Construction output volume, based on raw data, was 10.7% lower than a year earlier. Based on working-day adjusted data, it lessened by 6.7% Among the main construction groups, output in the construction of buildings decreased by 4.2%, while that of civil engineering by 21.9%. Based on seasonally an»»»

New Zealand reported its first case of the deadly H5N1 bird ​flu after a migratory seabird found on a beach near the capital, Wellington, tested positive, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said on Wednesday. The case in a brown skua seabird comes after the virus was detected last month ‌in Austra»»»

The volume of industrial production declined by 0.4%, while based on working-day adjusted data, production grew by 5.4%, year-on-year in May 2026. Compared to crude data, the significant difference is due to the fact that there were two fewer working-days in this month than in May 2025. Production »»»

Dubai: Gold buyers in the UAE faced slightly higher prices on Wednesday morning after bullion extended its recovery on easing expectations of an imminent US interest rate increase. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and India.) Sign u»»»

The renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran are causing deep concern in several Arab countries affected by this dispute, including Yemen, with sudden and unprecedented clashes. These have erupted south of Hodeidah governorate in the west along the Red Sea coast between militias loyal»»»

SINGAPORE: The number ‌of vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz ticked up on Tuesday, with most of them linked to Iranian trade, before a US blockade took effect on Wednesday, shipping data showed. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reimposed a naval blockade of all Iranian ports and th»»»

US President Donald Trump said American strikes on Iran will continue until he personally decides they should stop. “They’ll continue until I say it’s enough,” Trump said.He added that the US will keep hitting Iran “very hard” this week, while openly threatening to expand attacks to civilian infras»»»

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump is headlining a defense summit at the US Army War College on Wednesday, planning to tout major investments in battlefield technology at a time when the war in Iran has reduced the US supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot and THAAD interceptors. The gather»»»

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out new waves of retaliatory strikes against US military assets in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, IRNA reported. The IRGC said its forces hit:Kuwait: the KJL main US Army logistics and support center at Mina Abdullah, along with satellite communic»»»

BERLIN: Some German lawmakers and anti-Kremlin activists suspect Russia of inflaming sensitive regional divisions, smearing mainstream political parties and spreading disinformation to help the far right ahead of hotly contested regional elections in Germany. In the former communist eastern states »»»

DIB, the UAE's largest Islamic bank by assets, posted a strong financial performance for the first half of 2026, with gross revenue rising 10 per cent year-on-year to Dh12.4 billion, supported by growth across both funded and non-funded income streams. The bank reported pre-tax profit of Dh4.3 bill»»»

US forces on Tuesday reimposed a naval blockade to prevent ships from sailing to or from Iran's ports and conducted strikes against the country for a fourth day in response to Tehran's attacks on commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz and on Gulf facilities. The US military said Tues»»»

BIDDEFORD, Maine: Trump administration officials told Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to suspend most vehicle stops after two deadly shootings within a week, people familiar with the decision said Tuesday. The policy change came after an ICE officer shot and killed a Colombian driver M»»»

SOUTHPORT, United Kingdom: Rory McIlroy has his sights set on a first British Open win since 2014 as world number one Scottie Scheffler tries to get his game back on track to defend the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale. McIlroy ended a long wait for his fifth major by winning the Masters last year to c»»»

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: The US military early Wednesday reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports over Tehran’s attacks on ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, sparking new strikes on nations hosting American forces as an interim deal to end the war further unraveled. Days of retalia»»»

Moscow: A US-Russian space crew arrived Tuesday at the International Space Station after launching from the Russia-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click hereNASA astronaut Anil Menon and Russian crewmates Pyotr Dubro»»»

Requests involving destroyers and fleet tankers could expand Seoul-Washington shipbuilding partnership under MASGA The USNS Wally Schirra departs Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard after completing approximately six months of maintenance work. Photo courtesy of Hanwha Ocean July 14 (Asia Today) -- The U»»»

Residents across the region are facing renewed uncertainty Wednesday as the conflict between the United States and Iran intensifies, disrupting regional air travel, threatening commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and prompting fresh security advisories. The latest escalation follows th»»»

The UAE hotel breakfast buffet is a feast designed to impress, with rows of pastries, displays, live cooking stations, international favourites and enough choices to satisfy every kind of traveller. But behind the endless spreads is also a concealed balancing act: How do hotels offer abundance with»»»

US President Donald Trump has refused to rule out a ground campaign in Iran, claiming that unspecified allied forces could seize key strategic sites like Kharg Island without the involvement of American troops, while threatening to expand the bombing campaign to include power plants and bridges. In»»»

Manila: A series of earthquakes off the coast of Claveria, Masbate has raised concerns among residents. Philippine volcanologists say the activity is consistent with an "earthquake swarm" — which they describe as a "natural phenomenon". Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app no»»»

Ajman: Students left in limbo after the UAE's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) recently revoked the licence of a private university in the country can now have more clarity on what happens to alumni's degrees and current students' ongoing studies and exams, Gulf News ca»»»

STARKE, Florida: Florida put to death one of its oldest prisoners in its history on Tuesday, a 74-year-old convicted murderer who was one of three older inmates scheduled for execution within the span of a month in the nation’s busiest death penalty state. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download »»»

Dubai: UAE motorists may have to temper expectations of another sharp fall in fuel prices after global oil prices surged following reported Iranian attacks on two UAE tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.Brent crude cli»»»

In the UAE, artificial intelligence is no longer a future ambition. It is moving into the heart of government services, enterprise operations and everyday decision-making. The recent announcement that 50 per cent of government sectors, services and operations will transition to autonomous AI within»»»

A group of 26 Meta employees has sued the company, claiming it used artificial intelligence systems to select people for layoffs, disproportionately targeting those on medical, parental or family leave. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click hereThey are amon»»»

Manila: A heartwarming cultural exchange is winning hearts online as a Pakistani content creator known as “Biryani ni Pakistani” teaches Filipinos the authentic secrets of chicken masala and biryani. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click hereThe Facebook Ree»»»

Madrid: Thousands of people who travel every day between the southern tip of Spain and the British territory of Gibraltar will no longer have to cross a physical border, beginning on Wednesday. The official opening at midnight on Tuesday — after a border fence was fully removed — allows a new freed»»»

Iran appeared to be positioning vessels capable of evading sanctions just hours before the United States reinstated its naval blockade of Iranian ports on Wednesday, according to CNN and maritime intelligence firms that monitor global shipping. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf New»»»

Washington: Senate Democrats blocked a $1 trillion annual defence bill Tuesday, refusing to advance the bipartisan package that would substantially increase Pentagon spending, including a pay raise for the troops, in protest of President Donald Trump's war against Iran. Senate Democratic Leader Chu»»»

LONDON: UK police Tuesday said the murder of veteran right-wing politician Ann Widdecombe was a “targeted attack,” as a 28-year-old man remained under arrest on suspicion of “terrorism” and murder. “It is clear that this was a targeted attack,” head of Counter Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor tol»»»

MOSCOW: A US-Russian space crew arrived Tuesday at the International Space Station after launching from the Russia-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Russian crewmates Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina lifted off as scheduled at 7:47 p.m. (10:47 a.m. EDT, 1447 GMT) a»»»

Share: President Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in 2025 President Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call Thursday that Israel should start redeploying its forces out of Syria and urged him to do the same in Lebanon, ac»»»

Share: Illustration- Peace is the only choice for Israel and Lebanon Beirut / Rome Lebanon and Israel resumed talks on Tuesday in the Italian capital, with Beirut hoping for progress towards securing an Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon under a U.S.-brokered agreement, although expectations for»»»

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is a NASA observatory designed to settle essential questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets and infrared astrophysics. Image courtesy NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio NASA is gearing up to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Sp»»»

OpenAI is planning to release a screenless ​speaker as its first hardware product, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The news comes just days ‌after Apple ‌sued OpenAI and ​two ‌former ⁠employees, ​alleging misappropriation ⁠of its trade secrets to benefit »»»

ARLINGTON, Texas: Mikel Oyarzabal scored from the penalty spot after a heady play by teenager Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro added another goal and Spain advanced to its first World Cup final since winning in 2010 with a 2-0 victory over France on Tuesday. A day after his 19th birthday, Yamal was denied»»»

WASHINGTON: The US ​will formally bring together AI developers and essential services providers to share information on cybersecurity vulnerabilities identified by advanced AI systems and coordinate responses, according to a White House statement, fulfilling US President Donald Trump’s order from J»»»

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked US President Donald Trump’s administration from enforcing a policy that targets foreign nationals who study disinformation and hate speech on social media for visa denials and deportation. Chief US District Judge James Boasberg in Washington sided with the Coaliti»»»

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked US President Donald Trump’s administration from enforcing a policy that targets foreign nationals who study disinformation and hate speech on social media for visa denials and deportation. Chief US District Judge James Boasberg in Washington sided with the Coaliti»»»

Khaled Al Hameidi Doha Grief settled over Qatar with rare unanimity following the passing of the Father Amir HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, whose vision reshaped the country’s trajectory and redefined its place on the global stage. Across the nation, voices from history, literature, journali»»»

DPA Arlington (Texas) European champions Spain reached the World Cup final with a ruthlessly efficient 2-0 triumph over France on Tuesday and can now dream in earnest of winning the title for a second time. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a 22nd-minute penalty awarded for a foul by Lucas Digne against La»»»

QNA Doha The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received several regional and global leaders who came to offer condolences to His Highness on the passing of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani at Lusail Palace on Tuesday. HH the Amir received Vice-President of the Un»»»

Members of Qatar’s Pakistani community have paid glowing tribute to the late His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, remembering him as the architect of modern Qatar whose visionary leadership transformed the nation into a global model of prosperity, development and diplomac»»»

Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student who became the face of the Trump administration's crackdown on Palestinian rights demonstrators, filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday. The lawsuit alleges senior Trump administration officials, pro-Israel group the Heritage Foundation and onl»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday attended a solemn ceremony in Nice to mark the tenth anniversary of the July 14, 2016, terror attack on the city's Promenade des Anglais, which killed 86 people and injured more than 400. FRANCE 24's Mark Owen reports from Nice.»»»

The US Central Command has reimposed the naval blockade of all vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports after conducting yet another round of what Washington describes as “defensive strikes” against the Islamic Republic. The escalation comes as the two sides vie for control of the Strait of Hor»»»

Arlington: Spain stunned tournament favourites France 2-0 to reach the World Cup final on Tuesday, producing a tactical masterpiece to shatter Les Bleus' dreams of winning the title for the third time. A first-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a 58th-minute Pedro Porro goal sealed an utterly cl»»»

Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the retired US Airways captain known for the "Miracle on the Hudson," testifies during a House Transportation Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., on June 19, 2019. The pilot announced Tuesday that he has Alzheimer's disease. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | Lice»»»

NEW YORK CITY: Bahrain’s ambassador to the UN, Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, told the Security Council on Tuesday that Houthi attacks that threaten navigation in the Bab Al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea, and Iranian strikes that affect freedom of passage through the Strait of Hormuz, amount to “a form of »»»