In a packed hall in Qamishli's sports stadium in northeast Syria, Firas Ahmad is one of dozens of Kurds waiting to apply for citizenship after many in the minority were barred from doing so for decades. Since last week, "unregistered" Kurds, who have been stateless since a controversial 1962 census»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a communications radar in Katsavia barracks in the occupied Syrian Golan with a rocket barrage: Statem»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the headquarters of the 146th Division in Ga’aton settlement with a swarm of loitering drones: Stateme»»»

The fundamental vulnerability of the US Multi-Domain Operations doctrine is “centralization and the idea that the entire battle space can be effectively managed from the top,” retired USAF Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski, a former DoD analyst, tells Sputnik. Kwiatkowski calls it “a kind of arrogance and»»»

Dubai: Dubai gold prices rebounded on Thursday morning as renewed caution over the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict pushed investors back toward bullion. This reversed Wednesday’s softer trend when easing ceasefire hopes had briefly cooled safe-haven demand. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, along»»»

Spanish energy group Repsol is poised to take back operational control of its Venezuelan oil assets and boost production following a deal signed with the South American government, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Repsol is expected to announce the agreement as early as Thursday, FT added,»»»

China's economy expanded more than expected in the first three months of the year, with official data Thursday indicating resilience in the face of a Middle East crisis that threatens to hit global growth. The figures came despite a surge in world energy prices caused by the US-Israel war on Iran, »»»

A critically endangered Borneo orangutan has been born at Madrid's zoo, described by keepers as strong and developing normally. After an eight-and-a-half-month pregnancy, mother Surya gave birth to a male weighing about 1.5 kilos (3.3 pounds) on April 2, the Madrid Zoo Aquarium said in a statement.»»»

The U.S. military struck a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific on Wednesday, killing three people. Image courtesy of U.S. Southern Command/X April 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. military killed three people Wednesday in its fifth strike in five days targeting suspected drug-trafficking boats»»»

Doha, Qatar: European Council President António Costa (pictured) yesterday underscored the European Union’s unwavering support for Qatar and other Gulf nations amid regional tensions, stressing the need for a stable ceasefire and the restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Spe»»»

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - Lebanese movement Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire on the condition that Israel also observe it, Mahmoud Komati, deputy head of Hezbollah's political council, said on Wednesday. Hezbollah has agreed to a ceasefire with Israel on the condition that both sides adhere to it.“We agree»»»

Russian strikes killed at least 12 people in Ukraine, local authorities said on Thursday, after Moscow pummeled its neighbor in overnight attacks. Missile and drone attacks on the southern port city of Odesa killed six people, the head of the city's military administration Sergiy Lysak wrote on Tel»»»

Dubai: Sue Prado, an acclaimed indie Filipino film actress, died at 44 with her family confirming her death. Her sister, May Shareen Prado, took to Facebook saying her beloved family member died on April 14. No cause of death has been revealed. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf New»»»

The US Senate on Wednesday rejected a bill that would have blocked any further US strikes on Iran without approval from Congress. The initiative was opposed by 52 senators and supported by 47 senators. The vote marks the fourth time this year lawmakers have effectively allowed the US-Israeli war of»»»

Left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez moved into second place in Peru’s presidential election, setting up a June runoff with conservative Keiko Fujimori, as a rival threatened protests over alleged fraud. With over 90% counted, Fujimori led with about 17%, followed by Sanchez on 12% and Rafael Lopez »»»

François Picard welcomes Farès Boueiz, former Lebanese minister of foreign affairs. The ongoing Israeli-Lebanese talks cannot be described as a "breakthrough", Boueiz argues, but rather as a technical prelude to meaningful negotiations. What we are witnessing, he suggests, is the exploratory stage »»»

François Picard welcomes Farès Boueiz, former Lebanese minister of foreign affairs. The ongoing Israeli-Lebanese talks cannot be described as a "breakthrough", Boueiz argues, but rather as a technical prelude to meaningful negotiations. What we are witnessing, he suggests, is the exploratory stage »»»

Social media users are claiming that Apple has intentionally removed towns in southern Lebanon from its Maps app, sparking allegations of a link to the ongoing Israel-Lebanon conflict. Apple has denied the claims, stating the locations were never indexed to begin with and citing longstanding covera»»»

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Ami Ayalon, former head of Israel's domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, warned that Israel is "heading to apartheid" unless it divides the land with the Palestinians. He argued that "there is a limit to what we can achieve by the use of military power" in Iran and»»»

Between Tehran and Washington's blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, the number of ships passing through the critical waterway has slowed to a trickle. Here's what marine tracking data tells us about the situation. A trickle of ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday and Wednesday as a US blockade»»»

Angela Diffley is pleased to welcome Bilal Y. Saab, Senior Managing Director of TRENDS Research and Advisory. According to Saab, Lebanon is at a crossroads: the government is committed to reform, is fundamentally “pro-Lebanese” and rejects interference from external actors. The central challenge re»»»

The health of jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi is critical after she suffered a heart attack last month, supporters said on Wednesday. Her family and lawyers, allowed a second prison visit, reported a sharp deterioration in her condition, with her physical state now descri»»»

Prominent left-leaning Italian weekly L’Espresso is at the centre of a diplomatic storm online, after the Israeli ambassador to Italy slammed its choice of front cover as "manipulative." The magazine titled its latest edition “L’Abuso” or “The Abuse,” illustrating the cover with a photo of an armed»»»

Pakistan’s army chief is set to meet with Iranian officials in Tehran on Thursday in a bid to ease tensions in the Middle East and arrange a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran after almost seven weeks of war. The White House said any further talks would likely take plac»»»

The administration of US President Donald Trump wants automakers to play a greater role in the production of weapons and military equipment, American media reported. The US is urging major manufacturers, including General Motors and Ford, to expand their role in weapons production as conflicts in U»»»

Sudan’s government on Wednesday slammed a donor conference hosted by Germany as “surprising and unacceptable”, saying the event meddles in the country’s internal affairs and was organised without consulting Khartoum. The conference is being held as the brutal war between the army and the paramilita»»»

This Wednesday marks three years since the start of the civil war in Sudan, a conflict that has forced 14 million people to flee their homes. Some 4 million of them have left their country altogether. While many have fled to neighbouring countries, some have chosen Kenya. The capital Nairobi has be»»»

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Cameroon Wednesday for the next stop on his 11-day apostolic journey across Africa. Separatist groups in the English-speaking west declared a three-day ceasefire to allow the pontiff to travel to the conflicted region.  Crowds lined the roads to welcome Pope Leo XIV to »»»

Three years into a war that has displaced 11 million people and killed tens of thousands, Sudan’s conflict remains deadlocked, with civilians trapped in a cycle of violence and deprivation and no viable path to peace. On the third anniversary of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and »»»

Controversial US rapper Kanye West is facing the possible cancellation of his planned June concert in Marseille as France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez moves to block the performance over the artist’s anti-Semitic remarks.  France's interior minister is seeking to block US rapper Kanye Wes»»»

France's controversial Montparnasse Tower is entering a new era. A stark symbol of post-war modernism in the heart of Paris, the skyscraper inaugurated in 1973 is set to get a facelift. Work is expected to begin this summer and continue until at least 2030. We tak»»»

French MPs have introduced a bill, aimed at removing the statute of limitations for crimes against children. Under current legislation, survivors of rape can pursue legal action up to 30 years after the day they turn 18. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks with Mié Kohiyama, co-founder of the Brave M»»»

How do you tell your three-year-old that it’s time to go back to school, just after she’s grown comfortable being at home? Swaleha Madani, assistant professor, cardiac rehabilitation specialist based in Al Ain, knows the challenge that lies ahead, as schools gear up to open after weeks of distance »»»

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government has suspended Italy's defence cooperation agreement with Israel amid rising tensions between the two countries after Rome accused Israeli forces of firing warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon. Italy has suspended its defence agre»»»

As countries on both sides of the Atlantic ramp up deportations of undocumented migrants, Spain’s left-wing government on Tuesday prepared to give legal status to hundreds of thousands of irregular workers. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has championed the amnesty as a way to not only give informal w»»»

A flotilla of dozens of boats set sail for Gaza from Barcelona on Wednesday in a fresh bid to break an Israeli blockade and deliver aid supplies. Last year, another flotilla of about 50 boats was boarded by the Israeli navy, resulting in crew members, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg,»»»

A Borneo orangutan in the Madrid Zoo Aquarium gave birth in early April to a healthy baby, the zoo said. Habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade have severely curtailed the number of these gentle primates living in the wild. A critically endangered Borneo orangutan has been born at Madrid's zoo»»»

Saudi Arabia will provide $3 billion in additional support for Pakistan to help the South Asian nation bridge a multi-billion-dollar gap in its finances linked to an upcoming debt repayment to the United Arab Emirates. The extra funding for Pakistan comes on top of Riyadh extending the rollover arr»»»

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that leaders of Israel and Lebanon will speak Thursday, after they held a high-level face-to-face meeting in Washington Tuesday -- the first such negotiation since 1993. "Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long ti»»»

Australia and Singapore have agreed to reinforce energy co-operation, pledging to maintain flows of refined fuel and LNG as both nations work to navigate international and regional energy issues on the back of the conflict in the Middle East. »»»

India’s bank credit growth is expected to be around 13% this fiscal year (FY27), driven by robust growth in the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) and retail sectors. Another major factor driving this growth is corporates' continued preference for bank credit over bond issuance amid the prev»»»

The Trump administration’s being ostracized by the international community for America’s war mongering. That is making China a fulcrum in the East-West clash that now has its centre of gravity in the Middle East. World leaders are flocking to Beijing to find a counterbalance. »»»

For most of the first year of the Trump administration, America's so-called western allies spent most of their time flattering, toadying and attempting to manipulate the US President's ego in a vain effort to rescue the fast decaying transatlantic "special relation." They even agreed to more than d»»»

The Trump administration’s being ostracized by the international community for America’s war mongering. That is making China a fulcrum in the East-West clash that now has its centre of gravity in the Middle East. World leaders are flocking to Beijing to find a counterbalance. »»»

For most of the first year of the Trump administration, America's so-called western allies spent most of their time flattering, toadying and attempting to manipulate the US President's ego in a vain effort to rescue the fast decaying transatlantic "special relation." They even agreed to more than d»»»

The Trump administration’s being ostracized by the international community for America’s war mongering. That is making China a fulcrum in the East-West clash that now has its centre of gravity in the Middle East. World leaders are flocking to Beijing to find a counterbalance. »»»

For most of the first year of the Trump administration, America's so-called western allies spent most of their time flattering, toadying and attempting to manipulate the US President's ego in a vain effort to rescue the fast decaying transatlantic "special relation." They even agreed to more than d»»»

The Trump administration’s being ostracized by the international community for America’s war mongering. That is making China a fulcrum in the East-West clash that now has its centre of gravity in the Middle East. World leaders are flocking to Beijing to find a counterbalance. »»»

Iran's intelligence ministry said it had arrested the leader of a separatist group, dismantled two weapons smuggling cells and detained 30 people it accused of links to Israel's Mossad, Etemad Online reported on April 15. »»»

Iran has a supreme leader on paper. Whether it has one in practice is a different question entirely The Islamic Republic of Iran was built on a single, load-bearing premise: that sovereignty belongs to God, and that God's »»»