Doha, Qatar: AlRayan Bank yesterday announced it is adopting Microsoft 365 Copilot in accordance with QCB artificial intelligence guidelines, with ongoing compliance with the regulatory controls and requirements related to the use of artificial intelligence, underscoring the Bank’s commitment to in»»»

Paris, France: The fourth session of the Joint Economic and Financial Committee, under the framework of the Qatar-France Strategic Joint Economic and Financial Dialogue, was held today in Paris, French Republic. The Qatari side was chaired by Dr Saud bin Abdullah Al Attiyah, Deputy Undersecretary f»»»

DUBAI: The “Star Wars” franchise is heading back to movie theaters. And this time, it’s bringing Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, and everyone’s favorite tiny green scene-stealer along for the ride. Co-written by “The Mandalorian” series co-creators Jon Favreau and new Lucasfilm president Dave Filon»»»

Doha, Qatar: Sakura Teppanyaki and Sushi Bar, located at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha, announced that it has been recognized in TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best for 2026, ranking no. 1 in restaurants in Doha. The highest level of TripAdvisor’s awards, the Best of the Best win»»»

PHUM BOEUNG: Hundreds of Cambodians on Thursday morning honored their village’s guardian spirits by holding a colorful centuries-old ceremony to pray for good fortune, rain and prosperity. The “He Neak Ta” ritual has been celebrated annually for several hundred years by the villagers in Phum Boeung»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar recorded a significant rise in contract awards during the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, reflecting the country’s continued momentum in infrastructure and energy sector development. This strong growth was largely driven by major investments in the gas sector, which nearly doubled in»»»

Sudan’s highest military and security authority has called for tighter controls on the movement of armed personnel, combat vehicles, and security cells inside cities and marketplaces, following reports and videos alleging incidents of “disorder” attributed to armed forces and army-aligned groups in»»»

Ras Al Khaimah: A new Arabic programme will be introduced across private schools in Ras Al Khaimah from September 2026. Called IQRA, the Arabic word for "read,” the programme was developed by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research and has been independently shown to deliv»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov signed a decree awarding several religious figures with state awards for their contributions to the development of the country’s spiritual potential and the implementation of state policy in the religious sphere. The awards were timed to coincide with the 30th »»»

The ceremonial unveiling of the restored monument to Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General Ivan Panfilov, the legendary commander of the 316th Rifle Division, formed during the Great Patriotic War in Kyrgyzstan, took place in the village of Panfilovskoye in Chui region of Kyrgyzstan. Representati»»»

China and Russia account for 58.2 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s total trade turnover. The National Statistical Committee’s report for January — March 2026 says. Trade turnover with China for the first three months amounted to $1,045.1 billion, accounting for 31.1 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s total trade volum»»»

Doha, Qatar: Saeed Abu Sharib and Maytha Al-Binali struck mixed team trap gold while Qatar’s shooting team added another silver, along with the padel team, as hosts continued their fine showing at the GCC Games Doha 2026 yesterday. Sharib and Al-Binali remained consistent throughout the event, firi»»»

DUBAI: As negotiations with the United States hang in the balance, a hard-line Iranian general linked to notorious attacks at home and abroad over the past decades is believed to have seized a place near the center of power. Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who heads Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Arabi Sports Club won top honours in the Sports Clubs category at the fifth edition of the Sports and Youth Excellence Award for the 2025-2026 season, during a distinguished ceremony held under the patronage of Minister of Sports and Youth H E Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-T»»»

RIYADH: For decades, pioneers of Saudi art were overlooked and under-documented, but in Misk Art Institute’s latest Solo Series two more of them are brought to light in an effort to cement their place in the Kingdom’s history: Fouad Mougharbel and Saad Almasari. “It’s critical to highlight these pi»»»

WASHINGTON: Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said Thursday he would be “happy” to talk to US leader Donald Trump — a conversation that would break more than four decades of diplomatic protocol and risk angering China. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he would speak to Lai, as the White House w»»»

Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr is facing mounting criticism over reports that he supports Iraq’s new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, as major political factions reassess their alliances after failing to secure key cabinet posts in the new government. Among the dissatisfied parties are Nouri »»»

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan participated in a global Hajj symposium in Saudi Arabia this week where officials reviewed new digital initiatives aimed at improving crowd management and movement during this year’s pilgrimage season, the Pakistani ministry of religious affairs said on Thursday. Saudi authoriti»»»

Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov described the recent phone conversation between Prime Minister Rumen Radev and U.S. President Donald Trump as a sign of a new stage in Bulgarian-American relations, arguing that communication is now taking place “at the presidential level” rather than through inter»»»

Bulgaria’s National Assembly has given final approval to the country’s accession to the Treaty establishing the European Stability Mechanism, formally integrating the country into one of the eurozone’s key financial protection instruments. The European Stability Mechanism, known as the ESM, was cre»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Hajj Mission has intensified its inspection and monitoring efforts to ensure the full readiness of accommodation facilities and campaign headquarters designated for pilgrims from Qatar ahead of the arrival of the first groups on the fourth day of Dhul Hijjah. The inspections »»»

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs H E Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al-Thani witnesses conclusion of “Muqdam” Field Exercise for Batch 26. The National Service Academy concluded field exercise which involved recruits from the National Service Academy’»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Shaqab League continues to strengthen its position as one of Qatar’s leading show jumping championships, with the launch of its third season in a professional sporting atmosphere hosted at the Longines Indoor Arena at Al Shaqab. The league brings together talented riders of differen»»»

Doha, Qatar: The official draw for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 will take place at FIFA’s Zurich headquarters today. The Qatar 2026 draw, along with the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco, will be live-streamed on FIFA+, TikTok and YouTube from 4:00pm Qatar time. This will be the second year»»»

Doha, Qatar: Karim Rizkallah claimed a dramatic victory in Round 3 of the 2026 Qatar Karting Championship (QKC) after edging Victor Litaudon by a razor-thin margin of just 0.031 seconds in the Grand Final at Lusail International Circuit on Tuesday night. Competing on the 1.124km Lusail track, Rizka»»»

Britain on Wednesday struck a long-awaited trade agreement with the six Gulf Cooperation Council states, the first such deal between the bloc and a Group of Seven country. The agreement with the GCC -- which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- is set »»»

Choosing the right medical pathway after Grade 12 takes more than ambition. It now demands a sharp understanding of how global medical education actually works beyond the glossy brochures and familiar myths. That was one of the key takeaways from a spotlight session on “Choosing the right medical p»»»

Doha, Qatar: The 35th Doha International Book Fair (DIBF) kicked off with strong participation from both regional and international publishers. The Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) transformed into a vast landscape of cultural exchange in a testament to the fair’s global appeal, with vi»»»

Doha, Qatar: The United Kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have yesterday, concluded talks on a modern and ambitious Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which will support goods exporters, services suppliers and investors in the UK and Qatar. This deal reflects the UK’s commitment to long-term »»»

The Gulf Cooperation Council and Britain have announced a trade deal worth $5 billion a year in the long run, deepening economic ties between the two sides and making Britain the first G7 nation to sign such an agreement with the Gulf bloc. The agreement was first discussed in 2017 following Britai»»»

The US military said Wednesday that it boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was suspected of trying to violate the American blockade, the latest action by the Trump administration to try to push Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But President Donald Trump is facing hi»»»

Abu Dhabi: Universal Digital Intl Limited (“Universal”), the ADGM-based issuer of USDU, today announced that USDU is now available on Changer.ae Limited (“Changer.ae”), an Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM”) entity regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (“FSRA”). The integration brin»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Enemy media: Israeli army soldiers in southern Lebanon hide during the day for fear of Hezbollah drones 21-05-2026 08:58 AM Latest News Urg»»»

Amankan Kenzhebaev, Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in Osh region, met with delegation from the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan in Osh as part of Salam, Osh! 2026 International Tourism Festival. According to the Presidential Envoy’s press service, the Tajik delegation w»»»

Doha: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Thani, and Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani sent cables of condolences to Amir of the State of Kuwait H H Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jabe»»»

Airbnb, facing tighter local regulations on short-term home rentals, announced Wednesday it is adding boutique hotels, car rentals and grocery delivery to its app in a bid to transform itself into a one-stop travel shop. The rollout marks the latest step in Airbnb's push to capture more of the trav»»»

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said Thursday he would be "happy" to talk to US leader Donald Trump -- a conversation that would break more than four decades of diplomatic protocol and risk angering China. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he would speak to Lai, as the White House weighs arms »»»

In the UAE, pride is not only seen it is felt, lived and beautifully expressed through fragrance. Perfume here is more than a scent. It reflects identity, a symbol of heritage and a timeless expression of culture. For decades, houses like Shaikh Saeed Perfumes (Backlink to https://shop.shaikhsaeed.»»»

The Asia and Oceania Masters Sambo Championships are taking place on May 20-21 in Aktau, Kazakhstan. The International Sambo Federation announced. The continental tournament is open to sambo athletes aged 35 and older. The winners and runners-up in various weight categories across four age groups w»»»

A plan of high-level mutual visits was discussed at the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Kyrgyzstan (MFA) with Chinese Ambassador. The Foreign Ministry’s press service reported. Deputy Minister Meder Abakirov met with Liu Jiangping, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Bishkek. The partie»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Public Health H E Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud stated that Qatar is addressing global health challenges through three priorities: strengthening emergency preparedness and fully implementing the International Health Regulations; investing in primary health care as the foun»»»

During a working visit to France, Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Health, Damir Osmonov, held talks with representatives of Sanofi, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. Thibaud Lefort, Head of Operations at Sanofi Global Health, participated in the meeting. According to the Ministry of Hea»»»

BRUSSELS: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed making Ukraine an “associate member” of the EU without voting rights, while Kyiv goes through the lengthy process of joining fully, a letter seen by AFP Thursday said. The plan — first floated by Merz with EU counterparts last month — would se»»»

Two people were killed in a drone attack on the town of Syzran in Russia's Samara region on the Volga River, the local governor said, while Ukraine also reported two dead as the two sides exchanged attacks overnight. A large oil refinery is located in Syzran, some 1,000 km (620 miles) from the bord»»»

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told US President Donald Trump in a call on Wednesday he welcomed the extension of a ceasefire between the US and Iran, adding he believed contested issues between the sides could be resolved, according to the Turkish presidency. NATO member Türkiye, which neighbors»»»

As negotiations with the United States hang in the balance, a hard-line Iranian general linked to notorious attacks at home and abroad over the past decades is believed to have seized a place near the center of power. Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who heads Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, has b»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality provided over half a million services during 2025 through its customer service platforms, including the Unified Call Center, “Oun” application, official website, and scheduled service channels, reflecting the Ministry’s continued efforts to enhance service »»»

Washington: By Mark Mazzetti, Julian E. Barnes, Farnaz Fassihi and Ronen Bergman Days after Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader and other top officials in the opening salvos of the war, President Trump mused publicly that it would be best if “someone from within” Iran took over the country»»»

The Philippine government on Thursday ordered police to arrest a senator who is warranted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his role in ex-president Rodrigo Duterte's deadly drug crackdown. "I would like to confirm that the Philippine law enforcement agencies which would include the PN»»»

Márton Melléthei-Barna and István Hantosi, chair of the justice and constitutional affairs committee, submitted a proposal that would limit the maximum length of a prime minister’s mandate to eight years. The proposal “takes steps” toward abolishing the Sovereignty Protection Office and also states»»»