Author: Editorial Team

A young boy handing out UAE flags on Dubai’s Boulevard Street is drawing attention online, with many recognising him as Majed Omar, the child widely known as the UAE’s “Sheikh of happiness”. Majed, who previously went viral riding in a miniature Mercedes, was seen offering small UAE flags to passersby, prompting smiles and brief interactions that quickly spread across social media. His gesture comes days after a call by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, urging residents and citizens to raise the UAE flag as a symbol of unity, pride, and collective strength. The response across the country was immediate,…

SEOUL, 18th April, 2026 (WAM) — South Korea and the European Union agreed Friday to form a strategic economic partnership to expand bilateral ties in trade and economic security amid heightened global uncertainties, Seoul’s trade ministry said. The agreement was made during the inaugural Korea-EU next-generation strategic dialogue held in Seoul to help the two sides explore deeper cooperation in trade, supply chains and technology, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. The meeting was attended by South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and the EU’s commissioner for trade and economic security, Maros Sefcovic, the Korea Herald reported.…

Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport has launched a new Shopping Pass campaign, allowing UAE residents to access the terminal’s facilities without a boarding pass, marking a first-of-its-kind initiative for the capital’s aviation landmark.  Open exclusively to UAE nationals and residents, the eight-week campaign invites visitors to explore the airport’s luxury retail outlets, diverse dining options and entertainment experiences all without the pressure of catching a flight. Visitors are required to register in advance and obtain a digital security pass, delivered via PDF with a unique QR code, which must be scanned at designated checkpoints upon entry and exit.  Stay up…

Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana said Monday that it had appointed the former Gucci boss Stefano Cantino as its co-chief executive, part of a management shake-up as it seeks to refinance its debt. He will be co-CEO with Alfonso Dolce, the brother of D&G co-founder and designer Domenico Dolce, the company said in a statement. Alfonso Dolce has also been chairman since January following the resignation of the brand’s other co-founder, designer Stefano Gabbana, who retains his creative duties. Cantino is a fashion veteran who most recently served as chief executive of rival luxury brand Gucci. D&G said his…

BEIRUT — A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has come into force, with celebratory gunfire heard in Beirut and other cities as the truce began at midnight local time. The truce, marking a pause in weeks of escalating violence along the border, was announced by Donald Trump and agreed upon by both sides following their first direct diplomatic talks in decades, held in Washington earlier this week. Tensions had remained high until the final moments before the ceasefire took effect. Hezbollah continued launching attacks targeting northern Israeli communities late into Thursday night, leaving at least eight people injured, including…

[Editor’s Note: Follow the Khaleej Times live blog for the latest regional developments with the US-Israel-Iran ceasefire now in effect.] From the first moments of uncertainty to the cautious calm following a ceasefire in the US-Israel-Iran war, residents across the UAE have been riding an emotional wave. In the early days of the crisis, many people slipped into what health specialists describe as “survival mode” — a state where the body and mind focus almost entirely on immediate safety. “During acute stress, the body prioritises survival,” Jamie Richards, Chief Wellbeing Officer at Valeo Health, told the Khaleej Times. “Systems like heart rate and stress…

RICHMOND — Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, inside their home and then killed himself shortly after midnight on Thursday, police said. Fairfax, 47, was a rising star in Virginia politics before his ascent was derailed by sexual assault allegations in 2019. The couple’s two teenage children were inside the home when the shootings occurred, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said, noting their son had placed the 911 call. The shooting stemmed from an ongoing domestic dispute surrounding “what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce,” Davis said. It happened…

MANILA — A key suspect at the heart of a corruption scandal that sparked widespread anger in the Philippines has been arrested in the Czech Republic, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Friday. Zaldy Co, a former Philippine congressman, fled the country and had his passport canceled after being charged in a corruption scandal over flood control projects. The alleged crime, believed to have cost taxpayers billions of dollars, sparked protests and arrests across the storm-battered archipelago, which was hit by hundreds of floods last year alone according to United Nations data. Elizaldy Co was charged alongside a number of…

“Babba, tomorrow will be the last day of online classes, right?” a nine-year-old asked his father a simple question that captured what many students across the UAE have been quietly feeling over the past few weeks. After nearly a month of learning from home, students said what they missed most was not lessons or homework, but everything around, like the noise of classrooms, the laughter in corridors, and the little moments that made school life special. “I miss my friends. I couldn’t see them for so long, so we mostly just chat on social media,” said Zayaan Arfaz, a student…

ASHGABAT, 18th April, 2026 (WAM) — Turkmenistan and China broke ground Friday on works to expand production at the giant Galkynysh gas field. Turkmenistan, which holds the world’s fourth-largest gas reserves, has exported nearly all its production to China since 2009, when the Central Asia-China pipeline opened. Galkynysh, in the Karakum desert about 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of the capital Ashgabat, has been producing gas since 2013 and is the world’s second-largest gas field, according to the British consulting firm GaffneyCline. Expansion works are being carried out by the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). Source: Emirates News Agency