World

Spanish airline suspends flights to Colombia due to fuel cost hike

MADRID, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish airline Plus Ultra announced on Thursday that it is suspending flights to Colombia due to the "unprecedented increase in the cost of aviation fuel," caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

World

Russian GDP falls 0.5 pct in Q1: central bank

MOSCOW, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 0.5 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2026, lower than previous forecast, the Bank of Russia said Thursday.

Motorsport

Motor racing-IndyCar T-shirt withdrawn after slogan causes outrage

May 7 (Reuters) - IndyCar ⁠has withdrawn a T-shirt from its online store ⁠after some fans objected to language they said ‌could be interpreted as white-supremacist, a misstep for the Washington Grand Prix event intended to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

World

Tunisian court sentences journalist Zied Heni to one year in prison

May ⁠7 (Reuters) - A ⁠Tunisian court sentenced ‌the prominent reporter Zied Heni to ​one year ⁠prison on ⁠Thursday, after he ⁠criticized ‌a judicial ⁠ruling, his lawyer told ​Reuters.

World

Xinhua releases report on China's cultural consciousness in advancing high-quality development

ATHENS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, released a report titled "The Theory of Cultural Empowerment: China's Cultural Consciousness in Marching Toward High-Quality Development" on Thursday.

World

Forum held in Athens to mark 20 years of China-Greece comprehensive strategic partnership

ATHENS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A forum on intercultural dialogue and mutual learning among civilizations to mark the 20th anniversary of the China-Greece comprehensive strategic partnership was held here on Thursday.

World

Zelenskiy says Russian war commemoration ceasefire shows 'strange logic'

May 7 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said ⁠on Thursday that Russia's proclamation of a limited ceasefire for its World War Two commemorations ⁠exposed the "strange and inappropriate" logic of its leaders.

World

Insurgents kill dozens, including civilians, in central Mali attacks, sources say

DAKAR/BAMAKO, May 7 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda-linked insurgents attacked ⁠two villages in central Mali on Wednesday night, killing around 50 people, including members of pro-government self-defence forces ⁠and civilians, three sources told Reuters on Thursday.

Football

Soccer-Brighton head coach Huerzeler agrees contract extension until 2029

LONDON, May 7 (Reuters) - Brighton and ⁠Hove Albion have moved to ward off potential suitors for ⁠head coach Fabian Huerzeler by agreeing a contract extension with the ‌German until June 2029.

World

Cruise ship hantavirus outbreak not start of pandemic: WHO

GENEVA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that the deadly hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius in the Atlantic did not mark the beginning of a COVID-like pandemic.

World

Two individuals evacuated from hantavirus-hit ship confirmed infected in Netherlands

THE HAGUE, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Two of the three individuals evacuated from Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius have tested positive for hantavirus in the Netherlands, Dutch medical institutions confirmed on Thursday.

World

ASEAN foreign ministers reaffirm regional unity ahead of bloc summit

MANILA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- ASEAN foreign ministers convened in Cebu, the Philippines, on Thursday for a high-level meeting, discussing pressing regional priorities and the bloc's long-term community-building, according to an official press release.

World

Police launch rescue operation after 6 students kidnapped in central Nigeria

ABUJA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian police on Thursday said a rescue operation has been launched after a group of armed men attacked a dormitory of the Nasarawa State University and abducted at least six students in Nigeria's central region.

World

Joint patrol of BiH, Croatia foils migrant smuggling attempt

SARAJEVO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A joint patrol by border police of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Croatia prevented an attempt to smuggle eight migrants across the border, the BiH Border Police said Thursday.

World

Hong Kong to build global commodities, gold trading hub

HONG KONG, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said on Thursday that Hong Kong will build a global commodities and gold trading hub, with national policy support, rising Asian demand and reshaped global trade and supply chains providing the backdrop.

World

(Special for CAFS) Nigeria, Ghana strengthen anti-drug cooperation against regional cartels

ABUJA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria and Ghana have agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating drug trafficking through a new partnership targeting criminal cartels operating across West Africa and beyond, according to Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Cycling

Motorcycling-Superbike rider dies in North West 200 qualifying

May 7 (Reuters) - ⁠A Superbike rider died after ⁠a crash in Thursday's qualifying at ‌the North West 200 event in Northern Ireland, organisers said.

Children

Starchild: Why Malaysian kids celebrate their mothers on Mothers Day

Here are the drawings by Starchild readers on the topic, Mothers Day.

Football

Soccer-No room for sentiment as Rice targets Arsenal win at West Ham

LONDON, May 7 (Reuters) - Arsenal's Declan Rice will ⁠park any sentiment in the dressing room when he returns to West Ham United on Sunday knowing a win would put the ⁠visitors within touching distance of the Premier League title and could leave his old side staring at relegation.

Other Sports

Olympics-No summer sports at the 2030 Winter Olympics, says IOC

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, May ⁠7 (Reuters) - There will be no summer sports at ⁠the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French ‌Alps, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday, with any potential crossover to come after that date.