GRANADILLA DE ABONA (SPAIN):&nbsp;An American national and a French woman evacuated from a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak have tested positive, health officials confirmed on Monday, as an international repatriation operation continued across several countries. According to French Health Minister Stephanie Rist, the French passenger began feeling unwell on Sunday night after returning to Paris from the Dutch-flagged cruise vessel MV Hondius. Medical tests later confirmed she had contracted the virus. Meanwhile, US health authorities said one American passenger had developed mild symptoms while another tested positive for the Andes virus, the only known strain of hantavirus capable of spreading between humans. The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has already claimed the lives of three passengers, including a Dutch couple and a German woman. Several other passengers also fell ill during the voyage. Hantavirus is a rare disease usually spread through contact with infected rodents. There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment available for the illness, which is considered endemic in parts of Argentina, where the cruise began its journey in April. Despite growing international concern, health authorities stressed that the overall risk to global public health remains low and rejected comparisons with the Covid-19 pandemic. French authorities said 22 additional contact cases involving French nationals were being monitored. These included passengers who travelled on flights between Saint Helena and Johannesburg, and between Johannesburg and Amsterdam. The Dutch woman who later died had reportedly travelled on the Johannesburg flight and briefly boarded a connecting flight to Amsterdam before being removed from the aircraft. Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said 94 people from 19 countries were evacuated from the ship on Sunday near Tenerife in Spain&rsquo;s Canary Islands. Most of the ship&rsquo;s nearly 150 passengers and crew members are expected to be repatriated through special flights to countries including Australia and the Netherlands. Passengers wearing blue medical protective suits were seen disembarking the vessel at the industrial port of Granadilla on Tenerife. The World Health Organization has recommended a 42-day quarantine period and active medical monitoring for exposed individuals. Countries have adopted different quarantine measures. Greece said one evacuee would remain in hospital isolation for 45 days, while Australia announced that six passengers would be quarantined at a special facility near Perth for at least three weeks. British authorities said 20 UK nationals from the ship would undergo testing and short-term quarantine near Liverpool. The MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia in Argentina on April 1 for a transatlantic cruise toward Cape Verde. The World Health Organization believes the first infection may have occurred before the voyage began, followed by human-to-human transmission aboard the ship. Spain on Monday said it is taking &quot;all measures&quot; to prevent hantavirus spread from those aboard the cruise ship.

Europe

Americas

An American and a French passenger tested positive after evacuation from a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, prompting international quarantines and a large-scale repatriation operation across several countries.

US, French nationals from hantavirus ship test positive

WASHINGTON: American passengers evacuated from a cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak will not necessarily be quarantined, a top US health official said Sunday. Jay Bhattacharya, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also urged the US public to remain calm about the hantavirus, saying: &quot;This is not Covid.&quot; The United States announced Friday that it would organize a repatriation flight for the 17 Americans aboard the MV Hondius, where three passengers have died and others have fallen sick. The ship has arrived in Spain&#39;s Canary Islands. The US passengers, all of whom are asymptomatic, will be taken to a specialized center in the rural state of Nebraska, but will not necessarily be quarantined there, Bhattacharya told CNN&#39;s &quot;State of the Union&quot; news program on Sunday. &quot;We&#39;re going to interview them and assess them for risk... if they have been in close contact with somebody who was symptomatic,&quot; he said. The biocontainment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center was activated ahead of the arrivals, with passengers &quot;expected to land in Omaha early Monday morning,&quot; spokesperson Kayla Thomas said in a statement. &quot;One passenger will be transported to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit upon arrival,&quot; Thomas said, because the person &quot;tested positive for the virus but (does) not have symptoms.&quot; The other passengers will go to the National Quarantine Unit for assessment and monitoring, Thomas added. Following this assessment and depending on the estimated risk, passengers will be allowed &quot;to stay in Nebraska if they&#39;d like, or if they want to go back home, and their home situation allows it, to safely drive them home without exposing other people on the way,&quot; Bhattacharya said. In either case, passengers will remain under observation for several weeks by health authorities to ensure they do not develop symptoms, he said, as happened with seven other Americans who left the ship earlier in the journey. According to the CDC, &quot;people are generally only contagious when they exhibit symptoms.&quot; Bhattacharya said the same protocol was followed during a 2018 outbreak &quot;of this exact strain of the hantavirus,&quot; which was successfully contained. Responding to criticism that there has been limited communication from US health authorities about the hantavirus risk six years after the Covid-19 pandemic he said the situations were not comparable. &quot;If the threat level were higher, then we would have obviously reacted differently,&quot; Bhattacharya said. &quot;This is not Covid,&quot; he said. &quot;We shouldn&#39;t be panicking when the evidence doesn&#39;t warrant it.&quot;

British Nationals, repatriated after a prolonged stay on a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, arrive by coach at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, north west England, on May 10, 2026, where they are expected to stay for up to 72 hours.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief says Americans evacuated from the MV Hondius after a deadly hantavirus outbreak are unlikely to face mandatory quarantine, stressing that the virus poses limited risk and 'is not Covid.'

Americans from virus-hit ship will not necessarily be quarantined: Official 

BEIRUT: More than half of Lebanon&#39;s population depends on humanitarian aid, a European Union official said on Friday, as Israel continues its attacks on the country despite a ceasefire in the two-month-long war with militant group Hezbollah. &quot;At present, more than three million people, meaning more than half of the population here in Lebanon, depend on humanitarian aid to survive,&quot; EU crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib told reporters after meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Beirut. Lahbib said that since the start of the war on March 2 the 27-member bloc has provided 100 million euros in aid and sent six planes carrying humanitarian aid, with a seventh expected on Saturday. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed more than 2,700 people and displaced over one million since early March, according to authorities. The UN launched an emergency appeal in March for $308 million in humanitarian aid for Lebanon, but in two months it has raised just $126 million, according to UN agencies. Lahbib, who said that the ceasefire has opened &quot;a narrow window of hope&quot;, called for Hezbollah &quot;to cease its attacks and be disarmed&quot; and said that &quot;Israel must put an end to its bombardments&quot;. &quot;For a ceasefire to lead to peace, courage is needed -- political courage to address the root causes of this conflict.&quot; Israel and Lebanon are set to hold a third round of talks in Washington next week to end the war, despite Hezbollah&#39;s opposition to direct negotiations.

Middle East

More than half of Lebanon’s population depends on humanitarian aid, the EU said, as Israeli strikes continue despite a ceasefire and Washington talks seek to end the war.

More than half of Lebanon population depends on aid: EU official

BEIJING: China&#39;s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing would play a &quot;greater role&quot; in ending hostilities in the Middle East during talks with his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday, a week before US President Donald Trump is due to meet Xi Jinping. China is a key customer for Iranian oil, defying sanctions imposed by the United States, and is directly affected by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz bordered by Iran. Beijing has quietly engaged in efforts to resolve the weekslong crisis, and its diplomacy is credited with playing an important role in the fragile ceasefire agreed between Washington and Tehran. China &quot;will work harder to ease tensions and end the fighting, continue to support the launch of peace talks, and play a greater role in restoring peace and tranquility to the Middle East&quot;, Wang told Iran&#39;s Abbas Araghchi in Beijing. &quot;China considers that a complete cessation of fighting must be achieved without delay, that it is even more unacceptable to restart hostilities, and that continuing to negotiate remains essential,&quot; Wang said, according to a statement from his ministry after the talks. Manufacturing giant China has been comparatively sheltered from fuel shortages thanks to oil reserves and renewable energy, but costs of oil-derived materials like plastic and fabric have risen significantly. More than half of the crude imported by sea to China comes from the Middle East and mainly transits through the Hormuz strait, according to maritime analytics firm Kpler. Analysts have warned that the war&#39;s impact on China will be felt for months. During Wednesday&#39;s talks, Wang said China hopes &quot;the parties concerned will respond as quickly as possible to the urgent call of the international community&quot; for a resumption of normal and safe maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump trip loomsThe Wang-Araghchi talks came as Trump said the US would pause escorting commercial ships through the Hormuz Strait -- which drew Iranian attacks -- barely a day after it began doing so. Trump cited a desire to reach a peace deal with Iran. Washington demands tight controls on Tehran&#39;s nuclear programme, which Iran has refused to agree to and has led to talks crumbling. &quot;On the nuclear issue, China welcomes Iran&#39;s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, while considering that Iran has the legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy,&quot; Wang said. The US leader is expected to meet Chinese President Xi in Beijing on a visit the White House said will take place May 14-15. Beijing has not confirmed those dates. A foreign ministry spokesman again refused to share details when asked about Trump&#39;s visit at a regular news conference on Wednesday. Trump would join rulers from the Gulf, Europe and Southeast Asia that have recently landed face time with Xi, who has sought to position China as a stable partner in the face of the US- and Israeli-led conflict. Trump&#39;s visit would also come more than a year after his sweeping global tariffs wreaked havoc on the supply chain, causing chaos in China&#39;s manufacturing sector.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Beijing on May 06, 2026. (Photo: IRNA)

China is a key customer for Iranian oil, defying sanctions imposed by the United States, and is directly affected by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz bordered by Iran.

China says will play 'greater role' in ending Mideast fighting

MIAMI: The first direct flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years took off Thursday, a new sign of a thaw after Washington deposed leftist leader Nicolas Maduro. The American Airlines flight took off at 10:26 am (1426 GMT) from Miami en route to Caracas, where the United States has resumed diplomatic relations after years of tension. The first flight&#39;s manifest was dominated by officials and journalists, with senior officials from Washington set to fly to Caracas to meet the government, a prospect unthinkable just months ago. Representatives of the city of Miami, a hub for Latin Americans that sees itself as a gateway to the region, greeted passengers at the gate, as did the Venezuelan ambassador to Washington, Felix Plasencia. The flight is scheduled to land more than three hours later at Simon Bolivar Airport, better known as Maiquetia. The inaugural flights are featuring a special Venezuelan menu including corn pancakes known as cachapas and a Venezuelan-style chicken salad, according to the airline. Some 1.2 million Venezuelans live in the United States, and the thaw is expected to boost the US business presence in the South American nation, which has the world&#39;s largest proven oil reserves. But President Donald Trump has also been moving aggressively to remove Venezuelans from the United States, terminating a program that shielded migrants from deportation back to the crime-ridden nation. US forces on January 3 carried out a deadly raid in Caracas, snatching longtime US nemesis Maduro and flying him and his wife to New York to face charges of drug trafficking, which they deny. Maduro was replaced by his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, who has largely cooperated with the United States despite her ideological background. Trump has voiced satisfaction with her policies toward US companies and has tried to enforce compliance by threatening violence. Venezuela has moved to open its oil and mining sectors to private investment. Trump in turn has started an easing of sanctions on Venezuela, with measures imposed personally on Rodriguez dropped.<h2 style="line-height: 2;"> </h2><h2 style="line-height: 2;">Daily links</h2>American Airlines subsidiary Envoy Air will run the daily round-trip flight between Caracas and Miami. The company said it plans to start a second daily round-trip flight starting May 21. American Airlines, which is based in Texas and has a large network in Latin America, started flights to Venezuela in 1987 and carried the&nbsp;highest number of passengers between the two countries. It ended flights in 2019 as relations deteriorated, with the United States and other Western and Latin American nations declaring Maduro to be illegitimate after an election marred by irregularities. The State Department continues to call on Americans to reconsider travel to Venezuela due to widespread crime but in March ended its blanket warning against any travel. The new flight comes despite trouble in the aviation industry, which has been hit hard by a sharp rise in oil prices after the United States and Israel attacked Iran.

The first direct flight from the United States to Venezuela in seven years departed for Caracas on Thursday from Miami, an AFP reporter at the airport said.

First US-Venezuela direct flight in seven years leaves Miami

TEHRAN:&nbsp;Iran&#39;s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written message on Thursday that the United States had been defeated in its war with the Islamic republic, as the Iranian leadership defied President Donald Trump&#39;s warnings of a prolonged blockade. &quot;Today, two months after the largest military deployment and aggression by the world&#39;s bullies in the region, and the United States&#39; disgraceful defeat in its plans, a new chapter is unfolding for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,&quot; said Khamenei in the message read on state television. The message by Khamenei, who has yet to appear in public since his appointment on March 9 as Iran&#39;s new supreme leader, came on the annual national celebration of &quot;Persian Gulf&quot; day in Iran. Mojtaba Khamenei became the supreme leader after the US and Israel launched a massive campaign of strikes on Iran on February 28, killing his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei. Last week, the New York Times, citing several unnamed Iranian officials, said the younger Khamenei was &quot;gravely wounded&quot; in the strikes but has remained &quot;mentally sharp.&quot; In his Thursday message, he said US bases in the region &quot;lack even the capacity to ensure their own security, let alone provide any hope of securing their allies.&quot; He hailed what he called Iran&#39;s &quot;new legal framework and management&quot; of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key energy chokepoint, as a means to bring &quot;comfort and progress&quot; for countries in the region. Bright futureThe strait has become a major flashpoint since the outbreak of the Middle East war, with Iran allowing only a trickle of ships to pass through the waterway. Last week, a senior lawmaker said Tehran has received the first revenue from tolls it imposed on the strait. Khamenei predicted a bright future for the Gulf without the United States and condemned what he described as &quot;outsiders&quot;, saying those who interfere from thousands of kilometres away &quot;have no place there except at the bottom of its waters&quot;. He also lauded the people of Iran, who he said &quot;consider all national capacities -- identity, spiritual, human, scientific, industrial, and advanced technologies from nano and bio to nuclear and missile -- as their national capital&quot;. Earlier Thursday, Iran&#39;s President Masoud Pezeshkian had said a US naval blockade imposed in retaliation against Iran&#39;s action in Hormuz was &quot;doomed to fail&quot;. Pezeshkian added that such measures would &quot;not only fail to enhance regional security, but are in fact a source of tension and a disruption to lasting stability in the Persian Gulf&quot;. Other figures have also struck a tone of defiance, with Navy Commander Shahram Irani signalling that Iran will deploy &quot;in the very near future&quot; naval weaponry which it has recently developed.

Mojtaba Khamenei says the United States has been defeated in its war with Iran, as Tehran maintains control over the Strait of Hormuz and continues to defy US pressure.

Iran's supreme leader says US suffered 'disgraceful defeat'

Maryam Shah

Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD recorded a 55 percent decline in first-quarter net profit, a Hong Kong stock filing showed on Tuesday, as weaker domestic demand added to pressure from cutthroat competition.

Shorts

BYD’s first-quarter net profit fell 55 percent as weak Chinese demand and fierce competition hurt profitability, prompting the EV giant to pursue stronger growth in overseas markets.

Chinese EV giant BYD reports 55% drop in Q1 net profit

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari&nbsp;presided over the commissioning of Pakistan Navy&rsquo;s first Hangor-class submarine at a ceremony in China,&nbsp;marking a major milestone in the country&rsquo;s naval modernization and defense capabilities. The commissioning ceremony of PNS/M Hangor was held in Sanya, China, said a press release issued by Pakistan&#39;s military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), on Thursday. The president graced the occasion as the chief guest; Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, was also present.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2049751695882866954&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=23264f8a27cf403d3f3388e07ebb952ffab9bb6f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 568px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> President Zardari described the commissioning of Hangor as a historic milestone in Pakistan Navy&#39;s modernization, affirming Pakistan&#39;s resolve to maintain a robust, balanced and credible defense posture.&nbsp; He said that Pakistan is fully capable of defending its sovereignty, protecting its maritime interests and ensuring the security of its economic lifelines. Need for&nbsp;technologically advanced forcesAdmiral Naveed Ashraf&nbsp;highlighted that disruptions at critical maritime chokepoints increasingly threaten global trade and energy security, and that maintaining a stable, rule-based maritime order demands technologically advanced naval forces.&nbsp; He said that Hangor-class submarines -- armed with state-of-the-art weapons, advanced sensors and air-independent propulsion -- will be key in preserving maritime order and stability in the region.&nbsp; These submarines will play a pivotal role in deterring aggression and ensuring the security of vital Sea Lines of Communication across the Arabian Sea and the wider Indian Ocean region. The naval chief reiterated that the name Hangor holds a significant place in our national history. In 1971, earlier Hangor became the first submarine since World War II to sink a warship.&nbsp; PNS/M Hangor will carry this illustrious legacy forward, as this is an important milestone for Pakistan Navy that will bolster our maritime defense and modernize our fleet with cutting-edge technology. The commissioning of the 1st Hangor-class submarine marks another chapter in the time-tested and enriching friendship between Pakistan and China.&nbsp; The ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Pakistan Navy and the PLA (Navy). Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, congratulated the nation and the Pakistan Navy on achieving this historic milestone.

Security

President Zardari describes the commissioning as a historic milestone in Pakistan Navy's modernization; affirms Islamabad's resolve to maintaining a robust, balanced and credible defense posture.

Pakistan commissions first Hangor-class submarine at historic ceremony in China

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: &ldquo;Pakistan has been working as a key intermediary, trying to bridge gaps between Washington and Tehran,&rdquo; says former US National Security Advisor John Bolton, highlighting Islamabad&rsquo;s significant diplomatic role amid tensions between Iran and the United States.&nbsp;&nbsp;Speaking exclusively on a Pakistan TV program, Beyond Borders, former US NSA stressed that while Pakistan&rsquo;s efforts are significant, the wide gap between the two sides continues to challenge any breakthrough.&nbsp;Bolton says the core issue remains the deep mistrust and conflicting objectives between Tehran and Washington, making negotiations extremely difficult at this stage. He noted that Iran may be seeking to delay critical discussions, particularly around its nuclear program, while trying to recover from recent economic and military pressure.&nbsp;Bolton pointed to the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, saying the ongoing blockade is severely impacting Iran&rsquo;s economy while also putting global energy markets under strain. He suggested that opening the Strait for Gulf states, while maintaining pressure on Iran, could provide much-needed stability to international oil supplies.&nbsp;He argued that sustained economic pressure could deepen alleged internal divisions within Iran&rsquo;s leadership, potentially leading to significant political shifts. Despite ongoing mediation by Pakistan, Bolton cautioned that the situation remains volatile, with serious implications for regional security and the global economy.

Beyond Borders

John Bolton says Pakistan is acting as a key intermediary between the United States and Iran, but warns deep mistrust and conflicting objectives hinder progress in negotiations.

Ex-US national security advisor says Pakistan key intermediary bridging gaps in US-Iran crisis

ISLAMABAD: A US federal judge on Tuesday criminally sentenced OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma over its role in the opioid crisis, ahead of upcoming bankruptcy proceedings and its dissolution. Last year, several US states reached a settlement with Purdue and the Sackler family, which had owned the company for decades, with a bankruptcy plan that will see funds routed to affected communities and individuals. The total amount to be paid in fines, forfeitures and penalties surpasses $8 billion. Purdue and other opioid makers and distributors were accused of encouraging free-wheeling prescription of their products through aggressive marketing tactics while hiding how addictive the drugs are. The company is set to be dissolved on May 1, with the remnants becoming Knoa Pharma, a public benefit company that will provide opioid use disorder treatments and overdose reversal medicines. For more than six hours on Tuesday, US Judge Madeline Cox Arleo listened to dozens of victims and their families testify about the impact Purdue Pharma and the opioid epidemic had on them. She then ordered Steve Miller, Purdue Pharma&#39;s board chair, to apologize to them. During the proceedings to resolve a Department of Justice probe and clear the way for bankruptcy, Arleo read the names of more than 200 victims who had submitted written statements before the hearing. &quot;These people are not statistics in an epidemiological study,&quot; she said, adding that the testimonies were &quot;heartbreaking.&quot; The judge also apologized on behalf of the US government, saying it had &quot;failed&quot; to protect the public from Purdue Pharma, whose practices were &quot;driven by greed&quot; and had a &quot;corporate strategy much like a criminal enterprise.&quot; While many testifying on Tuesday urged the settlement agreement to be rejected -- in part because it protects the Sackler family from criminal prosecution -- Arleo called it the &quot;best route I see among the options before me.&quot; She urged the lawyers handling the bankruptcy proceedings to honor their promises of compensation. For many people, opioid addiction begins with prescribed pain pills, such as OxyContin, before they increase their consumption and eventually turn to illicit drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, an extremely powerful synthetic opioid. From 1999 through 2023, around 806,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Food

Purdue Pharma was criminally sentenced over its opioid crisis role, with penalties exceeding $8 billion, before dissolution into Knoa Pharma, as victims condemned the settlement protecting the Sacklers.

Purdue Pharma sentenced ahead of bankruptcy

LAS VEGAS: Disney showcased the first theatrical trailer of the new Marvel franchise film &quot;Avengers: Doomsday&quot; on Thursday during the closing day of CinemaCon in Las Vegas. The clip -- played twice for the enthusiastic audience at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace -- offered the first look at Robert Downey Jr. as the villainous Doctor Doom. It marks the actor&#39;s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the death of Iron Man in 2019&#39;s &quot;Avengers: Endgame.&quot; The footage also teased several dramatic moments from the movie, including a fight between Gambit and Shang-Chi -- played by Channing Tatum and Simu Liu, respectively -- and Patrick Stewart reprising his role as X-Men&#39;s Professor Xavier, warning: &quot;Something&#39;s coming, something we may not be able to deter.&quot; At the very end of the trailer, Chris Evans returns as his character Steve Rogers, otherwise known as Captain America, appearing before a surprised-looking Thor (Chris Hemsworth) as the Norse god&#39;s Mjolnir hammer flies into Rogers&#39; hands. Both Evans and Downey Jr. were on the stage at CinemaCon to present the trailer alongside the film&#39;s directors, brothers Joe and Anthony Russo. &quot;I said I would only come back if there was a real reason,&quot; Evans told the crowd. &quot;And in Doomsday, there is a very real reason that these heroes need Steve Rogers.&quot; &quot;Avengers: Doomsday&quot; follows the events of &quot;Avengers: Endgame,&quot; bringing together a host of Marvel characters new and old, including the X-Men, previously excluded from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie will have its US premiere on December 18, the same day as Denis Villeneuve&#39;s &quot;Dune: Part Three.&quot; Theater owners hope the double-whammy will be a box office bonanza, ending the year on a high note amid declining revenues. Sequels on the way&nbsp;Marvel&#39;s presentation was the grande finale of Disney&#39;s CinemaCon showcase. The annual convention allows movie studios to preview their upcoming slates to theater owners and the press. Tom Hanks, Dwayne &quot;The Rock&quot; Johnson and Queen Latifah were among the superstars to showcase footage from their upcoming Disney films. Director Jon Favreau introduced the opening scene of his new movie, the latest Star Wars flick &quot;The Mandalorian and Grogu,&quot; out next month. Disney also played clips from the upcoming sequel films &quot;The Devil Wears Prada 2&quot; with Meryl Streep reprising her role as icy fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly, and &quot;Toy Story 5,&quot; the latest Pixar animated film with lifelike toys Woody and Buzz Lightyear coming together more than 30 years since the original released.

Film & TV

Disney closed CinemaCon with the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer, revealing Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers return, and previews of major upcoming sequels and franchise films.

Articles tagged with "China, US"

US, French nationals from hantavirus ship test positive

Americans from virus-hit ship will not necessarily be quarantined: Official

More than half of Lebanon population depends on aid: EU official

China says will play 'greater role' in ending Mideast fighting

First US-Venezuela direct flight in seven years leaves Miami

Iran's supreme leader says US suffered 'disgraceful defeat'

Chinese EV giant BYD reports 55% drop in Q1 net profit

Pakistan commissions first Hangor-class submarine at historic ceremony in China

Ex-US national security advisor says Pakistan key intermediary bridging gaps in US-Iran crisis

Purdue Pharma sentenced ahead of bankruptcy

US, French nationals from hantavirus ship test positive