Dubai: Dubai Police has entered the Guinness World Records after hosting the world’s largest virtual meeting, bringing together 9,348 employees in an online gathering titled “Front Line Heroes”. The force surpassed the minimum requirement of 5,000 participants set by Guinness World Records for the »»»

Economic experts discussed unifying the Gulf market in order to maximize inflows of capital from abroad during a virtual meeting on Sunday. General Coordinator for Negotiations and head of the GCC Negotiating Team Dr. Raja Al-Marzoqi suggested completing the unified Gulf market and developing mecha»»»

Syria will take part in a closed-door session with G7 finance ministers and central bank governors in Paris on Monday, a person familiar with the matter said, in a sign of its growing status less than two years after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad. Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh is expected t»»»

The European Union has decided to renew restrictions on individuals and entities linked to the former Syrian administration run by Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in December 2024. "The EU considers that networks linked to the former al-Assad regime continue to retain influence and pose a risk of »»»

Brussels, May 18 (SANA) The European Union on Monday removed Syria’s defense and interior ministries from its sanctions list while renewing sanctions on individuals and entities linked to the deposed regime until June 1, 2027. The decision followed the bloc’s annual review of its Syria sanctions fr»»»

Dubai: Dubai’s General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai) has completed a comprehensive institutional review that led to the development of an advanced decision-support system powered by artificial intelligence and data analytics, aimed at accelerating decision-making, imp»»»

Murmansk Governor Andrei Chibis is offering regional payments of up to 3.5 million roubles in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence to anyone who signs up to serve in the newly established drone units of the Northern Fleet. During a briefing with his cabinet on Monday, the Kremlin-loyal Murmansk»»»

Doha, Qatar: Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology (DLMP) has successfully successfully achieved simultaneous reaccreditation of its laboratories by both the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Bioth»»»

We condemn the intervention by Israeli forces in international waters against the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was organized to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, constituting a new act of piracy. The Flotilla comprises citizens from approximately 40 countries. Israel’s attacks and intimidation poli»»»

Maldives National Defense Force military divers prepare to enter the water on Saturday amid a search for four Italian divers missing off the Vaavu Atoll. Staff Sergeant Mohammed Mahdi (2-L) was killed later the same day after sustaining decompression injuries, bringing the total death toll in the i»»»

Abu Dhabi: Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, stressed that the targeting of Barakah is a terrorist attack on a peaceful project, built to the highest safety standards, that powers homes, hospitals, and industries across the UAE. Al Jaber added that the aggress»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index dropped on Monday, losing 11.84 points, or 0.11 percent, to close at 10,956.1. The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR4.62 billion ($1.23 billion), as 63 of the listed stocks advanced, while 195 retreated. The MSCI Tadawul Index also d»»»

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday that he would do the "impossible" in order to stop the war with Israel, after a ceasefire and direct talks between the countries failed to end the fighting. Aoun's comments came as the Israeli army carried out a series of strikes in south Lebanon, while He»»»

Smartphones and weaker face-to-face relationships could be contributing to plunging birth rates worldwide, particularly among young people, as global fertility is declining at a record pace, the Financial Times has reported, citing researchers and demographic data. An analysis spanning population r»»»

US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with a new attack if Tehran doesn’t agree to make swift concessions to Washington. Indirect talks between the sides have remained stalled since a fragile ceasefire was established in early April after a month of hostilities initiated by the US and Israe»»»

Dubai: Pakistan has lifted nationwide restrictions on business closing hours that were introduced last month as part of emergency energy-saving measures during the Middle East crisis and the US-Iran war. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday approved an exemption allowing commercial centres acros»»»

Dubai: India has unveiled the first visual design of its much-awaited Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, offering an early glimpse of the country’s first high-speed rail service ahead of its planned launch in 2027. The image of the aerodynamic train was installed at Gate No. 4 of the Railway Mi»»»

Peshawar, Pakistan: Gunmen in northwest Pakistan killed two police officers protecting polio vaccination workers on Monday, a security official said, on the first day of a nationwide campaign to counter rising cases. Pakistan is one of two countries, along with Afghanistan, where polio remains ende»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov met with President of Mauritius Dharambeer Gokhool on the sidelines of the World Urban Forum in Baku. The two sides discussed the development of bilateral cooperation, including in the areas of digitalization and the financial sector. The presidential press ser»»»

Representatives of local institutions, social services, clergy, non-governmental organizations and foster parents gathered at the National Press Club of the Bulgarian News Agency in Pernik for a discussion focused on foster care and support for children at risk. The event was part of the national "»»»

RIYADH: The Madinah region ranked fifth among Saudi Arabia’s regions in the number of operating factories, totaling 458 by the end of 2025. This reflects the continued growth of the industrial sector in the region and its increasing role in supporting economic development and achieving the goals of»»»

Growing security concerns in ‘Israel’ are reviving what officials describe as a potential “doomsday scenario,” in which sustained missile barrages could overwhelm defenses and trigger widespread, prolonged power outages, according to a report by Maariv. The scenario, which has resurfaced amid heigh»»»

BRUSSELS - European Commission (EC) spokesperson Paula Pinho said on Monday that, in a telephone call with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Saturday, EC President Ursula von der Leyen had reaffirmed the EC's support for Serbia's progress on its EU path. At a Brussels press briefing, Pinho said»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold negotiations in China both in narrow and expanded formats, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Monday. Putin will pay an official visit to China on May 19-20 at the invitation of Xi Jinping. "After the welc»»»

An asteroid estimated to be about the size of one to two school buses will pass close to Earth on Monday, coming within 91,593 kilometers (56,913 miles), or roughly a quarter of the average distance between Earth and the moon, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). Astronomers at the Mount L»»»

BusinessGermanyGermany's crisis-hit chemical industry seeks revivalSrinivas MazumdaruHit by high energy costs and regulation, Germany's chemical companies are scaling back production at home while expanding abroad. Can the trend be reversed? https://p.dw.com/p/5DmTSThe German chemical giant BASF ha»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday that he would do the “impossible” in order to stop the war with Israel, after a ceasefire and direct talks between the countries failed to end the fighting.Aoun’s comments came as the Israeli army carried out a series of strikes in south Lebanon, w»»»

JEDDAH: Kuwait’s consumer price index rose 0.65 percent in April to 139.8 points, driven primarily by a sharp increase in transport costs, while annual inflation stood at 2.57 percent, according to official data. The monthly rise was led by transport, which surged 4.61 percent, reflecting higher tr»»»

Doha, Qatar: Business leaders from Qatar and Pakistan have called for closer economic cooperation and expanded investment partnerships during the first meeting of the Qatar-Pakistan Joint Business Council, held virtually on Monday. The meeting brought together Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Obaidly, board m»»»

The Congolese health minister announced the opening of three treatment centers in the eastern Ituri region as the country grapples with an outbreak of a rare variant of Ebola virus that has no approved therapeutics or vaccines. “We know that the hospitals are already under stress because of the pat»»»

Paris: France said Monday that it had selected an international team of architects to transform the Louvre, which has been hit by a litany of problems including a $100 million jewellery robbery. The “Louvre-New Renaissance” overhaul, President Emmanuel Macron’s signature project announced last year»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Shura Council convened on Monday at Tamim bin Hamad Hall, chaired by HE the Speaker Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanem. Upon this convention, HE the Secretary-General Nayef bin Mohammed Al Mahmoud read out the agenda, with the legislature approving the minutes of its previous session. T»»»

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has defended purchases of American weaponry after US President Donald Trump characterized weapons deliveries to the island as a bargaining chip in talks with Beijing. During Trump’s visit to Beijing last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping described the status of the»»»

Zurich: Swiss watch giant Swatch said Monday insufficient organisation by shopping centres contributed to scuffles at around 20 stores worldwide over the weekend as clients raced to buy a limited-edition timepiece. Hundreds of people waited through the night or longer hoping to get their hands on t»»»

Cairo — Egypt’s stock market began trading on Sunday, 17 May 2026 on a sharply weaker note, extending the corrective phase that has followed the market’s rally to multi-year highs earlier this month, as broad-based selling weighed across both blue-chip and smaller-cap shares. The benchmark EGX30 fe»»»

Shakira wins £50m tax refund from Spanish government 34 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GooglePaul GlynnCulture reporter EPA/ShutterstockShakira is known for hits including Hips Don't Lie, Waka Waka and Whenever, Wherever A Spanish court has ordered the country's tax authority to refund €55»»»

Cuba accuses US of building 'fraudulent case' for military action 2 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAleks Phillips Getty ImagesA deepening fuel crisis, exacerbated by an effective US oil blockade, has led to rolling blackouts Cuba's foreign minister has accused the US of building a "fra»»»

New York: A marathon day of negotiations that finished early Monday failed to end a strike that shut down the Long Island Rail Road, North America’s largest commuter rail system, setting the stage for a rough start to the work week for about 250,000 commuters. Unions representing rail workers and t»»»

Dubai: Dubai Holding has announced a collaboration with Microsoft to embed artificial intelligence at the core of its operations, positioning the group among the first organisations in the Middle East and Africa region to implement AI deployment at enterprise scale. Get updated faster and for FREE:»»»

RIYADH: During the Hajj season, Makkah transforms into a place where Arabic is heard alongside languages from around the world. Urdu, Indonesian, Turkish, Persian, Bengali, English, French, Swahili and more are heard during the pilgrimage, reflecting the unity of Muslims. While diverse cultures mix»»»

A security agreement that is in the works will include "timetables for disarming all illegal militias, starting with Hezbollah and extending to the smallest Palestinian faction," a Lebanese government source said. "This will be accompanied by reciprocal Israeli steps, including the return of Lebane»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar's Ministry of Municipality has announced the completion of nationwide preparations for Eid Al Adha festival, unveiling a comprehensive plan aimed at ensuring public health, safety and comfort during the holiday period. Eid Al Adha, the "Festival of Sacrifice", is expected to begi»»»

Bangkok: The driver of a train that collided with a bus in Thailand's capital, killing eight people, has tested positive for drugs and was charged with reckless driving, officials said Monday. The freight train crashed into the public bus on Saturday afternoon at a busy junction in Bangkok, with th»»»

RIYADH: The Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies, affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted a strategic workshop in Riyadh on enhancing migration governance and cooperation with Saudi Arabia. The workshop was organized by the International Organization for Migration,»»»

BAKU - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Slovak PM and Minister of Environment Tomas Taraba in Baku on Monday and thanked Slovakia for its principled support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, as well as for backing Serbia's EU path. "With Tomas Taraba, I discussed f»»»

Dubai: Emaar Properties has announced plans to exit the joint venture structure linked to The Eighth Gate, its mixed-use development in Yafour, Damascus, marking a shift in the company’s operations in Syria. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The Dub»»»

Skopje, 15 May 2026 (MIA) - Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources Sanja Bozhinovska Friday participated in a joint ministerial meeting in Athens, Greece, alongside the energy ministers of Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria, Stavros Papastavrou, Dubravka Đedović Handanović and Deputy Minister Ki»»»

Dubai: Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has signed a strategic collaboration framework with Parkin Company PJSC to streamline parking subscription services for educational institutions across the emirate. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simp»»»