Dubai: Private landlords in the UAE can now request the credit scores of prospective tenants through a new digital screening service launched by Etihad Credit Bureau in collaboration with UAE PASS. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The new “Tenant S»»»

NÜRBURG: Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen’s chances of victory in his 24-hour racing debut at the famed Nürburgring track have been ended by a mechanical issue with his car. Verstappen had been leading Sunday morning by over half a minute, sharing a Mercedes AMG GT3 car with experienced »»»

Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry announced a series of regulations for the 2026 Hajj season, including a ban on political and sectarian flags, slogans and chants in Mecca, Medina and the holy sites. The ministry said the restrictions apply across the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the Prophet’s Mosque in M»»»

RIYADH: International partnerships on housing, smart cities and urban development are expected to strengthen as senior Saudi ministry officials participate in the World Urban Forum in Azerbaijan. The Saudi delegation, led by Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed Al-Hogail, is attending the 1»»»

Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh has opened a new admissions track allowing high-performing students to be automatically selected for certain courses. It applies to courses that require a foundation year, and students are automatically granted a place on the full course if they»»»

Dubai: More than 100 houses were set ablaze in Pakistan’s Sindh province after a violent mob attack triggered by a dispute over a free-will marriage between two people from different communities, according to media reports. The attack took place in Jacobabad district, where armed men allegedly stor»»»

Saudi Arabia deported 11,272 illegal residents in one week after nationwide inspection campaigns targeting residency, labour and border security violations, the Interior Ministry said. Security authorities arrested 9,576 people during joint operations carried out between May 7 and May 13 in coordin»»»

London: The British military's aerial display team and the Royal Navy, which was recently maligned by Donald Trump, will soon visit the US to mark 250 years of American independence, the UK government said Sunday. The Royal Air Force's Red Arrows will in June embark on a one-month "showcase tour" o»»»

TEL AVIV: ​Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said ‌he ‌was ​scheduled ‌to ⁠speak ​with US President ⁠Donald Trump on ⁠Sunday. Netanyahu ‌said that ‌in ​he ‌expected ‌to hear about ‌Trump's trip to China, while ⁠suggesting ⁠they would also discuss Iran.»»»

TEHRAN: Iranian media on Sunday said the United States failed to make any concrete concessions in its response to Iran’s proposal for negotiations to end the war. Fars news agency said Washington gave a five-point list which included a demand for Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and »»»

Paris, France: FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom described as "excellent" and "constructive" the meeting held on Saturday in Istanbul with the Iranian federation to ensure Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Iranians are scheduled to be bas»»»

Ali Akbar Velayati, Senior Advisor on International Affairs to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, has warned that Washington is “walking into a strategic trap” allegedly set by Israel, cautioning that another war on Iran would further erode US credibility in West Asia. In a post on X, Velayati—a»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Resistance fighters targeted gathering of Israeli soldiers and vehciles with a barrage of rockets: Hezbollah Military Media stateme»»»

CAIRO: Israeli strikes ‌killed at least four Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, health officials said. Medics said an Israeli strike killed one Palestinian near a police post in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said it killed a militant who posed an immediate thre»»»

Cannes, France: Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight, who is writing the next "Bond" movie, has strongly hinted that the ageing British spy is about to get really shaken and stirred. The writer said that Amazon has given him a licence to play with the legendary MI6 secret agent created by author I»»»

Cannes, France: Outspoken Spanish star Javier Bardem told AFP he was "getting more work than ever" despite his public campaigning against Israel's war in Gaza, something he attributed to "the narrative changing" around the conflict. At the last Oscars ceremony in February, the openly political star»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior received a delegation from the Syrian Ministry of Interior to learn about Qatar's experience in security and service sectors and to enhance security cooperation and the exchange of expertise between the Ministries of Interior of the State of Qatar and the siste»»»

Large crowds have descended upon central London for an anti-immigration rally dubbed ‘Unite the Kingdom’. Videos and photographs circulating on social media on Saturday showed demonstrators with Union Jack flags, crosses, and other Christian symbols marching through the streets of the British capit»»»

Dubai: Having tested the world’s dependence on the Strait of Hormuz through wartime oil disruptions, Iran is now signaling it could target another critical global artery — the subsea internet cables carrying financial transactions, cloud services and digital communications between Europe, Asia and »»»

RIYADH: Jazan Industrial City will host a new green ammonia plant under a new agreement between Saudi Arabia Refineries Co. and China’s Ally Hydrogen Energy to establish a local hydrogen equipment manufacturing and assembly hub. The new non-binding memorandum of understanding will also include the »»»

Modena, Italy: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday visited people wounded by a driver with a history of mental health problems who ran over several pedestrians in a city centre in northern Italy. The driver, a 31-year-old Italian man of Moroccan heritage, hit several people before crash»»»

Malé, Maldives: An international dive safety group sent experts to the Maldives on Sunday to join a multinational recovery effort after five Italians and a rescue diver died in the Indian Ocean tourist destination's deadliest diving disaster, an official said. The five Italians drowned while in a d»»»

Cairo — Egypt’s stock market ended trading on Thursday, 14 May 2026 on a mixed note, with the benchmark index extending its recent decline as investors continued trimming positions in large-cap stocks, while broader indices maintained modest gains supported by selective buying in mid- and small-cap»»»

Germany, France, Australia and Canada are emerging as the top choices for students exploring international education, according to Clint Khan, Director at Y-Axis, Platinum Sponsor of Edufair. Speaking on the sidelines of Gulf News Edufair in Abu Dhabi, Khan said students are increasingly factoring »»»

The US-Israeli war on Iran has triggered a logistics shockwave — and the Gulf is now paying the price. The Strait of Hormuz squeeze has forced shipping companies to scramble to move cargo by land, reports the FT.Businesses now face exploding costs, delays stretching for months, and mounting supply »»»

Ankara, May 17 (SANA) Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Sunday that escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the war in the Middle East pose a significant challenge to the global economy and international trade. In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Bolat said the current de-escalation»»»

Tehran: Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who recently emerged as a chief negotiator in talks with the United States, has been appointed to oversee relations with China, Iranian media reported on Sunday. "Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has recently been appointed as a special representa»»»

RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives, known as Darah, is participating in the Doha International Book Fair as part of the Saudi pavilion. The participation reflects Darah’s commitment to promoting Saudi history and cultural heritage and strengthening the Kingdom’s interna»»»

Abu Dhabi: Authorities in Abu Dhabi responded to a fire incident on Sunday, May 17, 2026, after an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra Region caught fire. According to a statement released by the Abu Dhabi Media Office, the incident w»»»

Dubai: A video showing thousands of drones forming the iconic silhouette of Michael Jackson in front of Burj Khalifa has taken over social media feeds across the UAE and beyond. The clip, set to some greatest hits by the King of Pop on different social media channels, sent viewers into a frenzy, wi»»»

Bulgarian musicians, actors and writers, including some of the brightest stars on the national entertainment and intellectual scene, congratulated Dara on winning the Eurovision Song Contest on the night of Saturday to Sunday with her song "Bangaranga". Bulgaria has won the contest for the first ti»»»

RIYADH: Egypt’s vast New Delta project will transform a swathe of desert west of the mouth of the Nile River into arable land and include infrastructure investments worth 800 billion Egyptian pounds ($15 billion), President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said. El-Sisi made the remarks during the inauguration»»»

US dollar The US Dollar has crossed the LE 53 mark across several local Egyptian commercial banks. This upward movement is driven by a broader global rally of the greenback and intensifying geopolitical anxieties within the Middle East, Al-Mal reported. Global dynamics fueling the greenback This do»»»

MAKKAH: The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Sunday announced the upcoming Umrah season calendar, outlining key dates and electronic services related to visas, contracts, and pilgrim arrivals. It is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency and provide the best experienc»»»

Muscat, Oman: Data issued by the Statistical Center for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf revealed that the Council countries achieved a remarkable milestone in the field of immunization, as the coverage rate for essential vaccines reached 100 percent during 2024, compared to »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah’s Islamic Resistance fighters targeted an Israeli bulldozer in the southern Lebanese border town of Al-Bayyada with an FPV drone:»»»

Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said that the capital is the best prepared city in Bulgaria to host Eurovision 2027. In an interview on Nova Television on Sunday, he said he is “extremely happy” about Dara's triumph at this year's edition of the song contest. “It is incredible that despite all the attem»»»

JEDDAH: Oman’s insurance sector revenues rose 3.86 percent in 2025 to 501.6 million Omani rials ($1.3 billion), driven by stronger investment returns, stable underwriting activity, and growing digital adoption. Audited data released by Oman’s Financial Services Authority showed revenues of national»»»

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi witnessed on Sunday the inauguration of the “New Delta” integrated developmental project, recognized as one of the largest agricultural and developmental mega-projects executed by the state in recent years. Massive Agricultural Reclamation: The mega-project aims to re»»»

Incheon, South Korea: A North Korean women's football team landed in the Republic of Korea on Sunday, marking the first visit by a sports team from the isolated country to its southern neighbour in eight years, to play in the Asian Champions League semi-finals. Naegohyang Women's FC -- which means »»»

Israeli attacks intensified across southern Lebanon on Sunday, in continued violation of a declared ceasefire, just two days after Lebanese authorities announced a 45-day extension of the truce, an agreement that has yet to translate into calm on the ground. The attacks took place in Nabatieh, Bint»»»

Tunis, May 17 (TAP) — The National Congress on Energy Transition, organized by the National Agency for Energy Management (ANME), will take place on May 20–21, 2026, under the theme “Towards a Fair, Sustainable and Innovative Energy Transition.”The...»»»

DUBAI: Authorities in Abu Dhabi responded to a fire incident that broke out in an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra Region following a drone strike. No injuries were ‌reported, radiological safety levels ⁠were unaffected and ⁠the Fe»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar News Agency (QNA) launched a five-day training course on Sunday titled "The Journalist Correspondent: Field Reporting," as part of the 2026 training plan of the QNA Training Center. The course, presented by Mohammed Al-Hadi Karmous, a media expert and senior editor at QNA, target»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality has announced the end of the agricultural season and revealed the final operating dates for local vegetable markets across Qatar. In a post on social media, the Ministry said that local agricultural product yards in Al Sheehaniya, Al Wakrah, Al Shamal, Al K»»»

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly disclosed that the government plans to localize the production of selected items identified by the Ministries of Housing and Industry, following a ministerial group meeting that focused on industrial development. Among the selected items are electric motors, generato»»»

Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, Chief Executive Officer of Commercial International Bank (CIB), has warned that the rapid expansion of Egypt’s non-banking financial sector could create future risks for the broader economy if growth continues without sufficiently strict credit controls and risk-management stand»»»

Abu Dhabi authorities responded to a fire that broke out in an external electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra Region, following a drone strike. No injuries were reported, and officials confirmed there was no impact on radiological safet»»»

DOHA: Vice Chairman of the Board of the Qatar International Centre for Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA) at the Qatar Chamber HE Dr Sheikh Thanibin Ali bin Saud Al Thani, emphasised the State of Qatar's strong focus on developing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms. In his remarks at»»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he will no longer recommend the United States as a destination for his children to study or work, citing what he described as a worsening “social climate” in America. Speaking at a Catholic youth conference in Wuerzburg on Friday, the conservative leader sa»»»