DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani chaired a meeting of the Steering Committee for Smart Government and Digital Leadership. The meeting reviewed progress on national plans and projects related to digital government, ways to en»»»

DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani received a telephone call from Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan HE Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. During the call, they reviewed bilateral relations and ways to support and streng»»»

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»»»

Dubai: UAE residents planning summer holidays now have a narrow booking window to secure discounted Business Class fares from Abu Dhabi to destinations across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, after Etihad Airways launched a limited-time premium cabin sale covering peak summer travel dates. Get upd»»»

Doha: Qatar's Government Communications Office (GCO) confirmed on Monday that reports circulating about oil pollution reaching the country’s shores are false. In a statement shared on its social media platforms, GCO added that monitoring operations and field inspections are continuing in coordinati»»»

Tunis, May 18 (TAP) - A large-scale public-private dialogue will be held on Tuesday in Tunis on the Food Quality Label (FQL) in the fresh date sector (Deglet Nour), in a bid to launch a certification process recognising the excellence of Deglet Nour...»»»

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»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) has dismissed circulating social media claims alleging that oil pollution has reached Qatar’s shores, confirming that the reports are inaccurate. The Government Communications Office (GC) reported that the ministry had said that continuou»»»

RIYADH: The Saudi Export-Import Bank achieved significant growth in credit facilities provided during the first quarter of 2026, reaching a total of SR13.23 billion ($3.52 billion), a 20.8 percent year-on-year increase. This performance comes within the framework of the bank’s strategy to empower S»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar's men's volleyball team will meet Bahrain on Tuesday in a decisive match to determine the gold medal winner at the 4th GCC Games Doha 2026. Both teams enter the final round level on six points, setting up a direct contest for the title at Aspire Hall. Qatar have already secured a»»»

Iranian authorities have made more than 4,000 arrests on charges related to the US-Israeli war against the country in a mass crackdown, a US-based rights group said on Monday. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had documented at least 4,023 arrests between February 28, when the »»»

Germany's armed forces will support Türkiye’s air defense capacities within NATO by deploying a Patriot air and missile defense task force to the ‌country from the ‌end of ‌next ⁠month, the defense ⁠ministry said on Monday. The Bundeswehr deployment, currently planned until September 2026, includes»»»

Four people were killed and another eight wounded when a gunman opened fire near the southern Turkish city of Mersin on Monday, the DHA and IHA news agencies reported. At least two people were killed when the assailant opened fire inside a restaurant with the two others killed elsewhere and the ass»»»

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»»»

Dubai: The Indian rupee has fallen to its weakest level ever against the UAE dirham, pushing remittance values sharply higher for millions of Indian expatriates in the Gulf while raising concerns over inflation, rising import costs and prolonged pressure on India’s economy. Get updated faster and f»»»

A New York state judge ruled Monday that some items found in Luigi Mangione’s backpack at the time of his arrest will be excluded from evidence in his trial. Pool Photo by Jeena Moon/UPI | License Photo May 18 (UPI) -- A New York state judge ruled Monday that some items found in Luigi Mangione's ba»»»

President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday. On Monday, he told a federal court in Miami he wants to drop his lawsuit against the IRS. Photo by Eric Lee/UPI | License Photo May 18 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump and his two oldest sons droppe»»»

Dubai: The General Command of Dubai Police will participate on Tuesday in the ninth edition of the International Exhibition for National Security and Risk Prevention (ISNR 2026), taking place until May 21 at the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. The major security exhibition brings together eight specialised»»»

The National Oil Corporation (NOC) reported today that, for the third time in less than three months, Libyan technical teams at Mellitah Oil and Gas Company achieved a remarkable success, completing maintenance work on well A-28 in the Abu Attifel field. This involved isolating the associated water»»»

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»»»

Dubai: In line with Dubai’s accelerated adoption of Agentic AI, FirstChapter has launched the world’s fi rst AI-native agentic corporate platform in strategic collaboration with Tridz, an AI fi rm based out of Dubai AI Campus. The initiative builds on an actively developed open-source AI solution, »»»

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»»»

Dubai: India's Adani Enterprises agreed to pay $275 million to settle potential civil liability related to apparent violations of US sanctions on Iran tied to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports, the US Treasury Department said on Monday. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News ap»»»

The Thirteenth Criminal Circuit of the Tripoli Court of Appeal issued its verdict today in criminal case number (630 / 2014) concerning figures of the Qaddafi regime. Case No. 630 is related to the suppression of protesters during the February 2011 revolution that overthrew the 42-year Qaddafi regi»»»

ALKHOBAR: Long queues formed outside Swatch stores in Riyadh this week as customers waited for the latest Swatch and Audemars Piguet collaboration, turning a colorful plastic watch into one of Saudi Arabia’s most memorable retail moments. Videos shared across social media showed people standing in »»»

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 »»»

Tehran could respond militarily to US naval forces enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports, a senior Iranian official has said, warning that the Gulf of Oman could become a “graveyard” for American warships. Speaking on Iranian state television on Sunday, Mohsen Rezaei, who serves on a senior advisor»»»

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla has accused the US of fabricating a pretext for a potential invasion following an Axios report claiming that the island had acquired attack drones from Russia and Iran. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump had suggested that Cuba could become»»»

Dubai: For more than two billion Muslims worldwide, the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are not just dates on the Islamic calendar, they are considered the most sacred days of the year. Marked by fasting, prayer, charity and the once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage of Hajj, these days are seen as a rare spi»»»

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 »»»

LONDON: Palestinian hospitals in the Gaza Strip are facing shortages of medical imaging equipment, which is vital for detecting illnesses and planning critical surgeries. Medical facilities in the coastal enclave have lost 76 percent of their imaging equipment following Israel’s military campaign w»»»

BAKU - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the World Urban Forum in Baku on Monday. "A substantial and friendly discussion with President Mirziyoyev about current global topics, as well as about further advancement of Serbia-Uzbekistan bilateral relatio»»»

Malé, Maldives: The bodies of four Italians who drowned in the Maldives' worst diving disaster were found in an underwater cave on Monday, Maldivian and Italian officials said, after an international recovery effort. The bodies were found four days after a group of five Italians failed to return fr»»»

Hungary’s opposition stronghold mayor Gergely Karácsony says former prime minister Viktor Orbán’s illiberal system has not merely lost power but collapsed, as the incoming government of the Tisza party promises to restore democratic norms after 16 years of Orbán rule. In an interview in Bratislava,»»»

Iran sent a new peace proposal to the United States with terms that appeared similar to offers Washington has previously rejected, although a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that the US had softened positions on some issues. A Pakistani source confirmed that Islamabad, which has conv»»»

Britain's Prince ‌William will sell off parts of his vast Duchy of Cornwall estate over the next decade to help fund plans to invest more than 500 million pounds ($670 million) in local communities, including affordable housing and environmental projects. The sales were reported by the Times newspa»»»

Tunis, May 18 (TAP) - Tunisia's Ambassador to the European Union Sahbi Khalfallah partook in the first meeting of the EU-Southern Neighbourhood Joint Group of Senior Officials on the Pact for the Mediterranean. This meeting provided an...»»»

Paris, May 18 (SANA) Oil prices have surged above $110 per barrel as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to unsettle global supply expectations, intensifying pressure on already fragile energy markets. Bond markets also recorded significant sell-offs, pushing yields in major economies to m»»»

A source close to the Iranian negotiating team told Tasnim that Iran has submitted its latest text in 14 points through the Pakistani intermediary, who will present it to the Americans.The source said on Monday that the Americans had recently sent a text in response to Iran’s previous proposal, whi»»»

Egypt is advancing an initiative to produce 200 megawatts of solar energy for state-owned industrial facilities as part of a broader drive to implement structural reforms and secure the financial sustainability of state assets. The developments were outlined on Monday during discussions between Dep»»»

The World Health Organization has honoured Egyptian physician Heba El Sewedy, founder and chair of the Ahl Masr Foundation and Burn Hospital, with the Director-General’s Award in recognition of her pioneering contributions to burn care. The award was presented during the opening of the 79th World H»»»

Egypt is undertaking a comprehensive transformation of its education system for 25 million pre-university students, shifting the focus from enrollment metrics to skills-based learning and introducing a new Egyptian Baccalaureate, Minister of Education and Technical Education Mohamed Abdellatif anno»»»

Ebony Parker faces eight counts of felony child abuse and disregard for life for allegedly ignoring concerns that a student brought a weapon Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Va in January 2023, resulting in the shooting of a teacher. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo May 18 (»»»

Bulgaria’s Supreme Administrative Court announced Monday that it has revoked an emissions derogation granted to the state-owned coal-fired power plant Maritsa East 2 TPP following a series of legal challenges brought by the environmental organizations For the Earth and Greenpeace Bulgaria. Environm»»»

A new helicopter designed by Russia’s Rostec Corporation and China’s Avicopter is breaking heavy-lift aviation barriers with an expected payload of up to 16 metric tons. Military analyst Dmitry Drozdenko explained to Sputnik that:Such helicopters are often used to ferry heavy gear and materials by »»»