Despite a raft of unrelated agreements resulting from talks between President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, the pair failed to make progress on a long-planned 1,615 mile second pipeline from Siberia to supply China with natural gas. Photo by Alexander Kazakov/EPA»»»

JERUSALEM: Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir posted a video on Wednesday showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs and foreheads on the ground. The footage, published on Ben Gvir’s X account and captioned “Wel»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia highly appreciates US President Donald Trump’s decision to give diplomacy a chance to reach an acceptable agreement to end the war on Iran, the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister said on Wednesday. In a post on X, Prince Faisal bin Farhan said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia highly appre»»»

Dubai: A new UAE humanitarian aid aircraft departed this morning from Al Maktoum International Airport bound for Al Arish city in the Arab Republic of Egypt, in preparation for the delivery of its cargo into the Gaza Strip. The mission forms part of Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 and comes within th»»»

DUBAI: Cate Blanchett returned to the Cannes Film Festival this week to unveil the second cohort of filmmakers selected for the Displacement Film Fund, a global initiative supporting stories shaped by migration, exile and forced displacement. The Oscar-winning actor and UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambass»»»

TUNIS: Tunisian authorities have lifted a ban on the local branch of prominent international NGO Avocats Sans Frontieres, the branch said on Wednesday without providing further details on the measure. ASF said in a statement it was “resuming activities starting May 20” after the ban, imposed on May»»»

Democratic Bulgaria (DB) filed a complaint with the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC), providing information that raises reasonable suspicion of possible improper influence in the awarding and execution of public contracts. The reason for the report is Delyan Peevski’s frequ»»»

Investigative outlet BIRD.bg has published what it says are previously unseen official documents from the Financial Intelligence Unit of Liechtenstein, outlining an alleged complex financial structure involving concealed ownership and cross-border transactions. The reports reportedly place Bulgaria»»»

A report issued by Colliers, the diversified professional services and investment management company, on the performance of the UAE real estate market during the first quarter of 2026, revealed that the sector has entered a new phase of balanced and sustainable growth following the exceptional mome»»»

Dubai: The UAE demanded on Wednesday that Iraq "immediately" prevent further attacks from its territory, following an accusation by the Emirates that a drone targeting a nuclear plant was launched from there. The foreign ministry in a statement called on "Iraq to prevent all hostile acts originatin»»»

Five people were killed after a fire broke out in a house in Kuwait’s Jleeb Al Shuyoukh area on Wednesday, the country’s General Fire Force said. Firefighters from the Al Somoud and Ardiya fire stations responded to the blaze and brought the fire under control, according to a statement carried by K»»»

The UAE demanded on Wednesday that Iraq "immediately" prevent further attacks from its territory, following an accusation by the Emirates that a drone targeting a nuclear plant was launched from there. The foreign ministry in a statement called on "Iraq to prevent all hostile acts originating from »»»

Cairo — Egypt’s stock market rebounded on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, recovering part of the previous session’s losses as local buying returned to the market following several days of broad-based declines. The benchmark EGX30 rose 1.48% to 52,774.98 points, according to data from the Egyptian Exchange (E»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani chaired on Wednesday morning the Cabinet's regular meeting at the Amiri Diwan. Following the meeting, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs HE Ibrahim bin Ali A»»»

RIYADH: Saudi ministries are implementing operational plans for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage with regulatory, supervisory and social initiatives aimed at improving services and the pilgrim experience. The ministry of interior has initiated strict measures for the Hajj season under the slogan “No Haj»»»

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned the terrorist drone attack launched from Iraqi territory targeting the peaceful Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, after one of the drones struck an electricity generator outside the plant’s inner perimeter on Sunday. In a statement, the ministry sa»»»

From January to April 2026, food industry enterprises in Kyrgyzstan produced goods worth 35,512.1 billion soms. The National Statistical Committee recorded a 17 percent growth in the sector. The main drivers were beverage production and bakery products. The bulk of food production remains concentra»»»

DUBAI: Art Basel Qatar has announced new details for its upcoming second edition, including the appointment of Iraqi-born curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi as artistic director and the unveiling of the fair’s curatorial theme. Based in New York, Al-Khudhairi is widely recognized for her work across conte»»»

A Youth Center and a Women’s Support and Development Center have been opened in Batken. The press service of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic in Batken region reported. According to the press service, the opening ceremony was attended by Mamyrzhan Rakhimov,»»»

Beijing: President Xi Jinping hailed China and Russia's "unyielding" ties in talks with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, as the pair met to underscore their alliance days after Donald Trump's own visit to Beijing. The two countries' ties have deepened since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as Russia »»»

DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani chaired the regular Cabinet meeting at its headquarters in the Amiri Diwan. Following the meeting, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs HEIbrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi»»»

ASHDOD: Israeli authorities have begun detaining hundreds of activists seized from a Gaza-bound flotilla at the southern port of Ashdod on Wednesday, a rights group said, after Israeli forces intercepted their vessels at sea. The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Turkiye last week in the latest a»»»

Israel’s Knesset (parliament) approved a bill for its dissolution in a preliminary reading on Wednesday with support from both coalition and opposition lawmakers. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana said 110 lawmakers voted in favor of the proposal, while no members opposed it, according to the Knesset’s of»»»

Dubai: Class 12 students of India's Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) have been dealt another blow, this time by technical glitches on the re-evaluation portal, just as hundreds of students, including Indian expats in the UAE, were attempting to dispute their results and seek a fresh revi»»»

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has ordered the release of 956 inmates from correctional and punitive institutions across the country ahead of Eid Al Adha. The inmates had been convicted in various cases. The President pledged to settle the pardoned inmates' financial obli»»»

Doha, Qatar: Art Basel is pleased to announce the appointment of Iraqi curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi as Artistic Director of the 2027 edition of Art Basel Qatar, presented in partnership with Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and QC+. Al-Khudhairi succeeds Wael Shawky, artist and Director of Qatar Museu»»»

The US University of New Haven is set to open its Riyadh campus in September, marking the launch of the first American university branch campus in Saudi Arabia as the kingdom pushes to expand international higher education under Vision 2030. The university said the new campus, located in the Mohamm»»»

Dubai: Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, shaking hands with the Russian leader outside the Great Hall of the People ahead of bilateral talks. Xi and Putin highlighted their countries’ strategic partnership and expanding energy cooperation during talk»»»

Israel moved closer on Wednesday to a snap election after lawmakers gave an initial nod to dissolve parliament, with opinion polls showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would lose the first national vote since the 2023 Hamas attacks. Lawmakers voted almost unanimously for an early ballot in a p»»»

Bulgaria's new Prime Minister Rumen Radev met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on May 18 on his first official visit abroad since taking office, seeking to deepen economic and defence ties while calling for renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Radev was welcomed with mili»»»

Russian leader Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing late on May 19 to address a range of supposedly highly sensitive bilateral matters with his Chinese counterpart, later convening with Xi Jinping for talks in the Great Hall of the People, reports from Chinese state media on May 20 state. Accordi»»»

JERUSALEM: Israel’s parliament on Wednesday voted 110-0 in favor of a preliminary reading of a government-backed bill to dissolve the Knesset, potentially bringing forward by a few weeks the next national election, which surveys predict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will lose. When is the ballo»»»

Rome: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took selfies at the Colosseum and admired the view over Rome ahead of talks focused on trade on Wednesday. In a video posted on X, Meloni also thanked Modi for bringing along a packet of “Melody” toffees on his visi»»»

Dubai: Days after Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader and decapitated much of Tehran’s military leadership, Washington and Tel Aviv were already looking beyond the battlefield — toward a dramatic and deeply controversial plan for a post-war Iran. According to a detailed report by The New Y»»»

Dubai: Dubai has unveiled an ambitious vision to strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading media hubs, as the Dubai Media Council convened top executives, creatives and investors at the Dubai Media Retreat to chart the future of the industry. The retreat, held on Tuesday, brought togeth»»»

The Jordanian military announced it had shot down a drone of unknown origin in its airspace on Wednesday. No casualties were reported. "This morning, the Jordanian Armed Forces engaged with a drone of unknown origin that entered Jordanian airspace and was brought down in Jerash Governorate, without»»»

These days all the world is closely following the high-level international meetings in China. US President Donald Trump just completed his first state visit to China since his trip in November 2017. On May 19, another top foreign guest will arrive on a two-day state visit: Russia’s President Vladim»»»

VILNIUS: Residents of Vilnius were told to take shelter and Lithuania’s president and prime minister were taken to safe locations on Wednesday because of an alarm over drone activity near the border with Belarus, underlining jitters on NATO’s eastern fringe over incursions related to Russia’s war w»»»

CHICAGO: Aimee Bock, the founder of a Minnesota nonprofit convicted in a multimillion-dollar fraud involving dozens of Somali suspects, has told Arab News that federal investigators should investigate Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s role. The Minnesota Democrat’s 5th District has the largest concentrati»»»

Vilnius: A drone alert sent by Lithuania's defence ministry to residents of the capital city Vilnius on Wednesday briefly brought transport to a standstill and caused people to flee to underground shelters. Alerts of this kind have been increasingly common in recent months in the Baltic states as a»»»

Rome, Italy: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took selfies at the Colosseum and admired the view over Rome ahead of talks focused on trade on Wednesday. In a video posted on X, Meloni also thanked Modi for bringing along a packet of "Melody" toffees on h»»»

Giza: At the historic pyramids on the edge of Cairo, in front of the Sphinx, the “Glory in Giza” was launched on Tuesday as part of Riyadh Season. Organized by magazine The Ring and Matchroom, the event marks the start of boxing week amid widespread international interest from combat sports fans ar»»»

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing at the start of a visit focused on energy security. While Xi hailed his country's "unyielding" ties with Russia, Putin praised the "unprecedentedly high level" of bilateral cooperation despite "unfavourab»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe ‘Israel’ Uneasy Over Trump’s Iran Remarks as Doubts Grow Over Regime Change: Haaretz 20-05-2026 12:24 PM US President Donald Trump arrives »»»

Kazakhstan does not support the idea of turning the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) into a military alliance or geopolitical project. That was the message from the country’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on May 15 as fellow leaders in the group, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip»»»

Kazakhstan does not support the idea of turning the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) into a military alliance or geopolitical project. That was the message from the country’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on May 15 as fellow leaders in the group, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip»»»

London, United Kingdom: The State of Qatar participated in the Global Partnerships Conference, held in London and co-hosted by the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Africa. The Minister of State for International Cooperation, HE Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad represented the State of Q»»»

Israeli authorities have begun detaining hundreds of activists seized from a Gaza-bound flotilla at the southern port of Ashdod on Wednesday, a rights group said, after Israeli forces intercepted their vessels at sea. The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Turkey last week in the latest attempt by»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his close ties with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and said their countries are partners in trade and international affairs as they opened bilateral talks Wednesday on his trip to Beijing. Xi welcomed Putin with a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People only day»»»

Saudi Arabia's Ports Authority (Mawani) has launched the “Red Sea Express” cargo shipping service through King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, linking the Saudi port with Ain Sokhna in Egypt and Aqaba in Jordan as part of efforts to strengthen regional logistics and trade connectivity. The new servi»»»