HOMS: Final restoration work on the strategically vital Al-Rastan Bridge in Syria’s Homs governorate is nearing completion ahead of its scheduled reopening early next month, Syrian officials announced on Saturday. Syrian Arab Republic Transport Minister Yarub Badr and Homs Gov. Murhaf Al-Naasan ins»»»

DAMASCUS: The Higher Elections Committee conducted its final inspection of polling stations in Hasakah on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s People’s Assembly elections. A delegation was dispatched to Ayn Al-Arab to finalize regional preparations, according to committee spokesperson Nawar Najmeh. The deleg»»»

RAMALLAH: Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan held a series of high-level meetings last week with the ministry’s emergency response team to assess severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies. The emergency cell, led by Health Ministry Undersecretary Wael Al-Sheikh, is grappling wit»»»

OSLO: Barcelona forward ‌Ewa Pajor and Salma Paralluelo both netted two second-half goals as their side cruised to a 4-0 win over OL Lyonnes to win the women’s Champions League final on Saturday and secure a fourth European crown for the Spanish giants. Barca had to weather a first-half storm that »»»

BELGRADE: Tens of thousands of people joined a rally on Saturday called by Serbia ‘s protesting university students despite efforts by the government of authoritarian President Aleksandar Vucic to curb mass demonstrations that shook his hard-line rule last year. Protesters streamed into a central s»»»

RIYADH: Startups across the Middle East and North Africa continued attracting investor interest this week, with companies operating in fintech, employment technology, property tech. Saudi digital financing marketplace Arib raised $23.5 million in a funding round led by Merak Capital as the company »»»

Dubai Police have arrested a group of youths involved in a violent brawl using bladed weapons, along with another individual accused of filming the fight and circulating the video on social media. Police said legal action has been taken against all those involved, and the suspects have been referre»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Journalists from all over the world have accepted the invitation to visit the site of the deadly Ukrainian attack on a student dormitory in the city of Starobelsk in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik on Saturday»»»

Activists released from Israeli custody after being detained on a flotilla trying to bring aid to Gaza were subjected to abuse, organisers said on Friday, with several hospitalised with injuries and at least 15 reporting sexual assaults, including rape.»»»

Frankfurt: Visit Qatar has concluded its participation at IMEX Frankfurt 2026, one of the world's leading trade exhibitions for the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry. The participation included a series of strategic meetings with prominent international event organis»»»

The United States and Iran are close to agreeing on a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war, two regional officials and a diplomat said Saturday, as the United States has weighed a new round of attacks on the Islamic Republic. Iran signaled “narrowing differences” in negotiations with»»»

Doha, Qatar: The 35th Doha International Book Fair hosted a symposium titled ''The Memory of Literature and Living Text'' in tribute to the late writer and media figure Ahmed Abdul Malik, one of the most prominent contributors to the cultural landscape in Qatar and the Gulf region. The event featur»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a telephone conversation with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The call addressed the deep-rooted fraternal relations between th»»»

DOHA: Former president and current advisor of the Sri Lanka Islamic Community (SLIC) in Qatar Sheikh Siyaldeen (Madani), has passed away in Qatar. Fifty-eight-year-old Siyaldeen, who hailed from Nikaweratiya, Sri Lanka, was working as a Da’ee (preacher) in Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayd Islamic Cultural »»»

- Cargo Volumes reach 4.85m tonnes by May 2026- Oil, gas port records 42% growth in handling activity- Vehicle, machinery throughput jumps 71%AMMAN — The ports of Aqaba recorded a 35 per cent increase in maritime and commercial handling during the first five months of 2026, driven by a rise in the »»»

AMMAN — Minister of Investment Tareq Abu Ghazaleh affirmed the continued positive performance of Jordan’s investment sector during the first quarter of 2026, despite regional challenges, reflecting sustained confidence in the national economy and the Kingdom's investment environment.Speaking during»»»

Doha,Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a phone call today with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. During the call, they reviewed the deep-rooted fraternal relations between the two brotherly coun»»»

CAIRO: The “Mexico vs The World” bout between Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez and French WBC super-middleweight world champion Christian Mbilli is set to take place in Riyadh on Sept. 12. Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and president of the Saudi Boxing Federation,»»»

PARIS: Novak Djokovic will set a record the moment he steps on court for his opening match at the French Open against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the night session on Sunday. Two days after his 39th birthday, Djokovic will play a men’s record 82nd Grand Slam tournament — one more than Roger Feder»»»

LONDON: Oli McBurnie’s stoppage-time goal ‌sent Hull City back to the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the Championship playoff final at Wembley on Saturday. A match played in searing heat was drifting toward extra time when McBurnie pounced in the 95th minute to stab home a »»»

Dubai: In Saturday’s Dh30 million UAE Lottery Lucky Day draw, several participants have walked away with cash prizes, while the top jackpot once again remained unclaimed. In Draw No. 260523, the winning numbers drawn from the Days section were 12, 25, 11, 15, 23, and 14, while the Months section nu»»»

Tunis, May 23 (TAP) - A business mission for the agri-food sector will be organised next June 23-24 in Warsaw (Poland), the Export Promotion Centre (French: CEPEX) said on Saturday. CEPEX took part on May 20 in the Tunisian-Polish Economic Forum in...»»»

Addis Ababa: Ethiopian Airlines has grown into a leading carrier in Africa, with passenger numbers increasing by 80 percent over the past eight years, Chief Executive Officer Mesfin Tasew said on Friday. Speaking at the closing ceremony of a month-long celebration marking the airline's 80th anniver»»»

Belgrade: Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in central Belgrade Saturday to renew calls for early elections that grew out of the anti-corruption movement sparked by the 2024 Nov Sad rail station disaster. Since the railway station canopy collapse in November 2024, which killed 16 people, »»»

Rescuers working at the site of a damaged dormitory building following a reported Ukrainian drone strike in Starobilsk, Luhansk region, Russia. According to Russian authorities, at least 18 people were killed and dozens of others injured in the attack. Photo by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Serv»»»

Financial Advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister Mazhar Mohammed Saleh revealed on Saturday that Iraq has not yet submitted a formal request for a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Iraqi News Agency quoted Saleh as saying that “Iraq enjoys close relations with the IMF, and since 200»»»

The voting process for the leadership election of Albania’s Democratic Party (PD) has officially concluded across the country, with ballot counting now underway. Polling stations closed at 19:00 local time after party officials decided to extend voting by one hour in several major branches where la»»»

Red Cross volunteers die from suspected Ebola in DR Congo 10 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleWedaeli ChibelushiandThomas Naadi,BBC Africa AFP via Getty ImagesThe volunteers are thought to have been infected before the outbreak had been identified, the Red Cross said Three Red Cross vo»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani held a phone call with Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom (UK), HE Yvette Cooper. The call discussed bilateral cooperation rela»»»

The first time 5-year-old Calvin Owens went outside in more than a month, he met up with his canine friend Hadley on a hospital patio. Despite being tethered to equipment with wires and tubes, the little boy managed to stand up near his wheelchair long enough to toss her a ball. He smiled as she ra»»»

SETUBAL, Portugal: A French woman and her partner appeared Saturday for the second day before a court in Portugal investigating the abandonment of her two young boys on a roadside in the south of the country. The 41-year-old woman and the 55-year-old man could potentially be placed in pretrial dete»»»

DHAKA: A measles outbreak in Bangladesh has killed more than 500 children, government data showed Saturday, marking the country’s deadliest surge in decades of the preventable disease. Hospitals in the capital Dhaka have been overwhelmed with cases and set up dedicated wards to take patients, but a»»»

GENEVA: French four-time Formula One champion Alain Prost was injured during a violent robbery at his home in Switzerland, Swiss media reported Saturday. Switzerland’s biggest-selling newspaper Blick said Prost, 71, sustained a minor head injury during the attack, while one of his sons was forced t»»»

MANCHESTER: Manchester United ‌midfielder Bruno Fernandes was named the Premier League player of the season on Saturday after guiding his club to third place in the standings while equalling the league’s assists record with a game to spare. Fernandes tied the league record of 20 assists jointly hel»»»

Mastercard has announced a new partnership with Commercial International Bank (CIB) to strengthen digital payments innovation and broaden access to financial solutions in the Egyptian market. Under the collaboration, Mastercard will support CIB across a range of core digital payments and card issua»»»

Banks and mortgage companies participating in the Affordable Housing Initiative have provided financing worth EGP 73.09bn to more than 583,700 clients until August 2024. According to a report from the Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Support Fund, 22 participating banks have injected around EGP »»»

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that negotiators for the United States and Iran were "getting a lot closer" to finalizing an agreement to end the war, according to an interview with CBS News. He said a final agreement would prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and would ensure that »»»

The US military conducted a rapid response exercise involving Marines and military aircraft in Venezuela’s capital Saturday, over four months after the ouster of then-President Nicolás Maduro. Two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft, which have characteristics of both a helicopter and a fixed-wing airplan»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani held a telephone call with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud. The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and »»»

Cairo: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed regional developments, the US-Iranian negotiations, and efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region during a phone call today with US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Wittkopf. In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that»»»

DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held a telephone call with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud. The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and ways to »»»

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, issued a joint statement during Anwar’s official visit to commemorate the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations. This visit marks Anwar’s second as Prime Minister, underscoring the strengthening ties between thes»»»

Some of the plants that make familiar landscapes recognizable may not survive by century's end as climate change becomes an increasingly important driver of species loss, according to scientists, reshaping and often shrinking suitable habitats that the plants need to survive. Researchers modelled f»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani held a telephone conversation with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During the call, they d»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a phone call with President of the United Arab Emirates HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During the call, they discussed the close fraternal relations between the two countries and prospects for expanding b»»»

DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held a telephone conversation with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During the call, they discussed re»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE warned at the United Nations General Assembly’s Interactive Dialogue on Commodity Markets that escalating geopolitical tensions and disruptions to maritime trade routes were placing unprecedented pressure on global commodity markets, driving up transportation and insurance costs »»»

Washington, May 23 (SANA) Diplomatic and military channels across the Middle East and beyond appeared to intensify on Saturday, with U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting he could decide within days whether to resume military action against Iran, while Pakistan’s army chief concluded back-to-back »»»

Madrid: Police detained four people at Bilbao airport in northern Spain on Saturday following clashes that broke out after activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla returned home, officials said. The incident occurred as supporters gathered in the arrivals hall to welcome six campaigners as they arrived»»»

Doha: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani held a phone call on Saturday with President of the United Arab Emirates HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During the call, they discussed the close fraternal relations between the two countries and prospects for expanding bilateral cooperation»»»