RIYADH: International partnerships on housing, smart cities and urban development are expected to strengthen as senior Saudi ministry officials participate in the World Urban Forum in Azerbaijan. The Saudi delegation, led by Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed Al-Hogail, is attending the 1»»»

Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh has opened a new admissions track allowing high-performing students to be automatically selected for certain courses. It applies to courses that require a foundation year, and students are automatically granted a place on the full course if they»»»

Dubai: More than 100 houses were set ablaze in Pakistan’s Sindh province after a violent mob attack triggered by a dispute over a free-will marriage between two people from different communities, according to media reports. The attack took place in Jacobabad district, where armed men allegedly stor»»»

London: The British military's aerial display team and the Royal Navy, which was recently maligned by Donald Trump, will soon visit the US to mark 250 years of American independence, the UK government said Sunday. The Royal Air Force's Red Arrows will in June embark on a one-month "showcase tour" o»»»

TEHRAN: Iranian media on Sunday said the United States failed to make any concrete concessions in its response to Iran’s proposal for negotiations to end the war. Fars news agency said Washington gave a five-point list which included a demand for Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and »»»

Paris, France: FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom described as "excellent" and "constructive" the meeting held on Saturday in Istanbul with the Iranian federation to ensure Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Iranians are scheduled to be bas»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Resistance fighters targeted gathering of Israeli soldiers and vehciles with a barrage of rockets: Hezbollah Military Media stateme»»»

Cannes, France: Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight, who is writing the next "Bond" movie, has strongly hinted that the ageing British spy is about to get really shaken and stirred. The writer said that Amazon has given him a licence to play with the legendary MI6 secret agent created by author I»»»

Cannes, France: Outspoken Spanish star Javier Bardem told AFP he was "getting more work than ever" despite his public campaigning against Israel's war in Gaza, something he attributed to "the narrative changing" around the conflict. At the last Oscars ceremony in February, the openly political star»»»

Dubai: Having tested the world’s dependence on the Strait of Hormuz through wartime oil disruptions, Iran is now signaling it could target another critical global artery — the subsea internet cables carrying financial transactions, cloud services and digital communications between Europe, Asia and »»»

RIYADH: Jazan Industrial City will host a new green ammonia plant under a new agreement between Saudi Arabia Refineries Co. and China’s Ally Hydrogen Energy to establish a local hydrogen equipment manufacturing and assembly hub. The new non-binding memorandum of understanding will also include the »»»

Cairo — Egypt’s stock market ended trading on Thursday, 14 May 2026 on a mixed note, with the benchmark index extending its recent decline as investors continued trimming positions in large-cap stocks, while broader indices maintained modest gains supported by selective buying in mid- and small-cap»»»

Ankara, May 17 (SANA) Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Sunday that escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the war in the Middle East pose a significant challenge to the global economy and international trade. In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Bolat said the current de-escalation»»»

Bulgarian musicians, actors and writers, including some of the brightest stars on the national entertainment and intellectual scene, congratulated Dara on winning the Eurovision Song Contest on the night of Saturday to Sunday with her song "Bangaranga". Bulgaria has won the contest for the first ti»»»

RIYADH: Egypt’s vast New Delta project will transform a swathe of desert west of the mouth of the Nile River into arable land and include infrastructure investments worth 800 billion Egyptian pounds ($15 billion), President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said. El-Sisi made the remarks during the inauguration»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah’s Islamic Resistance fighters targeted an Israeli bulldozer in the southern Lebanese border town of Al-Bayyada with an FPV drone:»»»

Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said that the capital is the best prepared city in Bulgaria to host Eurovision 2027. In an interview on Nova Television on Sunday, he said he is “extremely happy” about Dara's triumph at this year's edition of the song contest. “It is incredible that despite all the attem»»»

JEDDAH: Oman’s insurance sector revenues rose 3.86 percent in 2025 to 501.6 million Omani rials ($1.3 billion), driven by stronger investment returns, stable underwriting activity, and growing digital adoption. Audited data released by Oman’s Financial Services Authority showed revenues of national»»»

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi witnessed on Sunday the inauguration of the “New Delta” integrated developmental project, recognized as one of the largest agricultural and developmental mega-projects executed by the state in recent years. Massive Agricultural Reclamation: The mega-project aims to re»»»

Israeli attacks intensified across southern Lebanon on Sunday, in continued violation of a declared ceasefire, just two days after Lebanese authorities announced a 45-day extension of the truce, an agreement that has yet to translate into calm on the ground. The attacks took place in Nabatieh, Bint»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar News Agency (QNA) launched a five-day training course on Sunday titled "The Journalist Correspondent: Field Reporting," as part of the 2026 training plan of the QNA Training Center. The course, presented by Mohammed Al-Hadi Karmous, a media expert and senior editor at QNA, target»»»

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly disclosed that the government plans to localize the production of selected items identified by the Ministries of Housing and Industry, following a ministerial group meeting that focused on industrial development. Among the selected items are electric motors, generato»»»

Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, Chief Executive Officer of Commercial International Bank (CIB), has warned that the rapid expansion of Egypt’s non-banking financial sector could create future risks for the broader economy if growth continues without sufficiently strict credit controls and risk-management stand»»»

DOHA: Vice Chairman of the Board of the Qatar International Centre for Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA) at the Qatar Chamber HE Dr Sheikh Thanibin Ali bin Saud Al Thani, emphasised the State of Qatar's strong focus on developing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms. In his remarks at»»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he will no longer recommend the United States as a destination for his children to study or work, citing what he described as a worsening “social climate” in America. Speaking at a Catholic youth conference in Wuerzburg on Friday, the conservative leader sa»»»

PARIS: FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom described as “excellent” and “constructive” the meeting held on Saturday in Istanbul with the Iranian federation to ensure Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Iranians are scheduled to be based and p»»»

Dubai: Abu Dhabi-based Modon Holding and Montage Hotels & Resorts have launched a luxury resort and branded residences project at Egypt’s Ras El Hekma development on the Mediterranean coast, marking Montage’s first entry into the Egyptian market. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf N»»»

Sharjah: The Sharjah Consultative Council has approved a draft 2026 law regulating the use of drones after introducing a number of amendments during its 16th session of the third ordinary term of the 11th legislative chapter. The session was held at the council’s headquarters in Sharjah and chaired»»»

Dubai Police have issued an urgent warning over a series of viral social media videos promoting the excessive consumption of energy drinks, cautioning that the online trends pose severe health risks to children and young people. The force’s Cybercrime Department, operating under the General Departm»»»

LONDON: Wes Streeting’s ambition to head the British government was one of the worst-kept secrets in UK politics. But if anyone was unaware, it’s now official — the former health secretary announced on Saturday his intention to oust Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “We need a proper contest with the be»»»

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Sunday announced new facilities to address student queries and concerns following the declaration of results. The Board has introduced a tele-counselling helpline for information related to exams, results and evaluation, aimed at reducin»»»

Moscow: A huge wave of almost 600 Ukrainian drones attacked Russia overnight, killing three people in the Moscow region and one in the Belgorod region, authorities said on Sunday. Air defences shot down 556 drones overnight across the country, Russia's defence ministry said, with another 30 drones »»»

Dubai: The Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority has launched an integrated logistics corridor connecting the emirate with ports in Oman through land border crossings, in a move aimed at strengthening regional trade connectivity and supply chain resilience. Get updated faster and for FREE»»»

The International Exhibition for National Security and Resilience (ISNR 2026), the biennial event dedicated to the national security and civil defence sectors, has announced the launch of five new flagship events as part of its ninth and largest edition to date, set to take place from May 19 to 21 »»»

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who recently emerged as a chief negotiator in talks with the United States, has been appointed to oversee relations with China, Iranian media reported on Sunday. "Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has recently been appointed as a special representative of »»»

Pakistan's interior minister arrived in Tehran on Saturday "to facilitate" the peace talks between Iran and the United States that have stalled despite a fragile ceasefire, Iranian media reported. "Mohsin Naqvi arrived today in the Islamic Republic of Iran on an official two-day visit as part of Pa»»»

LONDON: Xabi Alonso will take ​over as Chelsea’s new manager, the Premier League club ‌said ‌on ​Sunday, ‌with ⁠the ​Spaniard signing a ⁠four-year deal beginning on July 1. “Chelsea is ⁠one of ‌the ‌biggest ​clubs ‌in ‌world football and it fills me with ‌immense pride to become manager ⁠of ⁠this g»»»

RIYADH: The Saudi Sports for All Federation, the national body responsible for advancing physical activity in Saudi Arabia, has concluded its participation in the 29th TAFISA World Congress in Prague. The world congress, held from May 13-17, brought together 500-plus delegates from more than 80 cou»»»

INCHEON, South Korea: North Korean women’s football club Naegohyang FC arrived in South Korea on Sunday for an Asian Women’s Champions League semifinal, marking the first visit by athletes from the isolated state to the South in eight years. The delegation of 27 players and 12 staff entered the cou»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev will visit Berlin, where he will hold talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday, the Cabinet's press centre said on Sunday. Following the official welcoming ceremony for the Bulgarian Prime Minister with military honours at the Chancellor's Office, Radev and M»»»

Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov congratulated Dara for her win at the Eurovision contest. In a Facebook post on Sunday, he wrote: "A wonderful story of immense talent, boundless effort, and faith in success, despite the criticism. Thank you, Dara, and everyone involved! Bulgaria is number one.»»»

Nature and EnvironmentAsiaGermany and Japan test hydrogen future with BMW, Toyota carsMartin FritzDuring a recent visit to Japan, Germany's transport minister Patrick Schnieder toured hydrogen projects aimed at bringing the fuel into the mainstream. https://p.dw.com/p/5DqgKGerman Minister Patrick S»»»

Dubai: Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced the Umrah season calendar for the year 1448 AH as part of preparations to receive pilgrims arriving from outside Saudi Arabia under an integrated system of services and care. The ministry said the new calendar outlines the operational stages and deadl»»»

LONDON: Xabi Alonso will take ​over as Chelsea’s new manager, the Premier League club ‌said ‌on ​Sunday, ‌with ⁠the ​Spaniard signing a ⁠four-year deal beginning on July 1. “Chelsea is ⁠one of ‌the ‌biggest ​clubs ‌in ‌world football and it fills me with ‌immense pride to become manager ⁠of ⁠this g»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE federal government has approved a package of smart traffic initiatives aimed at improving traffic flow and road safety, including the deployment of 50 intelligent monitoring stations supported by artificial intelligence technologies, according to a report issued by the Federal Na»»»

The first phase of the Julyana project in Benghazi, which includes the construction of five modern bridges as part of the infrastructure development projects implemented by the Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund, were inaugurated yesterday. ‎ The project was inaugurated by Khalifa Haftar and»»»

Abu Dhabi: Discussions around regional investment opportunities and cross-border infrastructure collaboration took centre stage at the recently concluded Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit (ADIS) 2026, with industry leaders highlighting growing momentum in Gulf markets, including Qatar’s dynamic inves»»»

Doha, Qatar: GubGub Studios launched the first edition of its new initiative titled ‘13’ on Wednesday, May 13, at its artist-run space in Doha, with the aim of bringing together artists, collectors, and members of Qatar’s growing creative community around an experimental limited-edition “art box se»»»

Dubai: Livestock traders across the UAE say they are entering the Eid Al Adha season with strong supplies of sacrificial animals and rising consumer demand, despite mounting cost pressures driven by regional developments and higher transport expenses. Traders said demand for sacrificial animals is »»»