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EU Entry/Exit System to be rolled out over six monthsPassport stamping to be replaced by digital recordsEU seeks tighter border controls amid immigration pressuresEuropean Union member countries began rolling out a new entry and exit system on Sunday at the bloc's external borders, electronically registering non-EU nationals' data.The Entry/Exit System (EES), an automated system that requires travellers to register at the border by scanning their passport and having their fingerprints and photograph taken, will be introduced over six months.The move is aimed at detecting overstayers, tackling identity fraud and preventing illegal migration amid political pressure in some EU countries to take a tougher stance."The Entry/Exit System is the digital backbone of our new common European migration and asylum framework," European Internal Affairs and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said in a statement.Non-EU citizens will have to register their personal details when they first enter the Schengen area - all EU member countries apart from Ireland and Cyprus, but including Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.Subsequent journeys will only require facial biometric verification.The system should be fully operational, with passport stamping replaced with electronic records, on April 10, 2026."Every third country national who arrives at an external border will undergo identity verification, security screening, and registration in the EU databases," Brunner said.At the Bajakovo border crossing between Serbia and neighbouring Croatia, a EU member state, hundreds of people, many of them Serbians, queued in their cars on Sunday for around 20 minutes before entering booths for fingerprinting and face scanning."There are five lanes open, so it took us about 20 minutes in line and about two minutes (in the booth) for each of the five of us from the car," said Dalibor Vranic, from Serbia.For British travellers using the Port of Dover, the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone or Eurostar terminal at London's St Pancras International, the process takes place at the border before they leave the UK.At Dover and the Eurotunnel terminal, only freight and coach traffic was subject to EES checks from Sunday.Passenger vehicle checks will follow in November at Dover and by the end of the year at Eurotunnel, while the Eurostar at St Pancras was gradually introducing the new process, starting with some business travellers from Sunday."The UK and EU have a shared objective of securing our borders and these modernisation measures will help us protect our citizens and prevent illegal migration," British Minister for Border Security and Asylum Alex Norris said.

The Ministry of Culture (MoC) has been awarded the European Certificate of Excellence (Two-Star Level) by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) following its successful completion of a comprehensive institutional assessment based on the latest EFQM 2025 Excellence Model.The MoC is the first ministry in Qatar – and the first cultural ministry in the Gulf region and the Middle East – to receive this recognition under the new EFQM 2025 model.This milestone, an official statement said Monday, reflects the ministry’s commitment to institutional excellence and reinforces its leadership in promoting a culture of quality and innovation within the public sector.The ministry attributed this achievement to its strategic response to the findings of its initial performance report, issued by the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau as part of the inaugural Qatar Government Excellence Award.That report, the statement said, served as a catalyst for the ministry’s institutional development strategy.The MoC expressed deep appreciation for the substantial support provided by the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau through training programmes and capacity-building initiatives, which it said played a pivotal role in enhancing institutional readiness and achieving this distinguished international recognition.This certification represents a strategic step forward in aligning institutional performance with global best practices.It also underscores the ministry’s ongoing efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness of cultural services in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, contributing to the development of a vibrant cultural sector that safeguards national identity and supports sustainable development.

His Excellency Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met on Monday with the Secretary of State of the Republic of Poland Wladyslaw Teofil, on the sidelines of the 29th Joint Ministerial Meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU), held in Kuwait. During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to enhance and support them, in addition to several topics of mutual interest.

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands David van Weel on the sidelines of the 29th Joint Ministerial Meeting between the GCC and the European Union, currently taking place in Kuwait. The meeting discussed ways to enhance the GCC-Dutch relations and the strategic partnership between the GCC and the European Union, in a manner that serves common interests. The two sides also exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments. Albudaiwi commended the Netherlands' balanced positions and expressed hope that it would recognize the State of Palestine, a step that would support efforts to achieve the two-state solution and promote security and stability in the region.

The 29th joint ministerial meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU) kicked off today in Kuwait with the participation of foreign ministers and senior officials from both sides. The meeting will address a number of regional and international topics of common interest, including developments in the Middle East, ways to enhance trade and energy corporation, and efforts to combat climate change. It will also follow up on the implementation of the outcomes of the first GCC-EU summit held in Brussels last year. In this context, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the current session of the GCC Ministerial Council, Abdullah Al-Yahya said in a speech at the launch of the joint ministerial meeting that the convening of the GCC-EU meeting embodies the shared desire to continue building on the solid achievements of cooperation and coordination. He added that regional and international events have proven that common challenges, most notably terrorism, foreign interventions, threats to maritime security, and humanitarian crises, require collective coordination and cooperation to enhance the stability of peoples and support peace and development. He stressed the need to launch joint initiatives that reflect a commitment to collective solutions and international solidarity. He also affirmed the two sides' keenness to enhance cooperation in the areas of regional security, energy security, the green economy, digital transformation, advanced technology, and cultural and educational exchange, to serve the aspirations of their peoples for a more stable and prosperous future. On the Palestinian cause, the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister affirmed that it remains a top priority for the GCC as a matter of right and justice. He condemned the humanitarian tragedies experienced by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip due to the siege, destruction, and displacement, calling on the international community to take urgent action to stop the violations and enable the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on the June 4, 1967, borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. He also commended the efforts made by US President Donald Trump to stop the war in Gaza and the joint initiative adopted by Saudi Arabia and France to hold an international conference to implement the two-state solution. He also welcomed the announcement by a number of friendly European countries of their recognition of the State of Palestine, expressing hope that this recognition would expand in support of a just and comprehensive peace. The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister expressed the country's support for Syria's path toward stability and reconstruction, and for ongoing efforts to strengthen Lebanon's sovereignty and stability. He called on all parties in Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, and Libya to prevail and engage in political dialogue that achieves security, unity, and sovereignty for these countries.

Three people were killed as powerful storms swept across several European countries Sunday, causing widespread disruption to air, sea, and land transportation. The storm continued moving eastward from the British Isles toward France and Germany, amid warnings of strong winds and high tides.Local authorities in France announced the deaths of two people as a result of the effects of Storm Amy. The French Meteorological administration has raised the alert level to orange in six northern departments in anticipation of heavy winds and rain, noting that power was cut to approximately 5,000 houses in the Normandy region.Strong winds and heavy rain also caused one death, extensive damage, and power outages in Ireland.The severe weather conditions extended to the Netherlands, where authorities canceled approximately 80 arriving and 70 departing flights due to the bad weather.European meteorological centers expect the storm's effects to continue over the coming hours as it moves eastward toward the center of the continent, accompanied by strong winds and heavy rains. It is expected to gradually subside early next week.

European shares eased on Tuesday as heavyweight energy and healthcare stocks lost ground, while investors weighed the potential impact of a US government shutdown that could delay the release of the closely-watched monthly jobs data. The pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX), opened new tab slipped 0.2% to 554.7 points, though set for its third successive monthly gain and a more than 2% gain for the quarter. Heavyweight oil and gas stocks dipped 0.8%, tracking declining oil prices. France's TotalEnergies and the UK's BP fell more than 1% each. Healthcare stocks also shed 0.3%, with Denmark's Novo Nordisk and the UK's AstraZeneca down about 1% each. On the economic data front in Europe, the UK economy grew 0.3% in the second quarter, French preliminary inflation stood at 1.1% in September and German retail sales unexpectedly fell in August. Britain's ASOS slid 11.4%.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed on Tuesday US President Donald Trump's peace proposal, which aims to end the nearly two-year-old war in Gaza. "I welcome US President Donald Trump's commitment to end the war in Gaza and encourage all parties to now seize this opportunity. The EU stands ready to contribute," she said on X platform. "Hostilities should end with provision of immediate humanitarian relief to the population in Gaza and with all hostages released immediately," she added. The US President has announced a plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip through a comprehensive agreement that guarantees the unimpeded delivery of adequate humanitarian aid to the Strip, prevents the displacement of Palestinians, releases hostages, establishes a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all parties, in addition to a full Israeli withdrawal, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the establishment of a path to a just peace based on the two-state solution. This would see Gaza fully reunited with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law, as a key to achieving regional stability and security.

His Excellency Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari met with the State Secretary for European, Middle Eastern and African Affairs and Coordinator of the European Union and Global Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Clara Georgiana Staicu, who is visiting the country. The meeting focused on aspects of cooperation between the two countries and key economic, investment and trade developments.

The move comes in response to the activation of the dispute resolution mechanism by the three European powers, known collectively as the "E3", which paves the way for the automatic reimposition of UN sanctions previously lifted under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This diplomatic rupture follows the failure of a Russian-Chinese draft resolution at the UN Security Council aimed at delaying the reinstatement of sanctions for six months. The resolution fell short of the required votes, triggering the so-called snapback mechanism, which revives punitive measures linked to Iran's nuclear program. Iran, while reaffirming its commitment to the JCPOA, squarely blames the current crisis on the United States' unilateral withdrawal from the deal in 2018 and accuses European signatories of failing to uphold their obligations. Tehran insists it remains open to dialogue, provided sanctions are lifted. According to recent reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran's nuclear activities remain under surveillance. A new agreement between Iran and the IAEA was recently reached in Cairo, underscoring ongoing technical cooperation. In a related development, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani revealed in an interview with PBS that Iran had submitted proposals to avoid triggering the snapback clause. However, he warned that if sanctions are reinstated, Iran will respond by suspending cooperation with the IAEA, citing legislation passed by the Iranian parliament. All UN sanctions on Iran are set to be reimposed at midnight GMT, following the E3's formal activation of the 30-day mechanism, accusing Tehran of breaching the nuclear accord, a claim Iran vehemently denies.

European stocks retreated on Thursday under pressure from losses in the healthcare and industrials sectors in early trading, with focus on remarks from a number of Federal Reserve (US central bank) policymakers and data scheduled later in the day to clarify the path of monetary policy.The pan‑European STOXX 600 index fell 0.5 percent to 551.3 points.Most European stock exchanges also opened lower, with both Germany's benchmark index and the UK's FTSE 100 down 0.4 percent.The healthcare stocks index dropped 1.1 percent, with German medical technology firm Siemens Healthineers falling 6 percent.British medical device maker Smith and Nephew also slipped by 1.1 percent.Losses also included the construction and building materials sector, which fell 1.1 percent, and the industrial goods and services sector, down 0.6 percent.

The State of Qatar participated in a ministerial meeting 'Joint Efforts for De-escalation in Sudan,' organized by the European Union, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The State of Qatar was represented by Her Excellency Minister of State for International Cooperation Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad. During the meeting, Her Excellency affirmed Qatar's support for the brotherly Sudanese people and its respect for Sudan's sovereignty and unity, as well as the importance of preserving the integrity of its territory. Her Excellency Minister of State for International Cooperation also highlighted Qatar's support for Sudan in the initiative to protect women in conflict zones, to which it had previously pledged $10 million, in addition to medical and food aid.