Gold prices slipped for a second consecutive session on Wednesday as war-led inflation concerns weighed on expectations for interest rate cuts, with markets also watching the upcoming Trump-Xi meeting. Spot gold was down 0.6% to $4,686.99 per ounce at 09:05 a.m. EDT (1305 GMT). US gold futures gain»»»

Iran has retained most of its missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing a classified intelligence assessment from earlier this month. The report follows a series of publications in the US media contradicting President Donald Trump’s claims that Iran’s »»»

RABAT: Morocco have confirmed ‌they will play three warm-up matches before next month’s World Cup, giving their new coach more game time with his squad. Morocco, who were surprise semifinalists at the World Cup in Qatar four years ago, appointed Mohamed Ouahbi as coach in March after the resignatio»»»

DUBAI: Marvel’s “Punisher: One Last Kill” is exactly the kind of blood-soaked, bone-crunching vigilante story fans of Frank Castle have been waiting for — a grim, stripped-down descent into the psyche of a man who has already lost everything and no longer knows what comes next. At the center of the»»»

DUBAI: Swedish-born Somali model Ikram Abdi Omar looked stunning in an all-white ensemble as she walked the red carpet at the opening ceremony and “La Venus Electrique” screening at the 79th Annual Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday. Wearing a Stella McCartney Fall 2025 gown, she accessorized the look»»»

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is ‌set to announce on Wednesday framework agreements that position it to potentially acquire over 10,000 low-cost, containerized missiles over three years starting in 2027. A statement seen by Reuters ahead of its release said that the Pentagon’s agreements are with Anduri»»»

The heads of the Israeli defense establishment on Wednesday presented Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a number of technological solutions for the threat of Hezbollah's fiber-optic drones, the Israel Hayom newspaper said. In addition, the Israeli army was asked to "present a plan to deepen th»»»

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) concluded a highly successful participation at the 2026 Milken Institute Global Conference, held in Los Angeles from May 3 to 6, following a wave of major announcements in April by eight leading global financial firms managing a combined $4.4 trillion in assets, all u»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia does not rule out that the West is preparing another "bloody hoax" in Ukraine similar to the one arranged in the city of Bucha in 2022, Yulia Zhdanova, the head of the Russian delegation at the Vienna talks on military security and arms control, said on Wednesday. NATO rep»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Space Command (SPACECOM) and US allies expect to finalize a joint plan for future orbital warfare by the end of the year, SPACECOM Commander Gen. Stephen Whiting said. "We are in the process now of building a defense of orbital assets CONOPS [an orbit Concept of Operat»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia and Central Asia increased their oil exports by approximately 17% in March 2026 compared with February, or by 933,000 barrels per day, reaching 6.6 million barrels per day, according to estimates in OPEC's March report published on Wednesday. "Total crude oil exports from »»»

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar condemned the storming of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque by a minister in the Israeli occupation government, alongside settlers, considering it a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and a provocation of the feelings of Muslim people around the globe. In »»»

Lebanon and Syria are expected in the coming weeks to translate the agreements and understandings reached during the recent visit of the Lebanese prime minister to Damascus into a series of measures and decisions to be issued successively, underscoring a clear decision by both states to move their »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Politico Expects “Shrinking Summit” between Trump and Xi amid Tensions over Taiwan, Iran War 13-05-2026 17:38 PM In an article titled “How »»»

Direct contacts have taken place between Baabda Palace and Ain el-Tineh, and indirect contacts have been made with Hezbollah, through Speaker Nabih Berri, to persuade the Iran-backed group to agree to a ceasefire if Israel does in the Thursday-Friday talks in Washington, a media report said. As of »»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s benchmark Tadawul All Share Index closed lower on Wednesday, shedding 19.16 points, or 0.17 percent, to end at 11,020.07. The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index also declined, falling 1.43 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 1,475.94, while the parallel Nomu market slipped 0.13 percent to»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia will continue to modernize and develop its strategic nuclear forces, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. "We will certainly continue to modernize and develop our strategic nuclear forces, creating missile systems with increased combat power, capable of pene»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US intelligence estimates that Iran has regained access to 30 out of 33 of the missile facilities it has along the Strait of Hormuz, including launchers and underground sites, The New York Times reported, citing sources. The data gathered by the intelligence community ear»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - The death toll in Iran during the conflict with the US and Israel stands at 3,483, the head of the press office of the Iranian Ministry of Health, Hossein Kermanpour, said on Wednesday. On April 18, the Iranian Martyrs and Veterans Foundation reported that 3,468 people had been k»»»

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has arrived in India's capital, New Delhi, for a three-day visit where he will meet with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and attend a BRICS ministerial, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Wednesday. Lavrov and Jaishankar»»»

Following the adoption on Wednesday of the executive regulations governing fees on vacant properties, the Saudi real estate market is awaiting a new phase aimed at increasing residential and commercial supply by encouraging owners of unused units to put them into use or offer them for rent or sale,»»»

Syria is witnessing a cautious expansion of electronic payment services after the Central Bank of Syria authorized local financial institutions and payment companies to reconnect with global card networks including Visa and Mastercard for the first time in more than 15 years. The move comes amid br»»»

Dubai: Sharjah Islamic Bank said its Dh2.59 billion rights issue attracted more than Dh8.3 billion in subscriptions, making the offering oversubscribed by more than 3.2 times despite volatile global market conditions. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click he»»»

Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson, right, speaks to the media with fellow representatives Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson at the White House in 2023. On Tuesday, all Tennessee Democrats in the state house were removed from committees. File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo May»»»

Iranian attacks on US military bases across the Middle East – which may not even be rebuilt – exposed “the central weakness of Washington’s regional order,” the Cradle reports. "The Iran war shows that even advanced air defenses can be overwhelmed by enough missiles and drones," former Swedish arme»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes appeared intended to project confidence and control to an American audience. Instead, much of the Israeli press saw something else entirely: a leader visibly worn down, politically disoriented, evasive on responsibility, an»»»

Officials of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Southern Nuclear Operating Co. celebrate signing a memorandum of understanding at the Korean firm's head office in South Korea on Tuesday. Photo by KHNP SEOUL, May 12 (UPI) -- Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, or KHNP, said Tuesday it partnered with Southern »»»

King Charles III waves from his State Carriage during the royal procession bringing him and Queen Camilla from Buckingham Palace to Westminster on Wednesday for the State Opening of Parliament. His Imperial State Crown, worn to deliver his King's Speech, was transported in a separate carriage prote»»»

1 of 2 | President Donald Trump boards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., for Beijing, China on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo May 13 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a two-day meeting with Chinese President Xi »»»

Civic organizations urge stronger international action on abductions, forced disappearances and ongoing human rights violations in North Korea United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk participates in a press conference in Mexico City, Mexico, 22 April 2026. Photo by Sáshenka Gu»»»

Hyundai Motor Co.'s Level-4 autonomous car RoboRide is shown during a test-run on busy streets in southern Seoul in June 2022. File Photo by Yonhap/EPA SEOUL, May 13 (UPI) -- South Korea's Samsung Fire and Marine Insurance said Wednesday it joined a pilot initiative aimed at testing a model for aut»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Regional Voluntary Carbon Market Co. announced a collaboration with Lenovo and ClimeCo to enable sustainable industrial operations within Lenovo’s expanding manufacturing presence in the Kingdom. Lenovo is currently establishing one of its largest manufacturing operations glo»»»

The Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) has announced that the Eid Al Adha holiday for Dubai government entities, departments, and institutions for the year 1447 AH will commence on Monday, May 25, 2026, and conclude on Friday, May 29, 2026. Official working hours will resume on Mond»»»

Doha, Qatar: This weekend, Doha presents a diverse programme of events spanning culture, sports, arts and many more. The weekend’s schedule offers residents and visitors an opportunity to engage Qatar’s rich cultural heritage, support regional sporting excellence, and experience a wide range of art»»»

Reinforcing the growing economic and investment connectivity between Asia and the GCC, Sohar International and ewpartners have signed a strategic partnership at Sohar International’s headquarters in Oman to strengthen cross-border financial cooperation and facilitate business flows, industrial proj»»»

Saudi special envoy for Lebanon, Prince Yazid bin Farhan, intends to visit Beirut early next week to monitor political developments related to the Washington negotiations and the 'anticipated escalation of internal and regional disputes and pressures," al-Akhbar newspaper reported. According to the»»»

Dozens of dogs rescued and suspect arrested in Uganda after BBC investigation 8 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleChiara FrancavillaBBC Africa Eye BBCRusset was treated by a vet after being injured and used in fraudulent campaigns to raise money Dozens of dogs kept in sham animal shelte»»»

JAKARTA: The Indonesian military will deploy more than 700 peacekeepers later this month to serve in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, less than two months after its peacekeeping soldiers were killed by Israeli attacks in the region. Indonesia has contributed troops to UNIFIL since 2006, after the o»»»

DUBAI: Manchester City on Wednesday opened a new £10 million ($13.5 million) facility for its women’s team at the City Football Academy. Spanning 17,000 sq. feet, the new space has a dressing room, gym, medical, rehab and physio spaces, as well as hydrotherapy and recovery areas. “This new facility»»»

The head of the Lebanese delegation to the talks with Israel, Ambassador Simon Karam, has requested that U.S. State Department officials not open the scheduled negotiations on Thursday and Friday to the press, preferring to keep the deliberations behind closed doors, without statements or press con»»»

DOHA: The Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) aimed at strengthening cooperation in search and rescue operations and humanitarian assistance. The agreement was co-signed by Lekhwiya Assistant Commander for Administra»»»

US President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping aimed at easing deep tensions between the rival superpowers. Giving a fist pump, Trump descended the steps of Air Force One after touching down at Beijing Capital International Airport, »»»

Doha, Qatar: Visit Qatar and the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) have confirmed that Lusail City will host the 2026 Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final for the second consecutive year, following the success and strong public engagement of the event’s inaugural edition in Qatar»»»

REGGIO EMILIA, Italy: Britain’s Princess Catherine started a two-day visit to Italy on Wednesday focused on early childhood development, in her first official foreign trip since her 2024 cancer diagnosis.The Princess of Wales, whose husband Prince William is the heir to the British throne, was welc»»»

Cairo — Egypt’s stock market ended trading on Tuesday, 12 May 2026 on a mixed note, with the benchmark index retreating for a second consecutive session as investors continued to take profits in heavyweight stocks, while broader market indices extended gains on sustained interest in mid- and small-»»»

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (C), Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Hugo Motta (L) and Minister of Justice Wellington Lima participate at the launch in Brasilia of the Brazil Against Organized Crime program, an initiative that will mobilize some $2.2 billion to dismantle the econo»»»

Doha: Qatar's Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) aimed at strengthening cooperation in search and rescue operations and humanitarian assistance. The agreement was co-signed by Lekhwiya Assistant Commander for Admini»»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was booed and mocked during a speech on Tuesday to one of the country’s biggest trade union groups as he tried to sell his welfare cut plans. Merz has a history of blaming Germany’s economic troubles on its people. Last August, he said that the “welfare state as we »»»

Iran has declared that the transit of US weapons through the Strait of Hormuz toward regional bases will no longer be permitted, with the Iranian Army stating that the strategic waterway is now under coordinated control of the country’s armed forces. Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami»»»