President Lee Jae Myung (R) welcomes Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at a hotel in Andong, about 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday, ahead of their summit. Photo by Yonhap Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived Tuesday at an airport in the South Korean city of Daegu for a »»»

Beijing: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing on Tuesday for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, looking to deepen a strategic partnership stretching from Scandinavia to Southeast Asia. Underpinning the two nuclear powers' relations is China's economic heft complemented by Russi»»»

The sister of Ireland's President Catherine Connolly is among eight Irish citizens intercepted by Israel on Gaza-bound aid flotilla ships, organizers said Monday. Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla on Monday after it sailed from Türkiye last week, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu»»»

The son of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Monday said Fatah would prioritize Gaza and return it "to the fold of Palestinian legitimacy", the day after being elected to the movement's top decision-making body. Fatah's first congress in a decade came as the Palestinian movement faces existent»»»

A prominent Kurdish security official denied on Monday the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps’ (IRGC) repeated claims that the Iraqi Kurdistan Region had allowed American weapons shipments to the Iranian Kurdish opposition. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, the official describ»»»

President Donald Trump said he “held off” on a planned Tuesday strike on Iran, citing a request from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as negotiations to end the war grow more “serious.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said he had instructed his leadership “to be prepare»»»

Doha, Qatar: As Qatar accelerates its journey toward a knowledge-based digital economy, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) is reinforcing its commitment to developing future-ready talent through continuous digital learning and innovation. In a post on its X platform, M»»»

Washington: US President Donald Trump said he was planning a major new assault on Iran on Tuesday, but held off as he saw hope for securing a so far elusive agreement to end the war. Trump said that he stopped his purported attack plan at the urging of Gulf Arab allies, which Iran has threatened wi»»»

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to host his "old friend" Vladimir Putin less than a week after Donald Trump's high-profile visit, as Beijing seeks to project itself as a stable and predictable power in a world shaken by trade tensions, wars and an energy crisis. China and Russia have cast Putin's »»»

A Houthi-controlled court in Yemen has sentenced 19 people to death after their conviction for fighting for the legitimate government. Sunday's verdict, which can be appealed, came a few days after the Houthis and the government agreed on the largest prisoner swap in the conflict there, in which 1,»»»

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack against Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington, and that there was now a "very good chance" of reaching a deal limiting Iran's nuclear program. After Iran sent the US a new peace proposal, Trump said he had instr»»»

Talks to reopen the Long Island Railroad were ongoing into Sunday night between union leaders and New York government representatives, hoping to reopen the crucial commuter transport network ahead of the work week. The rail network has been shut down since May 16, after five of the railway's unions»»»

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. President Miguel Diaz-Canel stressed Cuba's right to defend itself a day after US news site Axi»»»

US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that he was holding off on a military strike on Iran planned for Tuesday at the request of Gulf State leaders because “serious negotiations” were under way. The president threatened that Washington was ready for a "full, large-scale assault of Iran” if an»»»

BEIRUT: The death toll in the latest round of fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon surpassed 3,000, Lebanon’s health ministry said Monday. The ministry said the toll is now 3,020 killed in the Israeli strikes, including 292 women and 211 children. Fighting began on Ma»»»

LONDON: 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. A total of 55 commodities vessels crossed the strategic waterway between May 11 and 17, accordin»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov spoke at the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan, on May 18. The presidential press service reported. The head of state is participating in the forum at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Around 20 heads of state»»»

Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for Meteorology (NCM) has forecast hot to extremely hot weather, accompanied by dusty winds, in Mecca and the holy sites during the 2026 Hajj season, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 47°C. The NCM said strong surface winds could stir up dust and sand, pa»»»

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has completed large-scale road and infrastructure upgrades in Mecca and the holy sites for the 2026 Hajj season as part of efforts to improve mobility and reduce congestion for pilgrims. The ministry said the works included the implementation of»»»

The UAE is expected to see generally fair weather this week, with fluctuating temperatures and active winds of up to 40 km/h causing blowing dust and rough sea conditions, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). The NCM said the country is being affected by an extension of a weak sur»»»

Dubai: Born in Abu Dhabi, forced to leave the UAE as a child, and returning years later on a bus from Jordan with almost nothing in his pocket, Ali Al Najjar transformed hardship into one of the UAE’s most inspiring corporate success stories. Speaking to Gulf News, Jordanian expatriates Al Najjar s»»»

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on pedestrians in the Egyptian town of Abnoub in Assiut province late on Monday, leaving 10 people dead and wounded in what witnesses described as a chaotic attack. The shooting took place near Al Central Street, where residents said armed men travelling in a black J»»»

Oil prices fell sharply in early Asian trade, extending losses after recent volatility tied to disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz began to ease and tanker traffic showed tentative signs of recovery. Market data at 9:27 a.m. Tokyo time showed: WTI crude at $102.5, down $1.87 (-1.79%) Brent crud»»»

ABU DHABI: The Muslim Council of Elders, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, strongly condemned the targeting of the vicinity of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra region of the United Arab Emirates by a drone, noting that no casualties w»»»

HAVANA: 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. President Miguel Diaz-Canel stressed Cuba’s right to defend itself a day after US news »»»

QNA Doha The 35th Doha International Book Fair (DIBF) 2026 featured a panel discussion on the role of Arab intellectuals in confronting crises. The panel highlighted the pivotal role of Arab intellectuals in safeguarding public consciousness and shielding cultural identity, in pursuit of helping de»»»

Tribune News Network Doha A number of staff from the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and key stakeholders are participating in the delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026, as part of a knowledge and expertise transfer Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the SC and FIFA. The MoU was s»»»

On the other hand, the Shura Council weighed in on a report proffered by Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council Her Excellency Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti on Doha hosting, through the Council, the 298th session of the Executive Committee meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, convened in Janua»»»

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said the United States had scheduled military strikes against Iran for Tuesday but that he called them off because "serious negotiations" to end the war are under way. Writing on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump said leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and th»»»

LONDON: During a school half-term break in February 2015, three British girls left their homes and their futures in east London, traveled to Gatwick Airport and boarded a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul. From there they travelled almost 1,000 km overland by bus to Urfa, close to Turkiye’s south»»»

LONDON: The EU removed sanctions against seven Syrian government entities on Monday, including the defense and interior ministries. The move will “support the strengthening of the EU’s engagement with Syria,” the European Council said. The council also said that it was extending sanctions targeting»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Houthi Affirms Yemeni Readiness for Any Regional Escalation, Hails Resistance Operations in Lebanon 18-05-2026 22:28 PM Head of Yemeni Ansa»»»

WASHINGTON: The American global affairs magazine Foreign Policy hosted on Monday Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, the secretary-general of the Muslim World League, for a discussion session focused on religious, intellectual and international issues. The event, which took place in Washington, wa»»»

BAKU: The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen and UN-Habitat signed an agreement to implement the second phase of the adequate housing project during the 13th session of the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Saudi reconstruction program was represented by assistant super»»»

Tunis, May 18 (TAP) - Economy and Planning Minister Samir Abdelhafidh received Monday in Tunis CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and Secretary-General of the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) programme, Adeeb Yousuf Al...»»»

Damascus, May.18 (SANA) “The Syrian Arab Republic has expressed appreciation for the EU’s decision to lift sanctions imposed on seven Syrian governmental entities, including the Ministries of Interior and Defense, while renewing sanctions against figures linked to the deposed regime and who committ»»»

Members of a Military Honor Guard stand with an American flag and a Canadian flag at the White House in Washington, D.C., on February 13, 2017. On Monday, the Defense Department said it was suspending its involvement in a joint military board with Canada. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo»»»

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Rt Hon Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. During the meeting, held as part of Sheikh Abdullah’s working v»»»

MAKKAH: Kidana Development Co. is continuing a series of infrastructure and service projects at the holy sites as part of efforts to improve pilgrim comfort, mobility and operational readiness during this year’s Hajj season. The company, the executive arm of the Royal Commission for Makkah City and»»»

Naji Issa, Governor of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL), and Major General Emad Al-Trabulsi, Minister of Interior, discussed a joint action plan aimed at curbing negative phenomena in the Libyan economy. The expanded meeting was held to discuss shared economic and security issues affecting the banki»»»

Dubai: Interpol announced on Monday that a large-scale cybercrime operation across the Middle East and North Africa led to identifying nearly 4,000 victims and hundreds of suspects linked to online fraud networks operating across 13 Arab countries. The operation, codenamed “Rameses”, was carried ou»»»

The Iran-backed Iraqi group Kataib Hezbollah, denied on Monday that a man accused of plotting attacks in the United States and Europe was a member of the group. US authorities on Friday detailed charges against Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, 32, who was identified as a senior figure in Kataib»»»

Oman: Oman Cables Industry, the Sultanate’s leading cable manufacturer and solution provider, is taking centre stage at Oman Sustainability Week (OSW) 2026 to reinforce its role in enabling the energy transition priorities across Oman and the wider region. As demand grows for more resilient power s»»»

LONDON: Syrian authorities reported the crossing of the first transit convoy between Turkiye and Iraq on Monday through the Al-Yarubiyah-Rabia crossing, in the country’s northeastern region. The move is highly important as it revives transport and trade routes through Syria’s territory that were ab»»»

Doha, Qatar: As the 35th edition of the Doha International Book Fair 2026 kicks off, Qatar National Library is welcoming visitors to its interactive booth at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. Combining innovation, storytelling, and cultural discovery, the booth offers a personalized experi»»»

The death toll in the latest round of fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon has surpassed 3,000, Lebanon's health ministry said Monday. The ministry said the toll is now 3,020 in the fighting that has not stopped despite a fragile ceasefire, including 292 women and 211»»»

The organizers of a flotilla of aid vessels bound for Gaza said on Monday that Israeli forces had intercepted 28 of their boats in the eastern Mediterranean, while the remaining 26 ships were continuing to sail toward the enclave. Earlier on Monday, Israel's foreign ministry had said on X that it "»»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told an audience of local Catholics in the southwestern city of Wuerzburg that he no longer advises young people to travel to the United States for work and study, citing the rapidly changing “social climate” in the country. Merz, who has served as chancellor since »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) has announced its participation in organizing the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. In a statement on Monday, SC said that a knowledge and expertise transfer Memo»»»

Entertainment, Media, Sports and Leisure Client : Smouha Social Sporting Club Address : Victor Amanwel Street, Smouha, Alexandria Tender : The project of developing club-house building including following works: 1) Carpentry works Tender documents : EGP1,500 A bid bond of EGP25,000 to be submitted »»»