Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Resistance fighters targeted at 10:55 on Tuesday 19-05-2026 the Ras Al-Naqoura Naval Site with a swarm of loitering drones: stateme»»»

Cairo — Egypt’s stock market extended its recent decline on Monday, 18 May 2026, with broad-based losses across major indices reflecting continued profit-taking and cautious investor sentiment following the market’s strong rally earlier this month. The benchmark EGX30 fell 0.68% to 52,007 points, a»»»

Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, criticised what he described as the confusion of roles among some countries surrounding the Arabian Gulf during the ongoing Iranian aggression, warning that “grey positions” were more dangerous than remaining neutral at a critical »»»

At least six people were killed Tuesday and 3 others wounded in strikes on south Lebanon. A strike on a home in Kfarsir killed four people and wounded two, while a separate strike targeting a car in Harouf killed one person and wounded another. In the southern town of Froun, a strike on a motorbike»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Resistance fighters targeted at 10:00 on Tuesday 19-05-2026 a gathering of vehicles and soldiers belonging to the “Israeli” enemy a»»»

Egypt’s foreign-exchange market passed through another tense trading week between 11 and 17 May, with the US dollar again climbing above the EGP 53 threshold as investors reassessed geopolitical risk, global interest-rate expectations, and exposure to emerging-market assets. By Sunday’s close of bu»»»

Libya’s Anti Financial Crimes, Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (AFCMLTF) agency reported yesterday that it had arrested and referred to the public prosecutor suspect ‘‘K.A.B’’ in possession of 409 bank cards issued by several Libyan commercial banks. The suspect was also in possession of 4»»»

Across decades of global disruption, the need for future-ready, resilient business leaders has only intensified. In moments like these, the responsibility of leaders is to prioritise stability, preparedness and long term value creation, even when short term pressures dominate. The UAE is a country »»»

This photo, taken Tuesday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul as South Korean stocks fell 3.25 percent on a tech stock slump. Photo by Yonhap South Korean stocks closed lower Tuesday as a foreign-selling spree of major techs continued, tracking an overnight tech slump on Wall Street. The »»»

US President Donald Trump has postponed what he described as a “very major attack” on Iran, saying Gulf leaders had asked Washington to give negotiations with Tehran another “two or three days.” Trump said the strike had been scheduled for Tuesday, but that he had ordered the Pentagon to stand down»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Beijing this week with a high-level delegation for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping focused on bilateral ties, trade, energy cooperation, and global affairs, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov has said. The May 19-20 visit coincides with the 25th annive»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned on Monday the latest drone attack on infrastructure within the perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the UAE's Al Dhafra region, as well as any act that may endanger the security of civilian and strategically important infrastru»»»

DUBAI: Roll calls begin at 6:00 in the morning. More than 14 heavily armed Israeli guards, equipped with tear gas and military gear, stand watch as Palestinian prisoners are forced to kneel on the floor with their hands behind their heads. Cells are routinely ransacked and the prisoners mercilessly»»»

DUBAI: Roll calls begin at 6:00 in the morning. More than 14 heavily armed Israeli guards, equipped with tear gas and military gear, stand watch as Palestinian prisoners are forced to kneel on the floor with their hands behind their heads. Cells are routinely ransacked and the prisoners mercilessly»»»

As Excellence Awards returns for its sixth edition, the platform is bigger, broader and more influential than ever before. Hosted by Gulf News and BeingShe, the 2026 edition will honour not only exceptional women leaders but also organisations driving meaningful change for women in the workplace. S»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has proposed cutting the minimum capital requirement for securities businesses by 60 percent to SR20 million ($5.33 million), as part of broader reforms aimed at easing market entry and modernizing regulations. The proposed amendments, released by the Capital Market Authority f»»»

According to BNP Paribas Real Estate, cross-border investment in Europe reached EUR 15.1 billion in the first quarter of 2026, while domestic investment, carried out by European investors in their own markets, totalled EUR 21.1 billion. “Europe is strengthening its position as the main driver of re»»»

Kuwait’s Municipal Council has approved the route corridor for the Kuwaiti section of a planned high-speed railway linking the country with Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, in a project aimed at strengthening regional transport connectivity. The Kuwaiti section of the railway will extend about 85 km »»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia plans to issue real estate bonds in global markets worth up to SR150 ($40 billion) by 2030, Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majid Al-Hogail said in an interview with Asharq News. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, Al-Hogail said the K»»»

Read more Talks with Russia ‘inevitable’ for Europe – Kremlin envoy The EU’s search for a potential negotiator with Russian President Vladimir Putin has apparently been narrowed down to three candidates: Angela Merkel, Alexander Stubb, and Mario Draghi. However, all three come with baggage that cou»»»

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China is confident that under the strategic leadership of the heads of China and Russia, the friendship between the countries will be further strengthened, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday. "Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin his visi»»»

At the same time, operational indicators show Romanians’ continued strong interest in complex holidays, carefully designed and supported by specialised consultancy. The number of Eturia travellers reached nearly 20,000 in 2025, representing a 20% increase compared with 2024, while the number of esc»»»

In an unprecedented achievement for the Egyptian fintech sector, Thndr, a leading retail investment appliation platform, has secured the top spot in the Financial Times’ ranking of the fastest-growing companies in Africa for 2026. This recognition, achieved in collaboration with the global research»»»

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders warned Tuesday that aid in South Sudan was being "instrumentalized" for military and political objectives, despite the country's dire humanitarian needs. After gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan descended into civil war and remains mired in extreme pov»»»

President Donald Trump has considered himself an effective dealmaker above all else, but he appears to have hit a wall with Iran as his tough talk, threats and even military action have not moved Tehran from its long-established positions. With shifting goals that make it difficult to judge the sta»»»

The United Arab Emirates for decades has advertised itself as a haven for international business in a Middle East awash in violent upheaval. Those waves have now crashed into this nation, testing its economic model like never before. The UAE, a close ally of the United States and Israel, faced more»»»

A new analysis by the Foreign Affairs warns that the Gulf region has entered an “untenable” security phase in the wake of the US-Israeli war on Iran, arguing that the longstanding American military presence, once viewed as a shield, has increasingly become a source of vulnerability for Gulf states.»»»

A Sudanese paramilitary commander who was arrested late last year following global outrage over videos of him executing unarmed people in al-Fashir has been released from prison and returned to active duty on the battlefield, nine sources told Reuters. Two of the sources – a Sudanese intelligence o»»»

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has shut down five healthcare facilities and detected 130 violations during inspection campaigns carried out last month across the kingdom . The ministry said the closures affected facilities in the Riyadh, Madinah and Asir regions following field inspections of mo»»»

President Donald Trump has considered himself an effective dealmaker above all else, but he appears to have hit a wall with Iran as his tough talk, threats and even military action have not moved Tehran from its long-established positions. With shifting goals that make it difficult to judge the sta»»»

Two people were wounded Tuesday in a strike that targeted a car in the southern village of Harouf. Israeli strikes also targeted overnight into Tuesday Shehabiyeh, al-Rihan, Kafra, Kfardounin, Qalaway, al-Maashouq, and al-Mansouri. The death toll in Lebanon surpassed Monday 3,000, including 292 wom»»»

Tehran's latest peace proposal to the United States involves ending hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon, the exit of US forces from areas close to Iran, and reparations for destruction caused by the US-Israeli war, state media reported on Tuesday. In Tehran's first comments on the proposal,»»»

The organizers of an aid flotilla bound for Gaza said on Tuesday Israeli forces had intercepted 41 of their boats in the eastern Mediterranean, with 10 vessels still sailing toward the enclave. The closest vessel to Gaza, Sirius, was 145 ‌nautical miles away, ‌the group said. Israel's ‌foreign ⁠min»»»

On May 19-20, Russian President Vladimir Putin will carry out an official visit to China at the invitation of XI Jinping, marking his 25th visit. A large delegation including all deputy prime ministers and heads of state-owned and private companies operating in China will accompany Putin on his vis»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai edged lower on Tuesday morning as global markets reacted to signs of easing geopolitical tensions following US President Donald Trump's announcement that he had paused a planned military strike against Iran to allow negotiations to continue. In Dubai, 24K gold slipped to»»»

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday announced additional sanctions against Cuba. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo May 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he has imposed additional sanctions against Cuba, with more to come in the days and weeks ahead, as the Trump »»»

Doha, Qatar: On International Museum Day 2026, Qatar Foundation’s Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum celebrates its role as an arts and culture landmark that embodies inclusivity and diversity, staying true to the vision of renowned modern art master Maqbool Fida Husain. Housed within Qatar Foundat»»»

Asian markets were mixed Tuesday as oil prices eased on hopes of a US-Iran deal, though elevated crude levels capped investor appetite for risk. Energy markets held center stage after US President Donald Trump signaled "serious negotiations" with Tehran and called off planned strikes, boosting opti»»»

Hundreds of farmers staged protests for a second consecutive day across several Syrian provinces over the government’s wheat purchase price for the current harvest season, denouncing it as unfair and insufficient to cover production costs. Demonstrators warned the pricing policy would discourage wh»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education, represented by the Department of Curriculum and Learning Resources, celebrated the conclusion of the seventh edition of the Reading Olympiad project and the tenth season of the Arab Reading Challenge at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. The eve»»»

Doha, Qatar: Birla Public School, Doha has made history at the Alice Programming Competition 2026, hosted by Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar under the guidance of the Hamad Bin Jassim Center for K 12 Computer Science Education. The school swept the Advanced Category with 1st and 2nd positions a»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CGB), through its Institute of Public Administration, yesterday organised a thought-provoking discussion session titled “Leaders Ready for the Future in a Changing Work Environment” as part of the Cultural Salon at the ongoing 35th D»»»

Multiple Hamas sources in the Gaza Strip revealed that the movement’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, is now led by Mohammed Awda, succeeding Ezzedine al-Haddad, who was killed by Israel last Friday after decades of pursuit. Three Hamas sources in Gaza told Asharq Al-Awsat that Awda ha»»»

SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi were set to hold their fourth meeting in about six months on Tuesday, underscoring their push to deepen ties between the historical Asian rivals in the face of geopolitical challenges. Lee will host Takaichi in h»»»

Montréal, Canada: New data released today by Arton Capital’s Passport Index shows that the United Arab Emirates has further strengthened its position as the holder of the world’s strongest passport, climbing to a total score of 182 — the highest ever recorded in the history of the index. The UAE ha»»»

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»»»