Parliament on Friday adopted conclusively an Act on Counteracting Corruption among Persons Holding Public Office, which establishes a new Anti-Corruption Commission. The Commission’s members are to be elected within one month of the Act’s entry into force. One member will be elected by the National»»»

Paris, France: Towns and villages in more than half of France have smashed temperature records for the month of May over the past week during an unusually early heatwave, a climatologist said Friday. "More than half of France has experienced at least one monthly heat record -- whether in minimum an»»»

Hamas said on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's declaration that his country would expand its area of control in Gaza was a dangerous escalation, as residents of the Palestinian territory also voiced alarm at the plan. Under a ceasefire deal in October Israel's military was to»»»

MINA: The Grand Mosque is undergoing intensive operational preparations to manage pilgrims’ movement during Tawaf Al-Wada, the farewell circumambulation around the Kaaba, which marks the conclusion of Hajj for most of this year’s 1.71 million pilgrims. In Islamic jurisprudence, pilgrims who perform»»»

The Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC) opened the two-day regular session of its 68th General Assembly here on Friday. Among the participants were BRC Chairman Hristo Grigorov, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Nataliya Efremova, Deputy Health Minister Petko Salchev, State Agency for Refugees Chairman Iv»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov spoke at the expanded meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Astana, calling for the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to become a platform for technological partnership and joint innovation. According to the head of state, the global economy is under»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Ports Group and NYU Abu Dhabi are partnering to develop an artificial intelligence-powered system designed to improve ship arrival planning, berth allocation and port efficiency. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The multi-year research collaboration»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanese and Israeli military delegations got security talks at the Pentagon underway on Friday, during which Beirut will demand Israel halt its attacks, which have intensified in recent days. The talks come as the US and Hezbollah’s backer Iran were negotiating, with Tehran insisting the f»»»

Al Manar correspondent in South Lebanon reported Friday afternoon the latest developments of the battle between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli occupation forces in South Lebanon, denying rumors about Zionist control of Debbine town and affirming the retreat of enemy troops that had attacked Had»»»

Dubai: UAE travellers heading to Europe should gear up for a long wait of at least five to six hours at European airports, as the rollout of the EU’s new electronic Entry/Exit System (EES) plunges major hubs into operational disruptions. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances»»»

Ostrava: Qatar's beach volleyball duo Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan lost to their US counterpart in the Volleyball World Beach Tour Elite 16 - Ostrava, which is being held in the Czech Republic until May 31. The match was fiercely contested and evenly balanced throughout, with the US athletes Ta»»»

Parliament approved on first reading a bill amending the Water Act, submitted by Georgi Chakurov and a group of MPs. The proposed amendments were backed by 120 lawmakers from Progressive Bulgaria and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), while 54 MPs from GERB-UDF, Democratic Bulgaria, We Con»»»

A fire in a New York train tunnel Friday morning injured five and shut down commutes between New York and New Jersey. File Photo by Justin Lane/EPA May 29 (UPI) -- An early morning fire in an Amtrak contractor maintenance vehicle has injured five people and suspended all Penn Station service betwee»»»

BUENOS AIRES: ‌World Cup fever in Argentina, home of the defending champions, has boosted sales of counterfeit jerseys and soccer trading cards, sparking protests from retailers who are already under pressure from President Javier Milei’s market-opening policies. The main shopping streets of Buenos»»»

LONDON: Erling Haaland propelled Norway back to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years and spearheads a golden generation ready to thrive on the global stage. Despite a tough draw alongside one of the tournament favorites France, African powerhouses Senegal and Iraq, a Norway side also contai»»»

MINA: Saudi Arabia has delivered more than 712 million essential items to markets and retail outlets in Makkah and the holy sites as part of a large-scale supply operation to serve pilgrims during this year’s Hajj season. “The supplies included more than 328.9 million bottles of drinking water, 153»»»

HAKIMPUR: Hasina Bibi clutched her hungry four-year-old daughter as she waited at an India-Bangladesh border post, trying to leave as fears grow of an Indian crackdown on undocumented migrants. She is among the hundreds of Bangladeshis who have gathered over two days at Hakimpur in India’s West Ben»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE and Eswatini have signed a memorandum of understanding on the mutual exemption of entry visa requirements, in a move aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and facilitating travel between the two countries. The agreement was signed on behalf of the UAE by Sheikh Shakhboot bin»»»

Paris, France: Professional photo and video journalists working in Gaza are to receive an annual press freedom award on Monday for risking their lives to report on the war, an association of publishers has said. The 2026 Golden Pen of Freedom will be handed to representatives of global news agencie»»»

A drone crashed into an apartment block in eastern Romania near the Ukrainian border on Friday, injuring two people, emergency services said. According to the regional emergency services department, a drone carrying explosives struck the 10th floor of the building, sparking a fire. Around 70 reside»»»

New Delhi: India has launched an emergency operation to move 13 Indian-flagged commercial vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz as tensions continue to simmer across the Gulf region, officials said on Friday. The operation comes amid growing concerns over maritime security in one of the world’s most »»»

A bus struck six vehicles on Interstate 95 in Virginia as traffic slowed for a work zone, killing five people and sending 34 to hospitals, state police said Friday. The crash happened at about 2:35 a.m. on southbound I-95 in Stafford County. All five of the people who died were in vehicles hit by t»»»

Medical staff in a protective gown prepares to check visitors' temperatures as a preventive measure against Ebola at the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Goma, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 19. Photo by Marie Jeanne Munkyerenkana/EPA May 29 (UPI) -- The High Court of »»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has declared the 1447 AH Hajj season a success, with officials praising the highly coordinated operation that enabled more than 1.7 million pilgrims to perform the annual pilgrimage in safety and comfort. Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Mecca Region and»»»

Dubai: A humanoid robot dressed in a traditional Emirati kandura and shemagh has gone viral again after appearing to join worshippers for Eid prayer at a mosque in Dubai, dividing opinion online between those who found it a charming cultural moment and others who questioned whether a machine has an»»»

Mina, Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah intensified field operations during the days of Tashreeq to manage pilgrim movement at the Jamarat Facility. During the first day of Tashreeq, the ministry distributed crowds across designated routes, with 30% performing the stoning ritual be»»»

Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he had ordered the country’s military to take control of 70 percent of the Gaza Strip,in defiance of the terms of a fragile ceasefire that took effect in October. “We are currently squeezing Hamas. We now control 60 percent of the t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of condolences to the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) of the Republic of Yemen HE Dr. Rashad al-Alimi on the death of former Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.»»»

Nairobi: A Kenyan court temporarily halted the opening of an Ebola quarantine centre for US nationals on Friday following a petition filed by a rights group. The facility was due to open in the east Africa nation on Friday according to US officials, to quarantine Americans arriving from the Democra»»»

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has issued a travel advisory ahead of the Eid Al Adha holiday, urging commuters to use the Dubai Metro for direct and hassle-free access to key destinations, including Dubai Mall amid expected crowd surges. The authority said the metro remains the easiest and»»»

Stationeries / Cleaning Equipments Client : General Organisation for Health Insurance Address : 16, Al Thawra Street, Assiut Tender : General tender No. 2/2016-2017 for the supply of stationaries, cleaning equipments and packaging equipment Tender documents : EGP400 A bid bond of EGP3,500 (for stat»»»

Dubai: Arsenal F.C. fans flying between Dubai and London may spot something different in the skies this week after Emirates unveiled a special Arsenal-themed A380 to celebrate the club’s Premier League-winning season. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The airline reveale»»»

Hong Kong: A Hong Kong court dismissed on Friday an appeal by the former head of the city's largest press union against a conviction for obstructing police officers, issuing a five-day jail sentence. Ronson Chan, former chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, had been arrested by police »»»

Warsaw: Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of American University of Sharjah (AUS), launched AUS Press at the Warsaw International Book Fair during Sharjah’s participation as Guest of Honour. AUS Press is the university’s new publishing arm, which has been established with the aim to a»»»

KINSHASA: The head of the World Health Organization has arrived in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, to support efforts against an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola virus, as medical personnel struggle with a lack of equipment, a distrustful population and armed groups in a volatile region. “To come here i»»»

Dubai: Starting Monday, June 1, private sector salaries in the UAE will officially become due on the first day of every month under new wage protection rules introduced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). The change is part of a stricter enforcement system designed to redu»»»

Kyiv, Ukraine: Ukraine's foreign minister said Friday that a drone crash on an apartment building in NATO-member Romania -- an incident that Bucharest blamed on Russia -- showed Moscow posed a threat to all of Europe. The incident took place during the night between Thursday and Friday, injuring tw»»»

Warsaw: Sharjah's participation as the Guest of Honour at the Warsaw International Book Fair 2026 extended beyond literature as the emirate brought music to the streets of Poland. The Sharjah National Band brought Emirati folk arts and heritage performances to audiences across the Polish capital, d»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic met with the head of the World Bank Office in Serbia Nicola Pontara on Friday to discuss a new multi-stage programme of gas sector development that will contribute to security of supply, diversification of supply routes a»»»

More evidence suggests that Austrian authorities and quarry operators have been aware of asbestos contamination for years, while continuing to generate substantial profits from stone and gravel exported to Hungary. We have previously reported in detail on the asbestos contamination scandal affectin»»»

A 27-year-old man from Kerala, India, who aspired to become a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, was killed in a rare bear attack on May 8 while working at a remote uranium exploration site in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. According to media reports, the victim, Hrishikesh Koloth, had »»»

Nairobi: Kenyan police on Friday said eight students had been arrested over a suspected arson attack at a girls' school that killed 16 children and hospitalised 79 others. The fire broke in the early hours of Thursday at Utumishi Girls Academy in Kenya's Nakuru County, about 120 kilometres (75 mile»»»

MANILA: The Philippines and Japan have upgraded bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and agreed to start talks toward an intelligence-sharing agreement, marking new milestones amid shared concerns over rising tensions in the South China Sea. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos »»»

Manila: Senator Jinggoy Estrada surrendered to authorities and posted bail Friday after the Sandiganbayan ordered his arrest over graft charges tied to an alleged multibillion-peso flood control kickback scheme, deepening the latest corruption crisis engulfing the Philippine Senate. Estrada persona»»»

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has postponed the launch of its portal for verification and re-evaluation of answer books for the 2026 board examinations. The portal will now become operational from June 1, the board announced. CBSE said the decision was taken to ensure a transparen»»»

Therme București officially kicks off the summer season and reopens, starting 30 May, the Sands of Therme and Galaxy Horizon beaches, under the concept of the new summer season: Therme Summer Fest, “A summer like a festival”, 100 days of holiday, music, and wellness. The experience turns summer in »»»

As more professionals seek greater flexibility in an increasingly unpredictable world, interest in overseas residency options is rising steadily among UAE residents looking to expand their future opportunities. Unlike second citizenship, which often involves longer timelines and more complex legal »»»

ASTANA (Sputnik) - Cuba is currently being subjected to a criminal economic war imposed by the US government, Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdes Mesa said on Friday. "Our country is being subjected to a criminal economic war imposed by the US government, reinforced by the inclusion of Cuba in the»»»

A buffalo in Bangladesh nicknamed “Trump” for its distinctive blond, flowing hair has been spared from Eid Al Adha sacrifice and will instead be relocated to the country’s national zoo after gaining widespread attention online. The rare albino buffalo, weighing around 700kg, had been due for slaugh»»»

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that while they were "not there yet," a deal to extend the U.S.-Iran ease-fire and repoen the Hormuz Strain was very close. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo May 29 (UPI) -- U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the United States and Iran were very clo»»»