Best reads<\/p>\n
Message from the Editor<\/p>\n
![\"Ruadhan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778225771_300_O4NJECCKSVBETH7XC64SI52AQY.jpg\")
Irish Times Editor Ruadh\u00e1n Mac Cormaic <\/p>\n
Thanks for reading. If you\u2019re interested in world news, The Irish Times has the largest network of foreign correspondents of any Irish news organisation. <\/p>\n
Our team provides sharp reporting, in-depth analysis and thought-provoking commentary. Receive our Global Briefing newsletter<\/a> in your inbox every morning to enjoy Denis Staunton\u2019s guide to understanding world events; what\u2019s happening, why it matters and how it affects you.<\/p>\n At The Irish Times, our journalism is free of any personal, political or commercial control. Unlike most publishers, we have no shareholders to satisfy, no media baron owner in the background telling us what we can and cannot publish.<\/p>\n We are owned by a Trust that mandates us to uphold a set of public-interest values. Those values describe a worldview that is outward-looking, tolerant, curious, interested in divergent views and attentive to the needs of minorities.<\/p>\n Our watchwords are fairness and accuracy. Our goal is to enable you to make informed and independent judgments. And any profit we make goes towards supporting our journalism. <\/p>\n Ruadh\u00e1n Mac Cormaic<\/p>\n Editor <\/p>\n To join Ireland\u2019s biggest community of news subscribers, sign up here<\/a><\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 21 minutes ago<\/p>\n Oil tanker arrived in South Korea after passing through Strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n An oil tanker that passed through the Strait of Hormuz arrived in South Korea on Friday \u2013 the first such vessel to reach the Asian nation by that route since Iran declared the critical waterway closed. <\/p>\n The arrival of the Malta-flagged Odessa, carrying one million barrels of crude oil, will likely ease Seoul\u2019s concerns over energy security as the war in the Middle East drags on. <\/p>\n The hulking vessel was spotted around 10am (1am Irish time) near a mooring facility off the coast of Seosan, AFP reports. <\/p>\n Its arrival is expected to help stabilise supply, securing crude equivalent to nearly half of South Korea\u2019s daily oil consumption, industry sources said. <\/p>\n Its cargo will undergo refining before being supplied to the market as petroleum products, including gasoline and diesel, the sources said. <\/p>\n The Odessa passed through the Hormuz strait on April 17th, a source said, during a brief reprieve in the blockade. – Guardian<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 56 minutes ago<\/p>\n Oil prices rise by two per cent<\/p>\n Oil prices climbed and stocks across Asia fell on Friday after the United States said it had struck Iranian military sites in retaliation for Iran firing on US warships in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil, rose two percent, to about $102 (\u20ac86.84) a barrel. – New York Times<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n Trump calls Iranian leaders \u2018lunatics\u2019 Iran\u2019s leadership has been branded \u201clunatics\u201d by Donald Trump after three US destroyers were targeted by missiles, drones and small boats in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n The US military said the \u201cunprovoked\u201d attacks were successfully intercepted and none of the warships were hit.<\/p>\n In response, strikes were carried out against the \u201cIranian military facilities responsible\u201d, including launch sites and command and control centres.<\/p>\n US headquarters said it did not seek escalation but \u201cremains positioned and ready to protect American forces\u201d.<\/p>\n Following the exchange, Trump warned Tehran that the US would \u201cknock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently\u201d if they did not sign a deal to end the conflict \u201cfast\u201d.<\/p>\n Iranian state media said the country\u2019s armed forces had exchanged fire with \u201cthe enemy\u201d on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, while explosions were also reported elsewhere.<\/p>\n Writing on his Truth Social platform, the US president said: \u201cThree World Class American Destroyers just transited, very successfully, out of the Strait of Hormuz, under fire.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was no damage done to the three Destroyers, but great damage done to the Iranian attackers. They were completely destroyed along with numerous small boats, which are being used to take the place of their fully decapitated Navy.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cA normal country would have allowed these Destroyers to pass, but Iran is not a normal country.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are led by LUNATICS, and if they had the chance to use a Nuclear Weapon, they would do it, without question \u2013 But they\u2019ll never have that opportunity and, just like we knocked them out again today, we\u2019ll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don\u2019t get their deal signed, FAST!\u201d – PA<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n UAE dealing with missile and drone attacks from Iran<\/p>\n \u062a\u062a\u0639\u0627\u0645\u0644 \u062d\u0627\u0644\u064a\u0627\u064b \u0627\u0644\u062f\u0641\u0627\u0639\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u062c\u0648\u064a\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0625\u0645\u0627\u0631\u0627\u062a\u064a\u0629 \u0645\u0639 \u0627\u0639\u062a\u062f\u0627\u0621\u0627\u062a \u0635\u0627\u0631\u0648\u062e\u064a\u0629 \u0648\u0637\u0627\u0626\u0631\u0627\u062a \u0645\u0633\u064a\u0631\u0629 \u0642\u0627\u062f\u0645\u0629 \u0645\u0646 \u0627\u064a\u0631\u0627\u0646 \u0648\u062a\u0624\u0643\u062f \u0648\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u062f\u0641\u0627\u0639 \u0623\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0627\u0635\u0648\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0633\u0645\u0648\u0639\u0629 \u0641\u064a \u0645\u0646\u0627\u0637\u0642 \u0645\u062a\u0641\u0631\u0642\u0629 \u0645\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u062f\u0648\u0644\u0629 \u0647\u064a \u0646\u062a\u064a\u062c\u0629 \u062a\u0639\u0627\u0645\u0644 \u0645\u0646\u0638\u0648\u0645\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u062f\u0641\u0627\u0639\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u062c\u0648\u064a\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0625\u0645\u0627\u0631\u0627\u062a\u064a\u0629 \u0644\u0644\u0635\u0648\u0627\u0631\u064a\u062e \u0627\u0644\u0628\u0627\u0644\u064a\u0633\u062a\u064a\u0629\u060c \u0648\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0648\u0627\u0644\u0629 \u0648\u0627\u0644\u0637\u0627\u0626\u0631\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0633\u064a\u0631\u0629.<\/p>\n UAE Air Defences system\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/zXBJJUad1T<\/a><\/p>\n![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ICKSPSG4BEIOH27A6X26UM2DMY.jpg\")
President Donald Trump arrives to speak to reporters at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026. Photograph: Tom Brenner\/The New York Times<\/p>\n\n