Gulf

• Asian stock markets rose on Monday, driven by sustained investor demand for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. • This growth helped offset market volatility caused by stalled peace talks in the Gulf and rising oil prices linked to the Strait of Hormuz. • Key regional gains include South Korea's market, which rose 1.3% following an 8% surge last week, and Taiwan, which climbed nearly 6% in the previous week.

• UAE health authorities have confirmed that the country's public health situation remains stable while they actively monitor developments regarding the Ebola virus. • To ensure national safety, the government is currently reviewing the virus's spread and reinforcing its medical preparedness and response protocols. • Simultaneously, a World Health Organization (WHO) delegation visited the UAE field hospital in Rafah to evaluate medical and humanitarian services provided in the southern Gaza Strip.

• Global stocks retreated from record highs on Thursday following a new U.S. military strike on Iran and reports of missile attacks in Kuwait. • The escalation in Gulf tensions caused oil prices to surge by as much as 4% and led to a tumble in bond prices. • Investors are concerned that the instability undermines potential peace deals, which are viewed as critical for easing global inflation risks.

Keir Starmer described the agreement, worth double original estimates, as a ‘huge win’ for British businessesKeir Starmer has struck a trade deal with six Gulf states in what he described as a “huge win” for British business, ending four years of talks led by four different prime ministers.The deal will offer £3.7bn worth of opportunities, double original estimates, for exporters, particularly in the food and luxury car sectors but also defence, aerospace, hospitality and other services, the government said. Continue reading...

The US president said he called off a planned attack on Iran on Tuesday so that peace talks could continueFull report: Trump claims planned attack on Iran postponed after Tehran makes new proposal to end warWe are restarting our live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran and the other conflicts in the Middle East. Donald Trump says he has called off a planned attack on Iran on Tuesday at the request of Gulf states so peace talks could continue.In a post on Truth Social on Monday, the US president said he had been asked to do so by the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Continue reading...

If current precarious ceasefire between US and Iran ends, Emirates are more likely to be targeted by TehranMiddle East crisis: live updatesThe risk of some Gulf states becoming embroiled in a direct war with Iran has risen after it was reported the United Arab Emirates had secretly launched a major attack on Iran during the conflict.In addition, Kuwait has said that at least four members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been captured trying to carry out “terrorist attacks” on the Kuwaiti-owned Bubiyan Island, the largest island in the Kuwaiti coastal chain. Continue reading...

• Saudi Arabia issued a "vehement condemnation" of coordinated drone attacks targeting the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait on May 11, characterizing the strikes as a dangerous escalation threatening regional security. • Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the Kuwait attack a "flagrant violation of international law" and emphasized the threat to regional stability posed by the hostile drone strikes. • The attacks signal a dangerous broadening of the Middle East conflict, with multiple Gulf Cooperation Council members targeted simultaneously, raising concerns about maritime trade and oil infrastructure vulnerabilities.