Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has announced a four-day paid holiday for private sector employees across the UAE, in observance of Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha. The Eid break will run from Tuesday, May 26, and continue through Friday, May 29. Normal working hours will re»»»

According to data compiled by LEKTRI.CO, out of a total of 42,448 vehicles registered last month, regardless of engine type, electric vehicles accounted for 3.08%. Of the 1,308 EVs registered during this period, 1,233 were passenger cars and 75 were electric commercial vehicles; after subtracting t»»»

No cases of Ebola have been reported in Kyrgyzstan, the Ministry of Health’s press center reported. According to the ministry, the risk of virus being imported into the country is currently assessed as low, but the Ministry of Health is taking all necessary measures to ensure the healthcare system »»»

HEADLINES Bulgarian media on Monday are dominated by the victory of Dara at the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, with newspapers and broadcasters extensively covering the singer’s success and public reactions in Bulgaria. Among the leading front-page headlines, Telegraph »»»

RIYADH: Public Investment Fund-backed Taiba Investments Co. has finalized an agreement worth SR2.4 billion ($633.4 million) to develop three hotels in central Madinah. The deal will see the firm create a special purpose company with Osool Integrated Real Estate Co., and Taiba will contribute SR300 »»»

Madrid, Spain: A Spanish court has ordered the tax authority to refund Colombian pop star Shakira more than 55 million euros ($64 million) improperly collected in a dispute over her 2011 taxes, according to a court document seen by AFP on Monday. The National Audience said tax authorities had faile»»»

Iran said Monday it had responded to a new US proposal aimed at ending the war, adding that exchanges were continuing despite Iranian media reports describing Washington's demands as excessive. Washington and Tehran have been swapping proposals in an effort to end the conflict which broke out on Fe»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine lost over 300 soldiers in combat against Russia's Tsentr battlegroup over the past day, in addition to losses in manpower and equipment on other fronts, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. "The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to over 300 military pe»»»

Dubai: A new Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has triggered growing global concern after spreading undetected for weeks in a region torn by conflict and displacement. Nearly 250 suspected cases and around 80 deaths have already been reported, while neighbou»»»

While cracking India’s fiercely competitive engineering and medical entrance exams remains a daunting challenge, students from the UAE are increasingly securing seats in reputed institutions, including IITs, NITs and government medical colleges, at fees that are often lower than monthly school tuit»»»

Muna Easa Al Gurg has been named in the 2026 TIME100 Philanthropy list, in recognition of her efforts to support women and girls across the Middle East and North Africa. The annual list by TIME highlights influential figures shaping the future of philanthropy and social impact. Get updated faster a»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Katz Enforces “Execution Law” for Palestinian Prisoners in West Bank 18-05-2026 12:23 PM Israeli DM Yisrael Katz with Israeli military and »»»

The Cabinet of Ministers allocated additional funds to support small and medium-sized businesses and the garment industry. The First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Daniyar Amangeldiev, told journalists as part of the Open Cabinet project. According to him, suppo»»»

RYIADH: The second edition of the Argaam Summit 2026 concluded last Tuesday, bringing together CEOs of leading companies, market and sector specialists, investors, and policymakers to discuss Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation a decade after the launch of Vision 2030. The summit was anchored by»»»

Jakarta, Indonesia: Indonesia will continue boosting its defence capabilities, President Prabowo Subianto said Monday, citing uncertain times as he presented new military hardware, including six French-made Rafale jets, to the air force. The Southeast Asian nation, which pursues a policy of diploma»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The largest number of foreign mercenaries in the ranks of the Ukrainian armed forces have been spotted in the Kharkov and Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) directions, the Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large on the Ukrainian regime's crimes, Rodion Miroshnik, told Sputnik. "The»»»

MINSK (Sputnik) - Military units of Belarus for the combat use of nuclear weapons and nuclear support have started military drills, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said on Monday. "Today, in the interests of increasing the readiness of the armed forces for the use of modern weapons, including speci»»»

HARBIN, China (Sputnik) - Russia's Rostec is working on a new super-heavy engine and will unveil it in the coming years, Viktor Kladov, the state corporation's director of international cooperation, told Sputnik. "We are working on a super-heavy, super-powerful engine to replace the products of [th»»»

BEIJING (Sputnik) - Beijing and Moscow intend to continue to promote bilateral relations to an even higher level, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Monday. "Taking this opportunity, the parties intend to further advance bilateral relations to a deeper and higher level, bringing »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine has confirmed that hantavirus is widespread among the military personnel of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Sumy direction, Russian law enforcement agencies told Sputnik. "Kiev doctor Irina Semenova stated that hantavirus is widespread among the military personnel of th»»»

The recent rise in the exchange rate, amid political instability, has reduced the overvaluation of the Romanian leu, but it still persists, according to an analysis by the Romanian Commercial Bank (BCR), which has increased its forecast for the EUR/RON level. Analysts also note a shift in the Natio»»»

Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group signed today in Bucharest an agreement with Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) to acquire approximately 10% of the shares of Carpathia Pensii. A strategic partnership aimed at strengthening Romanians’ trust in private pensions. The majority shareholder »»»

ING Bank Romania is expanding the RoPay functionalities available in Home’Bank with the launch of the Payment Request option, which allows users to send and receive instant payment requests using only a phone number, without entering an IBAN. ING Bank is expanding the functionalities offered throug»»»

Romania’s economy remains in recession. The first quarter of this year recorded a decline both compared to the end of last year and to the same period in 2025. Annual Romania’s economy remains in recession. The first quarter of this year recorded a decline both compared to the end of last year and »»»

Fitch Ratings has taken rating action on Romania's CEC Bank following the publication of its updated bank rating criteria.Thus, Fitch Ratings upgraded CEC Bank's long-term issuer rating (IDR) from BB to BB+, with a stable outlook, and assigned long- and short-term deposit ratings at 'BBB-' and 'F3'»»»

Kuwaiti authorities have reiterated strict penalties against individuals involved in transporting illegal residents or operating unlicensed passenger transport services, warning that violators could face jail terms of up to three years. According to local media reports, authorities said drivers usi»»»

Dubai: Born amid conflict, Dubai Safari Park’s baby rhino Salam quickly became an unlikely symbol of hope for many residents across the UAE. Named after the Arabic word for peace, the endangered southern white rhino calf arrived at a time in April beginning when conflict dominated headlines across »»»

TEHRAN: Iran’s national football team was headed to Turkiye on Monday to play a final friendly match and apply for visas to fly to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, Iranian media reported.The team plan to participate in the tournament despite co-host Washington having launched a war against»»»

Israeli forces were intercepting a Gaza-bound aid flotilla on Monday after it set sail from Türkiye last week, with organizers saying one of the vessels was stopped west of Cyprus. "Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet and Israeli forces are currently boarding the first of our boat»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran has conveyed its comments to the United States in response to Washington's adjustments to the conflict resolution plan, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Monday. "Despite the fact that the United States has explicitly stated that it rejects this [Iran»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US would need to deploy 7,800 satellites costing $743 billion over 20 years to intercept a limited raid of 10 simultaneous missiles as part of a space-based layer of the proposed Golden Dome system, Sputnik found based on analysis of the system by the US Congressional Budget »»»

The Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan overturned the decisions of two previous courts in the case of former Zhogorku Kenesh deputy Omurbek Bakirov and fully acquitted him. Sources close to Bakirov reported. In December 2023, the Nookat District Court found Omurbek Bakirov guilty of vote-buying in the 202»»»

A meeting of journalists with Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Daniyar Amangeldiev, is taking place today, May,18, at Yntymak Ordo as part of the Open Cabinet project. When asked by 24.kgnews agency whether Kyrgyzstan is considering closing sanctioned banks to address West»»»

RIYADH: Syria will take part in a closed-door session with G7 finance ministers and central bank governors in Paris ​on Monday, a person familiar with the matter said, in a sign of its growing status less than two years after the ousting of Bashar Assad. Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh is expe»»»

DUBAI: An Iranian state TV presenter has drawn criticism after shooting at a United Arab Emirates flag during a live television segment promoting firearms training. The broadcast, which aired on Iran’s state-run Ofogh channel this week, featured a masked member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Co»»»

MANILA: Philippine lawmakers were on Monday sworn in to serve as judges in the trial of impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, the second attempt since last year to force her from office. Sixteen votes in the 24-seat Senate would be needed to convict the daughter of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, an»»»

GAZA: In a small sewing workshop in southern Gaza, Nisreen Al-Rantisi pulls ​fabric from a pile and reshapes worn wedding dresses, trying to keep a fading tradition alive amid war and soaring costs. Families said they have been struggling to find new wedding dresses and many search instead for plac»»»

Building on the codeshare partnership launched in June 2025, Qatar Airways and Philippine Airlines are unlocking more than 40 new destinations for global travellers Doha, Qatar: Qatar Airways and Philippine Airlines are expanding their strategic partnership by enhancing the connectivity between bot»»»

A Russian drone hit a Chinese cargo ship in the Black Sea overnight, Ukraine said Monday, a day before Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping. Kyiv routinely announces Russian attacks on civilian vessels near the port of Odesa -- a vital maritime hub for Ukrainian agri»»»

Belarus, which hosts Russian nuclear weapons, said on Monday it was conducting training in their use. "The aim of the exercise is ‌to improve ‌the personnel's ‌level of ⁠training, to test ⁠the Airborne Forces' readiness to carry out their tasks, and to organize combat ⁠operations from ‌unplanned ar»»»

Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) will become the first American medical institution to open a clinic for adolescents seeking to reverse gender-related medical treatments, the US Department of Justice said. The move comes as part of a settlement of a years-long probe by the DOJ and Texas Attorney Gen»»»

South Korea's Unification Ministry on Monday released a new white paper focusing on peaceful coexistence with North Korea. This photo shows the Unification Bridge in Paju, across the border from the North, on Oct. 26, 2025. File Photo by Yonhap The Lee Jae Myung government has shifted its focus to »»»

Tehran, Iran: Iran's national football team headed to Turkiye on Monday to play a final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, Iranian media reported. "The Iranian national football team... departed this morning for Antalya, Turkiye to play its final friendly matc»»»

The ninth edition of the International Exhibition for National Security and Resilience (ISNR 2026) is set to bring together 253 local and international companies at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi from May 19 to 21, marking the largest edition in the event’s history. Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh »»»

ISTANBUL:The ‌organizers of a flotilla of aid ships bound for Gaza said on Monday ​that Israeli forces had boarded one of their vessels and that contact had been lost with another of the vessels in the eastern Mediterranean. Earlier on Monday, Israel’s foreign ministry had said on X that it “will ‌»»»

ABU DHABI: The world’s leading mixed martial arts organization, Ultimate Fighting Championship, has announced its return to the region alongside Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism. UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi will take place on Saturday, July 25 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. Tickets will »»»

Saudi authorities have confirmed a ban on the entry and use of liquefied gas cylinders of all sizes at pilgrim hospitality centres and government facilities within the holy sites during the Hajj season. The restriction came into force on Monday, the first day of Dhu Al Hijjah, corresponding to May »»»

Nigeria and the United States have carried out fresh strikes against ISIS extremist militants in northwest Nigeria, the US military said on Monday. The strikes were conducted on Sunday, US Africa Command (Africom) said in a statement. "Intelligence confirmed the targets were ISIS militants. Complet»»»

Rudyard Kipling, a modern classic of the Western literary canon, was both a champion of British imperialism and too honest not to know its very sordid underpinnings of greed, lies, and sheer selfishness. That’s why the same man who extolled the “white man’s burden” also wrote ‘The Man Who Would Be »»»

The restrictions on Russian athletes were officially lifted during the Executive Committee meeting in Egypt. FIG updated its previous neutral-status policy, clearing the way for full national representation.This ruling applies to junior and senior athletes in all five recognized gymnastics discipli»»»