An expanded extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly of the Druze Religious Council was held Thursday at the Druze Community Center in Beirut, at the invitation of Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Akl Sami Abi al-Muna, and in the presence of former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat»»»

The US has asked Ukraine for help defending Gulf allies against Iranian drones, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. He said Ukraine's partners had been reaching out and there had been "requests from the American side". The Pentagon declined to comment. Zelensky made clear Ukraine would help »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Minister of State for International Cooperation, HE Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad received on Thursday a phone conversation from the Advisor to the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) for Organizational and Humanitarian Affairs in the Republic of Sudan, HE Al Sadig Is»»»

Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama has strongly condemned what he described as an Iranian attack on Azerbaijani territory, calling the strike “a grave and unacceptable act of aggression.” In a public statement following reports of an attack targeting civilian infrastructure in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchiva»»»

Dubai: European Union and Gulf ministers on Thursday demanded Iran to immediately halt attacks across the region, warning that the escalating conflict risks undermining global security as the war in the Middle East entered its sixth day. Foreign ministers from the European Union and the Gulf Cooper»»»

Britney Spears has been arrested in California, US court documents show. The singer was arrested by the California Highway Patrol at around 21:30 PT (05:30 GMT) on Wednesday. She was released in the early hours of Thursday morning and is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on 4 May»»»

1 of 4 | Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., attends a dinner in the East Room of the White House in November. He announced Wednesday that he won't seek re-election. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo March 5 (UPI) -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., announced Wednesday that he won't seek re-elect»»»

Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE, and Chairman of the Dubai Judicial Council, has issued Resolution No. (2) of 2026 granting law enforcement capacity to certain Government of Dubai officials. The»»»

In our ongoing weekly digest, we sum up and explain the most important public affairs events of the week from Hungary. We guide readers on the road to the key April 2026 election — a poll without precedent in the region over the past 15 years. This week, we cover: Why Viktor Orbán does not rule out»»»

Nature and EnvironmentInvestors are betting on nature protection Josh AxelrodDebt-for-nature swaps and conservation funds to halt biodiversity loss are gaining traction as governments link ecosystem collapse to geopolitical instability. https://p.dw.com/p/59TjZA UK government assessment warns that »»»

The Ministry of Defense announced that the UAE’s air defense systems today detected seven ballistic missiles, successfully intercepting and destroying six of them, while one missile landed within the country’s territory. The systems also detected 131 drones, of which 125 were intercepted, while six»»»

A phone call took place Thursday between French President Emmanuel Macron and Speaker Nabih Berri, during which they discussed "the dire situation resulting from the Israeli aggression against Lebanon and the recent developments in Beirut's southern suburbs, including the displacement of its reside»»»

Thousands of students at University College Dublin (UCD) took part in a rally on Wednesday, after a sexually explicit image of a student was circulated to UCD staff emails and to a large WhatsApp group. The students' union called the demonstration in solidarity with victims and survivors of sexual »»»

The US campaign to hunt down and destroy boats allegedly bringing drugs from South America has been so successful it is now hard to find targets, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Thursday. The United States began targeting these alleged smuggling speedboats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific in e»»»

The Fujairah Media Office said air defence systems are responding to a missile threat, urging residents to remain calm and follow official safety guidance. In a statement, the office advised members of the public to stay in safe locations while authorities continue to deal with the situation. Resid»»»

Sir Keir Starmer has said he stands by his decision not to join the initial US-Israel strikes on Iran on Saturday, and said talks would be the best way forward. At a Downing Street news conference, the PM said the UK had "the strength to stand by our values and our principles no matter the pressure»»»

The foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the European Union (EU) strongly condemned the unjustified Iranian attacks targeting GCC states, considering them a direct threat to regional and global security. In a joint statement issued after an extraordinary meeting hel»»»

US President Donald Trump told Axios on Thursday that he needs to be personally ⁠involved in selecting Iran's ⁠next leader. "Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. ⁠We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Axios quoted Trump as saying in an interview. "I have to ⁠be ⁠involved in t»»»

Share: Lebanon minister of information Paul Morkos briefed the media on Thursday regarding the cabinet meeting and the presence of Iranian Iranian Revolutionary Guard members in Lebanon and PM Nawaf ‘s action in this regard: ” Regarding the presence of elements from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard »»»

In the UAE, 189 ballistic missiles have been detected since the start of Iranian aggression on Feb 28, with 175 destroyed. However, there have been some cases of debris from the intercepted missiles/drones doing some damage. Stay updated: Get the latest faster by downloading the Gulf News app - it'»»»

The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) has referred hospitalization cases to the prosecution service to determine whether patients’ personal data were misused, the NHIF Governor, Assoc. Prof. Petko Stefanovski, told reporters on Thursday. He noted that regional health insurance funds checked 258»»»

The year 2026 has barely begun, but “nuclearization” is already a strong contender to be its top word. The European NATO members want more nukes, the US and Israel are bombing Iran for allegedly wanting some too, and the Doomsday Clock could soon run out of seconds left before midnight. The clock, »»»

Paris, France: US military support jets have been allowed to use a French air base, the French general staff said Thursday, adding it had "full guarantees" they were not involved in Iran strikes. The announcement came after French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said US-Israel military operati»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani visited Thursday evening the National Command Center of the Ministry of Interior. At the beginning of the visit, HH the Amir was briefed on the crisis and emergency management system and the mechanisms for immediate response to various devel»»»

LONDON: The UK's Ministry of Defence has confirmed the deployment of four additional Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar in support of defensive operations across the region. The move comes amid heightened security concerns and is aimed at reinforcing regional stability and safeguarding B»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani visited the National Command Center (NCC) of the Ministry of Interior (MoI). At the outset of the visit, His Highness listened to a briefing on the crisis and emergency management system and the mechanisms for immedia»»»

1 of 2 | Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., are sponsoring a war powers resolution in the U.S. House that would impose limits on President Donald Trump's use of military force against Iran without congressional approval. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo March 5 (UPI) -»»»

Police have arrested a suspect in the killings of three women in Utah. File Photo by Justin Lane/EPA March 5 (UPI) -- A suspect was arrested Thursday after three women's bodies were found in southern Utah, sparking a multi-state manhunt. Two of the women's bodies were found in different locations o»»»

Interpol's Operation Eclipse, conducted between February 2025 and January, focused on dismantling networks linked to producing and distributing child sexual abuse material, with the primary goal of identifying victims and reopening cases that had remained unsolved for years. File Photo by Wallace W»»»

American officials claim Iran’s arsenal is dwindling and launchers are running low — but there’s no objective proof, veteran Russian military observer Yury Lyamin, senior researcher at the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, tells Sputnik. "Such statements should be tre»»»

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned Thursday that a southern Beirut suburb, a stronghold of Hezbollah, will face devastation similar to Gaza after the Israeli military told residents to evacuate. "Very soon Dahiyeh will resemble Khan Yunis," Smotrich said, referring to a sou»»»

Israel issued an unprecedented evacuation warning on Thursday for the entirety of Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah, sending residents in the district of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing in a panic. The warning followed a fresh wave of Israeli attacks on Iran, which again »»»

Bangkok: The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), warned of the repercussions of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on the global economy. Global economic resilience has been tested yet again by the new conflict in the Middle East, said Kristalina Georgieva at the Asia i»»»

Everyone discusses how to make a good first impression, how to charm and close the sale. But what about long-term client relationships? These won’t last based on good vibes alone. This isn’t a bag of tricks, but rather the real business acumen to keep a good business relationship going, taking resp»»»

A new survey from experts at a leading digital rights NGO has found big gaps between the EU Commission’s proposed changes to the its flagship data protection law — and what professionals in the field want to see fixed. The digital rights NGO noyb report, published Thursday (5 March), asked 500 data»»»

We strongly condemn the drone attacks carried out today (5 March) against the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. We once again emphasize that attacks targeting third countries in the region, which increase the risk of the war spreading, must be stopped immediately. As always, Türkiye wil»»»

A contract between the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) and Deutsche Bahn for the delivery of 91 passenger railcars will be signed within days. This transpired during a meeting between Caretaker Minister of Transport and Communications Korman Ismailov and German Ambassador Irene Plank, Ismailov’s min»»»

Airline shares seesawed on Thursday, as some regained ground on more flights taking off from the Middle East while others dipped on spiking oil prices after US-Israeli strikes on Iran sparked major disruption across the global aviation industry. Governments have scrambled to arrange flights out of »»»

The controversial deportation bill currently grinding its way through the European Parliament has sparked a political backlash after the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) presented an alternative draft — just days before the crucial vote. As a result, a scheduled meeting on Wednesday (4 Ma»»»

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of migrant smuggling, the Border Police General Directorate said. They have been detained for up to 72 hours. A total of ten people involved in the criminal activity have been identified. The directorate for combating illegal migration at the Border Police »»»

Sofia has met the annual average limit for fine particulate matter (PM10) concentrations for the third consecutive year, city officials announced at a press conference presenting the results of the low-emission zone for vehicles during the 2025/2026 winter season. The results, covering the period f»»»

UAE residents have been warned to move to a safe location and stay put as the UAE deals with a missile threat. The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority has tweeted that the country’s air defence systems are currently responding to the threat. The NCEMA also called for people »»»

Police have raided what they called a phone scam call center run by a Roma criminal group that allegedly made hundreds of thousands of euros from vulnerable people in recent months, authorities said Thursday. A police statement said six people – including the alleged gang leader – were arrested dur»»»

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov and US Charge d’Affaires Martin McDowell on Thursday discussed the situation in the Middle East and its potential impact on European security in the event of an escalation of the conflict, said the government information service following a meeting between the »»»

European powers said on Thursday they would work together to safeguard shipping in the Red Sea and send naval and other assets to protect Cyprus as the expanding US–Iran war entered its sixth day. The conflict - which has widened beyond Gulf states to the Mediterranean, where a drone strike hit a B»»»

The city of Tehran has been subjected to heavy aerial bombardment by US and Israeli forces, with the strikes targeting multiple government and public sites across the Iranian capital, according to RT’s Tehran bureau chief, Hami Hamedi. Hamedi visited a police headquarters on a busy route running th»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom on Thursday confirmed that it is sending four additional Royal Air Force Typhoon jets to Qatar to support defensive operations in the region. This is according to an announcement on Thursday, March 5, by the UK's Ministry of Defence on soci»»»

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk told the jury in a federal court hearing a civil case brought by Twitter investors that posts he made in the run up to his 2022 purchase of the social media platform were just him thinking out loud and were not an effort to drive down the share price. File Photo by K»»»

The Republic of Ireland's domestic economy grew by almost 5% in 2025, official figures suggest. Irish domestic output is estimated using a measurement called modified domestic demand (MDD). The economic performance of most countries is measured using gross domestic product (GDP), but Irish GDP is h»»»

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned Thursday that a southern Beirut suburb, a stronghold of Hezbollah, will face devastation similar to Gaza after the Israeli military told residents to evacuate. "Very soon Dahiyeh will resemble Khan Yunis," Smotrich said, referring to a sou»»»