In-person classes set to resume across Qatar
Dubai: Qatar’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education has confirmed that public and private schools are fully prepared to reopen for in-person learning on Sunday, welcoming nearly 417,000 students, the Qatar News Agency reports. The ministry added that all necessary arrangements have been compl»»»
Abu Dhabi launches National First Line of Defense Forum, Dh100 million training grants to boost emergency readiness
Abu Dhabi: The 26th edition of the National First Line of Defense Forum officially commenced today in Abu Dhabi under the theme “Together for a Nation’s Readiness.” The forum is organised by the National Unified and Integrated Training System for Readiness and Response, under the supervision of the»»»
New community ‘paw-ntry’ launched in Philippines as pantries return amid rising fuel costs
Dubai: Five years after a simple bamboo cart on Maginhawa street in the Philippines became a symbol of hope during the Covid-19 pandemic, community pantries are making a comeback in the country, driven by new challenges. Community pantries are volunteer-run stations where people can donate and take»»»
Education Ministry confirms schools ready for safe return to in-person classes tomorrow
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced that all preparations have been completed across public and private schools to resume in-person classes starting Sunday, following completion of comprehensive arrangements aimed at preparing a suitable school environment to recei»»»
Pakistan to Host Saudi, Türkiye, Egypt for Talks on Mideast War
Pakistan's prime minister said he had a "detailed" call with Iran's president on Saturday, as foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye prepared to meet in Islamabad for talks on the war in the Middle East. Top diplomats from Riyadh, Cairo and Ankara are due in the Pakistani capital Su»»»
Live updates: Yemen’s Houthis fire first missile on Israel as war in Middle East intensifies – Ya Libnan
Share: An Israeli first responder walks from the site of a missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel, early Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Maya Levin) Major developments we’re following: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Israel on Saturday, raising concerns ab»»»
Schools fully prepared to resume in-person classes in safe learning environment on Sunday: Ministry
DOHA: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced the completion of all preparations in public and private schools for the resumption of in-person classes starting on Sunday.This follows the completion of various arrangements aimed at creating a suitable school environment to welcome a»»»
Who are Yemen’s Houthis? Militants opening a new front in a dangerous escalation
Dubai: Yemen’s Iran-backed Al Houthi militants have opened a new front in the widening Middle East war, claiming their first missile launch toward Israel since the conflict began. The move marks a significant escalation, raising fears of renewed attacks on Red Sea shipping and deeper regional spill»»»
GERB Leader Borissov Urges Supporters to Back His Party in Elections, Says Party Triggered Snap Vote
GERB leader Boyko Borissov told supporters in Veliko Tarnovo on Saturday that they should go to the polls aware that his party had triggered the elections, citing dissatisfaction with the current parliamentary configuration and outlining clear goals to be pursued if given public support. Borissov m»»»
NOC celebrates return of Schlumberger Libya's (SLB) in-country operations as an independent operating entity (LIG) - as they were before 2011
The National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced yesterday that it is officially celebrating the issuance of the strategic decision to separate SLB’s (formerly Schlumberger) operations in Libya from the North Africa management, establishing them as an independent operating entity under the name (LIG), »»»
FII PRIORITY Miami Concludes with Focus on Investment Strategies and Critical Minerals
The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute concluded FII PRIORITY Miami 2026 with conversations about how the global economic outlook is being reshaped in real time by disruption, and how capital is adapting and reinventing itself accordingly. Across the day’s plenary sessions, speakers provi»»»
Burjeel Holdings’ Tajmeel partners with Türkiye’s Suzermed Clinic to launch specialised hair transplant clinic in UAE
Burjeel Holdings, a leading super-specialty healthcare services provider in the MENA, has announced a strategic collaboration through its premium cosmetics and aesthetics brand, Tajmeel, with Türkiye-based Suzermed Clinic, a specialist provider in advanced hair transplant procedures with an establi»»»
Teacher dies as building collapses in Oman floods, death toll rises to 10
Dubai: A Sudanese teacher has died after a building collapsed in Wadi Al Ain in Oman’s Wilayat of Ibri following flooding caused by overflowing wadis, as the death toll from the recent weather depression in the country rose to 10. Authorities said police aviation transported the body after rescue t»»»
Amir, Ukrainian president discuss regional developments, Ukrainian crisis
DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thaniand President of Ukraine HE Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the latest regional and international developments, particularly the escalating tensions in the region, including the ongoing Iranian aggression against Qatar an»»»
“National unity and experience are needed to keep Hungary out of the war”, PM tells rally
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said national unity and experienced leadership are essential for Hungary to remain outside the war in Ukraine, speaking at a campaign rally in Győr following stops in Veszprém and other cities during his nationwide tour. Addressing supporters in Széchenyi Square, Prime M»»»
Amir, Ukraine President discuss regional, international developments
Doha, Qatar: The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine discussed the latest regional and international developments, particularly the escalating tensions in the region, including the ongoing Iranian aggression against Qatar an»»»
What’s different about holy week preparations in the UAE this year
Dubai: As holy week begins tomorrow, many UAE residents are preparing in more subdued and reflective ways, with changes in routine shaping how the season is observed this year. Among the Christian community, the focus has shifted towards personal prayer, online gatherings and small, meaningful acts»»»
Sipan Hamo on integrating Kurdish units into the army
In Part 1, the Kurdish-Syrian leader Sipan Hamo spoke of his upbringing, politicisation, and participation in armed struggle, which led him to found the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), and to several periods of detention, both in Syria and abroad. Recognised as a hardliner and known as a f»»»
Egypt orders early closing hours for shops and restaurants to cut energy use
Dubai: Egypt will impose earlier closing hours for shops, malls, restaurants and cafés starting Saturday as part of a temporary package of measures aimed at managing energy consumption and easing economic pressures, the government has announced. Under the decision, commercial establishments will cl»»»
Attempts at diplomacy as US troops build up in the Mideast
Pakistan said Saturday Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will send their top diplomats to Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the Iran war. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a statement that Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egypt's Foreign Min»»»
Sweet heist? Nestle says 12 tonnes of KitKat stolen
Geneva: A huge shipment of Nestle's crunchy KitKat chocolate bars was stolen in Europe, the brand said, warning that the heist risked causing shortages in stores right before Easter. KitKat, owned by Swiss food giant Nestle, confirmed in a statement sent to AFP on Saturday that "a truck transportin»»»
Sweet heist? Nestle says 12 tonnes of KitKat stolen
Geneva: A huge shipment of Nestle's crunchy KitKat chocolate bars was stolen in Europe, the brand said, warning that the heist risked causing shortages in stores right before Easter. KitKat, owned by Swiss food giant Nestle, confirmed in a statement sent to AFP on Saturday that "a truck transportin»»»
President Saied urges sustained nationwide efforts to curb waste build-up
Tunis, March 28 (TAP) — President Kais Saied has called for “sustained and continuous” action to tackle the growing accumulation of waste across the country, during a meeting on Friday with Interior Minister Khaled Nouri at the Carthage Palace.In a...»»»
Fitch Confirms Bulgaria’s “BBB+” Rating, Sees Stable Outlook Despite Political Risks
Fitch Ratings has confirmed Bulgaria’s long-term sovereign credit rating in foreign currency at “BBB+” and maintained a stable outlook, signaling continued confidence in the country’s economic fundamentals. According to the agency, the assessment is underpinned by Bulgaria’s strong fiscal and exter»»»
Hamas to Seek Changes in Response to Disarmament Plan
Sources in Hamas and other Palestinian factions say there’s growing pessimism over a plan presented by the high representative of the US-backed Board of Peace, Nikolay Mladenov, to the movement’s leadership, proposing the full and unconditional disarmament of the Gaza Strip. Two Hamas sources, insi»»»
Pakistan to host Saudi, Turkiye, Egypt for talks on Mideast war
Islamabad, Pakistan: Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt will meet in Islamabad for talks on the war in the Middle East, the government said on Saturday. It said Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had invited his counterparts and that they would be in the Pakistani capital on S»»»
After US Terror Listing, Sudan’s Brotherhood Faces Tough Choices
Sudan’s Muslim Brotherhood-linked Islamic Movement has remained silent after the US designated it a “foreign terrorist organization,” a decision that took effect on March 16. Nearly two weeks later, the group’s leadership, at home and abroad, has issued no statement clarifying its position or the p»»»
How Earth Hour 2026 is bringing UAE families together for climate action
Dubai: What began in 2007 as a symbolic gesture has grown into one of the world’s largest environmental movements. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International has launched "Earth Hour" to encourage people to switch off non-essential lights for one hour, raising awareness about climate change and bi»»»
Whale Stranded at Baltic Sea Resort Has Swum Off Sandbank. But it Isn't Safe Yet
A whale that was stranded for days in shallow water at a Baltic Sea resort in Germany has swum free from a sandbank overnight after a last-ditch rescue effort. But it isn't out of danger yet. An excavator spent Thursday digging an escape channel. The whale then swam through it overnight, marine bio»»»
UAE announces end of unstable weather, conditions return to normal
Abu Dhabi: The National Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA), in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, has announced the end of the recent weather situation and confirmed that conditions across the country have stabilised. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the »»»
UAE announces end of weather disturbance as heavy rain alert lifted
Abu Dhabi: The National Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, has announced the end of the recent weather situation and confirmed that conditions across the country have stabilised. The announcement followed a meeting of the Joint Asses»»»
CBSE Class 12 evaluation in UAE, Middle East: What students must know about how marks will be calculated
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced an alternative assessment policy for Class 12 students in West Asian countries, including the UAE, after board exams scheduled between March 16 and April 10, 2026, could not be held due to extraordinary circumstances. The new scheme aims»»»
Russia's FSB Foils Terrorist Attack Planned by Ukraine
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) prevented a terrorist attack planned by Kiev against a law enforcement officer in Stavropol, the FSB press center said on Saturday. "The Federal Security Service of Russia in the city of Stavropol prevented a sabotage and terrorist act p»»»
UAE and Ukrainian Presidents discuss cooperation and regional developments
Abu Dhabi: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, discussed security developments in the region amid ongoing military escalation and their implications for regional and international peace and security, as well as their impact on»»»
33 million litres/day: Diesel consumption in the Philippines — a data-driven look at diesel dependence and the electrification challenge
Manila: The Philippines faces ongoing energy security pressures. This was highlighted by recent government actions amid global oil market volatility induced by the Mideast war. According to data from the Philippine National Oil Co (PNOC) and the Department of Energy references cited in recent analy»»»
MoECC calls on public, institutions to observe Earth Hour in support of sustainability
DOHA: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) has called on individuals and institutions across the country to participate in Earth Hour, observed this evening, by switching off lights and non-essential electrical appliances for one hour, from 8.30pm to 9.30pm. In a statement posted »»»
Qatar urges one-hour lights off to mark Earth Hour 2026
Doha, Qatar: Qatar's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) has called on individuals and institutions across the country to participate in Earth Hour, observed this evening, by switching off lights and non-essential electrical appliances for one hour, from 8:30pm to 9:30pm. In a stateme»»»
WTO Reform Talks Face US-Indian Obstacles
Large differences remain between most countries and the US and India as trade ministers meet to discuss reforms at the World Trade Organization, two diplomats told Reuters on Friday. The ministers are meeting in Yaounde, Cameroon, as the organization faces a critical test to its future amid a year »»»
Why a women-only bar in Minsk is triggering male backlash in 2026
If you haven’t seen an example of collective male hysteria for a while, take a look at the comments on the news story about the opening of a women-only pub in Minsk. There are tears, threats, and even strategic plans to take over the territory. The men commenting are furious that there will be a pl»»»
How the Philippines is strengthening migrant worker protection ahead of UN meet
Dubai: The Philippines is stepping up efforts to strengthen protections for its migrant workers around the world, as the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has convened multiple stakeholders in Quezon city this week ahead of a United Nations (UN) forum on migration. Together with the International»»»
Security Council Secretary discusses security issues with Hungarian authorities - | 24.KG
Secretary of the Security Council of Kyrgyzstan Adilet Orozbekov met with Marcell Biro, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister of Hungary on National Security, in Budapest. The Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan reported. According to it, the discussion focused on issues related to the formatio»»»
Washington, Tehran could hold talks this week, US Middle-East Envoy says
Washington: US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said today that the US and Iran could hold talks this week. Witkoff did not provide further details on the potential meeting, but confirmed that Iran had received its 15-point plan, and that Washington was still awaiting Tehran's respons»»»
One month into Iran war, some Trump objectives are unfulfilled as he looks to wind down the conflict
Washington: President Donald Trump has listed five objectives that the US wants to achieve before ending its war with Iran. Now, one month into the conflict, he has suggested the US may soon be “winding down” the operation, even though some of his key aims remain undefined or unfulfilled. Trump las»»»
Tiger Woods arrested, charged with DUI after Florida crash
Miami: Tiger Woods was arrested and charged with driving under the influence Friday after a rollover crash near his Florida home, authorities said, as the 15-time major champion's golf career veered into fresh turmoil. Woods, 50, escaped injury but was detained after his vehicle clipped a truck whi»»»
The World This Week - Iran: Rolling Ultimatums, Moscow "at the EU table"?
In a week of movable ultimatums set by President Trump, to “obliterate Iran’s power plants”, a deadline was set initially of Monday at Midnight, then extended by five days on account of “very productive conversations”, then to ten days with Trump claiming “talks are ongoing” and “going very well”. »»»
Access Asia - Pakistan the peacemaker? Islamabad steps up as US-Iran mediator
On this week's Access Asia we look at how Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator to end the war in Iran. The Atlantic Council's Michael Kugelman tells us the conflict spillover risks are particularly acute, adding that Pakistan badly wants to avoid getting dragged into the war.»»»
Pope Leo XIV makes historic visit to glitzy Monaco
Pope Leo XIV will travel on Saturday to the principality of Monaco, becoming the first pontiff in almost five centuries to visit the Mediterranean enclave, in a trip the Vatican says will underscore the global influence of small states. Pope Leo XIV travels Saturday to the principal»»»
Alarm for Russian banking sector as cash withdrawals spike
Russia’s share of cashless payments in retail turnover fell by 3 percentage points to 71.1% in January 2026, while cash withdrawals reached RUB1.6 trillion ($17.4bn), the highest since the 2022 full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, according to The Bell citing SberIndex and VTsIOM. »»»
Iran war creates perfect storm for the petrodollar - Deutsche Bank
The world was already dedollarising thanks to rising East-West tensions and the US decision to weaponize the dollar in 2022 by seizing the Russian central bank’s reserves. Trump has gone a step further and one of the outcomes of the war in Iran will be acceleration of de-dollarization, a rush into »»»
Crisis-virus: From disruption to destruction
The global economy is already sick, infected by a crisis virus spreading through supply chains after the war in Iran shifted from tempo»»»