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 »»»

ALKHOBAR: Every year during Hajj, millions of pilgrims converge within a tightly concentrated geographic area over the span of just a few days, creating one of the most complex and demanding connectivity environments in the world. Unlike most large-scale global gatherings, Hajj combines extraordina»»»

OSLO: Uncapped Hamburg SV goalkeeper Sander Tangvik has won the race for Norway’s final World Cup spot, following a selection headache that required a final sign-off from King Harald on Thursday. Otherwise, there were few surprises as Norway will be led by captain Martin Odegaard, fresh from a Prem»»»

LONDON: US President Donald Trump emphasized Washington’s commitment to ensuring security and stability in the Gulf region in a letter to King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain. The US leader also expressed admiration for Bahrain’s national unity in response to Iran’s violations of international »»»

RIYADH: The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, represented by the Center of Digital Entrepreneurship, has launched a Tech Challenge to empower entrepreneurs and innovators to develop advanced Hajj and Umrah services. The challenge launched recently focuses on three main tracks: »»»

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said the DNC's report on the Harris-Walz presidential campaign in 2024 isn't up to the party's standards. File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI | License Photo May 21 (UPI) -- Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin on Thursday released the long-aw»»»

Angry crowd sets Ebola hospital tents on fire in DR Congo 5 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleEmery MakumenoBBC Africa, Kinshasa ReutersThe unrest highlights the struggle authorities face as cases of the virus rise An angry crowd set alight a section of a hospital at the epicentre of th»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Amal Movement: US Treasury Department Statement Targets Our National Role in Protecting the Lebanese State 21-05-2026 23:18 PM Amal Movemen»»»

New Delhi: A comment made by an Indian judge comparing ordinary citizens to “cockroaches” has triggered widespread criticism and satire online, leading to the emergence of a mock political movement dubbed the “Cockroach Janata Party.” The controversy erupted after the judge’s remarks circulated wid»»»

DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HESheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani attended the graduation ceremony of the tenth batch of Master’s students of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, in the presence of a number of ministers, Chairman of the Board of Trustees»»»

LONDON: Palestinian officials and academic critics have accused the British Museum of historical erasure and, in the words of a widely signed open letter, “complicity in genocide” after the museum removed the words “Palestine” and “Palestinian” from explanatory panels accompanying several exhibits »»»

RIYADH: Six years after their last title, Al-Nassr are once again champions of Saudi Arabia. A dominant 4-1 victory over Damac on the final matchday of the season secured the Saudi Pro League title for the Riyadh giants, sparking celebrations across Al-Awwal Park after one of the most dramatic titl»»»

NEW DELHI: It began as a satirical online project. Now millions of young Indians are flocking to it as an outlet for their frustration. A parody political party called the Cockroach Janta Party, with the insect as its symbol, has exploded across India’s social media by turning absurdist humor into »»»

NEW YORK: New York ‌City will offer its residents a chance to snag $50 tickets to World Cup games in New Jersey this summer, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Thursday, with 1,000 affordable tickets up for grabs through a lottery system. The discounted tickets come with free round-trip bus transportatio»»»

UNITED NATIONS: The official overseeing the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza urged the UN Security Council on Thursday to use “every means at its disposal” to press Hamas to disarm, warning that every act of violence in the Palestinian territory risks “unraveling” the agreement. Nickolay Mladenov, hig»»»

Iraqi officials said the United States has conditioned the integration of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) on disarming armed factions, sidelining their leaders, and appointing professional officers to oversee the PMF’s infrastructure, a step Washington says is necessary because the force rema»»»

The weekly injection helped nearly half of participants lose 30% of their weight. Eli Lilly on Thursday announced results from a phase 3 trial of its drug retatrutide that show it helped participants lose 30% of their weight over the course of two years. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo »»»

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has arrived in Mexico for talks with the country's security cabinet. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo May 21 (UPI) -- U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin arrived Thursday at Mexico's National Palace for meetings with President Cl»»»

The Ministry of Culture announced key details of the 20th edition of ‘Al Burda Award’ – a leading cultural celebration of Islamic arts – during a media briefing held at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The briefing brough together senior officials, cultural leaders, and representatives from leading m»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Resistance fighters targeted at 18:55 and 19:00 on Thursday 21-05-2026 gatherings of vehicles and soldiers of the Israeli enemy arm»»»

Tunis, May 21 (TAP) - The weather Thursday night will be partly cloudy nationwide, with temperatures ranging between 15 and 20°C in the north, near coasts and on heights, and between 21 and 26°C elsewhere, according to a monitoring bulletin from the...»»»

Net migration to the UK fell last year by nearly half to 171,000, its statistics agency said on Thursday, providing some relief on a key issue for under-fire Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The number of non-EU citizens arriving for work-related reasons fell by 47 percent in 2025, which was “the main »»»

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»»»

MADRID: Spanish businessman Enrique Riquelme on Thursday publically announced he planned to stand in Real Madrid’s presidential election although he has until Saturday to decide whether to formally submit his candidacy. Riquelme, 37, the president of the water and energy group Cox, sent a letter to»»»

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»»»

German politics is increasingly driven by revanchist attitudes toward Russia and "Fourth Reich" ideas, military expert Yury Knutov tells Sputnik. “The militarization of the economy now taking place in Germany is alarming because passenger car production is being phased out and replaced with the man»»»

India said Thursday it would reschedule next month's summit on the conservation of big cat species to ensure the participation of African nations grappling with Ebola. The decision came hours after India and the African Union decided to postpone a key economic summit due to the deadly Ebola outbrea»»»

A judge dismissed all charges against a vice principal who allegedly ignored warnings that a 6-year-old boy had a gun. The boy shot his teacher in 2023. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo May 21 (UPI) -- Criminal charges were dropped Thursday against an elementary school vice principal »»»

The three-day joint Russian-Belarusian nuclear weapons exercise concluded on Thursday with ballistic missile exchanges between the Barents Arctic region and the Russian Far East, alongside multiple launches of nuclear-capable cruise missiles. Putin was shown sitting alone as he commanded the nuclea»»»

Egypt is one of the special countries that owns an endless number of antiquities and monuments, estimated at quarter of the World’s antiquities and monuments and valued in trillions of Dollars. The dazzling characteristic about Egypt as an incomparable historical country is that it has a distinct v»»»

The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and its strike roup have arrived in the Caribbean Sea amid escalating tensions and a pressure campaign driven by the Trump administration against Cuba. Photo by U.S. Southern Command May 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Southern Command released images of the arrival of the USS »»»

Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre Abu Dhabi has announced the rescheduling of the ninth edition of the Understanding Risk Global Forum. The event, which was originally scheduled for October 2026, will now take place from May 10 to 14, 2027, in Abu Dhabi. Get updated faster and for»»»

London, May 21 (SANA) The Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, issued a stark warning Thursday, stating that global oil markets risk entering a highly volatile “red zone” which refers to a critical period of severe global oil supply shortages during July and Aug»»»

Ukraine’s wartime economy is showing growing signs of strain as rising inflation, labour shortages and a widening trade imbalance threaten to push the country into what economists describe as a “recessionary spiral”, even as Kyiv continues to secure billions of dollars in Western financial support,»»»

Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on May 20 hoping that the Iran war's disruption to global energy markets would finally give him the leverage to close one of the most consequential — and most elusive — energy deals of his presidency. He left the Chinese capital empty handed. The state visit comes »»»

Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on May 20 hoping that the Iran war's disruption to global energy markets would finally give him the leverage to close one of the most consequential — and most elusive — energy deals of his presidency. He left the Chinese capital empty handed. The state visit comes »»»

Elon Musk's rocket and satellite company has publicly filed details about its upcoming initial public offering, highlighting both the company's ambitious goals in space and its financial results. Among the group's long-term goals are the construction of data centres in space and »»»

WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday sanctioned nine Hezbollah-linked individuals it accused of “obstructing the peace process in Lebanon,” as Israeli strikes on the southern part of the country continued despite a ceasefire. “Hezbollah is a terrorist organization and must be fully disarmed,” »»»

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call on Thursday from his Syrian counterpart Asaad Al-Shaibani, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said. The two ministers discussed Saudi-Syrian relations and regional developments, the ministry added. Saudi Arabia also condemned a c»»»

LONDON: With relationships between governments and social media companies under strain worldwide over the platforms’ impact on young users, Saudi Arabia is attempting a different approach. Rather than restricting access, the Saudi General Authority for Media Regulation and Meta have launched a join»»»

New Delhi: Air India said on Wednesday that one of its domestic flights operating from Bengaluru to Delhi landed safely after the cockpit crew received a fire indication from one of the aircraft’s engines during the final approach into the Indian capital. In a statement posted on social media platf»»»

MOSCOW: Trucks carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles rumbled over forest roads, atomic-powered submarines set sail from Arctic and Pacific ports, and crews scrambled into warplanes as Russia and neighboring Belarus held the final stage of their joint nuclear drills Thursday. Russian Presiden»»»

LONDON: Syrian and British officials met in Damascus on Thursday to discuss international migration issues and efforts to facilitate the safe return of Syrian refugees. Ann Snow, the UK’s special envoy for Syria, and Kingsley Green, the director of international migration affairs, met Syrian Deputy»»»

Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) said an appeals committee had issued a final decision convicting 11 board members and audit committee members at Middle East Healthcare Company, owner of Saudi German Health hospitals, over violations of the Capital Market Law and Market Conduct Regulat»»»

DOHA: Markets saw on Thursday a strong demand for buying sacrificial animals after the launch of the national initiative by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in coordination with the Ministry of Municipality, to encourage local production and subsidize sacrificial animals, with purchases and r»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States Navy lacks the capacity to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by providing escort services to ships through the contested waterway, US Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said on Thursday. “There are many things we can continue doing to enhance the blockade»»»

MANCHESTER: Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been left out of England’s squad for this year’s World Cup. The 33-year-old center back confirmed in a social media post Thursday that he is not part of Thomas Tuchel’s roster for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, saying»»»

The Gaza high representative of US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace warned Thursday that the status quo in the divided and devastated territory -- including an imperfect ceasefire -- risks becoming "permanent" reality. In its first report to the UN Security Council, the board called militant»»»

Tunis, May 21 (TAP) – The Tunisian Sumud Committee announced on Thursday evening the release of 8 Tunisians who were among the participants in the “Global Sumud Flotilla to break the siege on the Gaza Strip,” and had been detained by the Zionist...»»»

Under stormy skies, the SpaceX Super Heavy V3 booster and Starship spacecraft stand on Orbital Launch Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas, on Thursday ahead of a test launch, which has a launch window set to open at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo May 21 (UPI) -- SpaceX on Thursday even»»»