VILNIUS: Residents of Vilnius were told to take shelter and Lithuania’s president and prime minister were taken to safe locations on Wednesday because of an alarm over drone activity near the border with Belarus, underlining jitters on NATO’s eastern fringe over incursions related to Russia’s war w»»»

CHICAGO: Aimee Bock, the founder of a Minnesota nonprofit convicted in a multimillion-dollar fraud involving dozens of Somali suspects, has told Arab News that federal investigators should investigate Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s role. The Minnesota Democrat’s 5th District has the largest concentrati»»»

Vilnius: A drone alert sent by Lithuania's defence ministry to residents of the capital city Vilnius on Wednesday briefly brought transport to a standstill and caused people to flee to underground shelters. Alerts of this kind have been increasingly common in recent months in the Baltic states as a»»»

Rome, Italy: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took selfies at the Colosseum and admired the view over Rome ahead of talks focused on trade on Wednesday. In a video posted on X, Meloni also thanked Modi for bringing along a packet of "Melody" toffees on h»»»

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran has “many more surprises” in store for the United States should Washington seek potential resumption of unprovoked aggression against the Islamic Republic. The top diplomat made the remarks in a post on X on Tuesday, saying Iran would unleash those surprise»»»

Iran threatened on Wednesday to spread war beyond the Middle East if the United States attacks again, after President Donald Trump said he had come within an hour of restarting the military campaign. Six weeks since Trump paused Operation Epic Fury for a ceasefire, talks to end the war have largely»»»

DOHA: QatarEnergy has signed agreements with BG International Limited, a company affiliated with Shell, to acquire participating interests in three offshore exploration areas off the coast of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. In a statement, QatarEnergy said that under the agreements it acquired an»»»

TCL has launched its 2026 SQD-Mini LED TV lineup in Saudi Arabia, introducing the C7L, C8L and flagship X11L. This launch brings the company’s latest display technology to the Kingdom, positioning SQD-Mini LED as a new step forward in how premium televisions manage brightness, colour accuracy, cont»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a Declaration in Beijing on the Establishment of a Multipolar World and a new type of international relations. The Russian leader is in China on an official two-day visit at the invitation of Xi Jinping. The trip is timed to c»»»

Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski in association with the Constitutional Court (CC) of Bulgaria is hosting an international academic conference on Wednesday, part of a series of special events with which the court is marking the 35th anniversary of its establishment. CC President Pavlina Panova»»»

Giza: At the historic pyramids on the edge of Cairo, in front of the Sphinx, the “Glory in Giza” was launched on Tuesday as part of Riyadh Season. Organized by magazine The Ring and Matchroom, the event marks the start of boxing week amid widespread international interest from combat sports fans ar»»»

RIYADH: Abu Dhabi’s residential transaction activity surged 119 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2026, marking one of the strongest development figures across the UAE real estate market as the sector shifted toward a more measured growth phase, according to a report by Colliers. The ana»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index recorded a 0.04 percent increase at the start of Wednesday's trading session, gaining 4.39 points to rise to 10,422 points compared to the close of the previous session, supported by gains in three sectors. Figures released by QSE showed positive perfor»»»

Thirty-five MEPs have urged the EU Commission to scrap an “unlawful” confidentiality clause which hides the environmental impact of individual data centres — in the wake of an investigation led by Investigate Europe.In a letter sent on Tuesday (19 May) citing the revelations, MEPs from across the b»»»

Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters sought to assuage staff concerns on Wednesday, a day after saying that the bank will cut thousands of jobs over the next four years as it moves to replace "lower-value human capital" with technology. "Many of you will have seen media coverage following the Invest»»»

Falling mortgage rates in Romania have, for the first time in recent years, pushed the monthly instalment of a mortgage loan needed to buy a flat in Bucharest below the average rent for the same property, according to an analysis issued by online mortgage broker Ipotecare.ro based on banking and re»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will be on an official visit to China from May 24 through 28, the presidential press office announced on Wednesday. Vucic will be visiting the country at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, the office said in a statement. Serbia China Aleksandar Vuč»»»

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing at the start of a visit focused on energy security. While Xi hailed his country's "unyielding" ties with Russia, Putin praised the "unprecedentedly high level" of bilateral cooperation despite "unfavourab»»»

François Picard is pleased to welcome Paranjoy Guha-Thakurta, Indian journalist, investigative author and filmmaker. He offers a sweeping critique of the nexus between oligarchic wealth, political power, and weakened institutional accountability in contemporary India. Drawing on the allegations sur»»»

The UAE National Orchestra has launched Tashyeed, its first dedicated programme aimed at developing Emirati orchestral musicians and building a long-term pipeline of home-grown musical talent in the UAE. Announced in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, the 13-month part-time programme will train 17 Emirati music»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe ‘Israel’ Uneasy Over Trump’s Iran Remarks as Doubts Grow Over Regime Change: Haaretz 20-05-2026 12:24 PM US President Donald Trump arrives »»»

Over half of Romanian employees are dissatisfied with their salary, while 57% are open to changing jobs in the next six months, according to a survey conducted by the wherewework network in five Central and Eastern European countries: Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Bulgaria, Greece, and Hungary.»»»

Tunguch online school has 2,540 students. Education Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva, said at a meeting with parents in Bishkek. This state-run educational institution, created using modern digital technologies, began piloting on September 1, 2025. It accepts students in grades 5 throu»»»

The Vazrazhdane party Wednesday called for an end to what it described as violations of law and order in the country, accusing state institutions of failing to act against alleged illegal activities linked to a Ukrainian group operating in the coastal city of Varna. A declaration to that effect was»»»

Bulgarian citizens and Members of Parliament should not be limited in the powers granted to them by the Constitution, said Vazrazhdane Deputy Floor Leader Peter Petrov in the corridors of the National Assembly on Wednesday regarding the amendments to Parliament's rules of procedure proposed by Prog»»»

DUBAI: Not since 2016 have Al-Ain FC and Al-Jazira Club stood on opposite sides of a President’s Cup Final. Ten years on, with scores to settle and silverware to claim, players from both clubs have spoken ahead of an occasion that promises to be the defining night of the UAE football season. The 20»»»

London, United Kingdom: The Minister of State for International Cooperation, HE Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad met with the Secretary of State for International Development of Canada HE Randeep Sarai on the sidelines of the Global Partnerships Conference held in London. During the meeting, th»»»

Fuel prices in Bulgaria may be heading toward a phase of convergence between gasoline and diesel, according to industry commentary on the current market dynamics, Nova TV reports. Dimitar Hadzhidimitrov from the Association of Bulgarian Traders, Producers, Importers and Transporters of Fuels said t»»»

The UK government has quietly watered down sanctions on Russian oil in an effort to shelter Britons from the cost-of-living squeeze triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. A trade license that came into effect Wednesday permits the import of Russian oil that has been refined into jet fuel»»»

Kazakhstan does not support the idea of turning the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) into a military alliance or geopolitical project. That was the message from the country’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on May 15 as fellow leaders in the group, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip»»»

The Russian ruble has become the world’s best-performing currency for a second consecutive year, buoyed by high oil revenues, capital controls and tight monetary policy that analysts say have entrenched structural imbalances in the country’s financial system. The currency has strengthened 12% again»»»

Kazakhstan does not support the idea of turning the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) into a military alliance or geopolitical project. That was the message from the country’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on May 15 as fellow leaders in the group, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip»»»

G7 finance ministers and central bankers have wrapped up their two-day meetings in Paris as the war in Iran and the energy crisis continue to weigh on the global economy. Eurogroup President Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who represented the 21-member euro area in the talks, told FRANCE 24's François Picard»»»

London, United Kingdom: The State of Qatar participated in the Global Partnerships Conference, held in London and co-hosted by the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Africa. The Minister of State for International Cooperation, HE Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad represented the State of Q»»»

Therme Group has announced the appointment of Ramona Chiriac as Vice President for Global Impact, to help position the Group at the intersection of wellbeing, cities, communities, culture, and societal transformation. Her role will focus on strategic partnerships, institutional engagement, and thou»»»

In the new school year, students of grades 3 and 8 will transition to the 12-year curriculum. Education Minister of Kyrgyzstan Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva announced at a meeting with parents in Bishkek. She recalled that in the 2025/26 school year, grades 1, 2, 5, and 7 were the first to begin studying u»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s gross international reserves as of May 15, 2026 amounted to $9,082 billion, the press service of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. According to its data, they have increased by $478.9 million, or 5.6 percent, since the beginning of 2026. Interestingly, the National Ban»»»

The Libyan Industry Union (LIU) reported last Monday (18 May), that as part of its efforts to support the industrial sector and enhance the private sector’s role in economic development, Ali Nuseer, its Executive Director, met with Mahmoud Al-Futaisi, Director General of the National Economic and S»»»

Veliko Tarnovo Regional Governor Marin Bogomilov has ordered all water bodies in Veliko Tarnovo Region to be monitored due to expected intense rainfall from May 21, the regional administration said on Wednesday. Bogomilov stressed the specific measures that must be taken, which include checking the»»»

RIYADH: Swedish strategic communications consultancy Kreab Worldwide has opened its first regional office in the Middle East in Riyadh, betting on Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation and growing demand for corporate advisory services. The new office, launched under the name “Kreab Saudi Arabia,”»»»

Transport companies in BiH expressed satisfaction over the opening of the new border crossing in Gradiška and the normalization of the flow of goods, as this directly reduces the enormous operational losses of transport and logistics companies, Velibor Peulić, coordinator of the Logistics BiH Conso»»»

London, United Kingdom: Minister of State for International Cooperation HE Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad met with HE Minister of State for International Development at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Baroness Jenny Chapman Jenny Chapman, on the sidelines of the Global Pa»»»

QatarEnergy has acquired interests in three offshore exploration blocks in Uruguay from a subsidiary of Shell, marking its first entry into the South American country's upstream energy sector, the state-owned company said on Wednesday without disclosing financial details. The Qatari energy giant's »»»

Israeli authorities have begun detaining hundreds of activists seized from a Gaza-bound flotilla at the southern port of Ashdod on Wednesday, a rights group said, after Israeli forces intercepted their vessels at sea. The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Turkey last week in the latest attempt by»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his close ties with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and said their countries are partners in trade and international affairs as they opened bilateral talks Wednesday on his trip to Beijing. Xi welcomed Putin with a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People only day»»»

Russia-China Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation has laid the long-term foundation for modern relations, according to a joint statement by Russia and China. A joint statement by Russia and China on further strengthening comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation in deepe»»»

In March, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan made an impassioned promise that the UAE “will emerge stronger than before”. Beyond sentiment, it is the underlying willpower that has come to define the UAE’s trajectory. While much of the global economy grapples with uncertainty »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior, MoI, announced the official working hours and contact numbers for its service centres and offices operating under the Unified Services Department at the General Directorate of Passports. According to a social media post, the Ministry stated that most centres w»»»

Citizens of Kyrgyzstan officially employed in South Korea, whose salaries are subject to deductions for the national pension system, are receiving lump sum payments upon their return home. Zhenishbek Mukambetov, head of the Social Fund’s Public Relations Department, announced on Birinchi Radio. Acc»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev discusses US visa waiver and US aircraft in Sofia in call with President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, he told the government ministers at the start of the government's weekly meeting Wednesday and was quoted by the government press service. Talking with»»»