Doha, Qatar: The stage is set for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 following the official draw held in Zurich, Switzerland on 21 May ahead of the tournament’s return to Doha from 19 November to 13 December. Continuing the expanded 48-team format successfully introduced in 2025, qualified nations »»»

MONTREAL: Three weeks before kickoff in the first ever World Cup match in Canada, football leaders in the country voiced hope the tournament will finally give the sport the cultural prominence it deserves. Football, which most Canadians call soccer, is the country’s most popular participatory sport»»»

National Assembly Chair Michaela Dotsova called on Bulgarians to preserve their language at a reception at the Bulgarian Embassy in Rome on Thursday. She spoke ahead of May 24, the Day of Sts Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture and of Slav Letters. The choir of Sof»»»

Tunis, May 21 (TAP) - Ten Tunisian companies operating in the textile and clothing sector took part in a series of B2B meetings with prestigious Italian brands during a business mission organised on May 19–20, 2026, in Milan, Italy, by the Exports...»»»

Madrid: Spanish rider Alex Marquez will be sidelined for at least the next two MotoGP races after suffering two fractures in a horror crash at the Catalan Grand Prix last weekend, his Gresini Racing team said Thursday. "Alex Marquez will miss the Mugello and Balaton Grands Prix," Gresini said on so»»»

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was came under intense fire from the international community Thursday in the wake of a video showing him taunting actiivists seized from a Gaza aid flotilla and brought to Israel. He posted the video on X himself. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | Li»»»

Air France and Airbus found guilty of manslaughter over 2009 plane crash 1 hour agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSofia Ferreira Santos Getty Images Air France and Airbus have been found guilty of manslaughter over a 2009 plane crash which killed 228 people. The Paris Appeals Court found the ai»»»

Bulgarian National Assembly Chair Mihaela Dotsova and the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, Lorenzo Fontana, discussed strengthening parliamentary dialogue between the two countries and the exchange of best practices during a meeting in Rome. A Bulgarian parliamentary »»»

Israel said it had deported on Thursday all the foreign activists seized by Israeli forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla, following global outcry over their treatment in custody. "All foreign activists from the PR flotilla have been deported from Israel. Israel will not permit any breach of the lawful»»»

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s MBC Studios has unveiled a slate of new Saudi film and television productions during the Cannes Film Festival 2026. Among the projects announced is “Hell of the Transients,” the first feature film directed by Saudi filmmaker Hana Al-Omair. The film, adapted from the work of be»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, May 21: There's outrage and condemnation in the international papers over a video showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting detained flotilla activists. One Israeli editor says he should be fired for his video. Also: the US indicts former Cuba»»»

TEL AVIV: Israel has released hundreds of activists who attempted to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and is in the process of deporting them, according to a legal organization working with the flotilla. The Israel-based legal advocacy group, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israe»»»

Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters as it approached Gaza on May 18, preventing the vessels from reaching the enclave and detaining more than 400 activists from around 40 countries. The mission set out from Türkiye to challenge Israel’s naval blockade and dr»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus surged 218.9 percent year on year to SR57 billion ($15.2 billion) in March, marking its sharpest annual increase in nearly five years as oil exports jumped and imports declined sharply. Figures released by the General Authority for Statistics showed merchandise »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Ben-Gvir’s ‘Shameful Display’ Sparks Global Fury Over Abuse of Gaza Flotilla Activists 21-05-2026 11:09 AM Israeli National Security Minist»»»

Dubai: Publsh Media Group has signed an exclusive strategic partnership with Vivenda Group to expand both companies’ premium media portfolios across the UAE, Italy and Spain. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here. The agreement will see the two companie»»»

RIYADH: For decades, pioneers of Saudi art were overlooked and under-documented, but in Misk Art Institute’s latest Solo Series two more of them are brought to light in an effort to cement their place in the Kingdom’s history: Fouad Mougharbel and Saad Almasari. “It’s critical to highlight these pi»»»

Doha, Qatar: The official draw for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 will take place at FIFA’s Zurich headquarters today. The Qatar 2026 draw, along with the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco, will be live-streamed on FIFA+, TikTok and YouTube from 4:00pm Qatar time. This will be the second year»»»

A Bulgarian parliamentary delegation, led by National Assembly Chair Mihaela Dotsova, is leaving on a two-day visit to Vatican City and Rome today, May 21, for celebrations of the Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, marked as the Day of the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture, and Slavic Liter»»»

The 4th Bishkek International Film Festival will kick off on June 7, the Cinema Development Fund reported. French actress Audrey Tautou, known for her leading roles in films such as «Amélie» and «Coco Before Chanel,» is expected to be the event’s guest of honor. This year, the festival program will»»»

Following a suspension that followed the Russian plane crash in October 2015, Italy suspended its flights to Egypt. Recent news indicates that Italy will resume flights to Egypt’s Sharm al-Sheik Airport. Official sources from the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation revealed last Thursday that an It»»»

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video on Wednesday of some 430 activists detained from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, many of them bound and kneeling, accompanied by the message: "Welcome to Israel." European governments and Israeli politicians were qui»»»

Rome: President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic HE Lorenzo Fontana met with Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Italy HE Khalid bin Youssef Al Sada. During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries.»»»

QNA Rome Qatar and Italy held high-level talks focusing on bilateral cooperation and regional security including efforts to maintain the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and reduce tensions across the Middle East. Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin A»»»

PARIS: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to impose “permits” on submarine fiber-optic cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Here is what you need to know about cable infrastructure in the region and how the threats could play out: What cables run through Hormuz? Major c»»»

ROME: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni slammed as “unacceptable” the treatment of Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel, after an Israeli minister posted a video of them bound and forced to kneel. Meloni called for the immediate release of any detained Italian citizens and demanded an apo»»»

A Bulgarian parliamentary delegation, led by National Assembly Chair Mihaela Dotsova, will visit the Vatican and Rome for May 24, the Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, marked as the Day of the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture, and Slavic Literature, Parliament's press centre said on Wedne»»»

Leaders of the G7 nations, from left, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, U.S. President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, pose for»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe World Countries Condemn ‘Israel’ over Violence against Gaza Flotilla, Summon Envoys 20-05-2026 19:49 PM Several countries, including Italy,»»»

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»»»

ROME: The State of Qatar and the Italian Republic have held high-level talks focusing on bilateral cooperation and regional security, including efforts to maintain the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and reduce tensions across the Middle East. Minister of State at the Ministry of Forei»»»

Rome: The State of Qatar and the Italian Republic have held high-level talks focusing on bilateral cooperation and regional security, including efforts to maintain the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and reduce tensions across the Middle East. Minister of State at the Ministry of Forei»»»

An elite interational dive rescue team begins a complex operation on Wednesday to recover the remains of the last two of four Italian divers from underwater caves more than 200 feet down off the Maldives' Vaavu Atoll. Photo courtesy Maldives President's Media Division/EPA May 20 (UPI) -- The final »»»

In 2018, on the day the 2026 FIFA World Cup was awarded to the US, Canada, and Mexico, I vowed that under no circumstances would I work at it in any capacity, from commentator to host, journalist to presenter. The reason was simple: five years of non-stop lawfare against the sport’s global governin»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Libya emphasized that it is not a destination for irregular migration and cannot become a resettlement zone for migrants. The declaration was made by Libya’s delegation during a meeting in Rome yesterday of the Quadripartite Cooperation Committee for Combating Irregular Migration. Participants incl»»»

ROME: The bodies of the last two of five Italian divers killed while diving in a deep underwater cave have been recovered, an Italian foreign ministry source said on Wednesday. “The first one has already been lifted onto a support boat. The second is being brought up by a diver who is observing the»»»

The bodies of the last two of five Italian divers killed while diving in a deep underwater cave have been recovered, an Italian foreign ministry source said on Wednesday. "The first one has already been lifted onto a support boat. The second is being brought up by a diver who is observing the decom»»»

VIENNA: An Austrian court is expected to rule on Wednesday on a former intelligence official charged over spying for Russia, the most high-profile espionage case to have shaken the EU member in recent years. Austria has been rocked by several cases centered on suspected spying for Moscow, with the »»»

The Department of Defense said Tuesday it was reducing the number of US troop brigades in Europe from four to three, taking the deployment back to 2021 levels, as Washington pressures the continent to do more for its own defense. The Pentagon "has reduced the total number of Brigade Combat Teams (B»»»

Finance ministers from the G7 group of advanced economies were unanimous on the need to take on global trade imbalances, according to the statement released Tuesday following a second day of Paris talks. But the US decision to extend a waiver on sanctions against Russia in the wake of the US-Israel»»»

Israeli forces on Tuesday intercepted six remaining vessels from a much larger activist flotilla attempting to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. Two other boats are still on their way to the Palestinian territory, according to the activist group's livestream. A live feed on the Global Sumu»»»

Paris: The finance ministers of countries part of the Group of Seven (G7) have renewed their commitment to multilateral cooperation in addressing risks threatening the global economy. Emphasizing the need for the swift and safe restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the finan»»»

Paris, May 19 (SANA) Finance ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries emphasized the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, underlining the importance of addressing global economic imbalances and strengthening multilateral cooperation to confront risks facing the global economy. In a joint stat»»»

ROME: Italian police said Tuesday they had disrupted a criminal group active from Switzerland to Serbia that allegedly turned toxic ashes into BBQ briquettes and fertilizer, while protected by the provincial environmental agency. Nineteen individuals and three companies are currently under investig»»»

KRAGUJEVAC - The output of the Stellantis car plant in Kragujevac, central Serbia, continues to rise in 2026 and could reach 150,000 vehicles a year thanks to high demand for the Fiat Grande Panda model, says Petar Veselinovic, a professor at the Kragujevac Faculty of Economics. The increased deman»»»

Dubai: Europe’s biggest airline believes the US-Israel-Iran conflict may ease within weeks, with Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary suggesting political pressure in Washington could force a resolution before the US midterm election campaign intensifies. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the »»»

PARIS: The finance ministers of ​the G7 group of countries reiterated it was imperative to re-open the Strait of ‌Hormuz, and ‌that ​it ‌was ⁠important ​to tackle global, ⁠current account imbalances.They also reaffirmed in a joint statement their ⁠commitment to multilateral ‌cooperation ‌in address»»»

Former prison boss Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri was "one of the worst instigators" of torture, rape and murder in Libya's notorious Mitiga prison, prosecutors told the International Criminal Court Tuesday. Judges will have 60 days to determine whether the charges against El Hishri – including »»»