Brazil superstar Neymar was handed a dramatic recall to the country's World Cup squad on Monday, returning to the national team after a near three-year absence.
Arsenal are on the brink of ending a 22-year wait to win the Premier League after beating Burnley 1-0 on Monday to open up a five-point lead at the top.
Global stock markets were mixed Monday and oil prices rose while investors digested shifting developments in the Middle East as US President Donald Trump said he postponed a planned attack on Iran at the request of Gulf leaders.
Politics
Cuba's leader warned Monday of a "bloodbath" in the event of an American attack, while the US Treasury sanctioned Cuba's main intelligence agency and top leaders as tensions spiked between the arch-foes.
May 18, 2026
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Stock markets diverged Monday as investors worried about borrowing costs, while oil prices rose as US President Donald Trump ratcheted up pressure on Iran.
May 18, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was slightly higher last week, returning to levels in line with the average recorded since the start of the Middle East conflict after hitting a wartime low.
May 18, 2026
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialist party suffered a beating in regional elections in Andalusia over the weekend, extending a series of local poll losses ahead of next year's general election.
May 18, 2026
One of Indian billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani's companies will pay the United States $275 million to settle a probe into whether it violated Washington's sanctions against Iran, the US Treasury said in a statement on Monday.
May 18, 2026
Economy
Europeans are choosing to vacation closer to home as the war in the Middle East has amplified security concerns and made long-haul flights more expensive.
May 18, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Britain's ruling Labour party on Monday revisited the divisive wounds of Brexit, after a senior figure hoping to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for the country to rejoin the European Union.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele needs treatment for a right calf issue, the French club said Monday, ahead of the Champions League final against Arsenal later this month.
Roberto De Zerbi has urged his Tottenham team to play with "courage and pride" as they seek to secure Premier League survival in Tuesday's match at Chelsea.
A cruise ship that sparked global alarm after a deadly outbreak of hantavirus ended its voyage by docking in Rotterdam harbour Monday, with the skeleton crew facing weeks of quarantine.
May 18, 2026
Sports
The 2028 Tour de France will embark from Reims in the French champagne region, organisers ASO revealed on Monday.
May 18, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Dogs will be allowed on one of the normally tightly controlled beaches in Cannes that was renamed Monday after late film legend-turned-animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot.
Oil prices turned lower in afternoon trading Monday and stock markets advanced after an Iranian media report said US officials had agreed to suspend sanctions against its crude while talks on ending the war continue.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic announced Monday a preliminary 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup, to be led by veteran Luka Modric, the key architect of the country's historic success in recent years.
Iran's football team arrived in Turkey on Monday for a training camp and to complete visa applications ahead of the 2026 World Cup, AFP correspondents said.
May 18, 2026
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