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    <lastBuildDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:58:25 +0400</lastBuildDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Stocks hold near record highs as AI optimism trumps Iran tensions]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/06/01/stocks-hold-near-record-highs-as-ai-optimism-trumps-iran-tensions]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Global stocks clung ‌to record highs on Monday ‌as strong corporate results, fuelled in part by artificial intelligence optimism, outweighed investor concerns over escalating US-Iran tensions that have pushed oil prices higher. The US said ‌it struck Iranian military sites at the weekend and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Monday it had targeted a US base in response. Also on Monday, Iranian news agency Tasnim said Iran is halting indirect negotiations with the US after Israel ordered troops to push deeper into Lebanon to battle Tehran-backed Hezbollah. The fresh hostilities could complicate diplomatic efforts to end the ​three-month-long war.On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 was mostly ‌flat but still near record highs as energy and technology stocks drove gains while consumer discretionary, materials and utilities led losers.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.43%, the S&P 500 fell 0.05%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.11%.The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 1.1%. Nvidia unveiled a new chip on Monday that ​puts AI capabilities ‌directly into laptops and desktop computers, raising the stakes in the ‌battle for dominance among other semiconductor makers and technology companies. The MSCI All-World index fell 0.20% after hitting a fresh record high on the day.“We are in ‌an unusual ‌period for the market where the fundamentals and technicals converge to drive markets higher, with strong earnings ‌revisions and relentless buying,” said Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide in Philadelphia.“Equity markets have been largely immune to Iran news over the past several weeks because investors ​are afraid of being caught on the wrong side if a significant development occurs.” Brent crude futures rose nearly 7% to $97.43 a barrel.Oil prices jumped and equities slid on Monday as Middle East peace talks stumbled and tensions mounted between Iran and the Unites States.Crude futures shot more than five per cent higher as an Iranian news agency announced Tehran had suspended the negotiations with the United States via mediators.The United States and Iran had traded strikes over the weekend and Tehran had insisted that any deal to end the war must cover Israel’s escalating offensive into Lebanon.The report by the Tasnim news agency cited the breakdown of the ceasefire and clashes in Lebanon as the reasons for the halt in suspending dialogue.After the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran at the end of February, Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally flow.While a ceasefire has largely held since mid-April, traffic through the strait has been scant and negotiations have dragged on.While Wall Street had been set for a higher open, the spike higher in oil prices turned the tide, with the three main indices sliding as trading got underway in New York.Shares in Nvidia jumped more than four per cent, however, after the company unveiled earlier Monday in Taiwan a powerful laptop chip for Windows machines, staking its claim in the market for next-generation consumer PCs integrated with artificial intelligence.The company’s graphics processing units are prized for processing-intensive AI applications, but the new RTX Spark chips will be central processing units that are the run personal computers.These PCs will be positioned as tools that can easily run AI agents that can carry out tasks for users.The Nvidia announcement helped fuel gains in tech and AI stocks in Asian trade.Seoul led the rally jumping by more than four per cent, with shares in memory chip giant Samsung Electronics surged more than nine per cent, while rival SK hynix rose over two per cent.“Investors continue to embrace the AI boom,” said independent markets analyst Stephen Innes.“The reason is simple. Artificial intelligence remains the dominant engine of market psychology, and as long as Washington and Tehran continue to exchange draft proposals rather than missiles, investors appear willing to give diplomacy the benefit of the doubt,” he added.Investor enthusiasm for AI-related stocks has helped drive stock exchanges to record highs in recent weeks despite the war in the Middle East, which has sparked inflation as energy prices soar and threatened to kill off economic expansion.The dollar firmed against main rivals.Elsewhere, EasyJet’s share price jumped more than seven per cent after the British no-frills airline denounced as “opportunistic” a possible takeover bid from a US private equity firm.Castlelake, which owns 2.14 per cent of EasyJet, revealed late Friday that it was considering an offer for the carrier, which operates mainly across Europe.EasyJet slammed what it called the “highly opportunistic timing” by Castlelake after falls to its share price and deeper losses after the Middle East war sent jet fuel costs rocketing.Agencies]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:15:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[DP World details $100m logistics expansion in Dominican Republic]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/06/01/dp-world-details-100m-logistics-expansion-in-dominican-republic]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[DP World and the Government of the Dominican Republic will invest an additional $100 million to expand logistics and warehousing infrastructure at the DP World Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Caucedo.Unveiled during the 12th World Free Zones Congress 2026, the investment is in addition to the $760 million previously committed, further strengthening the country’s role as a manufacturing and logistics hub for the Americas.In May 2025, DP World signed a $760 million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of the Dominican Republic to expand the Port of Caucedo and its Free Trade Zone.The latest investment, with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs, will support the development of new warehouse infrastructure and increase overall logistics capacity, further integrating port, free zone, and logistics services at Caucedo to meet growing regional demand.DP World plays a significant role in driving economic growth, employment, and trade connectivity across the Dominican Republic, according to independent research by Oxford Economics.The UK-based researchers found DP World supported nearly 5,000 jobs nationwide and could increase goods exports to $2.4 billion by 2035. The port handled $13.3 billion in total trade in 2024.Morten Johansen, COO of DP World in the Americas, said, “The Dominican Republic is increasingly central to regional trade in the Americas. This additional $100 million investment builds on our previously announced commitment, helping position Caucedo as a fully integrated logistics platform capable of supporting long-term trade and industrial growth.”Manuel Martínez, CEO of DP World in the Dominican Republic, said, “By expanding logistics and warehousing infrastructure in the Caucedo Free Trade Zone, we are enabling customers to scale more efficiently while strengthening the Dominican Republic’s competitiveness as a regional trade hub.”Meanwhile Dubai Chambers recently organised a meeting in collaboration with Dubai Customs and DP World to gain first-hand insights into the key logistics requirements across diverse sectors of the economy amid evolving global circumstances.The session attracted the participation of 100 private sector representatives in the emirate.The meeting was chaired by Eng. Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Chairman of Dubai Chambers, and was attended by Dr Abdulla Mohammed Busenad, Director-General of Dubai Customs; Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, and Ahmad Yousef Al-Hassan, CEO and Managing Director of DP World GCC, together with leaders from major private sector companies.The session featured an interactive discussion on the key challenges facing the shipping and logistics sector amid current regional developments. Participants also explored a range of practical ideas and solutions, in cooperation with relevant partners, to ensure the smooth flow of goods and enhance supply chain efficiency.“Supported by proactive government policies, close cooperation between the public and private sectors, and strong institutional agility, Dubai’s logistics network has strengthened the private sector’s ability to respond to the challenges arising from the recent developments affecting the region and the wider world, further consolidating Dubai’s position as a key hub on the global trade map,” Al Mansoori said.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:13:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Year 2025 was costliest year on record for wildfires]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/06/01/year-2025-was-costliest-year-on-record-for-wildfires]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Wildfires caused more financial damage in 2025 than in any other year, with catastrophic fires in the US, South Korea and Europe killing about 90 people and forcing roughly 300,000 to evacuate, a new study found. Wildfires accounted for 38 per cent of all insured natural hazard losses globally in 2025 — more than hurricanes, earthquakes and floods combined — even as the total area burned was the second lowest since records began in 2002 and 16 per cent below the long-term average, according to The Independent.Researchers say the pattern reflects a shift in how wildfires cause harm: there are fewer fires overall but they are hitting populated areas with greater intensity and speed than before. "2025 shows that a 'quiet' fire year globally can still be devastating," Dr Matthew Jones of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia, who led the study, said. "We are seeing a growing disconnect between total area burned and real-world impacts, with risk increasingly determined by fire location, intensity and exposure."The study, published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth and Environment on Monday, also found that total fire-related carbon emissions fell in 2025, to 11 billion tonnes of CO2, the third-lowest year since 2002. The single costliest event was the Palisades and Eaton fires, which tore through the Los Angeles area in January 2025. Driven by extreme Santa Ana winds and critically dry vegetation, the fires burned over 20,000 hectares, killed 31 people directly, destroyed nearly 12,000 homes, and forced some 150,000 evacuations.Smoke exposure affected more than 10 million people, with pollution levels reaching nearly 20 times the WHO's daily guideline for fine particulate matter. Fine particular matter means tiny particles that penetrate deep into the lungs. Total losses were estimated at $140bn (£110bn), with insured losses approaching $40bn (£32bn), making it the fifth costliest natural disaster in recorded history.Two months later, South Korea recorded its deadliest and largest wildfire outbreak on record. Extreme heat, dryness and winds drove fires that burned over 100,000 hectares, killed 32 people and displaced tens of thousands of residents. A study found the conditions that enabled the fires were made twice as likely by climate change. In Europe, severe drought and repeated heatwaves drove major outbreaks in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, and France during the summer of 2025, killing at least 28 people and forcing 120,000 evacuations. Such was the scale of the emergency that six countries simultaneously requested firefighting resources through the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism, a mutual aid system for member states to pool personnel, equipment and aircraft during disastersSpain recorded its largest burned area since 2002, with more than 350,000 hectares affected and eight deaths. Portugal's largest wildfire on record was ignited by lightning. In Turkey, the rapid spread of fire around Izmir forced 50,000 evacuations and a separate fire in July killed 10 firefighters. France saw its largest fire since 1949, burning 17,000 hectares in 72 hours. The UK suffered its largest burned area on record as well as its first megafire — a fire exceeding 10,000 hectares — on Dava Moor in Scotland during a severe heatwave.World Weather Attribution, an international scientific collaboration analysing the role of climate change in extreme weather, found the fire-prone conditions driving the worst European outbreaks were 5-40 times more likely in the current climate than in a world without climate change.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:39:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[California nears healthcare crisis as warnings go unnoticed]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/06/01/california-nears-healthcare-crisis-as-warnings-go-unnoticed]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Anita Chabria, Tribune News ServiceWhen Congress passed the big, ugly bill known as HR 1 last year, most Americans understood it meant cuts to Medicaid, the safety net programme millions rely on for medical insurance. But few Californians realised just how much it will affect the Golden State when its provisions really kick in, starting after the midterms (the Republicans aren’t that dumb) and continuing on in cascading cuts for the next few years.Millions of Californians — not just low-income folks — are going to feel the effects, whether through a loss of insurance, fewer providers able to keep their doors open, or rising premiums and costs. “This problem trickles up,” state Senate leader Monique Limón, D-Goleta, told me. “This is not just going to impact the people that have a public healthcare plan. When you see a hospital close, when you see medical providers no longer being able to practice, it is absolutely going to impact everybody, the middle class included.”Added to the loss of federal funds, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s most recent budget plan (which the Legislature has to debate in coming weeks) includes cuts at the state level. This is in part to contend with the loss of federal money, but also because healthcare costs keep rising and even in this wealthy state, we can’t afford the bills — at least not without some changes. What those changes are — and who should bear the brunt of them — is a complicated and largely ignored debate happening right now. While our candidates for governor have been grilled on whether they support single-payer healthcare or not, (Becerra is a sort-of, Steyer is a yes) the real question isn’t how is the next governor going to expand access to care — but how are we going to keep the whole system from collapsing right now.“This is not hypothetical, this is what’s coming down the line,” Limón said.About 15 million adults and children, or about 1 in 3 of our state’s residents, rely on Medi-Cal, which is what California calls its Medicaid programme. Through a creative bit of state financing called the Managed Care Organization, or MCO, tax, the federal government has been paying for a big chunk of the costs of that insurance, about $7 billion a year. President Donald Trump’s HR 1 makes that money go bye-bye by greatly reducing the MCO, leaving the state to figure out how to backfill that cash. And that’s just one of the ways the big, ugly bill hurts California. Yes, it’s complicated.Newsom’s budget plan relies in a not-small way on restructuring the MCO tax to fit HR 1’s new rules. But here’s the problem with that — any fix will require approval from the Trump administration, which has repeatedly shown the welfare of Californians is not a high priority. In fact, the Trump administration in March rejected California’s request to update another fee related to hospitals that also generates billions for Medi-Cal. So maybe Newsom will be able to negotiate a plan that saves the MCO and California healthcare. But wouldn’t it be much better for the GOP, with a presidential election looming, to watch California (and her presidential-contender governor) tumble off a healthcare cliff? Few states rely on an MCO tax the way ours does, which means our pain is going to be far more visible and profound if we lose this funding.That means if Newsom’s budget is approved by the state Legislature with the MCO fix, the state is taking a gamble. If the feds don’t approve some new version of the MCO tax, “it would have major implications,” Adriana Ramos-Yamamoto told me. She’s a senior policy fellow with the nonpartisan California Budget and Policy Center.What’s the fourth-largest economy in the world to do? Limón would like to see the state stop subsidising corporations who pay so meagerly that their employees qualify for Medi-Cal. “We don’t have the luxury of being able to provide these tax subsidies,” Limón said. Turns out, 42% of Medi-Cal enrollees are full-time workers, according to a new report by the UC Berkeley Labor Center. Although most big corporations offer some sort of health insurance, it’s often tied to working a certain number of hours (which they then make sure not to schedule) or it has prohibitive costs or other barriers.In 2022, the Labor Center found, 34% of low-wage workers received their health insurance through employers, compared with 69% of higher wage workers — meaning California is picking up insurance costs because low-wage employers are finding ways out of them. “Over the decades, Medi-Cal has really undergone a significant transformation. It’s shifted from a program that primarily served the disabled and indigent and elderly folks to one that largely supports folks that work in low-wage industries,” Tia Orr, the executive director of SEIU California, told me. “Medi-Cal has now become a program where folks that work every single day have to rely on it. The idea that someone can work every day and qualify for food stamps and Medi-Cal, it should be eye-opening to folks.” Right now, she points out, California taxpayers are paying about $7,800 a year for each person on Medi-Cal.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:37:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[The real cost]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/06/01/the-real-cost]]></link> 
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/06/01/the-real-cost]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:36:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[All about politics]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/06/01/all-about-politics]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Is something illegal allowed to occur and not be corrected? The obvious answer is no, but the reality is not so simple.The addition of Donald Trump's name to the John F. Kennedy Centre was illegal but the law was ignored. A judge has directed that the extra letters be removed within two weeks but a gambler could make easy money by betting that it won't be removed in time.The second illegal example of narcissism is the proposed $250 US bill with a living person's face on it, guess who. This would require Congress to change laws but could this happen?There are many countries where the leader ignores laws, often in horrific ways but any occurrence is bad. Is this your country? A simple count of monuments and name mentions should make it obvious.Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:34:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Agreement is not understanding]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/06/01/agreement-is-not-understanding]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Randi McCray, Tribune News ServiceDuring a recent conversation, my 16-year-old son told me I did not understand him. Parents know these moments well. What begins as a disagreement about something practical can quickly become something larger. A conversation about rules, expectations, timing, priorities, or responsibility suddenly transforms into a referendum on whether your child feels seen, heard, and respected. At first, I responded the way many parents do: by focusing on the issue at hand. But as we continued talking, I realised something more important was happening beneath the surface.When my son said I did not understand him, what he often meant was that I did not agree with him. That distinction matters more than we may realise. To his credit, he was articulating something many adults struggle to name. We often confuse understanding with endorsement. If someone does not validate our conclusion, mirror our emotions, or support our position, we assume they have failed to hear us. We interpret disagreement as dismissal.But understanding and agreement are not the same thing. Understanding asks whether I can grasp how you arrived at your perspective. Agreement asks whether I share it. One is rooted in empathy and curiosity. The other is rooted in alignment. A person can fully understand your frustration and still think you are wrong. A spouse can understand your feelings and still see the situation differently. A colleague can understand your concerns and still choose another path. A parent can understand why a teenager wants more freedom and still say no.Somewhere along the way, many of us learned to collapse these differences into one demand: If you love me, respect me, or care about me, you will agree with me. I know this because I once believed it too. As I reflected on that conversation with my son, I realised I grew up carrying a similar assumption. Agreement felt like validation. Disagreement felt like rejection. If someone challenged my view, it could feel as though they were challenging my worth. Many people never outgrow that framework. They simply carry it into adulthood and apply it to marriages, friendships, workplaces, and civic life.You can see it everywhere. National data suggests many Americans feel the same strain. Eight in 10 US adults say Republican and Democratic voters cannot agree on basic facts about important issues. A record 45% of Americans now identify as political independents, and 85% say politically motivated violence is increasing. These numbers point to more than policy disagreement. They reflect a country struggling to stay in a relationship across differences. When agreement becomes the price of being understood, curiosity disappears. Conversations become negotiations for emotional validation rather than opportunities for learning. Listening becomes performative. People stop asking questions and start defending positions. Every difference feels personal.And perhaps most damaging of all, we become fragile in the face of ordinary disagreement. That fragility shows up in homes as much as it does in headlines.As a parent, I could have ended the conversation the old-fashioned way. I could have pulled rank, asserted authority, or dismissed his frustration with some version of “because I said so.” But I wanted something different for my son. I wanted him to understand that someone can hear you deeply and still not side with you. That love does not require surrendering judgment. That being challenged is not the same as being devalued. That emotional maturity includes tolerating the discomfort of not getting consensus. Most of all, I wanted to model that difficult conversations can still be kind.This is not just a parenting lesson. It is a civic one. A pluralistic society depends on people who can remain in relationships despite disagreement. Families need it. Friendships need it. Workplaces need it. Communities need it. Democracies certainly need it. If every disagreement is interpreted as disrespect, then only echo chambers feel safe. We do not need less conviction. We need stronger relational skills. We need the capacity to hold our values without requiring universal affirmation. We need to listen for meaning instead of only listening for compliance.My son may not have realised it, but he gave me a useful reminder. Being understood feels good. Being agreed with feels good too. But they are different experiences, and confusing them can damage relationships we care about most. One of the most important lessons we can teach our children — and ourselves — is that disagreement is not abandonment.Someone can love you, hear you, respect you, and still see things differently. In an age where so many conversations collapse under the weight of that confusion, learning the difference may be one of the most necessary skills we have left.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:33:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Singer Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner are married]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/culture/2026/06/01/singer-dua-lipa-and-actor-callum-turner-are-married]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Pop star Dua Lipa and "Fantastic Beasts" actor Callum  Turner married in London on Sunday, according to media reports, which  said the low-key nuptials may be followed by a three-day party in  Sicily. They tied the knot Sunday at Old Marylebone Town Hall in London.The Sun and Daily Mail tabloids showed photos of the couple  leaving Old Marylebone Town Hall following a civil ceremony with just a  handful of family and friends.Dua Lipa, 30, wore a white hat and  dress designed by the Schiaparelli studio for the wedding, reports said.Turner, 36, donned a dark blue suit. The Sun said that they now  plan a "sumptuous" three-day party in Sicily at the end of next week.  Representatives of the couple, who have been together since January  2024, did not answer AFP's request to comment.Dua Lipa, the  daughter of Kosovo migrants who has become one of Britain's top singers  since her "Be The One" single in 2016, announced in an interview with  British Vogue last year that she and Turner planned to marry.Turner made an international name for himself appearing in the  "Fantastic Beasts" films. He is considered a possible candidate to  become the next James Bond.The pair first sparked relationship rumors at the beginning of 2024.Lipa confirmed her engagement to Turner last year after months of speculation in a cover story for British Vogue’s July issue. Fans had theorized the ring Lipa began sporting in photos in December 2024 signaled an engagement.The London-born, British Albanian singer is celebrated for revitalizing a disco-pop sound in the musical mainstream, beginning with the release of her 2017 self-titled album and carrying through 2020’s "Future Nostalgia” and 2024’s "Radical Optimism.”"Dance music has such a long history of creating such a safe space. And I just want to embody that,” she told the AP.She has won three Grammys and boasts five top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.Turner is known for his roles in the "Fantastic Beasts” movies as well as the George Clooney-directed "The Boys in the Boat” and World War ll drama series "Masters of the Air” on Apple TV+.He recently starred opposite Elizabeth Olsen in "Eternity,” a clever romantic comedy about the afterlife.Agencies ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:30:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Dubai launched 250 real estate projects worth Dhs75 billion in last 5 months]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/06/01/dubai-launched-250-real-estate-projects-worth-dhs75-billion-in-last-5-months]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Dubai’s real estate market has continued to launch new projects since the beginning of 2026, defying the regional and geopolitical tensions that the region has experienced since the end of February.According to data from Dubai Land Department (DLD), as many as 250 new real estate projects were launched in the emirate, equivalent to 50 projects per month and an average of nearly two projects per day.The cost of the new projects, which included building 59,400 housing units and 10,800 villas and development of 32 new plots of land, amounted to Dhs75 billion.DLD’s data revealed that the largest project cost more than Dhs6.5 billion and is among 15 major projects whose value exceeds Dhs1 billion each. There are 30 projects whose value ranges between Dhs999,000 and Dhs500 million, 97 projects whose value ranges between Dhs499,000 and Dhs100 million each and 108 other projects whose value is less than Dhs100 million each.The data showed that 179 active projects were launched, while 70 projects were pending approval and another project was awaiting final approval.The Verdes by Haven 2 project in Wadi Al Safa 5 topped the list of the most expensive projects at approximately Dhs6.5 billion, followed by Interstellar Tower project in Al Barsha South Fifth at Dhs2.3 billion in the second place and the Mayfair Nexus by Seven Mayfair project in Wadi Al Safa 7 at Dhs1.5 billion in the third place.AYA by Palace Group in Al Satwa at Dhs1.47 billion came in the fourth place, Symphony by Chaimaa in Wadi Al Safa 3 at Dhs1.4 billion in the fifth and Confident Preston project in Wadi Al Safa 2 at Dhs1.36 billion in the sixth.In the seventh place came Trump Tower project located in Trade Centre 1 at Dhs1.34 billion, followed by Cascada 2 at Waada project in Dubai South at Dhs1.2 billion, Akala Hotels and Residences in Za’abeel 2 at Dhs1.2 billion, the Olbia project in Al Yalayis II at Dhs1.2 billion.The Wave project in Al Barsha South Fourth at Dhs1.1 billion came next, followed by the Hayat 2 and Hayat 3 projects in Airport City at Dhs1.09 billion and Dhs1.06 billion respectively, Aum 99 Residences project in Wadi Al Safa 5 area at Dhs1.06 billion and Pinewood Estate Homes project in Me’aisem First at Dhs1.01 billion.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:14:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[8.2 million used public transport in Dubai during Eid Al Adha holidays]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/82-million-used-public-transport-in-dubai-during-eid-al-adha-holidays]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recorded total ridership of 8.2 million across public transport and mobility services during Eid Al Adha holiday 1447 AH / 2026, from Monday, 25th May, to Friday, 29th May.Dubai Metro's Red and Green Lines carried 3.3 million riders during the holiday, while Dubai Tram served 114,300 riders. Public buses transported 1.73 million riders, and marine transport services registered 304,300 riders.Taxi services, including Dubai Taxi and franchise company vehicles, transported 2.3 million riders. Shared mobility services, including smart app vehicles, hourly rental vehicles and Bus-On-Demand, recorded 402,700 riders.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 19:41:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[&#039;Make-A-Wish&#039; Foundation brings joy to a 4-year-old&#039;s heart with bicycle and toys]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/make-a-wish-foundation-brings-joy-to-a-4-year-olds-heart-with-bicycle-and-toys]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[In one of its initiatives for the Year of the Family, the "Make-A-Wish" Foundation brought joy and happiness to the heart of the 4-year-old  Ahmed, by fulfilling his wish to get a bicycle and toys to share with his brother Hamad, in a touching scene which reflected the innocence of childhood and the depth of family bonds.Make A Wish's team accompanied Ahmed to the "Hamleys" store, where he had an exceptional experience, choosing his favourite toys himself amidst an atmosphere full of joy and happiness.The moments of choosing the bicycle and toys were filled with delight and cheer, transforming Ahmed’s experience into a beautiful memory he will never forget, giving him positive energy which eases the difficulty of his treatment journey.Hani Al Zubaidi, the CEO of the foundation, affirmed that fulfilling Ahmed's wish has great humanitarian dimensions, especially in the "Year of the Family," where the importance of psychologically and morally supporting children and their families is evident."Fulfilling children's wishes is not just a humanitarian initiative, but a complete message of hope whose effects extend to children, their families, and the community around, in the Year of the Family. We emphasise that making one child happy can reflect joy on an entire family, and strengthen sthe values of cohesion and solidarity which characterise Emirati society," Al Zubaidi said.He added, : “The happiness we saw in Ahmed's eyes is an evident proof that the goodness of the UAE is deeply rooted in the hearts of all citizens, institutions, and residents. This initiative was not just about fulfilling a simple wish, but a deep humanitarian message, reflecting how giving can make a real difference in  children's lives, and give them moments of joy which restore hope and light their course in facing challenges."]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 19:00:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Mexico President Sheinbaum gifts her World Cup ticket to Indigenous athlete]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/06/01/mexico-president-sheinbaum-gifts-her-world-cup-ticket-to-indigenous-athlete]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum delivered a promise by giving away her ticket to the World Cup opening match.Sheinbaum, the first female president in the country’s 200-year history, donated her ticket No.00001 to Yolett Cervantes Cuaquehua, a 21-year-old Indigenous woman from the eastern state of Veracruz.Mexico play the opening match against South Africa on June 11 at Azteca Stadium.Cervantes Cuaquehua was selected by a jury after winning a contest for her ball-handling skills."They are the pride of Mexico. They will not represent the president, or the head of government, they will represent Mexico,” Sheinbaum said at a press conference to give away the ticket to Cervantes Cuaquehua.Sheinbaum also gave away tickets to other matches being played in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey - the Mexican venues for the World Cup - to three other amateur athletes aged 16, 22, and 23. They were also selected by the jury as part of a contest organised by the government."Thank you so much for considering us,” Cervantes Cuaquehua said.Sheinbaum in March ruled out attending the opening game, stating she wanted to give prominence to young Mexican female soccer players."I think a young woman who plays soccer is a great representative of our country. Very few people will be able to attend the opening,”Sheinbaum said at the time. She added she will watch the game at the Zócalo, the capital’s main square, where a Fan Fest will be set up.The president’s announcement generated mixed reactions in Mexico. While some considered it a commendable decision, others criticised it, arguing that it was a missed opportunity to promote the country.Associated Press ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:40:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[UAE becomes 2nd country in the world to approve Wegovy pills to treat weight loss]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/uae-becomes-2nd-country-in-the-world-to-approve-wegovy-pills-to-treat-weight-loss]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Dubai: Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) has approved "Wegovy Semaglutide" from Novo Nordisk, as a once-daily oral treatment for long-term weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight associated with co-morbid health conditions.The drug belongs to the GLP-1 receptor class, and works to reduce weight and maintain its results when used, in conjunction with a low-calorie diet and increased physical activity, thereby contributing to improving health outcomes for the target groups.Clinical data showed that the treatment reduces the risk of major cardiovascular risks in patients most susceptible to them, including cardiovascular death, heart attacks, and strokes.The UAE is the second country globally to approve this drug, a step which reflects its leadership in adopting modern therapeutic innovations and providing early access to them.Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, Director General of EDE, affirmed that the approval of the oral formulation of "Wegovy" reflects the EDE's role in developing the pharmaceutical system.She added: "This step embodies the UAE's commitment to adopting the latest pharmaceutical innovations and developing a flexible regulatory environment which ensures these treatments reach patients, according to the highest standards, thereby contributing to improving treatment outcomes and quality of care."The approval of the drug allegedly reflects the UAE's direction towards enhancing health awareness of the importance of early obesity management and reducing its health complications.Venkat Kalyan, General Manager of Novo Nordisk Gulf, said: "The collaboration with the EDE reflects a shared commitment to providing innovative and reliable therapeutic solutions."Wegovy Semaglutide has a solid safety record and widespread trust among medical communities, and its availability in a daily oral form enhances ease of use and supports patient adherence to treatment."]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:34:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Dubai court asks car renter to pay fines, Salik fees worth Dhs8,735 to rental firm]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/dubai-court-asks-car-renter-to-pay-fines-salik-fees-worth-dhs8735-to-rental-firm]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The Civil Court in Dubai has ordered a vehicle renter to pay Dhs8,735 to a car rental company, covering the value of traffic fines and Salik toll gate fees, along with 5% legal interest from the date of the judicial claim until full payment.The court rejected the company's request for additional compensation due to insufficient evidence.The details of the case date back to when a car rental company filed a lawsuit against a client, demanding that he be obliged to pay amounts due under a car rental agreement concluded between the two parties in October 2025, in addition to Dhs10,000 in compensation for material and moral damages incurred due to his refusal to return the vehicle on the agreed date.The company explained that it had rented a vehicle to the appellee under a lease contract which was extended several times, and that during the period of use, traffic fines amounting to Dhs5,660 were incurred, in addition to Salik fees totaling Dhs350, as well as other amounts due according to the contract, bringing the total claimed amount to Dhs8,735.The company submitted to the court a copy of the lease contract and its extensions, records of traffic violations and Salik fees, adding that it was forced to file a police report after the renter refused to return the vehicle.The court affirmed that the lease agreement obliges the renter to pay the rent and the obligations arising therefrom as agreed upon by the parties.“The company proved the appellee's liability for the claimed amount through the submitted documents, while the appellee did not attend the court sessions and did not provide any evidence of payment or anything to refute those documents," the court indicated.The request for additional compensation was rejected being not based on sufficient evidence, the court said and ordered the appellee to pay the amount of Dhs8,735 and legal interest of 5% from the date of the judicial claim until full payment, along with court fees and expenses.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:22:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Iran suspends negotiations via mediators with US]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/iran-suspends-negotiations-via-mediators-with-us]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Iran was suspending all exchanges with the United States via mediators on Monday, Iranian news agency Tasnim reported, as the two sides remained apart on a deal to end the Middle East war."Given the continuing crimes of the Zionist regime (Israel) in Lebanon and considering that Lebanon was one of the preconditions for the ceasefire and that this ceasefire has now been violated on all fronts, including Lebanon, the Iranian negotiating team is suspending dialogues and exchange of texts through mediators," Tasnim reported.The  agency said ‌Iran and the ‌Resistance Front, which includes its Shiite  allies in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq, have set an agenda to completely  block the Strait of ‌Hormuz and activate other fronts, including the Bab  El Mandeb Strait, ⁠in order to "punish" Israel.If  the Houthis, Iran's allies in Yemen, open a new front in the conflict,  one obvious target would be the Bab El Mandeb Strait off the coast of  Yemen, a key shipping chokepoint and narrow passageway that ​controls  sea traffic towards the Suez Canal."Violation on one  ‌front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and  Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation," ⁠Iranian  Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X on Monday, referring to Israeli  operations in Lebanon."The ⁠immediate cessation of the Zionist regime's aggressive  and brutal ‌army operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the necessity of the  regime's complete withdrawal from the occupied ⁠areas in Lebanon have  been emphasized by Iranian officials ​and negotiators, and there will be  no talks until Iran and the resistance's views on this matter are met,"  Tasnim ⁠added.OIL PRICES JUMPMeanwhile, oil  prices jumped and equities slid as Middle East peace talks  stumbled and tensions mounted between Iran and the Unites States.Crude futures shot more than five percent higher as an Iranian news agency announced Tehran had suspended the negotiations with the United States via mediators.The United States and Iran had traded strikes over the weekend and Tehran had insisted that any deal to end the war must cover Israel's escalating offensive into Lebanon.The report by the Tasnim news agency cited the breakdown of the  ceasefire and clashes in Lebanon as the reasons for the halt in  suspending dialogue.After the United States and Israel launched  strikes on Iran at the end of February, Iran effectively closed the  Strait of Hormuz through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied  natural gas normally flow.While a ceasefire has largely held since mid-April, traffic through the strait has been scant and negotiations have dragged on.While Wall Street had been set for a higher open, the spike higher in  oil prices turned the tide, with the three main indices sliding as  trading got underway in New York.Agence France-Presse ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:20:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Commercial office in Dubai sold for Dhs69 million]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/06/01/commercial-office-in-dubai-sold-for-dhs69-million]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Dubai’s real estate market saw the sale of a commercial office in the Business Bay area for Dhs69 million during midday trading on Monday.According to Dubai Land Department’s Dubai REST app, the office, which is  located within the Lumena by Omniyat project, spans 11,300 square feet with an average price of Dhs6,085 per square foot.Total sales in the emirate reached Dhs667 million, resulting from 212 transactions, while mortgages totaled Dhs144 million across 66 deals and gifts Dhs242 million from 47 transactions.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:14:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[UAE&#039;s new law reducing legal age of maturity from 21 to 18 comes into effect]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/uaes-new-law-reducing-legal-age-of-maturity-from-21-to-18-comes-into-affect]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[On Monday, June 1, 2026, new updates on the provisions of Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 came into effect. According to the updates, the law reduced the age of majority from 21 Hijri years to 18 Gregorian years, in addition to amending the age at which a minor may request permission to manage their funds from 18 Hijri years to 15 Gregorian year, to enhance youth participation in economic activities and entrepreneurship within a regulated legal framework.The law also unifies the age of full legal capacity at 18 years, enabling anyone who reaches this age to sign employment, rental, service, and education contracts, open and manage bank accounts, manage money and assets, file lawsuits or plead on their own behalf, in addition to and managing their legal and financial affairs independently without the need for parental or guardian consent.They will be also have the power to establish companies and engage in commercial activities directly.The law identified categories of legal entities specifically are: the state and the emirates, and other administrative units granted legal personality by law, federal or local public bodies, establishments, institutions, and other entities granted legal personality by law, religious bodies and communities recognised by the state as having legal personality, endowments, civil and commercial companies, except those specifically exempted by special provision, non-profit societies and institutions, federations, social solidarity funds, other public benefit institutions established in accordance with the law and any group of persons or assets to which legal personality is attributed by law.The law also affirmed that a legal person has all natural rights recognised by law, and has independent financial liability, capacity within the limits prescribed by law, the right to litigate, and an independent domicile. The domicile of a legal person is considered to be the place of his administrative centre. As for legal persons whose main centre is abroad and have activities in the United Arab Emirates, their administrative centre is considered to be the place where the local administration, representing them, is located.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:56:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[India&#039;s viral &#039;Cockroach&#039; youth group plans street protest in challenge to Modi]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/indias-viral-cockroach-youth-group-plans-street-protest-in-challenge-to-modi]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The founder of an online Indian youth group ‌that has amassed millions of followers in days said on Monday he plans to take his movement ​on to the streets ⁠with a protest against the education minister and in a show of dissent ‌against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The Cockroach ‌Janta Party (CJP) has tapped into the concerns of the under-30s, who are estimated to make up more than half of India’s 1.42 billion population, over politics, unemployment and inflation.Founder Abhijeet Dipke, who is based in the US, has focused ‌in particular on recent leaks of exam papers and errors in marking final-year school exams that threaten to derail ⁠the careers of millions of students."I will be returning to India to demand the resignation of the education minister," Dipke said on his personal account on X, urging young people to join a peaceful protest in Delhi and "exercise our constitutional right to seek accountability from the government."He said nearly 800,000 students have signed a petition seeking Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.The minister and a government spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The ​CJP's rapid rise marks one of the largest online expressions of dissent against Modi’s 12-year rule, ‌and analysts say it could dent his image despite recent state election victories, as frustration grows over rising fuel prices and gas shortages linked to the Iran war.The party's name is a reference to comments by India’s top judge, ⁠Chief Justice Surya Kant of the Supreme Court, that compared some unemployed youth to cockroaches. Kant later said he did not mean to criticise young people but was referring to those with "fake and bogus degrees." The party has more than 22 million ​followers on Instagram.DIPKE ‌SAYS HIS FAMILY IS WORRIED HE COULD BE ARRESTEDDipke, who has lived in the US for ‌the past two years, said his family and friends were worried he could be arrested on his return. "How long can we live in fear?" he said.The government has blocked the CJP's X account and Dipke told Reuters he had to ‌regain control of the ‌party's Instagram page from unknown hackers.Senior cabinet minister Kiren ⁠Rijiju has accused the CJP of seeking social media followers from arch-enemy Pakistan and the "anti-India ‌gang," while Modi has yet to comment.Rattled by anger following the cancellation of an entrance test for undergraduate medical courses last month due to a leak, the government is planning to ⁠deploy the Indian Air Force to transport question papers for a retest this month, instead of using ​the postal department.CJP has also focused on a youth job crisis. Government data shows that for those aged between 15 and 29, unemployment was 9.9% last year, more than triple the overall rate ⁠of 3.1%.Reuters ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:55:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Sheikha Bodour witnesses signing of cooperation agreement between ERRA and KOPIPOL in Warsaw]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/culture/2026/06/01/sheikha-bodour-witnesses-signing-of-cooperation-agreement-between-erra-and-kopipol-in-warsaw]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[In the presence of Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Honorary President of the Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association (ERRA), and in support of her efforts to strengthen intellectual property protection frameworks and advance the publishing and creative industries, ERRA signed a bilateral cooperation agreement with the Polish Reprographic Rights Organisation (KOPIPOL), specialising in the collective management of authors’ rights for scientific and technical works.The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Association’s participation in the Warsaw International Book Fair 2026 as part of Sharjah’s Guest of Honour programme.The signing of the agreement reflects Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi’s commitment to supporting cultural and knowledge-based initiatives that facilitate the development of the publishing industry and the strengthening of international cooperation in reprographic rights protection as well as collective rights management. It also reinforces the position of the United Arab Emirates as a leading regional and global model in the protection of intellectual property rights.The agreement aligns with the Association’s commitment to strategic partnerships and the sustainable growth of cultural and creative industries locally and internationally, playing an active role in shaping the future of the sector.The cooperation agreement aims to enhance the exchange of expertise and knowledge while developing joint working mechanisms in reprographic rights protection and collective rights management, establishing a more sustainable creative environment that supports creators and safeguards their rights.As part of the integrated Emirati cultural programme that took place during this year’s fair, the Association showcased the UAE’s experience in reprographic rights management, reinforcing its efforts to protect intellectual and creative works. The Association also aims to raise awareness, highlighting the importance of respecting copyright amid the rapid transformations taking place across the publishing sector and creative industries worldwide.ERRA organised a specialised panel discussion titled "Collective Management Organisations and Their Role in Protecting Creativity - Between the UAE and Poland”, in cooperation with KOPIPOL and with the participation of a distinguished group of experts and specialists in the field of copyright as well as collective rights management.The session explored the pivotal role of collective management organisations in regulating the use of creative works within educational and cultural institutions, as well as licensing mechanisms that ensure the protection of authors’ and creators’ moral and economic rights. It also reviewed the key challenges imposed by the digital age on reprographic rights systems and the importance of international cooperation in developing intellectual property protection frameworks, while exemplifying the Emirati-Polish model.In this context, Mohamed Bin Dakhin Al Matrooshi, President of the Emirates Reprographic Rights Association, said, "Our participation in the Warsaw International Book Fair represents an important strategic milestone in strengthening international dialogue on the future of reprographic rights and collective rights management, particularly in light of the rapid changes taking place across the cultural and creative industries worldwide."He added, "At the Emirates Reprographic Rights Association, we are fostering a culture of respect for reprographic rights and building an integrated framework that supports the protection of creative works, safeguarding the moral and economic rights of creators. We are also committed to strengthening cooperation with international institutions and organisations to exchange expertise and develop innovative mechanisms in this field, establishing a more equitable and sustainable creative environment while enhancing the sector’s readiness for the future."WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:37:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Sheikh Sultan approves employment of 717 Emiratis in Sharjah government sector]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/sheikh-sultan-approves-employment-of-717-emiratis-in-sharjah-government]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has approved the employment of 717 male and female Emiratis in the Government of Sharjah.The new employees will join 633 UAE nationals who were recruited into government positions during the first five months of 2026.Dr Sheikh Sultan also approved the Sharjah Programme for the Qualification and  Training of Job Seekers, which will run from June to November 2026.The  programme will benefit 410 UAE nationals, each of whom will receive a  monthly allowance of Dhs6,000. The total cost of the programme amounts  to Dhs14.76 million.The announcement was made by Abdullah Ibrahim Al Zaabi, Chairman of Sharjah Department of Human Resources, via the Direct Line programme.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:31:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[VIDEO: Sharjah woman rescues exhausted stray cat from scorching summer heat]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/sharjah-woman-rescues-exhausted-stray-cat-from-scorching-summer-heat]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[In a humane scene reflecting the values of mercy and compassion that characterise the society of the United Arab Emirates, a video documenting the rescue of an exhausted stray cat in Sharjah has touched the hearts of thousands on social media.The cat, which showed signs of severe exhaustion due to the high temperatures currently being experienced across the country, was rescued by a resident who quickly intervened after noticing the animal in distress. The incident highlights the challenges faced by stray animals during the UAE’s harsh summer months, when extreme heat can pose serious risks to their health and survival. The rescue was carried out by a woman who runs the Instagram account “Ty’s Rescues & Friends,” a platform dedicated to helping and caring for animals in need. According to information shared on the account, the cat was found near a bridge close to Sharjah International Airport.A video posted online showed the resident approaching the weakened animal and providing it with water and immediate care. The cat appeared visibly exhausted and dehydrated after being exposed to the scorching heat. After ensuring the animal received urgent attention, the woman took the cat home, where it could be monitored closely and cared for until its condition improved.Alongside the video, the rescuer used the opportunity to raise awareness about the difficulties faced by stray animals during the summer.“The UAE summer can be unforgiving, especially for stray animals who spend their days searching for shade, safety and a clean source of water,” she wrote.She also encouraged members of the public to help vulnerable animals by placing water bowls outside their homes or workplaces.“If you can, please leave a bowl of fresh water outside. It may seem like a small gesture, but to a thirsty animal, it can mean everything,” she said.The rescuer further invited followers to suggest a name for the cat, describing it as the account’s “newest rescue” and a little survivor.The video quickly went viral, attracting widespread admiration from social media users. Many praised the resident’s compassion and swift response, while others echoed calls to support stray animals during the hottest months of the year.The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of kindness toward animals and reflects the spirit of compassion that many citizens and residents across the UAE continue to demonstrate, particularly during periods of extreme weather.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:45:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Malaysia bans social media for children under 16]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/malaysia-bans-social-media-for-children-under-16]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Malaysia on Monday began enforcing rules barring millions of children younger than 16 from owning social media accounts, joining a global effort to tighten online safety protections for young users.The rules require social media platforms to implement age-verification systems and block users under 16 from creating accounts. They apply to platforms with at least 8 million users, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.The government said the measures are aimed at protecting children from harmful content, cyberbullying and platform features designed to encourage excessive use.Several countries, including Australia, Brazil and Indonesia, have introduced or announced age-based restrictions and requirements governing children's access to social media, while others are studying or developing similar measures.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:56:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Sharjah welcomes first batch of pilgrims returning after Hajj]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/sharjah-welcomes-first-batch-of-pilgrims-returning-after-hajj]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Sharjah Airport welcomed the first group of pilgrims returning from the Holy Lands after completing this year's Hajj pilgrimage. The atmosphere was one of joy and spirituality, supported by an integrated operational framework that ensured smooth procedures and a comfortable arrival experience.Pilgrims praised the high level of organisation and the ease of procedures throughout their journey via the airport. They noted that services were seamless, allowing them to complete arrival procedures swiftly and comfortably. This added a positive touch to their return following their spiritual journey.Airport teams greeted the pilgrims with flowers and traditional Emirati hospitality, reflecting values of warmth and care while enhancing their arrival experience.These efforts were part of early preparations and a comprehensive operational plan implemented by Sharjah Airport Authority in coordination with relevant entities. The plan ensured smooth passenger movement and efficiently handled the large number of returning pilgrims.The welcome also reflects Sharjah Airport’s high level of readiness, both in terms of operational infrastructure and human resources. The airport’s ability to manage peak travel seasons effectively further strengthens its position as a key regional and international travel hub.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:52:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[In Emirati literature women are multidimensional: Author]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/in-emirati-literature-women-are-multidimensional-author]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Questions of identity, authorship and the changing portrayal of women in literature took centre stage at the Warsaw International Book Fair 2026, as Emirati writer and critic Dr Hind Al Mashmoom and Polish author Grażyna Plebanek examined how female voices and experiences have evolved across literary traditions in the UAE and Poland.Held as part of Sharjah’s Guest of Honour programme, the session, titled “Women's Stories in Emirati and Polish Literature”, brought together perspectives from two distinct cultural contexts while revealing shared literary concerns around representation, agency and the role of storytelling in reflecting social change.Al Mashmoom challenged the distinction often drawn between “women’s writing” and “men’s writing”, arguing that literature should be assessed not through the gender of its author but through the questions it raises and the human and artistic horizons it opens.She noted that Emirati women’s writing has undergone significant transformation over recent decades, evolving beyond questions of visibility and self-expression to engage with broader themes of identity, belonging, family, society and the human condition. Contemporary Emirati literature, she explained, reflects a growing diversity of perspectives shaped by individual experiences and creative approaches.Discussing the portrayal of women in Emirati fiction, Al Mashmoom observed that female characters frequently appear as mothers, wives and sisters, reflecting their place within social and family structures. At the same time, she noted that contemporary Emirati literature increasingly presents women as complex and multidimensional figures whose experiences extend beyond traditional roles.She also challenged narrow interpretations of female strength, arguing that strength should not be measured solely through resistance or confrontation. Rather, it can be found in self-awareness, self-expression and the ability to shape one's place within society.For her part, Plebanek echoed the view that literature transcends gender categories, arguing that the strongest connection between writers lies in their shared commitment to storytelling rather than in questions of identity.Drawing on her experience of living and writing across different cultures and languages, Plebanek described literature as a meeting place for human experiences rather than a space defined by fixed identities or rigid classifications.She observed that women writers in Europe and Poland have spent more than a century seeking identities beyond the traditional roles historically assigned to them, with contemporary literature offering greater freedom for women to articulate their own experiences, aspirations and perspectives.Plebanek also pointed to a broader shift taking place within European literary circles, noting a growing openness to perspectives beyond traditional Eurocentric frameworks. Contemporary literature, she argued, is increasingly shaped by curiosity about other cultures and a willingness to engage in dialogue across cultural boundaries.The discussion reflected a broader theme running throughout Sharjah’s Guest of Honour programme at the Warsaw International Book Fair: the role of literature as a platform for cultural exchange and shared reflection on questions that resonate across societies, regardless of geography, language or tradition.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:49:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[President directs launch of ‘Naseej’ to transform UAE textile sector]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/president-directs-launch-of-naseej-to-transform-uae-textile-sector]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ‘Naseej’ the National Initiative for Textile Circularity has been launched as a strategic mandate contributing to the transition of the textile sector toward a circular economic system.Naseej aims to move the sector beyond linear consumption and disposal toward an integrated model that preserves resources, captures economic value, and aligns sustainability with long-term national development.Formed through a strategic partnership between the National Projects Office, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, Emirates Foundation, and Tadweer Group, Naseej serves as a unified national platform coordinating policy, industry action, research, and public engagement across the textile value chain.Rooted in the UAE’s heritage of preservation, craftsmanship, and resourcefulness, Naseej draws inspiration from the historic role textiles have played in the lives of its people and in the country’s economic development. The initiative builds on these values to support national efforts to embed circular thinking into everyday practices.Sheikha Mariam Bint Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairperson of the Presidential Court for National Projects, said, “Naseej reaffirms the UAE’s commitment to sustainability as a shared national responsibility. It reflects a forward-looking vision that transforms challenges into lasting opportunities by driving positive behavioural change, encouraging responsible resource use, and empowering community participation and volunteering. The initiative lays the foundation for resilient, future-ready development that benefits generations to come.”Sheikh Theyab Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs, and Chairman of the Emirates Foundation, said, “The Naseej initiative represents an important step toward embedding the concept of the circular economy within the UAE’s sustainable development model. It reflects our wise leadership’s vision for long-term, innovation-led growth, bringing together institutions, industry, youth, and the wider community to collectively rethink how we value, preserve, and sustain our resources.”Textile waste presents a growing challenge globally and nationally. In the UAE, annual textile waste volumes are estimated to reach approximately 220,000 tonnes. Naseej responds to this challenge with a structured national approach that strengthens collection and recycling systems, advances research and innovation, and fosters a culture of conscious consumption aligned with circular economy principles.Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, stated, “Thanks to the directives of its wise leadership, the UAE has prioritized the development of a comprehensive and advanced circular economy system in accordance with global best practices. Through Naseej, we are establishing a national framework that aligns policy, industry action, and public participation under this shared vision for a circular economy. By moving from fragmented voluntary efforts to an organized national system underpinned by partnerships and continued cooperation, we look forward to enabling the wide-scale implementation of circular textile solutions in the country, contributing to achieving the goals of the UAE Circular Economy Policy 2031."Naseej’s mandate is anchored in five strategic pillars: Collection and Recycling, Awareness and Outreach, Behavioural Research, Policies and Regulations, and Circular Business and Innovation. Together, these pillars provide a comprehensive foundation for transforming the textile sector, enabling long-term value retention, system resilience, and measurable environmental and economic impact.The strategic groundwork for Naseej began during COP28, with the support of the National Projects Office within the Presidential Court, and progressed through a series of Memorandums of Understanding signed with key partners across the textile ecosystem. These partnerships bring together fashion brands, manufacturers, collection and recycling operators, research institutions, and community organisations, creating an integrated national framework for collaboration and delivery.As part of its public launch, Naseej will host its inaugural community activation, “The Fabric of Possibility,” from 5 – 7 June 2026 at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. Designed as an immersive experience, the activation invites individuals and families to reflect on the impact of textile waste, explore practical sustainable solutions, and actively participate in shaping a more circular future. The experience will expand to other regions across the UAE in subsequent phases.Following its launch, Naseej will roll out a series of national programmes to support sustainable textile practices, strengthen collection and recycling infrastructure, and advance research, pilots, and market development initiatives that enable scalable circular solutions across the UAE.By aligning policy, industry leadership, and community participation within a single national framework, Naseej strengthens the UAE’s role as a global reference for circular economy implementation. The initiative demonstrates a practical, scalable model for balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship, while reinforcing the UAE’s commitment to building a sustainable future for generations to come.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:50:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Sharjah Ruler attends graduation ceremony of SPAA students]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/sharjah-ruler-attends-graduation-ceremony-of-spaa-students]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, attended the graduation ceremony of the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA) at the University of the Art Sharjah – Class of 2026 – on Sunday morning. The ceremony, held at the university theatre, celebrated the graduation of 52 students.Upon arrival, Sheikh Sultan was received by Sheikha Hoor Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the University of the Art Sharjah; Sheikha Nawar Bint Ahmed Al Qasimi, Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation; Mohammed Obaid Al Zaabi, Head of the Protocol and Hospitality Department; and members of the university’s Board of Trustees.The ceremony began with the UAE national anthem, followed by a musical performance by university students showcasing their artistic and instrumental skills through a range of instruments, including the piano, flute and violin, reflecting the academic and practical training they received during their studies.In her address, Sheikha Hoor expressed her pride in the graduation of the fourth cohort of the SPAA, noting that the graduates are taking their first steps towards their professional careers after years of academic study and artistic development. She said they are now equipped to play an active role in enriching and advancing the cultural and artistic landscape in the region.Sheikha Hoor noted that this achievement coincides with a significant new phase in the emirate’s arts education journey, marked by the strategic integration of the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy and the College of Arts and Design under the umbrella of the University of the Art Sharjah.She stressed that Sharjah has placed investment in people at the heart of its cultural and civilisational project, guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who has established the emirate as a haven of knowledge, creativity and innovation, attracting artists and creative talents from around the world. She added that this approach has created a supportive environment for talent and creativity, enabling new generations to develop their abilities and refine their skills.Sheikha Hoor expressed confidence in the graduates’ ability to apply the knowledge and experience they have gained to serve society, enrich cultural and artistic life, and achieve their professional and creative aspirations. She concluded by congratulating the graduates on their achievement, thanking the academic and administrative teams and everyone who contributed to their education and development, and wishing them continued success in the future. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Peter Barlow, Director of the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy at the University of the Art Sharjah, said the academy had achieved remarkable accomplishments in a relatively short period, establishing itself as one of the region’s leading institutions in performing arts education. He attributed this success to the vision of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, which aimed to establish a specialised academic institution that combines academic excellence with practical application and prepares generations of artists and creatives capable of leading the cultural and artistic scene.Dr. Peter Barlow reviewed the academy’s key milestones since its establishment, including the launch of specialised academic programmes that are the first of their kind in the UAE and the region, the graduation of the first cohort of Master of Fine Arts students, the opening of the College of Music, and the introduction of academic programmes in Arabic music and Western classical music. He also highlighted the academy’s hosting of international events and initiatives that have strengthened Sharjah’s presence globally.The Director of the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy added that the establishment of the University of the Art Sharjah marks a new stage in specialised arts education by unifying academic and creative efforts under one umbrella that supports innovation and broadens opportunities for learning and artistic practice. He congratulated the graduates on their academic achievement and expressed confidence in their ability to contribute to their communities and help build a more creative future.Actress Yasmina El Abd, the ceremony’s guest of honour, congratulated the graduates and expressed her delight at returning to the academy and sharing the occasion with them. She praised their talent, passion and creativity, stressing that performing arts contribute not only to artistic development but also to building character, enhancing communication skills and deepening understanding of human emotions.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:05:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Hollywood honours Marilyn Monroe, 100 years after her birth]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/culture/2026/06/01/hollywood-honors-marilyn-monroe-100-years-after-her-birth]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Marilyn Monroe's hometown of Hollywood kicks off Monday a series of special events marking the 100th anniversary of the movie icon's birth.At the historic Chinese Theatre, where Monroe's handprints are immortalised alongside "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953) co-star Jane Russell, fans plan to sing "Happy Birthday" -- echoing her famed sultry serenade to president John F. Kennedy.One hundred roses and a cake will be placed at the site, a symbol of Hollywood's golden age and a popular tourist hotspot.Tributes to Tinseltown's legendary daughter began on Sunday, with the Academy Museum opening "Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon," an exhibit celebrating her film career and life cut short.After shooting to superstardom in the 1950s, the actress and model died of an overdose at her Brentwood home in August 1962, aged 36.The Academy Museum will host special screenings of her prolific filmography throughout the month, including "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950), "Niagara" (1953), "The Seven Year Itch" (1955), "Some Like It Hot" (1959), and "The Misfits" (1961).The exhibit, which runs until February 2027, includes hundreds of original pieces, some rarely on display -- such as Monroe's famed pink dress worn during her iconic performance of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."Later in the week, on June 4, Julien's Auctions will put nearly 200 pieces of Monroe memorabilia under the hammer as part of its special "100 Years of Marilyn" sale.The items include unpublished photographs, a script with notes from her final production, the unfinished short film "Something's Got to Give," and personal items such as handwritten recipes and her Elizabeth Arden lipstick.Image makerBorn in Los Angeles on June 1, 1926, Monroe had an unstable childhood spent between orphanages and foster homes. She married for the first time at age 16.She had her first brush with show business in 1944, while working in a factory, when a photographer arrived to capture photos of women working on production lines during the Second World War.Launching into the world of modeling soon after, she divorced her husband and made a history-defining decision: dyeing her brown hair platinum blonde.She landed her first contract with Fox, and by the age of 30 had established herself as a global star.Behind the scenes, Monroe founded her own production company, attended the prestigious Actors Studio in New York, and even defied the studios.In the 1950s, while under contract with 20th Century Fox, she refused to act in the adaptation of the musical "The Girl in Pink Tights," deeming the script mediocre and her salary -- three times less than that of co-star Frank Sinatra -- unfair.More than half a century before the #MeToo movement shook the global entertainment industry, Monroe denounced the Hollywood "wolves" preying on female talent.Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:58:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Explosion at defence company in South Korea kills 5]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/explosion-at-defence-company-in-south-korea-kills-5]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[An explosion and fire occurred at a defence company in South Korea on Monday, killing five people and injuring two others, officials said.The deadly incident happened at a worksite run by Hanwha Aerospace in the South Korean city of Daejeon.Other details, including the cause of the explosion, were not immediately available.Emergency official Yoon Seong-su said that the area is a government-designated security facility.Local medical official Kim Ju-yeon said one of the two injured people was in a critical condition. She said authorities haven't yet identified the dead people.The site is one of Hanwha Aerospace's key facilities where it develops large-sized propellants and surface-to-surface weapons systems, according to Yonhap news agency.Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:54:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[US, Iran exchange fire as negotiations stall]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/06/01/us-iran-exchange-fire-as-negotiations-stall]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The United States and Iran said on Monday they had again traded strikes, straining an already fragile ceasefire as negotiations between the two sides have stalled.Weeks of complicated talks marked by sharp rhetoric and occasional flare-ups of violence have not managed to reach a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which is essential to oil supplies.Washington and Tehran have sharp differences on questions like Iranian nuclear efforts and the fighting in Lebanon, which Iran has demanded must stop as part of a broader agreement.The latest exchange of fire coincided with Israel expanding its offensive in Lebanon, with Prime Minister Netanyahu vowing to push deeper into the country.The US military announced that it had carried out "self-defence strikes" on Iranian radar and drone control sites in the southern part of the country over the weekend -- its third such wave in just over a week.The strikes were in response to the downing of a US MQ-1 drone, it added.Shortly after, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted an "air base from which the attack originated" used by the US military, state broadcaster IRIB reported Monday, without specifying the location of the base.The Guards' announcement came on the heels of the Kuwaiti military saying its air defences intercepted "hostile missile and drone attacks", without mentioning where attack originated.Sticking pointsIran was already in talks with the United States about the fate of its nuclear programme in February when the US and Israel launched air and missile strikes that wiped out much of the Islamic republic's senior leadership.While Tehran has long insisted that its nuclear programme is for purely civilian ends, the United States and its Western allies suspect it aims to develop a weapon.The New York Times and Axios reported on Saturday that Trump had sent back a "tougher" new framework to be considered by Iran, though details remain unclear.Trump has said his priorities include stopping Iran from developing any nuclear weapon and reopening the Hormuz shipping lane, which Iran has blockaded since the war began."The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons.They've agreed to that, and it was very interesting," he told his daughter-in-law Lara Trump in an interview on her Fox News show.Late on Sunday, Trump stressed on Truth Social that the proposed deal "states, very clearly, that Iran will not have a Nuclear Weapon".Tehran, however, has previously cast doubt on Trump's assertions and the sides remain far apart on key issues."We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld," Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a video broadcast on state television.According to the Tasnim news agency, exchanges on the text "are ongoing, with both parties regularly proposing amendments".Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, said that "until a clear conclusion is reached... everything that is being said now is speculation", according to state TV.Iran has said it needs the release of $12 billion in frozen assets before engaging in substantive talks on its nuclear programme, dismissing earlier Trump comments that its enriched uranium stockpile would be destroyed as "baseless", according to Iranian media.Trump is under pressure to secure a deal that would lift competing US and Iranian blockades around the Strait of Hormuz that have strangled a vital route for global oil supplies.After Trump said Iran would charge "no tolls" on ships passing through the strait under any deal, Iranian news agency Fars cited sources saying "no such clause" existed.Iran's ISNA news agency on Saturday quoted lawmaker Alireza Salimi as saying a plan for Iranian "management and sovereignty" over the strait -- including imposing "administrative fees" -- would soon go before parliament.Lebanon frontTehran has insisted that any peace deal include Lebanon, where fierce fighting continues, with Beirut accusing Israel of pursuing a "scorched-earth policy" as it expands operations against Iran-backed Hizbollah.A truce between Israel and Hizbollah formally began on April 17 but it has never been observed, with both sides accusing each other of violating it.An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed eight people on Sunday, including three women, according to the Lebanese health ministry.The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday on the widening Israeli offensive following its capture of the strategic medieval castle of Beaufort, diplomatic sources told the media.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the retaking of Beaufort "a dramatic shift."Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:36:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[McLaren join Ferrari as only F1 teams to make 1,000 GP starts ]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/06/01/mclaren-join-ferrari-as-only-f1-teams-to-make-1000-gp-starts]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Bruce McLaren, in a 1964 eulogy for late friend and fellow driver Timmy Mayer, said "life is measured in achievement, not in years alone" and more than 60 years ‌later his team are still living by the maxim.Founded by the late New Zealander, with barely a handful of employees, McLaren celebrate their ​1,000th Formula One start ⁠in Monaco this weekend as only the second outfit after Ferrari to reach such a mighty milestone.They stand ‌alone in getting there as champions.In terms ‌of achievement, McLaren are the second most successful Formula One team of all time with 203 grand prix victories since the first in 1968.They have won 10 constructors' championships and 13 drivers' titles since Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi took the first in 1974, with Britain's Lando Norris the latest in 2025.Ferrari, competing since the ‌start of the championship in 1950, reached the 1,000 race milestone at their home Mugello circuit in 2020 and have 16 constructors' titles and 15 drivers' ⁠crowns with 247 wins.The Italians have not won a title since 2008, however."It (McLaren) is just an iconic, legendary racing team," said Zak Brown, who became CEO in 2018 and has led his men and women back to the top after years in the doldrums."The drivers that we've had over the years are amazing".Roll call of Champions from Fittipaldi to NorrisThe roll call of champions testifies to that, with Britain's Norris the latest on the list.After Fittipaldi came James Hunt (1976), Niki Lauda (1984), Alain Prost (1985, 1986, 1989), Ayrton Senna (1988, 1990, 1991), Mika Hakkinen (1998, 1991) and Lewis Hamilton (2008).Other champions to have raced ​for the team at some point include Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Denny Hulme, Nigel Mansell, Kimi Raikkonen, Keke Rosberg and Jody Scheckter."To ‌see my name alongside some of these guys is very special," said Norris, who has driven for the team since his F1 debut in 2019.The Briton described the current team as 'one big happy family', which was not always the case.McLaren, in the Ron Dennis era that started in 1981, were an innovative ⁠powerhouse with seven constructors' titles between 1984 and 1998.Dennis started out as a mechanic and stood out for his attention to detail and vision -- the award-winning factory in Woking and road car company are testament to that -- while taking McLaren back to the top from a late 1970s slump.While he could appear obsessive and ​abrasive in a less ‌fan-focused era, and was famed also for his use of convoluted 'Ronspeak' expressions, the team's success was enviable.In 1988 McLaren won all but one ‌race with Senna and Prost, whose rivalry and feuding lit up the track in the late 1980s and early 1990s.In 2007, Hamilton's debut year, McLaren were fined a record $100 million by the governing FIA for being found illegally in possession of confidential Ferrari information in an infamous 'spygate' case.Dennis was ousted in 2017, the sporting giant's ‌reign ended after a ‌boardroom coup with Bahrain's Mumtalakat investment fund in control.McLaren returned to the top ⁠in 2024 with the constructors' title and both championships in 2025, the fan-focused team returning to the bright papaya colours ‌of old."It's all about people," said Brown, an American. "When I started, the team had definitely gone through tough times. We were ninth in the championship, we didn't have many partners and the partners we had weren't very happy."Our fans were disgruntled, a ⁠lot of politics inside the racing team."What was great was our brand. It wasn't in a great place but you can't take away ​the history and heritage".Team principal Andrea Stella, who worked at Ferrari during a golden era with seven-times champion Michael Schumacher, said McLaren -- like the Italian team -- were defined by their legacy."It started with our founder Bruce McLaren, a young guy, he wanted to build ⁠something incredible and he followed his dreams, he made it happen," said the Italian.Reuters]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:14:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Kostyuk stuns Swiatek, Cirstea and Zverev cruise into French Open quarter-finals]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/06/01/kostyuk-stuns-swiatek-cirstea-and-zverev-cruise-into-french-open-quarter-finals]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek exited Roland Garros as the top seeds continued to fall at the start of the second week, while Alexander Zverev cruised past lucky loser Jesper De Jong 7-6(3) 6-4 6-1 to reach quarter-finals.The Polish third seed endured a miserable 25th birthday as she went down 7-5, 6-1 to Madrid Open winner Marta Kostyuk.Since winning Roland Garros in her second appearance at the tournament in 2020, Swiatek had never gone more than two years without hoisting aloft the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen, but after Aryna Sabalenka ended her bid to win a fourth consecutive French Open in the semi-finals last year, she has lost her unbeatable status on clay.Indeed since last winning in Paris in 2024, Swiatek has only lifted three titles in the two subsequent seasons.“I feel, like, for sure I lost today because Marta used the opportunity, and I was super tense,” she said.“It is harder a bit to handle stress for me in, like, (the) last year.“So I feel like today I felt off, you know, and I did mistakes that I didn’t want to do, and I wanted to play safe, but the ball flew everywhere.“Suddenly these feelings came back, and I tried to work on it with my dialogue inside, but it was tough today. Yeah, so it all kind of went drastically down, and I played worse and worse.”After breaking Kostyuk in the first set to edge 4-3 ahead, Swiatek’s serve totally deserted her and she failed to hold again as the Ukrainian hit back to claim the opener and then raced through the second frame.For Kostyuk, reaching a first quarter-final at Roland Garros was just the latest high mark in a fine clay-court season, in which she claimed the 250-level event in Rouen, as well as a first WTA 1000 title in the Spanish capital.Elina Svitolina next stands between her compatriot and the last four after she fought back to beat Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.The seventh seed has reached the quarter-finals at the French Open on five previous occasions but has failed to ever go beyond that mark.After winning a first WTA 1000 title in eight years earlier in May at the Italian Open, Svitolina’s last-eight encounter with Kostyuk will pit against each other the two winners of the main warm-up events to Roland Garros.“It’s exciting. Definitely she’s been playing really well,” Svitolina said of Kostyuk, who is on a 15-match win streak on the red dirt.Sorana Cirstea continued her remarkable renaissance during her farewell season on tour as the 36-year-old bested Chinese world number 148 Wang Xiyu 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).The Romanian will face Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva.Teenager Andreeva, who defeated 170th-ranked Swiss Jil Teichmann in straight sets, will be targeting a second semi-final in three years at Roland Garros.“I came into my last year, wanted to go out the front door of the sport, wanting to really do well, but I didn’t really think it was going to go that well,” Cirstea, who arrived in Paris at a career-high ranking of 18th, said.“In the same time it’s very beautiful. I’m very grateful for everything that’s happening.”Rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar has been no stranger to lengthy matches in his debut Roland Garros campaign but the 19-year-old’s five-set win over fellow countryman Pablo Carreno Busta was even longer drawn out than it would otherwise have been as the heatwave that defined the first week subsided to rain, which caused brief delays in play.Jodar battled back from two sets down to beat the 34-year-old 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 and progress to the last eight. His next opponent is the highest-ranked man left in the draw and the prime contender to claim a maiden Grand Slam crown, German second seed Zverev.The 29-year-old three-time major finalist eased through the fourth round with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-1 win over 106th-ranked Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong.Despite only dropping a set so far en route to an eighth quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros, Zverev refused to be drawn on the question of finally breaking his Grand Slam duck.“I will focus on the matches that are ahead of me. This is the only thing that I can control,” he insisted.Agencies]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:10:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Mentality shift behind rapid rise, Fonseca says after reaching French Open quarters]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/06/01/mentality-shift-behind-rapid-rise-fonseca-says-after-reaching-french-open-quarters]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Joao Fonseca said a change in mentality and months of hard work have helped fuel his rise to a first Grand Slam ‌quarter-final after the Brazilian teenager's breakthrough run at the French Open.The ​19-year-old reached ⁠the last eight of a major for ‌the first time on ‌Sunday with a 7-5 7-6(8) 5-7 6-2 victory over two-time runner-up Casper Ruud."Pre-season in December was pretty tough," he told reporters. "Australia can be ‌an example, because I was with no rhythm at all. Practiced ⁠like two days with 13 days off and tried to play."But what changed is doing a lot of physical stuff and working hard."After winning the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals, Fonseca burst into the spotlight with an upset of Andrey Rublev at the 2025 ​Australian Open.He said his experiences over the past year had ‌helped shape his progress."The mentality also changed a lot, focusing on the points and not in the end of the match," he ⁠said."I'm out of home since Monte-Carlo, but I think a lot of work came. Mentality improved a lot."Fonseca said he felt more comfortable imposing ​himself against ‌Ruud than he had during his earlier victory over Novak ‌Djokovic in Paris, repeatedly taking the initiative against one of the circuit's strongest clay-court players."Against Djokovic was more mental," he said."I was feeling more ‌confident in ‌today's match and more aggressive, going ⁠for the shots and trying to command on the ‌points pretty soon."Three-times champion Gustavo Kuerten watched Sunday's match from the stands and Fonseca enjoyed having the support ⁠of his countryman."Having Guga there supporting and cheering was ​amazing and super-nice experience today," he added."It's different. Of course my first time, but just living the moment."Reuters]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:05:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Dubai Chambers boosts trade and investment relations with Ethiopia]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/06/01/dubai-chambers-boosts-trade-and-investment-relations-with-ethiopia]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Dubai Chambers has held a series of meetings with government entities, economic institutions, and investment organisations in Addis Ababa to explore ways of strengthening trade and investment between Dubai and Ethiopia.The meetings were attended by Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers. Dubai Chambers met with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Industry, represented by Melaku Alebel, Minister of Industry, to discuss ways to expand cooperation across industrial sectors. The meeting also explored opportunities to strengthen private sector partnerships, increase trade exchange, and open new avenues for joint investment.Dubai Chambers also held a meeting with the Ethiopian Investment Commission, represented by its Deputy Commissioner, Zinabu Yirga. Discussions focused on attracting investment, strengthening cooperation in priority sectors, and highlighting the investment environments in Dubai and Ethiopia, as well as the advantages available to investors and international companies.In addition, Dubai Chambers met with Ethiopian Investment Holdings, Africa’s largest sovereign wealth fund, represented by the fund’s Deputy CEO, Meleket Sahlu. The meeting explored opportunities to build long-term partnerships that advance economic development and create new opportunities for companies and investors from Dubai and Ethiopia.The meetings took place as part of the trade mission led by Dubai Chamber of Commerce to Ethiopia and Ghana. The mission aims to support the expansion of companies operating in Dubai into high-potential African markets.Last week, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has successfully concluded the Ethiopia leg of its trade mission to Ghana and Ethiopia, organising 510 bilateral business meetings in Addis Ababa between companies from Dubai and their Ethiopian counterparts. The meetings created a platform to explore opportunities for cooperation and develop new partnerships across a range of priority sectors.Dubai Chamber of Commerce achieved a new high in Addis Ababa, organising 510 B2B meetings - the highest since the launch of its “New Horizons” initiative in 2023 to support the global expansion of Dubai companies. This record underscores strong international confidence in Dubai’s business ecosystem and highlights the growing interest among foreign companies in building economic ties and partnerships with Dubai’s business community.As part of the mission, the chamber hosted the ‘Dubai–Ethiopia Business Connect’ forum in cooperation with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations; the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations; and the Ethiopian Investment Commission. The forum attracted 669 senior officials, business leaders, and representatives of local companies, providing a platform to explore prospects for cooperation and new partnership opportunities between members of the Dubai delegation and Ethiopia’s business community.The value of non-oil trade between Dubai and Ethiopia reached Dhs22.3 billion in 2025, recording strong year-on-year growth of 236.6%. A total of 91 new Ethiopian companies joined Dubai Chamber of Commerce during Q1 2026, bringing the total number of Ethiopian companies registered as active members of the chamber to 1,676 by the end of March 2026.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:45:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Dubai RTA digital revenue rises 20.6% to Dhs5.3 billion in 2025]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/06/01/dubai-rta-digital-revenue-rises-206-to-dhs53-billion-in-2025]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) generated Dhs5.3 billion in revenue through digital channels in 2025, marking a 20.6 per cent increase compared to 2024, reflecting growing adoption of digital services across its operations.Transactions completed through digital channels exceeded 628 million, a 13 per cent rise. RTA offers customers 105 digital services through six channels. Digital channel adoption reached 96 per cent, while the average customer happiness index stood at 98 per cent.Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said the results reflected the authority’s progress from service digitisation towards an integrated digital ecosystem powered by data and artificial intelligence, supporting Dubai’s ambition to become the world’s smartest city.“The next phase will focus on expanding the use of AI and emerging technologies in the design and delivery of services, while strengthening integration with government digital platforms. This will help build an advanced digital ecosystem that supports sustainable growth and keeps pace with rapid global developments in the mobility sector,” Al Tayer added.RTA achieved 94 per cent on the Digital Maturity Index, reaching Level 5, the highest level across the Government of Dubai in 2025, and ranked among the top four government entities.It also scored 83 per cent in the Digital Customer Experience pillar, a 12 per cent increase on 2024, and achieved 100 per cent in the accessibility assessment for People of Determination.The authority recorded customer usage of services via smart apps at more than 25 per cent, a 40 per cent increase year-on-year. RTA also launched 18 new services through the RTA Dubai app, designed in response to customer needs and government directions.Smart apps continued to gain traction, with active users of the RTA Dubai app exceeding 1.2 million in 2025. Meanwhile, S’hail app also introduced a range of services linked to the automated fare collection system, including nol card services, alongside new features and enhancements that improved the integrated mobility experience and reinforced the concept of shared digital channels.These developments support RTA’s drive to provide a unified and seamless mobility experience across Dubai’s various transport modes. They also contributed to higher app usage, with annual visits rising to 68 million, increasing by 144 per cent from 2024. Requests for enquiry and journey-planning services also rose to 48 million, representing 48 per cent growth.RTA provides 103 services through the website, with 11 million transactions completed and a customer happiness index of 96 per cent. RTA also launched four new digital platforms on the website, including dedicated platforms for the Road Safety Film Festival Competition, Delivery Service Excellence Award, Academic Scholarship Programme, and Dubai Award for Sustainable Transport.RTA also added three new services: payment of advertising signboard fines, contesting violations, and the temporary passenger transport permit service, “Naqel”. RTA also introduced an AI-powered search feature to make services easier to access and improve the user experience.RTA has significantly enhanced digital services through the virtual assistant “Mahboub”, adding and improving 15 digital services under Phase 3 of the Services 360 Plan. This raised the total number of interactive services to 32.The enhancement also contributed to greater uptake of digital channels, with transactions increasing by 20.6 per cent compared with 2024 and revenue collected rising by 8.1 per cent.Across alternative service channels, smart kiosks offering 24 services covering drivers, vehicles and nol witnessed growing uptake. Transactions increased by 17.3 per cent compared with 2024, surpassing 1 million, while revenue exceeded AED425 million, a rise of more than 11 per cent year-on-year. As part of kiosk expansion plans, RTA launched four new interactive kiosks at Customer Happiness Centres.The WhatsApp channel offers 16 services, with revenue from parking ticket reservations rising to more than Dhs21.7 million. RTA also launched “Madinati” service via Mahboub chatbot on WhatsApp, using computer vision and generative AI technologies to support the shift towards proactive smart services.RTA continued to implement objectives of the Services 360 Policy by launching and enhancing 48 of 74 digital services across digital channels, strengthening service integration and simplifying the customer journey.It also expanded services across shared digital channels. RTA added 14 services to S’hail app under the “Mobility in Dubai” channel, enhanced 23 services on “Dubai Now”, and upgraded 21 services on “Invest in Dubai”. RTA also made 10 services available through “Visit Dubai” and integrated RTA services into the “Build in Dubai” platform.RTA continued to strengthen global presence and excellence, winning two Global Business Tech Awards. The RTA Dubai app won the “Best Application of Tech - Public Sector” award, while S’hail app won the “Best Mobile Tech of the Year” award.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:44:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Soaring prices jeopardise travel to tourism-dependent countries]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/06/01/soaring-prices-jeopardise-travel-to-tourism-dependent-countries]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[With summer around the corner, soaring prices and other complications from the war with Iran are straining the tourism-dependent economies of countries in Southeast Asia, including Thailand and Vietnam.The region’s peak tourist summer season is at risk as elevated jet fuel costs coupled with ceasefire uncertainties prompt flight cancellations and higher ticket prices.Tourism in Asia has yet to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, many countries are coping with the war’s repercussions for global energy supplies and prices, which hit Asia first and hardest. Some families are pulling back on travel as visiting gas stations and grocery stores gets more expensive worldwide. Crowds have thinned at some places once synonymous with travel.“With gasoline prices rising and tourism declining, how can we make money?” asked Siv Pech, a 58-year-old tuk-tuk driver in Siem Reap, home to Cambodia’s centuries-old Angkor Wat temple complex.Tourism is an economic lifeline for many developing nations. It contributes nearly 13% of gross domestic product in Thailand and nearly 9% in Vietnam, and it underpins millions of jobs in Cambodia. Travelers bring in much-needed foreign currency for import-dependent economies such as the Philippines and Nepal.Those tourism dollars are more critical than ever as war-driven spikes in oil prices push up the cost of fuel imports, especially for parts of the world that relied on the Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s coast as a conduit for much of their oil and gas.The war will determine which tourism businesses can survive long enough to benefit from the eventual return of travelers, said Jitsai Santaputra of The Lantau Group, an energy industry consulting firm. “This, happening within five years of each other, first the pandemic and now the war, is horrible for the tourism industry,” she said.Jet fuel shortages and surging costs have led Vietnam Airlines, the Malaysia-based AirAsia group, Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific and other carriers to cut flights or re-adjust schedules.European carriers face a squeeze from similar issues.Airspace closures across the Persian Gulf early in the war and the intermittent closures of certain Gulf airports cut off key layover locations for Asia-bound flights or forced commercial airplanes to take longer, costlier routes.Airfares have jumped, with airlines like Air India and Cathay Pacific implementing sharp increases in fuel surcharges.Cathay Pacific’s fuel surcharge for medium-haul flights has jumped to 633 Hong Kong dollars ($80) from 264 Hong Kong dollars ($34) before the war. For long-haul flights, it increased to 1,362 Hong Kong dollars ($174) from 569 Hong Kong dollars ($73).“Jet fuel prices remain at highly elevated levels” and have increased cost pressures, said Lavinia Lau, Cathay’s chief customer and commercial officer. Travelers are booking closer to their departure dates, she said, indicating growing unease.Sandra Awodele, a freelance travel writer in the Washington area, often plans year-round international trips and hoped this summer would finally be the one she crossed Asia off her bucket list.In March, she began planning a long-awaited vacation to Thailand, envisioning one to two weeks of exploring. Her plans hit a wall when she checked airfares.“I looked at flight options and that’s where it ended,” Awodele said.On the ground, rising fuel costs in tourism-dependent Southeast Asia are squeezing taxi and ride-hailing app drivers.Pech, the Cambodian tuk-tuk driver, said he used to earn up to $20 a day toting tourists around Siem Reap. That’s plummeted to about $5 a day.His gas bill eats half of that. The rest goes to food. “Some days, I don’t earn even a cent,” he said.Tourism is vital for many regional economies, accounting for nearly 11% of economic activity in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2019, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.An analysis by Moody’s Analytics estimated effects from the war would likely reduce economic growth across the Asia-Pacific region by 0.1 to 0.4 percentage points in 2026.“The conflict will weigh on growth mainly through higher production costs and consumer prices, along with weaker external demand from trade and tourism,” said Albert Park, chief economist at the Asia Development Bank.Agencies]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:40:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[China factory activity stalls in May as new export orders shrink]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/06/01/china-factory-activity-stalls-in-may-as-new-export-orders-shrink]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[China’s ‌factory activity stalled in May as new export orders contracted and input costs kept rising, an official survey showed on ​Sunday, adding to concerns the world’s second-largest economy is losing momentum despite pockets of strength in services and high-tech manufacturing.The official ‌manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) dropped to 50 from ‌50.3 in April, matching the forecast in a Reuters poll of economists and straddling the 50-mark separating growth from contraction, according to a survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).It was the lowest reading in three months and followed data earlier in May showing China’s growth momentum ‌cooled in April despite a rebound in exports.Supply improved while demand weakened, as the sub-indexes for production and new orders came in ⁠at 51.2 and 49.9 in the manufacturing PMI survey.New export orders fell more sharply, dropping to 48.6 from 50.3 in April, heaping pressure on policymakers to reduce the economy’s reliance on overseas demand and strengthen domestic consumption.“The slowdown in foreign demand was particularly prominent ... mainly due to a marked contraction in the exports from the consumer goods manufacturing sector,” said Wen Tao, an analyst at the China Logistics Information centre.Weakness in the property market, employment and consumer spending continues to dampen growth, leaving China reliant on global demand to absorb ​goods produced by its manufacturing sector.China’s government has vowed to address the supply-demand mismatch and has set a less ‌ambitious GDP growth target for 2026, allowing more room for reforms.External pressures have added to the strain on manufacturers. The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which started in late February and led to the effective closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, has sent energy prices surging, threatening to squeeze manufacturers’ profits as costs soar.The gauge for raw material prices in the manufacturing PMI survey came in at 60.5, down from 63.7 in April but still well above the 50-point mark, suggesting input costs continued to rise, albeit at a slower pace.“The purchase price ​index remained in ‌expansionary territory, showing that raw material prices continued to rise, which also kept prices at the product end increasing,” Wen said.For Chinese ‌manufacturers, external factors have had an uneven impact. The petrochemical sector and other upstream industries have borne the brunt of imported producer price inflation, but stockpiling by buyers concerned about further cost hikes as well as global demand for semiconductors and other AI-related goods have bolstered advanced manufacturing.High-tech and equipment ‌manufacturing outperformed the overall sector ‌in May, logging PMI readings of 52.9 and 52.1, NBS data showed. Activity in high-energy-consuming industries, meanwhile, contracted.A summit between Chinese and US leaders in Beijing in mid-May did ‌not result in an extension of the trade truce the two governments reached late last year, although the two sides agreed to explore areas for tariff cuts on goods worth some $30 billion from each.The non-manufacturing PMI, which includes services and construction, rose to 50.1 from 49.4 in April, NBS data showed, helped by a surge in travel spending ​during the five-day May Day holiday at the start of the month.The services activity gauge improved to 50.3, its highest in nine months, suggesting Beijing’s push to expand the services sector may be gaining some traction as policymakers seek to offset sluggish demand for manufactured goods.Meanwhile, the European Central Bank must act on inflation ‌sooner rather than later, ECB ​Governing Council member Alvaro Santos Pereira ‌told Portugal’s ‌Antena 1 broadcaster on Saturday.“Our concern right now is inflation; ‌we need to look at ⁠the data very closely. But I also think, looking at what happened in the past, that we need to act sooner ​rather than later, to avoid a ‌greater second-round impact,” said Pereira, who is also governor of the Bank of Portugal.“When there is an inflationary spiral, I prefer ​that ‌we act swiftly and decisively.” Asked ‌whether that meant that he would support an interest rate hike at ‌next month’s ‌ECB meeting, he said: “We will have new ‌ECB estimates and data from different countries, we will look at what ​is happening with prices and then we will make a decision.” Austria’s coalition government said on Saturday it ‌will further shrink its recently introduced “petrol ​price brake”, an inflation-fighting measure aimed ‌at cushioning ‌consumers from the rise in oil prices caused by the ‌Iran war.The mechanism, which combines trimming retailers’ margins and returning an increased value-added tax take from higher fuel prices to consumers in the form of ​lower petrol tax, requires the ‌government to set the size of those two elements each month.Currently the reduction in margins is set at 2.5 euro ​cents (2.9 ‌cents) per litre ‌and the tax reduction at 2 cents per litre. From June ‌1, the ‌margin cut will be scrapped and ‌the tax reduction trimmed to 1.7 cents per litre, the economy ministry said ​in a statement.Agencies]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:38:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[AI helped a musician with Parkinson’s finish his new album]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/culture/2026/06/01/ai-helped-a-musician-with-parkinsons-finish-his-new-album]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Samuel Smith spent years writing songs with a guitar in his hands. Now, the London-based singer-songwriter is using artificial intelligence tools to help him continue making Americana music after Parkinson’s disease largely took away his ability to play guitar. Smith, who was diagnosed with the progressive neurological disorder in 2020, recently released his second album, “The Art of Letting Go.”For one of the eight tracks, an instrumental piece titled “Horizon,” he relied on platforms that use AI to generate music to create demo arrangements that would convey his vision to the musicians who recorded the song. The demos he created by humming rough melodies into his phone and uploading the recordings into song generators like Suno and Udio weren’t for mixing into the final studio version of “Horizon,” Smith stressed. But tremors, stiffness and fatigue, which are common symptoms of Parkinson’s, caused his guitar skills to deteriorate during the more than a year he worked on the album, he said.“So then I’m faced with a question,” Smith, 49, said. “’Don’t play, don’t be creative, or find a way out, find a route.’ And for me, this was the route.” Generative AI has divided the music industry, whose artists and record labels have complained of their copyrighted work being used to train the models behind AI-powered music tools. Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Records sued Suno and Udio in June 2024, although Universal later reached a settlement and partnership deal with Udio and Warner did the same with Suno.Less discussed is what those platforms can do when employed by a serious musician like Smith, whose disease affects the tools central to his songwriting and identity as a guitarist: his hands. He released his debut album, “In the Springtime,” in 2023, saying he wanted to give his two sons a way to remember when he could perform and record music himself.“I’d always written, I’d also played, I always sung,” he said. “And immediately it became clear to me that I was in trouble, that my music was going to be seriously compromised.” AI music generators use systems trained on large datasets of recorded music and audio. The platforms analyze patterns in melody, harmony, and rhythm before generating new audio based on prompts or uploaded recordings. Users don’t need musical talent to end up with a serviceable song, or even a popular one.Smith said producing convincing demos from the synthetic tracks the apps generated often required “50, 100, 150 attempts” and extensive editing “to get something that sounds close to my music.” After humming a song into his phone and uploading the recording, he gives prompts describing instrumentation, mood and style. .“AI is not replacing anything for me,” he said. “It’s unlocking, it’s enabling. It’s allowing me to keep writing. I upload my lyrics; AI doesn’t create my lyrics. I upload my music; AI does not create my music.” He added: “It then brings it to life in a way that I can play to session players and say, ‘Here, that’s what I’m thinking, that is what I’m hearing.’”The album was produced by Grammy-winning pianist and producer Matt Rollings, who assembled a group of established roots and bluegrass musicians for the project. They included dobro player and 16-time Grammy winner Jerry Douglas, Grammy-winning banjo player Alison Brown, fiddler Stuart Duncan, guitarist Bryan Sutton, bassist Viktor Krauss and singers Jonatha Brooke and Glen Phillips.For Smith, the experience of singing in a Nashville studio alongside musicians he had admired for decades was “an extraordinary moment.” Grammy-nominated guitarist Julian Lage, known for his jazz and acoustic recordings with Blue Note Records, performed on the album’s title track and on “Horizon.” The latter recording became a bittersweet high point in Smith’s career; despite the progression of his disease, he managed to play a guitar duet with his friend.Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:28:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Janhvi Kapoor reveals why she won’t attempt Malayalam again anytime soon]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/culture/2026/06/01/janhvi-kapoor-reveals-why-she-wont-attempt-malayalam-again-anytime-soon]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[After making her Telugu debut with “Devara: Part 1” in 2024 and trying her hand at Malayalam for the 2025 film “Param Sundari,” actress Janhvi Kapoor, who is predominantly a Bollywood star, has confessed that Malayalam was no easy feat. Speaking about how she can now call herself a multilingual actress, considering she knows many languages, and if there are any other languages she wants to learn, Janhvi told IANS: “All of it, really.”The actress, who is gearing up for the release of her Telugu film “Peddi,” revealed that Malayalam was difficult for her, so she does not see herself attempting it again anytime soon. “But I don’t think I should attempt Malayalam again because it’s too difficult for me. It’s such a beautiful, sweet language. But I think I’ve been phonetically quite familiar with Tamil and Telugu,” Janhvi said.She’s enjoying her tryst with Telugu films and wants to explore Tamil movies too. “So, I’m really enjoying working in Telugu films. I’d love to explore Tamil films as well,” Janhvi concluded. Peddi is directed by Buchi Babu Sana. The film also stars Boman Irani, Shiva Rajkumar, Janhvi Kapoor, Jagapathi Babu, and Divyenndu. The film is finally releasing on June 4.In the Bollywood front, Janhvi was last seen in “Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari” by Shashank Khaitan. It also stars Varun Dhawan, Sanya Malhotra, Rohit Saraf, Maniesh Paul and Akshay Oberoi. The film followed Sunny and Tulsi, who are heartbroken after their partners, Ananya and Vikram, abandon them to marry each other. Sunny and Tulsi then team up to crash the wedding of their former lovers.Janhvi made her acting debut in 2018 with the romantic drama “Dhadak.” She was then seen in films such as “Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl,” “Mili” and “Devara: Part 1.” She has since earned praise for her role as a woman of a lower caste navigating social discrimination in HomeboundMeanwhile, since making her debut with “Dhadak” in 2018, Janhvi Kapoor has been trying to prove her mettle through a diverse range of projects. Asked Janhvi, who will be seen starring alongside Ram Charan in “Peddi”, how much is too much for an actor to invest in a role. Pat came the reply from the doe-eyed beauty, who made her Telugu debut in Jr. NTR’s 2024’s action drama Devara: Part 1, to IANS: “Oh, I think nothing is too much.”The 29-year-old actress, who has worked on stunt-heavy sequences head-on in some of her films, added: “I think for your art, if you feel convinced and if you feel strongly about the story and your role and the message, then give your life for it.”Her next is “Peddi”, a sports action drama film by Buchi Babu Sana. The film features Ram as a “crossover athlete” who transitions between the three difficult sports including cricket, wrestling and sprinting. Asked if she is a sports enthusiast, Janhvi, who is the daughter of the late superstar Sridevi and Boney Kapoor, said: “I actually, I wasn’t very athletically inclined.”Indo-Asian News Service]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:26:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Ukrainians seek cultural escape from war’s brutality, find comfort at art fair]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/culture/2026/06/01/ukrainians-seek-cultural-escape-from-wars-brutality-find-comfort-at-art-fair]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[For years, 36-year-old Ukrainian artist Olena Kharakhulakh had put her art on hold, choosing instead a steady job designing glass objects for a company. That changed when a Russian missile hit an apartment block 300 metres from her home in eastern Ukraine, killing 45 people. Choking back tears when recalling the attack, she said that was the moment she decided to go into art full-time.“I realised that there would never be a convenient moment and that you have to do what you want right now,” said Kharakhulakh, one of many Ukrainian artists for whom Russia’s invasion was a turning point. “To be reborn, we need to get rid of something — not literally, not physically, but we need to destroy or even kill something within ourselves,” Kharakhulakh told AFP from Kyiv’s Lavra art gallery.Her latest collages — part of the second edition of the Kyiv Art Fair — show classical statues with sliced faces, sharp blades and ominous smoke: a reflection of her own transformation.Another artist, Vlada Lobus, whose works were also displayed at the fair, was forced to leave Dnipro and seek refuge in Poland. A graduate in political economy, she turned to painting and then analogue photography to process the shock of war and displacement.In one self-portrait, she reassembles cyanotype photographs of herself in a disjointed order: an eye, hands, an elbow, the soft curves of a body. “There is a change of perception after a traumatic event, a deconstructing and reconstructing of ourselves,” she told AFP on the sidelines of the fair.Now in its fifth year, the war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes. Ukrainian authorities say at least 346 artists have been killed.But Russia’s full-scale invasion has not brought Ukraine’s art scene to a standstill, said Anna Avetova, director of Art Kyiv.Instead, it has placed Ukraine at the centre of international attention, helping artists and galleries become better known abroad, especially in the early years of the war. The invasion is no longer always an obvious theme in Ukrainian art, Avetova said.But it remains “a narrative, a common thread running through all projects, all artists, all new works”.On a back wall of the Lavra gallery hangs a collage by Iuliia Shulga from a series she describes as a “love letter” to Kyiv, her hometown. It shows the Hotel Salute, known for its distinctive Soviet-era architecture, rising out of a coral reef against a bright pink background, with an astronaut on its roof and a disco ball for a moon.The hotel, she said, reminds her of childhood walks with her father in the nearby park.Shulga works in human resources and has no formal artistic education.She started collaging a few months after Russia’s invasion began as a way to “glue” her broken world back together.Since then, her life has been split between Britain and Ukraine, art and human resources.“Collage is an honest medium for our reality. It reflects the fragmentation of life,” she said.“We are trying to rebuild ourselves from our broken pieces.”Her works, exhibited as far away as Japan, have become a way for Shulga to “communicate with the world”.For Irina Cheremisina, the priority is to show her art in her home country. In 2014, Moscow-backed separatist forces seized control of part of eastern Ukraine, including her native Donetsk.She left for Kyiv with her family, then left Ukraine for Spain in 2022 to keep her children safe. Raised on the idea that art is not a “respectable” career, she had worked in international trade, with her creative impulses confined to the category of “hobby”.“Everything changed in 2022. I lost my father, my job, my house because of the war,” she told the media.Her house in Ukraine, she said, was destroyed and burned down. “Only photography helped me survive the loss and grief.” Now 45, she has devoted herself to art, with several of her works selected for Art Kyiv.She adds paper cut-outs, collage and embroidery to her self-portraits.“People can see textures, layers, they can feel the presence of my hands,” she said. Her works have been exhibited in different parts of the world, including the United States, France and Spain, but her “number one” place is her home country. “It’s important for me to leave a part of myself in Ukraine,” she said. “It’s my way of telling people to survive.”Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:19:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[How AI is already improving lives]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/06/01/how-ai-is-already-improving-lives]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Leading AI models are doubling their capabilities every four months, and the implications for accelerating scientific research, improving education, and transforming much of the economy provoke both enthusiasm and angst. While some CEOs of major AI companies speculate that AI will destroy millions of jobs in the US, just in the next five years, and anti-growth factions oppose critical AI infrastructure, like data centers, the positive case for AI has been criminally underrepresented in the public debate, according to the Tribune News Service.Healthcare is one example. In 2024, two Google DeepMind employees were awarded half of that year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work in creating AlphaFold software. AlphaFold uses AI to predict the structures and likely interactions of proteins inside the body without synthesizing them in a lab.Before AlphaFold, researchers developing new medicines would create new proteins in a lab, but because their structures are so complex, scientists had little understanding of what the proteins could do, so they’d pursue a trial-and-error approach.They were reliant on experimentation to determine the positive and negative effects of a new molecule. AlphaFold considerably accelerates that process. Instead of taking months, now researchers can study the effects of different proteins much more quickly, substantially accelerating the drug development process. This means more medicines, at lower cost, and better health outcomes, including saved lives.AI has also already been used to streamline certain bureaucratic complexities in the healthcare sector. Ten years ago, experts predicted that radiologists would be replaced. Instead, there are now more radiologists than before, and AI is helping them become more productive by automating tedious tasks like documentation, report formatting and electronic health record integration.Not only is AI helping radiologists with administrative tasks, but it helps them detect anomalies sooner. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic developed a system using AI that can detect cancer up to three years before current systems can. Earlier detection means more treatment options and longer survival times. For people with disabilities, AI is providing higher quality and faster transcription for the deaf, image descriptions for the blind, and speech generation for those unable to communicate verbally.And these are merely a few applications that have already borne fruit. As adoption spreads, the technology improves and becomes more tailored, AI will continue to produce major advancements. 70 years after the invention of the integrated circuit, 50 years after the personal computer, and 30 years into the internet, humanity is awash in data and information. There is so much that we are no longer able to manage it ourselves, which is why search engines have already started integrating AI into the results, and the line between search and AI models is blurring.But AI isn’t just about sorting information. A major beneficiary will be businesses that are too small to hire workers to perform administrative tasks, like building a website or designing a logo, to use AI agents to carry out these projects. AI agents are software programs that use AI to autonomously set goals, make decisions and take actions to complete various types of work. That ability moves toward leveling the playing field between businesses of different sizes, increases efficiency for all firms, and super charges competition to the benefit of consumers.AI also has enormous potential to further reduce barriers to communication and increase access to education and healthcare worldwide. Language barriers may soon be greatly reduced, allowing for a historically impossible level of information sharing and growth. AI will bring the possibility of individual tutors to children worldwide, making education both more available and more effective.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:59:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Trump has kept woes of Gazans on the back-burner]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/06/01/trump-has-kept-woes-of-gazans-on-the-back-burner]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s expansion of Israel’s control of Gaza from 60 to 70 per cent is a violation not only of the repeatedly breached October 10th, 2023, ceasefire but also negates the peace plan put forward by Donald Trump in 2025. His plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, the return of all hostages, prisoner exchanges, Gaza’s demilitarisation, deployment of an International Stabilization Force, transitional governance by Palestinian technocrats with international monitoring, large-scale reconstruction, and a conditional pathway toward acceptance of Palestinian self-determination and recognition of Palestinian statehood.The comprehensive plan was backed by the United Arab Emirates, the US, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Canada, and Britain. Not by Netanyahu who has done his utmost to scupper the plan once the exchanges of hostages and prisoners took place while Hamas has said it would disarm once Gaza is free of Israeli occupation. Deadlock reigns.Israel has already expelled Palestinians from the area it holds in Gaza, squeezing nearly 2.1 million displaced people into ever tighter areas. Israel has also officially urged Gazans to leave the Strip through the Egyptian border although they have nowhere to go. Human rights agencies have condemned Israel and warned against ethnic cleansing, which is a war crime.Egypt will not accept Gazans. Jordan has given citizenship to West Bankers which it used to rule but not Gazans who were ruled by Egypt from 1949-67. While Gazan men have worked for decades in the Gulf their numbers have declined and most have not settled there. Many Gazans who left during earlier Israeli operations have returned to the Strip where they have core and extended families. The death toll in Gaza has risen to 72,819 while 172,894 others were wounded since the start of Israel’s offensive.Meanwhile, Trump has ignored Gaza although he initially gave it priority. His board of peace has received no funds. It was meant to finance the Strip’s reconstruction post-deal after Hamas’ control ended. Supporters had pledged $7 billion and Trump $10 billion. Trump’s refusal to deal with Gaza reflects his flabby responses to crisis situations which he does not know how to handle.Instead of implementing a solution for Gaza, Trump was dragged by Netanyahu into a war against Iran in the expectation that Israel, the regional superpower, and the US, the global hyperpower, would defeat Tehran in four or five days. Three months later, Netanyahu and Trump have been compelled to agree to a ceasefire in a war they have lost because Iran – driven by its anti-Israel-anti-US policy – has not surrendered. Although supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his chief aides were killed on the first day of the war, the regime has not collapsed. Senior officers from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are running the country with the backing of Khamenei’s wounded son, Moktada, who is in hiding.Netanyahu intended the Iran war to provide a defining victory over Tehran that would secure him a favourable place in Israel’s history. However, he has been unable to turn military power into political advantage. Despite the exercise of over-whelming military power Israel’s enemies have been weakened but not defeated. Palestinian Hamas, the IRGC, Lebanon’s Hizbollah, and Yemen’s Houthis remain in the field while the post-Assad government struggles to govern Syria. Netanyahu contends areas Israel has seized in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon as “buffer zones” that can prevent militant attacks like the October 7th, 2023, Hamas raid from Gaza. However, Palestinians regard Israel’s ”buffer zone” in Gaza as a means to permanently displace Gazans, stepping up pressure on them to emigrate by making it impossible for them to live safely, securely and decently with their families in Gaza. Israeli politicians portray their efforts as “voluntary migration” from the Strip.Netanyahu desperately seeks a victory over Hamas in Gaza and in his war on Iran. Israel’s voters go to the polls in October, and he needs a victory for his Likud party, in power for 15 years. As long as he is in office, especially if he is prosecuting wars against Hamas, Hizbollah, and Iran, he hopes to escape prosecution for years of wrongdoing.Since 2001 Netanyahu has been on trial accused of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. The three cases being prosecuted are based on his relationships with wealthy and powerful Israeli businessmen. In the first case he is charged with accepting approximately $300,000 in cigars and champagne. In exchange, prosecutors allege he used his position to secure favours, including tax exemptions and help with US visa renewals.In the second case, Netanyahu is alleged to have held discussions with Arnon Mozes, publisher of the Yediot Ahronoth newspaper, who proposed legislation to restrict circulation of a rival newspaper in exchange for favourable media coverage of Netanyahu. The third case, the most serious of the indictments, alleges that he provided regulatory and financial favours to telecommunications mogul Shaul Elovitch in exchange for permitting Netanyahu and his family to pursue positive coverage on his popular news website, Walla.Netanyahu has not been successful in dodging Israel’s laws. He has been hailed repeatedly before the Jerusalem district court to testify although sessions have been cut short by his duties as prime minister. He has managed to delay and slow proceedings but not to escape the charges, with breach of trust being the most consequential and damaging.]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Jansen]]></dc:creator>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:55:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Pete Hegseth hails ties with China and Asia allies]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/06/01/pete-hegseth-hails-ties-with-china-and-asia-allies]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised defense allies in Asia and hailed newly stable ties with China, while taking swipes at longstanding security partners in Europe. The comments, made on Saturday at an Asia security forum in Singapore, are the latest sign of the Trump administration shifting attention toward the Indo-Pacific while expressing antagonism toward Europe and the NATO alliance. Hegseth singled out allies such as South Korea, Japan and the Philippines for “stepping up” on defense while lambasting European nations that “threw open their borders and hollowed out their militaries.”He also highlighted the importance of the “interpersonal diplomacy” between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping after their meeting earlier this month in Beijing. Notably he made no mention in his prepared remarks of Taiwan, the key flashpoint between the two superpowers. “The default Asian lens on America has been clearer and far more pragmatic than in other regions,” he said at the Shangri-La Dialogue. ”Our partners in Asia have long understood that the bedrock of a durable partnership is not based on idealistic values, but on the concrete alignment of national interest.”Taiwan is top among several friction points between the US and China, with American arms sales and diplomatic support for the island generating angry responses from Beijing. Xi warned Trump during the Beijing meeting that mishandling the issue could lead to clashes, and the US leader has delayed approving a $14 billion weapons package to Taiwan, which is heavy on air defenses. Hegseth’s failure to mention Taiwan in his address marked the first such omission by a Pentagon chief at the Singapore forum in at least a decade. The self-ruled island, which the Chinese Communist Party claims as its own despite never having ruled it, remains the primary red line in the US-China relationship.Last year, Hegseth mentioned Taiwan at least five times during his address to the forum. His predecessor Lloyd J. Austin III name-checked the global chip hub once the year before, and five times in 2023, according to the official transcripts. The US defense chief later told reporters the US position on Taiwan was unchanged, adding that the only possible shift was “how we talk about” the issue. Hegseth described that updated approach to the self-ruled island as “strong, quiet but clear.”Hegseth’s framing of the US-China relationship — using the term “constructive strategic stability” that emerged from the Xi-Trump summit — also raised eyebrows. “As defense minster he needed to show his willingness to counter China and reassure allies and partners, but he used a term that implies he wants to stick to a G2,” Daisuke Kawai, a professor at Tokyo University, said after the defense chief’s speech. “That will worry some countries here and it shows his stance has softened on China.”Hegseth also had kind words for his Chinese counterpart, Defense Minister Dong Jun, who skipped the event for the second year. Last year, the US defense chief quipped: “We are here this morning — somebody else isn’t.”“I wish my counterpart was here at this conference,” Hegseth said on Saturday. “But I look forward to other options when we can cross paths and communicate.” At one point, a Chinese delegate asked Hegseth to respond to a recent podcast comment by US Forces Korea commander Xavier Brunson that South Korea is a “dagger in the heart of Asia,” a line Beijing slammed as hostile and aggressive. Brunson, sitting in the audience, responded directly and cordially, saying he was riffing on a line from another era that referred to Korea as a dagger pointed at Japan, and that the full context of the comment was about changing perspectives in the region. He encouraged the Chinese delegate — Wang Dong of Peking University — to listen to his full remarks on the topic.Trump has deployed the US military into high-profile operations this year in the Middle East, against Iran, and in the Caribbean. While the actions against Venezuela were broadly seen as successful, the conflict in the Middle East has disrupted global energy supplies through the closure of the Strait of Hormuz while also depleting critical munitions. In response to another question earlier in the day, Hegseth said that a delayed $14 billion Taiwan arms package should be decoupled from the issue of munitions.“Any decision about future Taiwan arms sales, as the president said, will rest with him,” Hegseth said.“Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, because of how we balance exquisite and more plentiful munitions,” Hegseth said. “We’re in a very good place.”Hegseth provided no updates on talks with Iran, or a missile strike that injured several Americans, saying only that the US is ready to step up the fight if there’s not a “great deal” that ensures Tehran’s leaders don’t get a nuclear weapon. He confirmed the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was still in place.]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:53:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Space exploration]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/06/01/space-exploration]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[A rocket from Blue Origin has exploded on its launchpad in Florida. Their spokesperson stated that “We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test.” An anomaly is a flashing button, what they got was what the cartoon Martin the Martian wanted, an “earth-shattering kaboom!”.Space has always had its dangers including a broken toilet, an extended stay which was best known for the floating sphere of hair of one astronaut but also for far too many deaths. Space exploration may be our future but it has to be safe and eventually made available for the general public.Dennis FitzgeraldMelbourne, Australia]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:50:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Wealthiest dudes in the world]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/06/01/wealthiest-dudes-in-the-world]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:48:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[RCB retain IPL title as chase master Kohli, bowlers deliver]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/05/31/bengaluru-win-toss-opt-to-bowl-against-gujarat-in-ipl-final]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 75 and inspired bowling led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second straight Indian Premier League title with a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans on Sunday.Bengaluru restricted Gujarat to 155-8, a total they chased down with 12 balls to spare after Kohli reached his fifth half-century of the season in a lopsided final in Ahmedabad.Kohli sealed victory with a six to cap a magnificent 42-ball innings featuring nine fours and three sixes, then pointed to the stands as Bengaluru players sprinted out to celebrate.Bengaluru and Kohli have been on a roll since they won their first IPL crown at the 18th attempt last year at the Narendra Modi Stadium.His landmark knock then turned the final into a one‑sided affair, thus reaffirming his reputation as the man for the big occasion.It also continued a remarkable streak as RCB have not lost a game since 2025 whenever Kohli has scored a fifty, as he ensured the side joined Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings as the only teams to successfully defend their IPL title, while extending the streak of Qualifier 1 winners lifting the trophy to nine seasons.Kohli’s iconic number 18 jersey dominated the stands at the world’s biggest cricket ground, which recorded an official attendance of over 90,000 spectators on Sunday.Kohli and fellow opener Venkatesh Iyer, who hit 32 off 16 balls, got Bengaluru off to a flying start in a 62-run partnership.Mohammed Siraj broke the stand as he dismissed Iyer and Kagiso Rabada removed Devdutt Padikkal from the other end.Rashid Khan struck twice in one over to send back skipper Rajat Patidar for 15 and Krunal Pandya to raise Gujarat’s hopes.But Tim David and Kohli put on 41 runs to steady the chase. David fell for 24 but Kohli saw the team through with Jitesh Sharma for company.“Well, I said to a few of the boys that it doesn’t feel like the same pressure as last year. We knew what kind of ability we have in the group. We topped the table. There’s a reason why we got here first,” Kohli said.The former RCB captain said the team never lost sight of the formula that had made them the competition’s most consistent side during the league stage.“And we just said one thing: if we stick to our cricket, if we execute our plans, we are the best team in the comp. And there’s a reason why we have done well so far in the group stage. We ended up topping the league stage.”Bengaluru’s quicks set up the victory as Rasikh Salam stood out with 3-27 in a disciplined attack alongside Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who both took two wickets each.The trio justified the decision to put Gujarat in to bat, striking early and regularly. Only Washington Sundar offered much resistance as he scored a defiant 50 not out.Hazlewood landed the first blow as he dismissed skipper Shubman Gill for 10 with Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar taking a fine running catch.Kumar dislodged the other opener, Sai Sudharsan, for 12 in the next over.Both Gill and Sudharsan were in the race for the Orange Cap awarded to the top scorer in the IPL season, but Rajasthan Royals’ 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ended top of the list with 776 runs. Gill (732) and Sudharsan (722) finished second and third. Kohli was fourth with 675 runs, including one century.Nishant Sindhu, who made 20, and Jos Buttler attempted to steady the Gujarat innings but struggled against a miserly attack and soon Salam removed Sindhu.Krunal Pandya had Buttler stumped for 19 with his left-arm spin and Gujarat slumped to 73-4 in 12.1 overs.Wickets continued to fall but Sundar stood firm to reach his fifty in the 20th over.The effort was not enough as Gujarat ended runners-up for the second time in three finals, with their only triumph coming in their debut season in 2022.Brief Scores:Gujarat Titans 155/8 in 20 overs (Washington Sundar 50 not out, Nishant Sindhu 20; Rasikh Salam Dar 3-27, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-29) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 161/5 in 18 overs (Virat Kohli 75 not out, Venkatesh Iyer 32; Rashid Khan 2-25) by five wickets. ]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2026 23:34:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[VIDEO: Paris Saint-Germain players celebrate amid riot recriminations]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/05/31/paris-saint-germain-players-celebrate-amid-riot-recriminations]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The French capital laid on a hero's welcome Sunday for Paris Saint-Germain players to mark their second straight Champions League title, amid bitter recriminations after hundreds of people were arrested and dozens of police hurt in a night of unrest across the country.Tens of thousands of flag-waving fans took to the streets again to see the team parade from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to the Champ de Mars plaza in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.The team flew back from Budapest where they beat English Premier League champions Arsenal on Saturday night 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out.They were also received by President Emmanuel Macron before returning to their Parc des Princes stadium for a final encounter with fans.A night of celebrations was blighted however by clashes between youths and police in Paris and other cities, cars set on fire and shops looted.One man died riding his motorbike around the Paris ring road in celebration while authorities reported stabbings and other attacks. They said 57 police and 219 "participants" were injured. Eight of the injured were in critical condition.Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said there were 780 arrests across France, nearly a third more than when PSG's triumph last year over Inter Milan also set off a night of disturbances. He said looting had taken place in around 15 cities across the country.Municipal workers hurried Sunday morning to clear the Paris streets of broken glass, damaged bus shelters, trash cans and burned out cars and bikes before PSG's return.French President Emmanuel Macron called the violence "unspeakable".But amid political recriminations over the troubles, Paris mayor Emmanuel Gregoire played down the severity, saying such incidents were nothing new.- 'Brainless thugs' -"In the vast majority of cases, people celebrated with family and friends. And it was an extraordinary celebration," the mayor told BFM TV. "And incidents on the fringes of major events have been going on for centuries."Gregoire blamed the "media coverage" of the unrest "and perhaps also the obsession of these troublemakers who come to cause trouble and show themselves on social media"."There's a kind of escalation, a chain reaction, and an incitement, in a way, to do just about anything," he added.The town hall for the Paris district that includes the Champs-Elysee, where tens of thousands went after the football victory, called for a ban on such gatherings.On Saturday night, the "Champs-Elysees avenue and its surroundings ceased to be a place of celebration and became an arena of urban guerrilla warfare", the town hall said in a statement.Politicians from all sides lambasted the troubles and questioned the way it was handled.Far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen wrote on X that "only in France does a football club's victory spark riots".Valerie Pecresse, the head of the greater Paris council from the Republicans party, slammed "the brainless thugs who allow themselves to destroy everything, tarnishing the image of Paris and France!".She demanded "exemplary sanctions" in a post on X.A spokesperson for the hard-left France Unbowed said: "We cannot be satisfied with the way last night's event was managed and organised by the government."- Riding high -Nunez promised "strongarm" security for Sunday's celebrations as thousands of PSG supporters waited, waving flags and sporting PSG shirts. Some 6,000 police were on duty across the centre of the capital."We're still riding yesterday's high, so we want to keep the party going," said 25-year-old Abou, a PSG fan "since he was little"."Paris, Paris" chanted supporters, as they filtered through security checkpoints to get spots near a stage where the players appeared. The "We Are the Champions" pop song blared out on speakers.The streets were so packed that the team arrived more than an hour late at the Champs-de-Mars where they paraded on a red, white and blue tricolour carpet to the stage.Giant screens showed replays of the penalty shootout that brought the trophy back to Paris."It was great, there was the stress of the penalty shootout but it was good stress in the end," said Mirna Makima, a 39-year-old physiotherapist who travelled from Belgium for the celebrations.Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2026 22:14:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Trump says Iran has agreed to no nuclear weapons]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/05/31/trump-says-iran-has-agreed-to-no-nuclear-weapons]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[US President Donald Trump said he had secured guarantees from Iran that it would not develop nuclear weapons, as reports emerged he had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Tehran.Any tweaks to the proposal could prolong even further an agreement to formally end the Middle East war and open the Strait of Hormuz maritime route after weeks of efforts to secure a deal despite fractious rhetoric and the occasional flare up of armed conflict.The New York Times and Axios media outlets reported on Saturday that Trump had sent back a new framework to be considered by Iran with "tougher" terms, though it was not immediately clear what that entailed.Trump has said his priorities for any deal include stopping Iran from any nuclear weapon development and re-opening the blockaded Strait of Hormuz."The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They've agreed to that, and it was very interesting," he told his daughter-in-law Lara Trump in an interview broadcast on her Fox News programme on Saturday night.But Tehran has previously cast doubt on Trump's assertions and the parties appeared far apart on their key priorities.Iran has said it requires the release of $12 billion in frozen assets before it moved to substantive talks on issues such as its nuclear programme and called earlier Trump comments that its enriched uranium — a precursor for nuclear weapons — would be destroyed "baseless," according to Iranian media.Tehran has also insisted that Lebanon must be included in any end to the war despite ongoing fighting, with Beirut accusing Israel of a "scorched-earth policy" as its forces advanced and carried out further airstrikes it says target Iran-backed group Hizbollah.After Trump and US officials earlier said they were on the brink of striking a deal, he struck a less urgent tone and hinted at renewed military action in the Fox interview."I'm in no hurry," he said. "Slowly but surely we're getting, I think, what we want and if we don't get what we want, we're going to end in a different way."Flare upsThat echoed comments from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth who said at a defense summit in Asia on Saturday that Washington was "more than capable" of restarting the war if necessary.Though daily strikes throughout Iran and the Gulf have stopped since Tehran and Washington struck a temporary ceasefire in April followed by historic talks hosted by Pakistan, bursts of armed conflict have continued.Iran's Revolutionary Guards had shot down a US military drone "about to enter Iranian territorial waters to conduct hostile operations", Iran's state broadcaster IRIB reported, an incident that has not been confirmed by the United States.Earlier in the week, the worst fighting since the fragile ceasefire broke out when US forces carried out strikes on the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, countered by retaliatory fire from Iran.Nevertheless diplomacy has continued with Trump under pressure to reach an agreement that would lift US and Iranian competing blockades around the Strait of Hormuz that have choked international oil supplies and threatened the global economy with rising prices.After Trump said on social media that Tehran would charge "no tolls" on ships passing through the strait once the blockades were lifted under any deal, Iranian news agency Fars cited sources saying "no such clause appears in the text of the agreement."Iran's ISNA news agency on Saturday cited lawmaker Alireza Salimi as saying a plan "to implement Iran's management and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz will soon be approved by parliament."Agence France-Presse ]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2026 21:53:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Israel captures strategic castle in Lebanon in deepest incursion into country in 26 years]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/05/31/israel-captures-strategic-castle-in-lebanon-in-deepest-incursion-into-country-in-26-years]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon in the deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter-century, the military said on Sunday.The taking of Beaufort castle, near the city of Nabatiyeh, followed days of airstrikes and intense fighting in nearby villages between Israeli troops and Hizbollah members.The capture marked a major Israeli advance in the latest Israel-Hizbollah war, which began on March 2, when Hizbollah fired rockets into northern Israel two days after the US and Israel attacked its main backer, Iran.Since then, Israel has launched a ground invasion, capturing dozens of Lebanese villages and towns close to the border. Hizbollah has launched thousands of missiles and drones at Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.The Israeli push came despite a nominal ceasefire that has been in place since April 17 and just days before Lebanon and Israeli hold their next round of direct talks in Washington starting Tuesday.Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hizbollah ally, said that he can guarantee the militant group's "full, comprehensive, and immediate commitment to a ceasefire.""But who will force Israel to stop its aggression," he said in a statement on his television station NBN.French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which he described as "unacceptable.""Nothing can justify the prolongation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and its increasingly deep occupation of Lebanese territory," Barrot said Sunday on French television BFM TV.The Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted photographs on X showing Israeli troops walking outside the castle, and Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that they raised an Israeli flag over the castle. Israeli troops previously captured the castle in 1982 and held it until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000."Twenty six years after the withdrawal from the security zone in Lebanon, the Israeli flag has returned to fly on the peaks that overlook the Galilee towns," Katz said Sunday at a memorial ceremony for Israeli soldiers killed in its previous occupation of southern Lebanon.Katz said Israel intends to hold the castle as its troops work to destroy thousands more homes that he says were used by Hezbollah and other military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.The Beaufort fortress, perched high atop Lebanon's rolling green hills and overlooking the Litani River, has been a strategic military asset for centuries.Built as a Crusader castle around the 12th century on top of previous fortifications, it has also been used by Saladin's Jerusalem army, Mamluks, Ottomans, the French and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Crusaders named it Beaufort, which is Old French for "beautiful fortress."The 1982 capture of the castle from the PLO was a major victory for the Israeli military, which was then led by Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, who later became prime minister. At the time, the Israeli army pushed all the way north and occupied Beirut.In 2000, the castle was partially restored and opened to visitors.During the previous Israel-Hizbollah war in 2024, UNESCO gave enhanced protection to 34 cultural sites in Lebanon, including Beaufort Castle, to safeguard them from damage.The castle is a few kilometers north of the Israel border and overlooks wide parts of southern Lebanon and northern Israel. In Arabic, it is called Al-Shaqif castle, an old Syriac word referring to the formidable rocky area.Beaufort is symbolic across the region, including in Israel, where it was one of the best-known places Israel controlled during the 18-year occupation. An Israeli war film titled "Beaufort" explores moral questions about war in the last days before the military withdrew.In recent days, Israel has expanded the scope of its operations in Lebanon, sending troops across the Litani River, which previously served as a de-facto boundary, and demanding that residents leave much of southern Lebanon."The occupation of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policies we are leading," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, citing the military occupation of security zones in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza along Israel's borders. He said Israel has killed 3,000 Hezbollah militants since the start of the war. Hezbollah has not disclosed its casualty numbers.Israel has designated the area from the Litani up to the Zahrani River a combat zone. Some residents have already left the area due to intense strikes in recent days, but people remain.Israeli troops have been advancing for days in villages close to Beaufort castle. They are now about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Nabatiyeh, a major center in southern Lebanon. They have called on people to leave that area, as well as the coastal city of Tyre, the country's fourth-largest city, and its surroundings.There was no immediate comment from Hizbollah or the Lebanese government on the Israeli push.The expanded operation would give Israel an upper hand in the upcoming talks with Lebanon in Washington, said Beirut geopolitical analyst Joe Macaron."We are at a tipping point," Macaron said, adding that it is still too early to say how Hizbollah will react to the loss of land. "The more land they (the Israeli military) can grab before the ceasefire, the more they can impose conditions on Hezbollah before their withdrawal."Israel has continued striking near Tyre, including near the Hiram Hospital. Lebanon's Health Ministry said 13 health workers were wounded in the strike. Elsewhere, a strike in Deir al-Zahrani, near Nabatiyeh, killed eight people and wounded 16 others, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.Hizbollah overnight claimed two attacks targeting Israeli troops and a Merkava tank in the southwestern town of Bayada near the border. In recent days, the group has said it has clashed with Israeli troops in several towns just north of the river near Nabatiyeh and the strategic castle. It also claimed attacks deeper into Israel near the northern city of Haifa, Nahariya, as well as border areas.Hizbollah on Saturday fired salvos of rockets into northern Israel, including Kiryat Shmona, the largest city in the area.Hizbollah's use of hard-to-detect fiber optic drones has been deadly for the Israeli military, which is struggling to respond. There have been nearly 200 alerts for Israeli civilians across northern Israel warning of drones and missiles in the past 24 hours, according to Israel's military.The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has killed 3,350 people in Lebanon and displaced more than 1 million people.According to Netanyahu's office, at least 25 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, including one on Saturday. Two civilians have also been killed in northern Israel.Associated Press]]></description>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/05/31/israel-captures-strategic-castle-in-lebanon-in-deepest-incursion-into-country-in-26-years]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2026 20:29:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Captain Waseem leads strong UAE presence at Lanka Premier League]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/05/31/captain-waseem-leads-strong-uae-presence-at-lanka-premier-league]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[UAE captain Muhammad Waseem headlines a strong contingent of UAE cricketers set to feature in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 Player Draft on June 1 in Colombo, where franchises will finalize their squads for the sixth edition of the tournament.As part of the tournament regulations, every franchise is required to select at least one player from the Associate Star category, placing additional focus on a talented UAE group that has emerged as one of the strongest representations from associate cricket nations.Waseem is joined by wicketkeeper-batter Vriitya Aravind, all-rounders Basil Hameed and Aayan Afzal Khan, experienced pacers Junaid Siddique and Zahoor Khan, emerging batter Alishan Sharafu, and left-arm fast bowler Muhammad Jawadullah.With a blend of international experience and proven T20 pedigree, UAE players are expected to attract significant interest during the draft as teams seek to strengthen their squads with quality associate talent.The UAE contingent forms part of a larger player pool of 421 cricketers available for selection after more than 600 players from around the world registered their interest in participating in the tournament.The draft marks the official start of preparations for LPL 2026, which will be played from July 17 to Aug.18 across Colombo, Dambulla, and Pallekele.Among the standout names available in the Platinum category are Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza, South Africa spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, Australia all-rounder Ashton Agar, and Pakistan internationals Hasan Ali and Mohammad Nawaz.Franchises will also have the opportunity to strengthen their squads with established T20 performers such as Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Evin Lewis, Chris Lynn, Wiaan Mulder, and Ryan Burl.The five participating teams — Colombo Kaps, Dambulla Sixers, Galle Gallants, Jaffna Kings, and Kandy Royals — will assemble squads of between 18 and 20 players as they balance local talent with overseas experience ahead of the new season.The player pool also includes several notable Pakistan cricketers, including Iftikhar Ahmed, Usman Khan, Hasan Nawaz, Sufyan Moqim, Akif Javed, and Mohammad Wasim Jnr.Teams seeking spin options will have a wealth of choices, including Ish Sodhi, Sandeep Lamichhane, Piyush Chawla, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Cole McConchie, while experienced international campaigners such as Litton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Martin Guptill, Temba Bavuma, Gulbadin Naib, and Rahkeem Cornwall are also available for selection.Other leading Associate Star candidates include USA fast bowler Shadley van Schalkwyk, Nepal star Dipendra Singh Airee, Scotland seamer Safyaan Sharif, USA captain Monank Patel, Corey Anderson, and Ali Khan.The LPL 2026 Player Draft will begin at 2:30 PM local time in Colombo and is expected to play a crucial role in shaping the fortunes of the five franchises ahead of another highly competitive season.]]></description>
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        <category><![CDATA[Latest News ]]></category>
        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/05/31/captain-waseem-leads-strong-uae-presence-at-lanka-premier-league]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2026 20:25:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Dubai welcomes returning Hajj pilgrims with slogan &#039;The UAE Welcomes the Return of Pilgrims&#039;]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/05/31/dubai-welcomes-returning-hajj-pilgrims-with-slogan-the-uae-welcomes-the-return-of-pilgrims]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[GDRFA Dubai welcomed returning pilgrims arriving home through Dubai Airports with a special passport stamp bearing the slogan "The UAE Welcomes the Return of Pilgrims,” in a humanitarian initiative that reflects the values of Emirati hospitality and Dubai’s commitment to enriching the travel experience from the very first moments of arrival.The pilgrims were also welcomed by the GDRFA Dubai team, alongside a group of children who presented flowers and commemorative gifts, in a heartfelt initiative that embodied the values of hospitality, appreciation, and warm reception, while enhancing the arrival experience from the very first moments of their return home.Major General Talal Ahmed Al Shangiti, Assistant Director General for Air Port Affairs at GDRFA Dubai, affirmed that welcoming pilgrims through this symbolic gesture reflects Dubai’s approach of placing people at the heart of its services and initiatives, and highlights GDRFA Dubai’s commitment to transforming travel procedures into an integrated experience that combines operational excellence with a warm and welcoming atmosphere.Al Shangiti said, "The return of pilgrims to their homeland is an occasion that carries profound Spirituality and humanitarian meanings. At GDRFA Dubai, we were keen for their reception to embody the UAE’s authentic values of hospitality and appreciation, while also reflecting Dubai’s image as a global city that delivers its services with a human-centred approach and the highest standards of professionalism.”Dubai Airports witnessed comprehensive readiness to receive returning pilgrims through qualified teams, dedicated lanes, and flexible procedures that contributed to accelerating entry processes, in coordination with strategic partners across the aviation and border sectors, ensuring a safe, smooth, and comfortable travel experience.GDRFA Dubai affirmed that such initiatives come as part of its ongoing commitment to enhancing the traveller experience and reinforcing Dubai’s position as a leading global destination that combines service excellence, efficient procedures, and human-centred care across various national and religious occasions.WAM]]></description>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/05/31/dubai-welcomes-returning-hajj-pilgrims-with-slogan-the-uae-welcomes-the-return-of-pilgrims]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2026 19:41:00 +0400</pubDate>
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