News

While Trump hesitates, Israel hopes for a resumption of the war with Iran ■ Hezbollah has identified an IDF vulnerability – and questions are also arising in the units themselves about operations in Lebanon ■ IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has moved to instill discipline but has kept silent about transgressions in the West Bank

The opposition is preparing for what it sees as the very real possibility that Netanyahu will refuse to recognize the election results if he loses ■ Likud officials close to the prime minister realize he'll need to bring in some reinforcements to win ■ President Herzog will have to be highly creative to free Netanyahu the defendant from his trial – and to free Israelis from him

Vandaag in Dagkoers: Nederlandse economie groeit maar nét, centrale banken laten beleidsrente ongewijzigd en paradepaardje Honda verliest grip op de Japanse auto-industrie.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday upheld the Capital Development Authority (CDA) decision, canceling lease of iconic skyscraper One Constitution Avenue owing to the multi-billion rupees default. IHC Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar announced the decision on the appeals filed by M/s BNP (Private) Limited and the occupants of flats in the skyscraper. The court in February this year had reserved its verdict in the high-profile case concerning the cancellation of the lease of Grand Hyatt building located in the Red Zone near Constitution Avenue. Counsel for the CDA Kashif Ali Malik advanced arguments on behalf of the civic agency. IHC in February this year had reserved the verdict in the high-profile case The case pertains to the controversial five-star hotel project, which was awarded to BNP Group nearly two decades ago. However, instead of functioning as a five-star hotel, it was converted into residential apartments and commercial areas. Apartments in the building were also repor...

The US Senate unanimously passed a rule banning members and staff from prediction markets, with a similar resolution set to be introduced in the House. The US Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution banning its members and staff, who are often exposed to sensitive information, from using prediction markets. The resolution, passed by unanimous consent, changed the Senate's rules and took immediate effect.  “Engaging in any way in a prediction market or trying to place bets where we might have inside information deteriorates the confidence that our constituents have in us,” Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, who introduced the resolution, said on the Senate floor. Read more

• Rs6.59 rise in petrol, Rs19.39 hike in diesel prices implemented with IMF concurrence • PM extends fuel subsidy for motorcyclists, transport sector by a month • Pakistan on track to meet Rs1.47tr petroleum levy target • May face $10-68bn fallout from ME crisis, NA panel told ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday raised petrol and diesel prices while simultaneously extending fuel subsidies for motorcyclists and the transport sector, seeking to cushion the impact of rising global oil costs on vulnerable consumers. With the concurrence of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Shehbaz Sharif government has increased the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs6.51 and Rs19.39 per litre, respectively, with immediate effect for the week ending May 8. During a virtual meeting on Thursday, the IMF was informed that Pakistan was well placed to achieve its petroleum levy target of Rs1.468 trillion, as collections over 10 months had already exceeded the target for 11 months. The two sides agreed to keep the primary bala...

Spot Bitcoin ETF outflows reached $490 million as crypto investors considered the impact of high oil prices, Big Tech earnings and a shortfall in AI industry growth metrics. Key takeaways: Bitcoin (BTC) faced three consecutive days of outflows from US-listed spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The outflows coincided with a failed attempt to reclaim $78,000. Traders fear more downside, but heightened US inflation will likely act as a catalyst for further bullish momentum. Read more

The Agent Cards launched to a select group of businesses on Thursday, with a limited number of additional companies set to gain access over the next two months. Crypto wallet startup Oobit has launched a Visa-supported virtual card for AI agents to make online purchases in USDT on behalf of businesses without human intervention. The Agent Cards are funded directly from stablecoin issuer Tether’s treasury, meaning no fiat on-ramp or conversions are needed for AI agents to top up USDt (USDT) balances and make online purchases, Oobit said on Thursday. The Tether-backed startup said the AI agents could use the cards to do anything from renewing a software-as-a-service subscription to topping up an advertising budget or even “spinning up cloud infrastructure at 3am because a workflow told it to.”  Read more

Germany is the U.S. military’s largest footprint in Europe, with some 35,000 active-duty military personnel, and serves as a key training hub.

Războiul din Ucraina a transformat industria de apărare a Suediei într-unul dintre cele mai dinamice centre de producție de armament din Europa, o schimbare vizibilă mai ales în orașul nordic Ornskoldsvik, unde se află producătorul de vehicule blindate Hagglunds.

De Verenigde Staten dringen aan op rechtstreekse gesprekken tussen Libanon en Israël. ‘Libanon staat op een kruispunt. De bevolking heeft een historische kans om het land terug te winnen en de toekomst vorm te geven als een werkelijk soevereine, onafhankelijke natie’, aldus de Amerikaanse ambassade in Beiroet op X. Volg alle ontwikkelingen in het Midden-Oosten in ons liveblog.

В ночь на 1 мая российские оккупационные войска нанесли удар по Одессе, в результате чего вспыхнул пожар в жилой 16-этажке.

Moralul angajaților români este la pământ după trei ani în care au încercat să țină pasul cu sarcinile multiple primite la job, fără să fie recompensați pe măsură, în condițiile în care inflația a erodat creșterile salariale, scăzând semnificativ puterea de cumpărare.

Diego Maradona leed, naast zijn verslavingen, aan een ‘bipolaire stoornis’ en aan een ‘narcistische persoonlijkheidsstoornis’. Dat heeft zijn psycholoog Carlos Díaz donderdag gezegd in het proces tegen het medische team van de in 2020 overleden Argentijnse voetballegende.

Cele două federații sindicale din învățământul preuniversitar au inițiat consultarea membrilor în teritoriu. Până pe 8 mai, profesorii trebuie să anunțe dacă sunt de acord cu declanșarea grevei generale în 25 mai, precedată de greva de avertisment în 18 mai.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that thanks to the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, 2,126 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia have been returned home.

The four-star officers who lead U.S. military commands have all requested the support of amphibious ready groups and Marine Expeditionary Units.

Ziua de 1 Mai și-a pierdut, în mare măsură, sensul și simbolistica inițială. Dacă astăzi este asociată mai ales cu grătare, mici și ieșiri în aer liber, 1 Mai a fost, la origine, un simbol al luptei pentru drepturile muncitorilor, marcat prin marșuri, mitinguri și proteste.

В ночь на 1 мая ударные беспилотники в очередной раз атаковали нефтеперерабатывающий завод в Туапсе, Краснодарского края РФ.