1 of 6 | President Donald Trump speaks to the press about the new East Wing next to the construction site at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo May 20 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump's plan to build a new White House ballroom remains in the ai»»»

VIENNA: Austria put in place quotas for refugee family reunification on Wednesday, as part of changes to tighten migration policy as it implements the EU’s new pact. The conservative-led government last July imposed a freeze on refugees bringing family members to the country, drawing criticism from»»»

DOHA: The State of Qatar and the Republic of Azerbaijan have discussed ways to enhance media cooperation during a meeting held in Doha on Wednesday. Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Media Corporation Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al Thani met Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the»»»

Amman, May 20 (SANA) Director of International Cooperation Department at of Foreign Affairs Ministry, Qutaiba Qadish, met Wednesday with officials from Jordanian Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation to follow up on the outcomes of the Higher Coordination Council between the two countr»»»

DOHA: Qatar Central Bank (QCB) has announced the availability of 52 Eidiya ATMs at 10 locations across the country starting Thursday, May 21, to facilitate the distribution of Eidi cash ahead of the festive season. The ATMs will dispense banknotes in denominations of QR5, QR10, QR50, QR100 and QR20»»»

Dubai: Qatar Airways posted a net profit of QAR 7.08 billion ($1.94 billion) for the financial year ended 2025/26, a 7 per cent decline y-o-y. The airline has been working through a year marked by geopolitical disruption and airspace closures that hit Doha’s role as one of the Middle East’s key glo»»»

Despite a raft of unrelated agreements resulting from talks between President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, the pair failed to make progress on a long-planned 1,615 mile second pipeline from Siberia to supply China with natural gas. Photo by Alexander Kazakov/EPA»»»

Nearly 100% of Russia-China trade is now settled in national currencies, which is a landmark in financial sovereignty, Hong Kong-based political analyst Angelo Giuliano tells Sputnik. Russia's energy and mineral resources "perfectly match" China's world-class manufacturing and tech scale, Giuliano »»»

Dubai: UAE’s new West-East oil pipeline designed to bypass the Strait of Hormuz is now nearly 50% complete, as the country pushes ahead with plans to strengthen energy export security. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Mini»»»

Egypt’s Central Bank has tightened controls governing banks’ dealings with non-bank financing companies, in a move aimed at strengthening credit-market transparency as consumer finance and other non-bank lending activities expand rapidly across the country. According to a Central Bank directive rep»»»

BEIRUT: Standing before their devastated building in central Beirut, childhood neighbors Wael Sabbagh and Ghida Krisht vow to fight for justice after an Israeli strike killed their family members. On April 8, hours after a ceasefire was announced between the United States and Iran, Israel launched »»»

DAMASCUS: Syrian leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa has thanked US President Donald Trump for a gift of Trump cologne, a callback to their historic meeting in November when the American leader lavished his fragrance on the Syrian president. Sharaa was the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since the »»»

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»»»

DOHA: HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the 4th GCC Games – Doha 2026 Organizing Committee, toured the 35th edition of the Doha International Book Fair. He was accompanied by Minister of Culture HE»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia highly appreciates US President Donald Trump’s decision to give diplomacy a chance to reach an acceptable agreement to end the war on Iran, the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister said on Wednesday. In a post on X, Prince Faisal bin Farhan said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia highly appre»»»

In this edition of Entre Nous, we explore the rapidly expanding market of non-alcoholic wine. Amanda Thomson, founder and CEO of Noughty, speaks to FRANCE 24 about the factors driving the sector’s success and explains why alcohol-free wine is creating excitement among consumers. Thomson, a for»»»

PARIS - Serbian tennis players Teodora Kostovic and Lola Radivojevic both suffered defeats in the Roland Garros second qualifying round on Wednesday. Kostovic lost 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-2 to Spaniard Kaitlin Quevedo after two hours and 49 minutes of play. Radivojevic was defeated 6-1, 6-2 by Belgian Gr»»»

King Charles III found himself at the centre of an extraordinary sequence of events during his visit to Ireland and Northern Ireland this week — beginning with a UK radio station mistakenly announcing his death and ending with the monarch being splattered by a seagull during a public appearance. Th»»»

Dubai has built one of the world's most extraordinary real estate markets. Towers rise in months, transactions close in days and billions of dirhams change hands every quarter. Yet for all of that velocity, the experience of actually owning, managing and optimizing a property here has remained larg»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Wednesday, gaining 3.26 points, or 0.03 percent, to close at 10,985.56. The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR5.30 billion ($1.41 billion), as 119 of the listed stocks advanced, while 135 retreated. The MSCI Tadawul Index also»»»

Latvia’s prime ministerial candidate Andris Kulbergs says the country’s budget must be urgently reassessed amid mounting economic pressures, warning that current spending levels are unsustainable, Latvia’s national broadcaster LSM.lv reported on May 19. A drone crash in Latvia triggered the resigna»»»

Hungary wants to revive and strengthen the Visegrad Group cooperation based on the long-standing friendship between Hungary and Poland, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said in Krakow on May 19, after his delegation arrived in Krakow. In the campaign, Magyar said his first official visit would lead»»»

DOHA: The State of Qatar and the European Union have discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in the energy sector during high-level virtual talks held on Wednesday. Minister of State for Energy Affairs HE Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi met European Union's Commissioner for Energy and Housing HE Dan Jor»»»

Felix Pauschinger FrankfurtRichard is a custom shoemaker in Frankfurt and embodies a new vision of craftsmanship: sustainable, modern and personal. He talks about his journey to becoming a shoemaker and why a good pair of shoes can last a lifetime. https://p.dw.com/p/5D5plAdvertisementIn Frankfurt,»»»

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a keynote address at the European Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Children in Copenhagen, Denmark, May 12. Von der Leyen and President Donald Trump made a trade agreement in July at Turnberry, Scotland, and the EU on Tuesday began th»»»

Dubai: A new UAE humanitarian aid aircraft departed this morning from Al Maktoum International Airport bound for Al Arish city in the Arab Republic of Egypt, in preparation for the delivery of its cargo into the Gaza Strip. The mission forms part of Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 and comes within th»»»

Tunis, May 20 (TAP) - Tunisia is observing Wednesday World Metrology Day placed this year under the theme: "Building Trust in Policy Making" to shed light on the role which the science of measurement plays in devising policies...»»»

Fentanyl, other high-risk narcotic substances, and precursors for their production were seized by police during a special operation ordered by Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev a week ago, the Ministry said on Wednesday. Seized items included 1.78 kg of fentanyl, 9.27 kg of green plant material an»»»

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday considers a resolution reinforcing states’ obligations to combat climate change, a long-awaited move toned down under pressure from major greenhouse gas emitters. “We can’t take any more disaster and destruction. We all have a right t»»»

Doha Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and COFIDES, Spain's state-owned financial institution, announced an agreement to establish a joint EUR 300 million investment fund to invest in strategic projects across Spain, with a particular focus on financing the green transition, digital transformation a»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Wednesday Serbia would make it possible for foreign students to obtain Serbian citizenship to enable them to stay and work in the country after completing their studies. "I will do my best to ensure we enable those who have studied for seve»»»

His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman, has ordered the release of 230 inmates who have demonstrated good conduct during their sentences in punitive and corrective institutions in the emirate, on the occasion of Eid Al Adha. This humanitarian gest»»»

Dubai: Dubai Police honoured 1,921 employees and 28 work teams from police stations across the emirate for outstanding performance during the first quarter of 2026, recognising achievements in criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, administrative excellence and specialised police services. T»»»

JAKARTA: The Indonesian government is urging local businesses to seize opportunities emerging under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and expand the presence of their products, especially consumer goods, in the Kingdom’s market. President Prabowo Subianto and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed »»»

DUBAI: With “Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu,” director Jon Favreau delivers a film that is undeniably charming on the surface. It is packed with adorable Grogu reaction shots, new creatures to enjoy, familiar and new planets, and just enough nostalgia to remind audiences why the galaxy far, far»»»

GENEVE: The deadly Ebola outbreak raging in central Africa probably began several months ago, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, deeming the risk high in the region but low worldwide. WHO experts said that investigations were under way into the origins of the outbreak, which was declared»»»

DUBAI: Cate Blanchett returned to the Cannes Film Festival this week to unveil the second cohort of filmmakers selected for the Displacement Film Fund, a global initiative supporting stories shaped by migration, exile and forced displacement. The Oscar-winning actor and UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambass»»»

TUNIS: Tunisian authorities have lifted a ban on the local branch of prominent international NGO Avocats Sans Frontieres, the branch said on Wednesday without providing further details on the measure. ASF said in a statement it was “resuming activities starting May 20” after the ban, imposed on May»»»

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha visited Salla and Classera in Jeddah as part of the ministry’s efforts to support the growth of national technology companies and enable smart solutions for key sectors, including Hajj and Umrah services. »»»

LONDON: The Committee to Protect Journalists has urged Israeli authorities to immediately release journalists detained aboard the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla. Israeli forces began intercepting vessels from the flotilla in international waters near Cyprus on Monday, as the convoy attempted to r»»»

Iran and the US traded threats as President Donald Trump warned of renewed strikes a day after he said he held off a major assault in hopes of a peace deal. Reporting from Tehran, FRANCE 24’s Reza Sayah says Iranian officials have maintained their position that “they prefer diplomacy. They don't se»»»

Annette Young welcomes Julie Drouet, DRC Director for Action Against Hunger. She offers a sobering assessment of the early Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Speaking from the frontline of a rapidly evolving health emergency, Drouet describes a humanitarian »»»

François Picard is pleased to welcome Paranjoy Guha-Thakurta, an Indian journalist, investigative author and filmmaker. He offers a sweeping critique of the nexus between oligarchic wealth, political power and weakened institutional accountability in contemporary India. Drawing on the allegations s»»»

Democratic Bulgaria (DB) filed a complaint with the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC), providing information that raises reasonable suspicion of possible improper influence in the awarding and execution of public contracts. The reason for the report is Delyan Peevski’s frequ»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani issued on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Amiri Decree No. 25 of 2026, appointing HE Mohammed bin Hassan Al Malki as President of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority. The decision is effective starting its date of issue and is to be published in th»»»

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar and the European Union have discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in the energy sector during high-level virtual talks held on Wednesday. Minister of State for Energy Affairs HE Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi met HE Dan Jorgensen, the European Union's Commissioner for »»»

Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov announced that he has proposed the dismissal of Daniela Miteva as head of Bulgaria’s Registry Agency following what he described as years of “shocking and unacceptable practices” inside one of the country’s most sensitive administrative institutions. Speaking after»»»

Investigative outlet BIRD.bg has published what it says are previously unseen official documents from the Financial Intelligence Unit of Liechtenstein, outlining an alleged complex financial structure involving concealed ownership and cross-border transactions. The reports reportedly place Bulgaria»»»

Georgi Angelov, chief economist at the Institute for Market Economics, has warned that Bulgaria’s current economic expansion is being driven less by productive capacity and investment and more by a rapid increase in borrowing and household consumption, creating what he described as a risk of overhe»»»

Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran Ayatollah Sayyed Mujtaba Khamenei issued a message on Wednesday marking the second martyrdom anniversary of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, describing the occasion as a reminder of a long line of officials who “served the country with sincerity and w»»»