Latin America and the Caribbean's political systems are experiencing a gradual institutional decay that rarely manifests as outright democratic collapse but instead hollows out governance from within, the United Nations Development Programme warned in a major new report on democracy across the»»»

US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on May 13 for a new round of face-to-face talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping from May 14 to 15, a meeting arriving at a particularly delicate moment in global politics and the international economy. »»»

DUBAI: A ship off the UAE coast near the Strait of Hormuz has been taken by unknown people and is now headed toward Iranian waters, a UK maritime agency said on Thursday. The vessel was “taken by unauthorized personnel whilst at anchor” 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers) northeast of Fujairah, and “»»»

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that crisis-hit Cuba’s leadership must change as Washington renewed an offer on Wednesday of $100 million in aid if the communist-run island agrees to cooperate. Cuba has been suffering severe economic tumult led by an energy shortage that plunged »»»

Dubai: Mohammed Bin Rashid Aerospace Hub has launched a new Light Industrial and Maintenance Complex at Dubai South, adding more space for aviation, aerospace and aerologistics businesses as demand for sector-focused infrastructure grows. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balance»»»

A training cooperation agreement was signed yesterday between the National Oil Corporation’s (NOC) Petroleum Training and Rehabilitation Institute – Sabha and Expertise France, funded by the European Union. The agreement, the NOC reported, stipulates the implementation of advanced specialized train»»»

DOHA:The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change announced the launch of a new digital service for the safe disposal of electronic waste on its official website. This is part of our ministry's efforts to improve the digital transformation of our environmental services for the public. In a statem»»»

In one of the more sensational details emerging from the unfolding corruption investigation into Ukraine’s elite, it emerged that former head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, consulted a fortune teller called Veronica Feng Shui before making all important decisions. »»»

Lens, France: Paris Saint-Germain secured their fifth straight French Ligue 1 title on Wednesday as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's strike set up a decisive 2-0 win away to nearest rivals Lens. The Georgian netted his 19th goal of the season just before the half-hour mark and substitute Ibrahim Mbaye added»»»

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed his US counterpart Donald Trump to Beijing on Thursday morning for a summit to discuss a range of contentious issues and their global implications, from trade to Iran and Taiwan. Xi greeted Trump at the Great Hall of the People shortly after 10:00 AM (02:00 GMT»»»

Iraq’s parliament is scheduled to vote on Thursday on the cabinet lineup proposed by Prime Minister-designate Ali Falih Al-Zaidi, amid ongoing political disputes over key ministries and newly proposed posts. Parliament’s media office said the agenda for session No. 24 includes a single item: a vote»»»

Dubai Customs has foiled an attempt to smuggle rare, endangered wildlife through Dubai International Airport. The incident involved an Asian passenger arriving in the UAE, whose luggage was flagged during routine screening after inspection systems detected unusual contents. Officers then carried ou»»»

Libya’s Benghazi-based private sector company, MENA Exhibitions and Conferences and MENA Food, participated in TUTTOFOOD Milano (11-14 May), one of the largest international exhibitions specializing in the food and beverage industry, held in Milan. The event saw wide participation from companies, i»»»

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has reiterated that all pilgrims must obtain official Hajj permits through authorised channels, stressing that the Hajj visa remains the only valid permit allowing access to the holy sites during the annual Hajj season. The ministry warned that violations o»»»

Dubai: A ship off the UAE coast near the Strait of Hormuz has been taken by unknown people and is now headed towards Iranian territorial waters, a UK maritime agency said on Thursday. The vessel was "taken by unauthorised personnel whilst at anchor" 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah, and "is »»»

Doha, Qatar: President of the Olympic Council of Asia and Qatar Olympic Committee H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, also the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the 4th GCC Games, crowned the podium winners as hosts Qatar dominated the team showjumping competition to clinch gold at Qatar Equ»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Araghchi at BRICS summit: The West turns a blind eye to genocide, violations of national sovereignty, and blatant piracy because it has a f»»»

In a geopolitical environment marked by rising security risks and the acceleration of European rearmament efforts, Romania is at a strategic inflection point where defence-related decisions could have a significant impact on both national security and long-term economic development. These are among»»»

With a long‑standing presence in the United Arab Emirates since 1975 and a global heritage dating back to 1886, SABIS is widely recognized for delivering high‑quality education that prepares students for success in a changing world. Across schools in the UAE and worldwide, the proven SABIS Educatio»»»

Dubai: Comprehensive insurance solutions provider, Orient Insurance, has expanded its war risk protection portfolio in the UAE, adding cover for cargo, personal vehicles and residential units at a time when businesses and residents are seeking wider protection against geopolitical and operational r»»»

Dubai: Indian families in the UAE are increasingly recalculating wedding and holiday gold purchases after India raised import duties on gold and silver to 15%, sharply widening the price gap between Dubai and Indian markets. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply c»»»

We condemn the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by an Israeli minister accompanied by a group of settlers. Such provocative acts, which violate the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque as a holy site belonging to Muslims, risk further deepening tensions and instability in the region. We reiterat»»»

More than 860,000 foreign pilgrims have so far arrived in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, as the kingdom ramps up large-scale logistical, transport and digital operations ahead of the peak rituals in Mecca, Tawfiq Al Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, said. Al Rabiah said: "As of Wedn»»»

As part of efforts to support local production, Minister of Economy and Trade, Suhail Abu Shiha, met with a delegation from the Libyan Industry Union (LIU), representing most regions of Libya, in the presence of the Union’s Executive Director, Ali Nuseer. The meeting, the LIU reported, focused on d»»»

The Minister of Industry and Minerals, Mohamed Abdelgader, along with the Undersecretary of the Ministry and the Director General of the National Industrial Development Authority, held a meeting with Faisal bin Dardaf, Director General of the National Housing and Real Estate Development Programme, »»»

Romania's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell 1.7% in the first three months of 2026 as unadjusted series compared with the same period in 2025 and 0.2% compared with the previous quarter, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) announced on Wednesday.According to INS data, Gross Domestic Product »»»

The average gross earnings stood at 9,902 lei in March 2026, up 630 lei (+6.8%) compared with February 2026, while the average net earnings reached 5,938 lei, increasing by 381 lei (+6.9%), according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS) data published on Wednesday.Compared with March 2025,»»»

Public administration debt (government debt) stood at 1.132 trillion lei in February 2026, up from 1.126 trillion lei in the previous month, according to data published by the Ministry of Finance.As a percentage of GDP, government debt increased to 59.3%, from 58.9% in January 2026 (GDP according t»»»

The annual inflation rate reached 10.71% in April 2026, with the sharpest price increases recorded for electricity (+54.18%), rents (+43.78%), diesel fuel (+32.68%), petrol (+22.42%) and coffee (+21.76%), while services registered the fastest annual growth rate, at 13.04%, according to data from th»»»

The annual inflation rose to 10.71% in April, from 9.87% in March, as services became 13.04% more expensive, non-food goods 12.02% and food products 7.39%, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS) data published on Wednesday."The consumer price index in April 2026 compared with March»»»

Romania will benefit from an allocation of more than 596 million euros through the new funding period of the EEA and Norway Grants, following the signing of memorandums of understanding with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The funds will support programmes in areas such as the green transition, »»»

Following the signing of the relevant memoranda of understanding, Romania's cultural sector will receive more than ?47 million through the new EEA and Norway Grants 2021 - 2028, the Ministry of Culture announced on Wednesday."Thanks to the efforts of the Project Management Unit (UMP) team, the Cult»»»

PSD president Sorin Grindeanu declared on Wednesday, after the National Political Bureau meeting, that the party will go to the Cotroceni consultations with a fairly broad mandate. The social democrats want to form a clear majority and exclude both an alliance with AUR and supporting a new mandate »»»

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin said on Wednesday, during the solemn session of the Romanian Parliament marking the Day of Solidarity and Friendship between Romania and the State of Israel, that the Romanian Embassy should be located in Jerusalem, following the exampl»»»

Black Sea Defense and Aerospace (BSDA), the leading event in the Black Sea region dedicated to the defence and security industry, kicks off on Wednesday in Bucharest at the Romaero Baneasa platform.According to a press release, the 10th edition, marking 20 years since its launch, is also the larges»»»

President Nicusor Dan held a meeting on Wednesday with the President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Mattias Guyomar, during which he expressed Romania's commitment to fully implement the Court's judgments."Today we had an excellent meeting with the President of the European Court of »»»

The acquisitions of the Romanian armed forces are not limited to the SAFE Security Action for Europe - SAFE programme, because the army is modernising under several programmes, through constant investments and through long-term strategic decisions, said on Wednesday acting Defence Minister Radu Mir»»»

President Nicusor Dan declared on Wednesday that a "significant" American military presence in Europe is in the interest of European states. He stressed that many countries want American troops on their territory, but there will be no "non-principle" negotiations between the allies on this subject.»»»

The purpose of the Bucharest 9 (B9) Format meeting is to bring together and align the region's vision regarding the future of the North Atlantic Alliance, President Nicusor Dan said on Wednesday at the opening of the summit taking place at Cotroceni Presidential Palace.The head of state is chairing»»»

Republic of Poland President Karol Nawrocki pleaded at the Bucharest 9 (B9) Summit on Wednesday for a strong allied presence in Europe as well as for "credible" investment in defence.He warmly welcomed the Nordic partners to the summit, mentioning that their engagement "fundamentally" strengthens t»»»

Polish President Karol Nawrocki said that cooperation within the B9 Format continues and is even stronger, adding that the participating states support expanding it to also include the Nordic countries - Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland - as well as Denmark.Nawrocki made the remarks at the end o»»»

President Nicusor Dan held a round of bilateral consultations with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, during which the two heads of state agreed to take concrete steps to implement the new Strategic Partnership between Romania and Ukraine, with an emphasis on trade relations»»»

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated on Wednesday that the Romania - Ukraine agreement on defense against drones will be ready "shortly"."We will help from our side, for example today we signed an agreement with the President of Lithuania, an agreement on drones, we did this in the »»»

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is and will always be a strong alliance and we need a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO, the Alliance's Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday during a joint press conference with Romanian President Nicusor Dan and Polish President Karol Nawrocki at t»»»

The leaders of the Bucharest Nine (B9) and the Nordic Allies support a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, in accordance with international law and underpinned by robust and credible security guarantees, according to a joint statement signed by the leaders who attended the summit at the Cotroceni Pr»»»

PPC Energie adds to its portfolio energy storage systems compatible with hybrid inverters, available from 299 lei/month PPC Solar Upgrade, available from 599 lei/month, is a new solution dedicated to customers with a non-hybrid system, who want to modify their installation to be able to use storage»»»

The share of data centres in Romania's national energy consumption is approximately 0.2%, while in the Netherlands it exceeds 6% and in Denmark 5%, according to data presented on Thursday by Mihai Manole, managing partner of Tema Energy, during the DataCenter Forum 2026 event.'With solid wind and s»»»

The fall of the Bolojan Government is already producing rapid effects on the Romanian energy market by increasing economic uncertainty, says Chairman of the Smart Energy Association (AEI) Dumitru Chisalita in an analysis published on Thursday.According to the specialist, the impact of this change w»»»

Over the past years, Romania has sped up the development of renewables and prosumers without the National Energy Grid (SEN) being structurally prepared for this transformation, according to Chairman of the Smart Energy Association (AEI) Dumitru Chisalita."Romania is entering a decisive stage for it»»»

The Government approved on Friday a decision to allocate funds to the 'Valea Jiului' Energy Complex S.A. to cover the 2026 costs of securing, closing and greening the black coal mines.According to a government statement, the allocation amounts to 349.98 million RON, drawn from the state-aid scheme »»»