Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Football Association has announced a preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as the Gulf nation prepares for the tournament to be staged in North America from June 11 to July 19. The 34-player squad, selected by Spanish head coach Julen Lopetegui, combines experienced »»»

Kuwait arrested four men attempting to enter the country illegally by sea earlier this month who had confessed to belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), State News Agency Kuna said on Tuesday. The Ministry of Interior said that the suspects confessed that they were tasked wit»»»

MAKKAH: Journalists and media representatives from several countries toured key Hajj facilities and holy sites in Makkah on Monday as Saudi authorities continued preparations for the 2026 pilgrimage season. The two-day media tour, organized by the General Authority for Media Regulation in cooperati»»»

In a rapidly evolving global trade landscape, tensions between the United States, the European Union, and China have escalated into a full-fledged trade war. The imposition of tariffs by the US and EU on Chinese imports is a measure aimed at safeguarding their local industries from what they allege»»»

Israeli bulldozers tore down dozens of Palestinian shops on the edge of a town southeast of Jerusalem this week, clearing land ahead of a settlement-linked road project in the occupied West Bank. Israel says the demolitions are needed to make way for a road serving local Palestinian communities. Bu»»»

The anti-inflation measures proposed by the ruling majority create misleading public expectations and could ultimately lead to additional price increases, MP Martin Dimitrov of the Democratic Bulgaria parliamentary group told reporters after a meeting of the National Assembly’s ad hoc Budget and Fi»»»

Confusion is reportedly growing within the Israeli establishment over how to respond to the strategic challenges posed by the confrontation with Hezbollah, particularly among the political and military leadership. According to Israeli sources, Hezbollah has succeeded in imposing its own terms, leav»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a Merkava tank in the vicinity of Khirbet al-Manara, opposite the town of Houla, with a loitering glid»»»

Dubai: More than one million school pupils across the UAE, university students, resumed in-person learning on Monday morning, marking a confident return to the classroom after a week of distance learning prompted by renewed Iranian attacks on the UAE. Students at public and private schools nationwi»»»

Sharjah: Two expats risked their lives and leapt into the sea to rescue a trapped driver after his vehicle suddenly lost control, overturned and plunged into the water following a brake failure, according to Sharjah Police. The dramatic incident took place on Friday night at Al Mamzar beach in Shar»»»

Doha, Qatar: Iran should not use the Strait of Hormuz, which it has blocked since the start of the Middle East war, as a means to blackmail Gulf states, Qatar's top diplomat said on Tuesday. Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani was sp»»»

BELGRADE - National Bank of Serbia (NBS) gross FX reserves amounted to 28,156.3 mln euros at end-April 2026, declining by 329.5 mln euros from a month earlier. In a statement released on Monday, the NBS said the reserves covered "159.7 pct of money supply M1 and 6.5 months’ worth of the country’s i»»»

London: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told his top team Tuesday that he was getting on with governing, defying mounting calls from ministers and MPs to step down. The Labour premier also dared any leadership hopefuls to challenge him after Miatta Fahnbulleh become the first junior minister to resi»»»

Al Masar Al Shamil Education Company, one of the GCC’s largest specialized education groups and the owner of Middlesex University Dubai, has reported a strong start to 2026, with Q1 revenue increasing 22% year-on-year to Dh183.9 million (SAR 187.7 million) and EBITDA rising 30.5% to Dh85.3 million »»»

President Iliana Iotova presented the President's Badge of Honour for contributions to education, culture, the performing and musical arts, literature and librarianship on Tuesday. The award was presented to the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, named after actor Krastyo Sarafov, on the o»»»

A rescue operation on the east side of Mount Olympus has been called off after the two hikers thought to be missing contacted the authorities on Tuesday to say they were well. The two men, aged 28 and 29, said they had no phone signal for part of the hike but had not experienced any problems on the»»»

Dubai: Filipino students in the UAE who aspire to build careers in medicine and healthcare now have a new opportunity, as the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi has announced the opening of applications for the “Fallen Heroes Scholarships,” a programme funded by the UAE government. The initiative offe»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Calendar House has announced that Monday (May 18) is expected to mark the beginning of Dhu Al-Hijjah 1447 AH, according to astronomical calculations, with Eid Al-Adha forecast to begin on Wednesday (May 27). Dhu Al-Hijjah is the twelfth and final month of the Islamic lunar calend»»»

RIYADH: The Gulf Radio and Television Organization hosted the “Gulf Achievements Forum,” at GCC headquarters in Riyadh on Monday to showcase the milestones of joint Gulf action, enhance public awareness of regional achievements and explore the strategic future of Gulf integration. The event aimed t»»»

RIYADH: Dr. Abdullah Al-Moallem, head of the health and environmental aid department at Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian agency KSrelief, recently met with the personal envoy of the UN secretary-general for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, in Riyadh. During the meeting, the officials discussed ways to strengthen »»»

Calls for mutual respect dominated the Africa Forward Summit on Tuesday as French President Emmanuel Macron announced new investments and said sovereignty will be key in the new partnership that France hopes to build with Africa. Investments worth 23 billion euros ($27 billion) will fund various se»»»

LONDON: Google has signed deals with the national football federations of Iraq and Morocco, making its Gemini artificial-intelligence assistant the official technology sponsor of the teams for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The partnership, announced Tuesday, will focus on fan engagement rather than on-p»»»

Tunis, May 12 (TAP)- The direct flight between Baghdad and Tunis will resume on May 21, Tunisia's embassy in Baghdad said on Tuesday. The weekly flight (every Thursday) is operated by Iraqi Airways. The flight is set to depart from Baghdad...»»»

Doha, Qatar: QatarEnergy signed a memorandum of understanding with TotalEnergies, ConocoPhillips, and the Syrian Petroleum Company for cooperation in oil and gas exploration offshore the Syrian Arab Republic. The agreement covers technical review by the partners to evaluate the potential of Block 3»»»

Amid preparations for the third round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Washington, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam clarified that "at the top of our agenda is solidifying the ceasefire." "Our demands are well-known: a timetable for the Israeli withdrawal, the release of prisoners and their return to »»»

Tunis, May 12 (TAP) — Prime Minister Sara Zaafrani Zenzri took part on Tuesday in the opening session of the Africa–France Summit, held under the theme “Africa Forward: Partnerships between Africa and France for Innovation and Growth” at the...»»»

Protesters demonstrating outside the Knesset on Monday holding up the faces of some of the 46 hostages killed by Hamas and demanding accountability for alleged security failures that led to Oct. 7. The banner reads: "The massacre and abandonment government - GO HOME. A state commission of inquiry n»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, met on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, with HE Hakan Fidan, Foreign Minister of the sister Turkish Republic, who is currently visiting the country. During the meeting, the two sid»»»

Uganda's president sworn in for record seventh term 10 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleBasillioh RukangaandSwaibu Ibrahim,BBC Africa, Kampala Government of Uganda/XYoweri Museveni is the only president many Ugandans have lived under Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, 81, has been swo»»»

TUNIS, May 12, 2026 (TAP) - Tunisia’s trade deficit widened to TND 7.528 billion at the end of April 2026, compared with TND 7.293 billion during the same period in 2025, according to the monthly report on external trade at current prices for April...»»»

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s unwavering commitment to aiding Gabon’s transitional phase, highlighting the strengthening ties between the two African nations. The announcement was made during a joint press conference in Cairo with Gabon’s Transitional President, Brice O»»»

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly conducted an extensive industrial tour across Sadat City and 6th of October City on Monday, inaugurating and inspecting a broad range of factories operating in strategic manufacturing sectors as Cairo accelerates efforts to expand domestic manufacturing, att»»»

In 2025, the GCC's fintech sector had a year to remember. According to Wamda's annual funding report, fintech attracted $4.4 billion across the MENA region, about 58 percent of all startup capital deployed, a record share that left every other sector in the shade. Proptech, the second-largest categ»»»

LONDON: Snap Inc. has launched the first cohort of its Snap Maher Academy in Saudi Arabia, a four-week Arabic-language training program aimed at developing marketing talent and strengthening the Kingdom’s digital advertising ecosystem. The inaugural class brings together 50 participants from major »»»

JEDDAH: Thousands of Saudi nationals are expected to benefit from a Riyadh Air cabin crew training initiative as the Kingdom’s newest airline ramps up recruitment amid its expanding operations. The Public Investment Fund-owned carrier said the Nawat Cabin Crew Program forms part of its broader stra»»»

Bulgaria marked the International Day of Nursing on May 12 with official ceremonies, church services, as the nursing profession in Bulgaria is plagued by staff shortages, low wages and aging personnel. The day, dedicated to the birth of Florence Nightingale - the founder of modern nursing - was obs»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources in the UAE has announced a five-day paid holiday for public sector employees, in observance of Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha. The Eid break will run from Monday, May 25, and continue through Friday, May 29. Normal working hours will resum»»»

ULAN BATOR - State Secretary at the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Damjan Jovic met with Mongolian FM Batmunkh Battsetseg during a visit to Mongolia. "The two officials confirmed that bilateral relations are characterised by traditional friendship and mutual respect. They noted the shared comm»»»

Dubai: In defiance of international pressure and growing condemnation from Gulf states, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has declared that the Strait of Hormuz is no longer merely a narrow maritime passage but part of a vastly expanded “strategic operational zone” stretching hundreds of kilometres across»»»

Manila: After Dr. Fatima Al-Zahra Ditti promised her mother that she would send the elder woman for Hajj in a year, she soon realized that the pilgrimage would require saving up tens of thousands of pesos every month — a feat she was not sure how to accomplish. She took to TikTok to share her conce»»»

Dubai: The global fallout from the ongoing Middle East conflict has officially reached an unexpected place: potato chip packaging. Japanese snack giant Calbee said it will temporarily simplify packaging designs for several popular products after supply instability linked to tensions in the Middle E»»»

Early on Monday morning, sunlight spilled over the Wenchang Space Launch Site located in the South China's tropical island province of Hainan, glinting off the towering combination of the Long March-7 Y11 rocket and the Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft atop the launcher. At 8:14 am, the rocket engines »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev has discussed cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, Rosatom said on Tuesday. "On May 12, 2026, as part of a working visit to Indonesia, Alexey Likhach»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The BRICS economy has a significant potential, it already surpasses the G7, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told Sputnik ahead of the meeting of the Board of Governors of the New Development Bank. "The BRICS countries and other shareholders of the New Development Bank hav»»»

Madrid: A Spanish man who tested positive for hantavirus after being evacuated from a cruise ship struck by a deadly outbreak of the illness is showing symptoms, the health ministry said Tuesday. The man was one of more than 120 passengers and crew evacuated from the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, whose»»»

ISLAMABAD: For nearly a decade, Safdar Khan held onto a single hope: to perform Hajj, the once-in-a-lifetime Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah that Muslims are required to undertake if physically and financially able. But for the 66-year-old Pakistani retiree, the journey was repeatedly delayed by faile»»»

ROME: Casper Ruud strolled into the Italian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday after easily beating home hope Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-1, as Jannik Sinner gets set for a derby with qualifier Andrea Pellegrino. Clay court specialist Ruud is yet to drop a set in Rome and he looked in fine form on a windy c»»»

JEDDAH: The Francophonie Festival celebrated the diversity of the French-speaking world and its growing academic and cultural ties with Saudi Arabia at the consul general’s residence in Jeddah on Sunday. Participants at the event included ambassadors and consuls general from Francophone countries. »»»

The EU could be on the verge of a new migrant crisis, with more than half a million people waiting in Libya alone to cross into Europe, Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris has said. The bloc was first inundated by asylum seekers from the Middle East and Northern Africa during the 2015 refugee c»»»

A draft law in Kyrgyzstan proposes expanding the capabilities of banks and financial institutions to work with virtual assets. The bill has been submitted for public discussion. The document introduces amendments to the Law «On Virtual Assets.» If adopted, banks, non-bank financial credit organizat»»»