Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, hosted a celebration at the European Commission in Brussels on Thursday for the Day of the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture, and Slavic Literature, May 24. "Let us wish for strength, confidence, and unity,” s»»»

Doha, Qatar: A symposium held as part of the cultural events accompanying the 35th Doha International Book Fair (DIBF) explored the challenges of reading Islamic heritage in contemporary contexts, the methodological challenges facing researchers, and the relationship between Western studies and the»»»

ANKARA: A Turkish court effectively ousted the main opposition leader Ozgur Ozel on Thursday, annulling the 2023 party congress that elected him chairman in a ruling that dealt a blow to President Tayyip Erdogan’s challengers and hit financial markets. The appeals court annulled the congress over i»»»

MOSCOW: NORSI, Russia’s ‌fourth-largest oil refinery, has shut its main primary CDU-6 unit after a Ukrainian drone attack on Wednesday, two industry sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Thursday. Virtually all major refineries in central Russia have been forced to halt or »»»

RIYADH: Preparations for next year’s Hajj pilgrimage have already begun, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said on Wednesday. Authorities are getting ready for next year before this year’s Hajj even begins on May 25, with an extensive network of government entities includin»»»

The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed an Alabama death penalty case, preventing the execution of Joseph Clinton Smith, 55. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo May 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday dismissed an appeal from Alabama in a death row case by declining to look at how IQ »»»

Damascus, May 21 (SANA) Syrian Transport Minister, Yarub Badr, said on Thursday that rebuilding the country’s transport sector and infrastructure will require stronger investment partnerships, greater cooperation between the public and private sectors, and deeper regional integration in transport p»»»

Hezbollah sent a message to Arab and other embassies in Lebanon on Thursday, setting out its demands to their governments: an end to assassinations, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, the return of residents to their villages, and the release of detainees held by Israel. It s»»»

Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez escalated pressure Wednesday during celebrations marking National Farmers Day, sharply criticizing what she described as Panama’s agricultural trade blockade. File Photo by Jeffrey Arguedas/EPA May 21 (UPI) -- Trade relations between Costa Rica and Panama enter»»»

DUBAI: The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has published its 2025 Sustainability and Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) report, highlighting achievements in shaping the future of motorsport and mobility for its diverse global community. The FIA, the global governing body for motorsport and»»»

Tunis, May 21 (TAP) - The Ministry of National Defence on Thursday affirmed that the national army is a republican force founded on discipline, entrusted with the mission of defending the homeland, preserving its independence and guaranteeing the...»»»

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and Aldar signed a strategic partnership today to accelerate Emiratisation in the education sector through a structured talent development roadmapaimed at driving ninefold increase in UAE Nationals representation across key roles in Aldar o»»»

Panting puppies lie exhausted, wedged between the plastic bags and cartons spilling down a hillside in northern Kosovo, while other dogs snuffle around the dump hunting for edible morsels. The sheer number of canines roaming free has become bothersome, and locals in the Podujevo district have draft»»»

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»»»

Amid the conflict in Ukraine, voices in the German establishment increasingly call for strengthening the armed forces to counter the perceived Russian menace. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to make the German army the strongest in Europe, while Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warns of a new»»»

BRUSSELS - In its Spring 2026 European Economic Forecast, the European Commission has downgraded its projection of Serbia's GDP growth this year to 2.8 pct, but said growth would rebound to 3.9 pct in 2027 thanks to major EXPO 2027-related investments and rising wages and pensions. In the Autumn 20»»»

Abu Dhabi Awards in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, has announced the winners of its nationwide Schools Competition, launched at the beginning of the 2025–2026 academic year. The initiative aims to encourage students to participate in the nominations campaign and to promote the values»»»

Beirut: Lebanon has intensified contacts with the United States to pressure the Israeli entity into halting the attacks and agreeing to a ceasefire, according to an official Lebanese source. The source told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that Lebanon is maintaining daily communication with the US mediator»»»

Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov held a meeting with Stephen Doughty, UK Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, in Sofia on Thursday, the Defence Ministry said in a press release. They discussed deepening industrial cooperation between Bulgaria and the United Kingdom»»»

MADINAH: Quba Mosque in Madinah is witnessing a massive influx of visitors. The first mosque built in Islamic history, the site holds profound religious and historic significance and is currently being supported by intensive guidance and organizational efforts to enable visitors to perform their pr»»»

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has launched a new cargo shipping service linking Jeddah Islamic Port with Salalah in Oman and the Port of Djibouti, as the Kingdom accelerates efforts to strengthen maritime connectivity and position itself as a regional logistics hub. According to Saudi state te»»»

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis waves after speaking at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Polis' own state party voted to censure him for granting clemency to Tina Peters, a former county clerk who allowed someone to steal election information. File Photo by David Banks/UPI | License Ph»»»

Madrid: Spanish rider Alex Marquez will be sidelined for at least the next two MotoGP races after suffering two fractures in a horror crash at the Catalan Grand Prix last weekend, his Gresini Racing team said Thursday. "Alex Marquez will miss the Mugello and Balaton Grands Prix," Gresini said on so»»»

Russia’s Northern Fleet was engaged in a large-scale nuclear weapons exercise when a Chinese naval delegation arrived on the Kola Peninsula. A meeting between representatives of the two countries’ naval medical services took place on 21 May 2026, according to the Northern Fleet’s newspaper Na Straz»»»

MIAMI: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Cuba accepted an offer of $100 million in aid but that it was unclear if Washington would agree to Havana’s terms. Cuba has publicly only said that it was reviewing the offer made by Rubio and tensions have risen after the United States on»»»

FRANKFURT: Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer ‌has come out of international retirement to compete in next month’s World Cup after being named on Thursday as the starting goalkeeper in Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann’s squad for the tournament. Nagelsmann made the decision after having long labelled Hoff»»»

WASHINGTON: A diplomatic deal ​between the United States and Iran would be unfeasible if Tehran implemented a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told ‌reporters on ‌Thursday. “No one ​in ‌the ⁠world ​is in ⁠favor of the tolling system. It can’t happen. It woul»»»

BELGRADE - A body suspected to be that of a man identified with the initials A N, who went missing in Belgrade on May 12, was found in a barrel in the Indjija municipality, northwestern Serbia, on Thursday, Tanjug learns. Pursuant to an order from the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, »»»

BusinessGermanyWill Germany's aviation tax cut lower ticket prices?Astrid Prange de OliveiraThe tax cut aims to ease the burden on the aviation industry and make flying slightly cheaper. However, some experts warn it is unlikely to have a meaningful impact on ticket prices. https://p.dw.com/p/54mh5»»»

DEIR QANOUN EN-NAHR, Lebanon: 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 st»»»

PARIS: Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic will not be able to meet until the French Open final after the pair were placed in opposite halves of the draw on Thursday. Sinner, the red-hot title favorite in the absence of injured rival Carlos Alcaraz, will start his bid for a maiden Roland Garros crown »»»

DAKAR: Senegal’s Sadio Mane is a key selection ‌in the 28-man World Cup squad named by coach Pape Thiaw on Thursday as the influential forward looks to make up for lost time having missed the finals four years ago in Qatar through injury. Thiaw will have to trim his squad by two players ahead of th»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in coordination with the Ministry of Municipality, announced the launch of the National Initiative to Encourage Local Production and Support AdahiAnimals for the year 1447 AH. The sale of Adahi animals under the initiative begins on Thursday and will con»»»

The next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will move beyond energy and infrastructure to focus on agriculture, industry, IT, mining, and the digital economy. The first phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has set the stage for Phase 2, which will focus on agricult»»»

Dubai: Over the past two decades, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation in SME finance. What was once a traditional lending environment has rapidly evolved into one of the most dynamic, digitally advanced credit ecosystems in the region. While partly driven by market forces, this shift is»»»

RIGA: Latvia said on Thursday it had detected at least one drone flying in the country’s airspace and that NATO fighter jets were activated to combat the threat, the latest in a series of such security incidents in the Baltic region. The Latvian Armed Forces later announced that the threat had ende»»»

NEW ‌DELHI: India wants to secure the return of its ships stranded in the Gulf before sending any vessels back to load fuel, a senior government official said on Thursday. “Our priority is to get all our ships out of the Strait of Hormuz,” said Mukesh Mangal, additional secretary at India’s ministr»»»

LONDON: The Premier League will say goodbye to West Ham or Tottenham on Sunday. Mohamed Salah and Bernardo Silva, too. Likely Pep Guardiola as well. Emotions are sure to run high in the final round of a season that has already delivered a relatively new champion — Arsenal hadn’t won the title since»»»

BRUSSELS - In its Spring 2026 European Economic Forecast, the European Commission has downgraded its projection of Serbia's GDP growth this year to 2.8 pct, but said growth would rebound to 3.9 pct in 2027 thanks to major EXPO 2027-related investments and rising wages and pensions. In the Autumn 20»»»

RIYADH: If Hajj were not a mandatory pillar of Islam, would Muslims still go through the trouble of performing it, year after year? The unfaithful might say no, why bother? But once you sit with Muslims, just for a short while, and hear a few of the Ummah’s stories, you realize that the faith that »»»

JEDDAH: A Jeddah car showroom was transformed into a Hajj-themed art gallery this month, displaying works from modern and contemporary Saudi artists. Inspired by the spirit of the Hajj season, the “Where the Journey Begins” art exhibition was a collaborative showcase by Genesis Mohamed Yousuf Naghi»»»

Away from the international spotlight, developments in Sudan's three-year civil war may mark the beginning of a profound transformation. With America’s eyes on Iran and the Gulf, and with Europe’s eyes on Ukraine, several relatively unnoticed signs suggest that the battlefield situation in Africa’s»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut met on Thursday in Belgrade with Ukrainian Deputy PM for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Taras Kachka, who is also the country's trade representative, to discuss Serbia-Ukraine bilateral relations and opportunities for advancement of cooperation in commerce,»»»

Oil prices jumped while stock markets mostly retreated and the dollar firmed Thursday as hopes of a Middle East peace accord faded on conflicting headlines on the state of talks. US President Donald Trump has described the latest discussions as being on the "borderline" between a deal and renewed s»»»

Kyiv, Ukraine: Ukraine is ramping up security measures in its regions bordering Belarus, Kyiv said on Thursday, after weeks of warning of a possible fresh attack from Russia's chief regional ally. Kyiv has sounded the alarm that Russia may use Belarus -- a springboard for its 2022 invasion of Ukrai»»»

Rome: Italian divers who died in the Maldives may have taken the wrong tunnel in a cave and died in a dead-end corridor, the head of the company that recovered their bodies told AFP Thursday. Finnish divers working for Dan Europe found their bodies in a corridor with a dead end inside the cave comp»»»

A bill to amend and supplement the Act on Administrative Regulation of Economic Activities Associated with Oil and Petroleum Products was passed on first reading on Thursday by the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on Budget and Finance with 13 votes in favour, no votes against, and 4 abstentions. The»»»

LONDON: British police are sending just three officers to the US as “cultural interpreters” during the World Cup given the lack of any US funding, UK police said on Thursday. By contrast, 40 officers went to Germany for the 2024 European Championships, with financing by the hosts, said Mark Roberts»»»

Dubai: Dubai Customs has launched a new research and knowledge centre with the University of Dubai as part of efforts to strengthen Dubai’s trade and logistics ecosystem and support the emirate’s long-term economic growth plans. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & BalancesThe new C»»»

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was came under intense fire from the international community Thursday in the wake of a video showing him taunting actiivists seized from a Gaza aid flotilla and brought to Israel. He posted the video on X himself. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | Li»»»