Beirut: President of the sisterly Republic of Lebanon HE General Joseph Aoun met on Thursday with Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Lebanon HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral cooperation relations between the two countries, along with ways t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) launched on Thursday the exhibition "Compositions from the Spirit of Art" by Qatari visual artist Dania Tariq, which will run until next Monday. The exhibition presents 34 artworks offering a rich artistic experience filled with emotion and imag»»»

Paris, France: Tourists and Parisians goggled at the sight of the French capital's oldest bridge transformed into a giant "cave" on Thursday, a spectacular new public work by the street artist JR. JR, dubbed the "French Banksy" after the British street artist, has wrapped the Pont Neuf in fabric pa»»»

A draft agreement, resembling a "declaration of intent" between Lebanon and Israel, is circulating in political and diplomatic circles, an informed diplomatic source said. This agreement, sponsored directly by the United States and spearheaded by the administration of President Donald Trump, is int»»»

Israel said it had deported on Thursday all the foreign activists seized by Israeli forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla, following global outcry over their treatment in custody. "All foreign activists from the PR flotilla have been deported from Israel. Israel will not permit any breach of the lawful»»»

DOHA: Minister of State for Energy Affairs HE Eng Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi met on Thursday with Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria HE Ekperikpe Ekpo. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries in »»»

DOHA: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani met on Thursday with Minister of Defense of the Republic of Uzbekistan HE Lieutenant General Shukhrat Kholmukhamedov and the accompanying delegation, during his visit to the Sta»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Internal and External Trade Jagoda Lazarevic and Ukrainian Deputy PM for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Taras Kachka signed on Thursday in Belgrade a joint statement on continuing talks on a Serbia-Ukraine FTA. Lazarevic and Kachka also signed a document title»»»

Damascus, May 21 (SANA) Syrian and British officials held talks in Damascus on Thursday on international migration issues and efforts to facilitate the safe return of Syrian refugees, according to Syria’s Interior Ministry. Deputy Interior Minister Major General Abdul Qader Tahan and Deputy Directo»»»

There is no restriction of opposition rights in the proposed amendments to Parliament's rules of procedure, National Assembly Chair Michaela Dotsova told journalists in Rome on Thursday. "I cannot say there is a problem with the rules of procedure," she said, adding that amendments to the rules are»»»

Doha, Qatar: “Jazeera Paints”, the leading company in the paint, color, and building solutions industry in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and North Africa, is strengthening its presence across Gulf markets as part of its broader regional expansion strategy, by opening its first branch in Doha on Sa»»»

Even months after she was displaced by war, Soubhiye Zeiter starts every morning the same way: with a large cup of coffee and a few quiet moments beside a small table decorated with flowers outside her tent in Beirut. But once the coffee is poured, the quiet disappears quickly. By early morning, do»»»

flynas has announced the launch of direct flights connecting Riyadh with Milan, SPA reported. Starting Thursday, the airline will operate three weekly direct flights between King Khalid International Airport and Milan Malpensa Airport.»»»

Sharjah’s Roads and Transport Authority has announced that traffic on Al Khan Road would be temporarily diverted from Friday as part of development works involving road expansion and bridge construction aimed at improving traffic flow and infrastructure across the emirate. The authority said the tr»»»

MANILA: The Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation said on Thursday it would apprehend a top politician wanted by the International Criminal Court “without delay,” a day after a court rejected his petition seeking to block his arrest. The justice minister earlier on Thursday gave the green l»»»

RABAT: Eleven people were killed and six others injured when a four-story building collapsed overnight in the Moroccan city of Fez, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) east of Rabat, state-owned broadcaster 2M said on Thursday. Authorities said a search ‌for others who ‌might still be buried ‌was ⁠ong»»»

Russia launched waves of deadly airborne attacks against eastern regions of Ukraine overnight. Kyiv responded with drone strikes across southern Russia. File photo Sergey Kozlov/EPA May 21 (UPI) -- At least five people were killed and 50 injured in overnight Russian drone and missile strikes across»»»

Chinese tyre manufacturer Aeolus Tyre Co., Ltd. plans to invest nearly $395 million in a major tyre manufacturing project in Alexandria, reinforcing Egypt’s growing role as a regional industrial and export hub serving African, Middle Eastern, and European markets. The project will be developed thro»»»

Egypt’s expansion into digital banking could become one of the country’s most significant financial transformation opportunities over the coming decade, particularly as policymakers seek to widen financial inclusion, modernise banking services, and integrate larger segments of the population into t»»»

Rabat: A residential building in the Moroccan city of Fes collapsed on Thursday, killing four people and injuring six others, state media reported. News agency MAP cited local authorities as saying rescue operations were underway to find any survivors trapped under the rubble. It was unclear how ma»»»

DHAKA: When he was at university, Mokarrebur Rahman was planning to perform Hajj — a dream his friends laughed at, as he struggled to afford even one meal a day. Little did they know that the opportunity would soon come, and that he would make sure not to miss a single pilgrimage thereafter. Rahman»»»

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s MBC Studios has unveiled a slate of new Saudi film and television productions during the Cannes Film Festival 2026. Among the projects announced is “Hell of the Transients,” the first feature film directed by Saudi filmmaker Hana Al-Omair. The film, adapted from the work of be»»»

ISLAMABAD: Over 114,000 Pakistani pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia, the religious affairs ministry said on Thursday, with the last pre-Hajj flight from Pakistan to depart for the Kingdom today. Pakistan launched its pre-Hajj flight operation to send over 179,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia on Apr»»»

BEIJING - With a population of more than 1.4 billion, China is one of the world's most populous countries as well as one of the fastest-growing economies, whose cities are growing at an incredible pace while history and culture remain deeply intertwined with everyday life. Tanjug had an opportunity»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have liberated the settlement of Shesterovka in the Kharkov region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday. "Units of Battlegroup Sever have actively established control over the settlement of Shesterovka in the Kharkov region," the ministry said i»»»

For many outside Latin America, Cuba can feel frozen in time — a communist island associated with Fidel Castro, vintage cars and decades of confrontation with the United States. But in recent months, Cuba has found itself at the centre of a rapidly escalating geopolitical crisis involving economic »»»

Kuwait's General Civil Aviation Authority has launched its operational plan for the 2026 Hajj season, with 63 scheduled flights set to transport around 8,400 pilgrims and administrators from Kuwait to Saudi Arabia. The flights will depart from Terminal 4 at Kuwait International Airport between May »»»

At moments of geopolitical uncertainty, the clearest test of a property market is not whether activity slows, but how it returns. Recent data from Bayut, the UAE’s leading proptech platform, suggests that demand is not disappearing so much as reordering itself. More importantly, the pattern is visi»»»

Tunis, May 21 (TAP) - Tunisia's Ambassador to Germany Elyes Ghariani met Wednesday in Berlin with Director of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Tunisia Manuel Gath. The meeting is part of the follow-up of bilateral cooperation, the embassy said on...»»»

May 20 (UPI) -- A California man who noticed mysterious feces on the roof of his guest house ended up in a close encounter with the source -- a mountain lion. Bill Dabney said he spotted the unusual droppings on the roof of his guest house in Pasadena and it was immediately clear that they were not»»»

May 20 (UPI) -- A Ford F-250 sold by a Kansas dealership is remaining at the facility for the time being due to a robin's nest on the pickup truck's tire. The Olathe Ford Lincoln dealership revealed on social media that an employee recently noticed a mother robin building her nest right atop one of»»»

The Sofia City Court found former investigator Petyo Petrov, known by the nickname "The Euro", guilty of forging documents and imposed an administrative penalty of EUR 2,556. The ruling can be appealed or protested. The court also revoked Petrov's permanent detention order and withdrew the European»»»

A special tourism reform unit will be established within the National Tourist Council, which will coordinate directly with the tourism industry without creating a new administrative body, Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov said Thursday in Burgas. He noted that after talks with Black Sea municipalities»»»

Dubai: Dubai will provide economic incentives worth more than $400 million, authorities said Thursday, as businesses struggle to cope with the aftermath of the Middle East war and Iran's blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Authorities approved "a second package of economic incentives valued at AED 1.»»»

Manila: The rollout of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the Philippines has been slowed by a mix of regulatory bottlenecks, uneven local government rules, slow permitting, grid and safety concerns — fueling investor uncertainty despite strong EV sales growth. Industry officials say demand»»»

While university rankings continue to play an important role in study abroad decisions, students should also evaluate how well a university and degree align with their career goals, employment prospects, and post-study opportunities, panelists highlighted during a discussion titled ROI or rankings:»»»

National Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva held a meeting with representatives of diplomatic missions of European Union member states, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Switzerland accredited in Bulgaria, the Ombudsman’s press service said on Thursday. During the discussions, she presented the »»»

Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova-Chamova met with the UK Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, the Foreign Ministry press service reported on Thursday. The two discussed the progress and future prospects of the strategic partnership betw»»»

Doha, Qatar: HE Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, met with HE Lieutenant General Shukhrat Khalmukhamedov, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the accompanying delegation, during his visit to the State»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani expressed his delight with the diversity and intellectual richness he witnessed during his tour on Thursday at the Doha International Book Fair (DIBF 2026). In a post published on his official account on the platform »»»

DOHA: The Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) concluded the first phase of its 2026 training programme at Zekreet Camp, in the presence of Lekhwiya Deputy Commander Staff Major General Mohammed Misfer Al Shahwani, along with senior military and security officials from across the country. The ceremon»»»

Dubai: Vapiano is set to introduce breakfast for the first time in its history across its UAE outlets, marking an exciting new chapter for the international dining brand. The new Vapiano Breakfast Menu has been created to bring a fresh, social, and relaxed international lifestyle experience to the »»»

The number of detained third-country nationals staying illegally in Bulgaria, as well as pre-trial proceedings related to migrant trafficking, increased in April 2026 month-on-month, according to data from the specialized interdepartmental unit of the prosecution service and the Interior Ministry c»»»

The Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) launched proceedings against Kaufland Bulgaria and Maxima Bulgaria, the operator of the T Market retail chain, over suspected unfair trading practices toward suppliers and producers, the regulator’s press office announced on Thursday. According to »»»

RIYADH: Dubai approved a new 1.5 billion dirham ($410 million) economic support package aimed at easing costs for businesses and strengthening the emirate’s economic resilience amid global uncertainty. The latest package, approved by Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Ma»»»

DUBAI: Dubai will provide economic incentives worth more than $400 million, authorities said Thursday, as businesses struggle to cope with the aftermath of the Middle East war and Iran’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Authorities approved “a second package of economic incentives valued at AED 1.»»»

Dubai: Dubai has unveiled a second Dh1.5 billion package of economic incentives aimed at cutting business costs, supporting key industries and easing financial pressure across sectors ranging from tourism and education to construction and logistics. Approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid»»»

For three years, Sudan’s civil war has defied every attempt at resolution. Mediators, concerned actors, and all others seeking to end the conflict have been caught in an unproductive void, moving from one failed initiative to another. These repeated failures have deepened the sense of a horizon clo»»»

Detained activists, their hands tied and forced to kneel as the Israeli national anthem is belted out in the background. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released footage on X of him taunting the activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla. The video sparked widespread international cond»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, May 21: There's outrage and condemnation in the international papers over a video showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting detained flotilla activists. One Israeli editor says he should be fired for his video. Also: the US indicts former Cuba»»»