Tunis, May 21, 2026 (TAP) – The Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia in Baghdad announced on Thursday that the launch of the first direct flight (Baghdad–Tunis–Baghdad) has been postponed to May 28, following an agreement between the Iraqi Airways and...»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s benchmark Tadawul All Share Index ended the week higher, gaining 41.98 points, or 0.38 percent, to finish at 11,027.54. The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index advanced 6.28 points, or 0.43 percent, to 1,475.62, while the parallel market Nomu rose 0.55 percent to close at 22,905.50. A tota»»»

Mourners gathered in a southern Lebanese town on Thursday to bury victims from an Israeli airstrike earlier this week that killed 14 people, the deadliest single bombing raid on Lebanon since the announcement of a tenuous ceasefire last month. The toll from Israel's strike on the town of Deir Qanou»»»

Dubai: Dubai has launched Win Your Home in Dubai, a 12-week programme that gives shoppers the chance to own a home in the emirate simply by spending at outlets they already visit. The campaign runs from 22 May to 30 August 2026. The programme is a joint effort between Dubai Festivals and Retail Est»»»

Dubai: The “Pledge and Commitment” initiative has brought together residents, leaders, students, and community figures in Abu Dhabi, in a strong display of unity and national cohesion. The initiative reflects sincere national loyalty and appreciation for the leadership of President His Highness She»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior urged parents and guardians to put in place measures to prevent swimming pool accidents. In a social media post, the Ministry stated that one of child safety requirements include not running in or around the pool area. It also noted that poolside flooring shoul»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran is restoring its armed forces and weapons production much faster than the United States expected, CNN reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with US intelligence data. During the six-week ceasefire that began in April, Iran resumed operations at some of its drone prod»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Funds allocated by the US Department of War to conduct operations against Iran might dry up this summer, Punchbowl News has reported, citing US House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole. Although the chair did not provide a concrete date for when the funds might run out, »»»

KRASNODAR (Sputnik) - A cloned cow named Zvezdochka in Russia's Krasnodar Territory gave birth to her first offspring, proving that cloned animals can fully reproduce, Progress Agro Group said on Thursday. "At Progress Agro Group, an event has occurred that biotechnologists call an important confir»»»

BEIJING (Sputnik) - Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will pay an official visit to China from May 23-26, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Thursday. "At the invitation of Premier of the State Council Li Qiang, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will pay an official v»»»

MINSK (Sputnik) - Given rising tensions globally and new threats and risks, the nuclear triad must serve as a guarantor of the sovereignty of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. "With increasing global tensions and new threats, our nuclear triad»»»

The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is a moment to reflect on the richness of the world’s cultures — and also an opportunity to ask: what role does culture play in the way nations, cities, and institutions actually work together? My answer – based on working in strateg»»»

Dubai: Dubai Airports is preparing to handle more than 3,600 pilgrims during the Hajj travel period this year, accounting for nearly 59 per cent of all UAE pilgrims departing through its terminals. Hajj departure flights will operate until 23 May on services by Emirates, Saudia, flydubai and flynas»»»

The state stablecoin USDKG, issued by Kyrgyzstan, has been listed on the licensed crypto exchange OSL in Hong Kong. The project representatives reported. According to them, the listing took place today, May 21. This grants USDKG access to the licensed virtual asset market in Asia. In the first stag»»»

The State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) has uncovered a corruption scheme during the reconstruction of the regional Olympic Reserve School in Manas. According to the SCNS, the state suffered damages totaling 7,288,597 soms. The state committee reported that the violations wer»»»

Bulgarian National Assembly Chair Mihaela Dotsova and the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, Lorenzo Fontana, discussed strengthening parliamentary dialogue between the two countries and the exchange of best practices during a meeting in Rome. A Bulgarian parliamentary »»»

Paris, France: Reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff could face Aryna Sabalenka in a repeat of the 2025 final in the last four this year, after the pair were placed in the same half of the women's draw on Thursday. American fourth seed Gauff, who beat world number one Sabalenka in a tense final »»»

DUBAI: A top UAE official denounced Iran’s claim of control over Emirati waters in the blockaded Strait of Hormuz as a “pipe dream” Thursday, following an announcement by an Iranian body overseeing the strait. “The regime is trying to establish a new reality born from a clear military defeat, but a»»»

KYIV: Four years of brutal Russian attacks have forced millions of Ukrainians to seek safety abroad. But with the war showing no signs of stopping, significant numbers of refugees have started trickling back home, if only temporarily, for one reason: to see their dentist. Those displaced by an onsl»»»

DUBLIN: Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin has called for a thorough investigation into the death of a Congolese-born man after he was restrained outside a Dublin department store in an incident that has shocked the nation. Irish police said the man was detained by security guards on Dublin’s busy»»»

The Lebanese military delegation to the May 29 talks with Israel at the Pentagon is expected to be formed within the next two days, although its composition will remain confidential for now, sources told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper. Regarding the Shiite officer, the sources noted that the military»»»

Our weekly digest of Hungarian politics continues, as we report on developments after April’s historic election and on the formation of the Tisza government. This week we cover the following topics: Viktor Orbán could be barred from future premierships through a constitutional amendment. Universiti»»»

London: Britain’s late queen Elizabeth II pushed for her son Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to be given a high-profile job as a trade envoy, a senior official said in a 2000 document released by the government on Thursday. The British government agreed to release the documents related to the disgraced »»»

Travelers to and from LaGuardia International Airport should check their flights after a sinkhole opened up on a runway Wednesday. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo May 21 (UPI) -- A sinkhole on the runway discovered at LaGuardia Airport is causing travel delays and cancellations on »»»

Dubai: Dubai has rolled out a packed lineup of Eid Al Adha celebrations for residents and visitors, with selected beaches designated exclusively for families, free ice cream giveaways at public parks, and live entertainment events across the city during the long holiday. Dubai Municipality on Thurs»»»

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»»»