called XMM-VID1-2075, existed when the universe was less than 2 billion years old. That makes it extremely old and distant from Earth.&nbsp; According to University of California-Davis (UC Davis) researchers, early galaxies are expected to rotate because gas flowing into them, combined with gravity, usually sets them spinning.&nbsp; But this galaxy showed no clear sign of rotation. Instead, its stars and material appear to move in a more random way. That pattern is normally seen in very large, older galaxies closer to Earth, which have had billions of years to change through repeated collisions and mergers.&nbsp; Ben Forrest, a UC Davis research scientist and lead author of the study published in Nature Astronomy, said the finding was surprising because the galaxy had reached this slow-moving state so early in cosmic history, according to his paper published in Nature Astronomy journal. The galaxy is also unusually massive for its age, with several times more stars than the Milky Way, and it had already stopped forming new stars.&nbsp; The team studied XMM-VID1-2075 and two other ancient galaxies using Webb&rsquo;s powerful instruments. One galaxy was clearly rotating, another looked disorganized, and XMM-VID1-2075 showed no rotation at all.&nbsp; The James Webb telescope made this possible because such faraway galaxies appear tiny and are very difficult to study from the ground.&nbsp; Scientists think one possible explanation is a major collision between two galaxies spinning in opposite directions. Such a crash could have canceled out much of the rotation.&nbsp; The researchers also noticed extra light to one side of the galaxy, which may point to another object interacting with it.&nbsp; The discovery matters because it gives astronomers a new way to test ideas about how galaxies grew in the young universe.&nbsp; Researchers now plan to search for more examples.&nbsp; Finding out whether XMM-VID1-2075 is unusual or part of a wider pattern could help scientists better understand how today&rsquo;s galaxies came to be.

Gadgets

Astronomers using the James Webb Telescope discovered an ancient, massive galaxy without rotation, challenging current theories of galaxy formation and suggesting early cosmic collisions may have shaped its unusual structure.

James Webb telescope spots mysterious non-rotating early galaxy

ISLAMABAD: Taliban intelligence forces raided the offices of Afghanistan&rsquo;s largest private media group on Sunday after its news outlet reported that two of its journalists had been detained, Afghanistan International reported, citing sources.&nbsp; Around 50 armed intelligence personnel surrounded the headquarters of Moby Group and its news channel TOLOnews in Kabul&rsquo;s Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood for more than six hours, the news website reported. The operation reportedly began roughly 40 minutes after TOLOnews posted on social media at about 1pm local time that two of its journalists had been detained by Taliban intelligence agents. The journalists were identified as Mansoor Niazi, a presenter and host of political programs, and Imran Danish, head of the network&rsquo;s political section. Niazi was reportedly detained on Thursday in Kabul&rsquo;s Karte Seh area, while Danish was taken into custody Saturday evening near the TOLOnews office. The report said Taliban intelligence agents confiscated the mobile phones of employees working for TOLOnews and other Moby Group outlets, including TOLO TV, Lemar TV, Arman FM and Arakozia FM. Employees were placed under surveillance throughout the operation. Several staff members were reportedly assaulted, and female employees were subjected to harsh treatment, the report said, citing sources. Women were allowed to leave around 7pm, while male staff remained under supervision for about another an hour. Danish was brought to the office during the raid and later taken away again after searches and inspections were completed. Neither Moby Group nor Taliban officials have publicly commented on the reasons for the raid. TOLOnews resumed posting on social media at around 8pm after an unusual nine-hour period of inactivity. In one apparent sign of coercion, the media report, citing sources maintained that Taliban intelligence agents took control of Niazi&rsquo;s account on X. A message posted Sunday morning said reports about his detention were false and that he was at home. The incident came days after Taliban intelligence detained Ahmad Jawed Niazi, head of Paigard News Agency. His whereabouts and condition remain unknown. The Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization confirmed the detention of the TOLOnews journalists and said no private media outlet in Afghanistan is safe from arbitrary harassment and detention. Recently, Faridullah Mohammadi, director of TOLOnews, said at a meeting in the Taliban presidential palace that the &ldquo;relative freedom&rdquo; of the media in Afghanistan was unprecedented in the region. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have detained, threatened and imprisoned dozens of journalists, prompting repeated warnings from media rights groups over the deteriorating state of press freedom in Afghanistan. At least five journalists have remained in Taliban custody over the past year, according to media reports. They include Hamid Farhadi, Aziz Watanwal, Shakib Ahmad Nazari, Mohammad Bashir Hatef and Abuzar Sarem Sarpoli.&nbsp; Afghanistan International reported that at least two detained journalists have been transferred to Bagram Prison.

Kabul skyline - (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Afghanistan

Taliban intelligence raids Moby Group’s Kabul headquarters after TOLOnews reported the detention of two journalists, underscoring escalating pressure on independent media in Afghanistan.

Taliban besiege TOLOnews offices following detention of journalists

TOKYO: Oil prices rose on Monday after US President Donald Trump rejected Iran&#39;s terms for ending the war in the Middle East, while stocks were mixed. Trump&#39;s repudiation of Iran&#39;s response to his latest peace proposal raised the likelihood of further violence and disruptions to oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. &quot;I have just read the response from Iran&#39;s so-called &#39;Representatives.&#39; I don&#39;t like it &mdash; TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!&quot; said Trump, who is due in China this week where the war will likely loom large in discussions. &quot;We did not demand any concessions. The only thing we demanded was Iran&#39;s legitimate rights,&quot; Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday. Iran wants &quot;an end to the war&quot; and to the US naval blockade, and the &quot;release of assets belonging to the Iranian people, which have for years been unjustly trapped in foreign banks&quot;, he said. &quot;President Trump&#39;s swift rejection of these counter-demands underscores the wide gulf between both sides, pointing to a risk of prolonged uncertainty rather than rapid de-escalation,&quot; said Lloyd Chan at Japanese bank MUFG. &quot;For oil markets, this suggests a persistent geopolitical risk premium as Hormuz disruptions drag on,&quot; Chan said. Oil came off earlier highs and Asian stocks were mixed, with Tokyo closing half a percent lower and Hong Kong little changed but Seoul was up 4.3%, boosted by tech stocks. In Tokyo, Nintendo shares plunged almost 10% after the Japanese gaming giant warned Friday of lower profits this year and said it would hike the price of its Switch 2 console. In Europe Frankfurt and Paris started lower but London eked out early gains. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was due in Japan and South Korea before heading to China for Trump&#39;s high-stakes summit with President Xi Jinping. &quot;China is willing to work with the United States in the spirit of equality, respect, and mutual benefit, to expand cooperation, manage differences, and inject more stability and certainty into a volatile and intertwined world,&quot; China&#39;s foreign ministry said Monday.

A man walks past an electronic quotation board displaying the Nikkei 225 stock prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange along a street in Tokyo on May 11, 2026. (AFP)

Banking

Oil prices rise after President Donald Trump rejects Iran’s conditions to end the Middle East conflict, increasing fears of prolonged instability and possible disruptions to crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Turkey-Syria border gate to reopen after 12-year closure

Latest News

Hantavirus: What we know about confirmed cases by nationality

Turkey-Syria border gate to reopen after 12-year closure

FM Dar expresses hope for a ‘peaceful and stable’ region

China, US to exchange views on ‘major issues’ during Trump visit

Bosnian Serb jailed for wartime killing of Muslims