NEWS

Black smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday, indicating that the first round of voting in the Vatican conclave did not produce a new pope, Anadolu Agency reported. The conclave, attended by 133 cardinal electors, began following the…

Global temperatures stayed at near-record highs in April, extending an unprecedented heat streak, Arab News reported citing the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Despite expectations that warming would ease after the fading of last year’s El Niño, temperatures have remained…

Food rations for one million refugees in Uganda have been completely cut amid a severe funding crisis at the UN World Food Programme (WFP), The Guardian reported. The agency urgently requires $50 million to support refugees fleeing conflicts in the…

Brazil faces a growing public health crisis as scorpion stings surged 250% from 2014 to 2023, with 1.1 million incidents reported, The Guardian reported. Researchers warn rapid urbanization and climate change are fueling the invasion, with 200,000 stings and 133…

President Donald Trump’s plan to recognize the Persian Gulf as the “Arabian Gulf” during his Saudi Arabia visit has ignited a firestorm in Iran, threatening to escalate tensions amid delicate nuclear talks, The Guardian reported. The move, seen as a…

Israeli airstrikes targeted southern Lebanon’s Nabatiyeh region on Thursday, killing one person and wounding eight, Arab News reported. The Israeli military stated it struck Hezbollah “infrastructure” used to coordinate attacks, including tunnels and weapons sites, calling the operation a response…

New 2024 marriage data reveals a striking divide: Muslim-majority countries maintain nearly double the EU’s marriage rates, with religious values outweighing economic factors in shaping marital trends. Turkey (8.1 marriages/1,000 people) and Malaysia (7.9) led Muslim-majority nations in 2024, far…

Indian forces launched missile strikes into Pakistan’s Bahawalpur region early Wednesday, hitting civilian areas including two mosques and killing at least three people, Mehr News reported. The attack left 12 others wounded, with victims including a child, as confirmed by…

The UAE has unveiled a bold strategy to more than double its Islamic banking assets and expand halal exports globally, The National reported. Approved by the Cabinet and announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the plan targets increasing Islamic bank…

UNICEF Iran and the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) have launched a joint initiative to safeguard early childhood education (ECE) during emergencies, targeting Iran’s disaster-prone regions, UNICEF website reported. As Asia’s fourth most vulnerable country to natural disasters, Iran faces…