European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen can ignore voters’ opinions as she essentially cannot be voted out like recently defeated Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Alice Weidel, co-chair of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has said. The AfD is the most popular par»»»

Dubai: The Philippines has formally raised concerns with the Omani embassy in Manila over a requirement for a negative HIV medical certificate imposed on certain Filipino travellers heading to Oman. In a statement, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has noted that it made “strong re»»»

Geneva: Over 38,000 women and girls were killed in the Gaza war by the end of 2025, the UN estimated Friday, amounting to over half of the 71,000 deaths recorded by the territory's health ministry. "Between October 2023 and December 2025, more than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza -- the »»»

Ben Roberts-Smith pictured in March 2022 outside federal court in Sydney during a defamation trial in which he unsuccessfully sued three former Fairfax group newspapers for carrying articles implicating him in war crimes in the Afghanistan war. File photo by Dan Himbrechts/EPA April 17 (UPI) -- Aus»»»

House Speaker Mike Johnson failed to shepherd an 18-month reauthorization of a key part of FISA through Congress after struggling to find enough votes early Friday, but managed to secure a 10-day extension to allow more time for negotiations. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 17 (UPI) »»»

Bulgarians at home and abroad are going to the polls on Sunday to elect their new lawmakers. These will be the country's eighteenth parliamentary elections since the start of democratic changes in 1989 and the seventh snap ones in a row since 2021. The Election Code that regulates the process was a»»»

Beirut MPs representing most of Lebanon’s political parties met in the capital to support a government move declaring the city “safe and weapons-free,” following recent security incidents and Israeli strikes. The conference brought together most factions, except MPs from Hezbollah, the Amal Movemen»»»

Dubai: At a time when headlines feel heavy, South African comedian Robby Collins (read the full interview here) chose laughter over fear. In Dubai with The Laughter Factory, he found packed rooms, warm audiences, and a city that feels incredibly safe, despite uncertainty due to ongoing regional ten»»»

Montreal: The head of the International Air Transport Association has warned that parts of Europe could begin canceling flights from late May due to potential jet fuel shortages, raising concerns about disruption during the busy summer travel season. Speaking on Friday, Director General Willie Wals»»»

An international tourist train operated by Golden Eagle Trains arrived in Bishkek today from Balykchy. The train brought visitors from Western Europe, North America, and East Asia, the state enterprise Kyrgyz Temir Zholu reported. At the railway station, a traditional crafts exhibition was organize»»»

Dubai: Most schools across the UAE are set to welcome students back to classrooms from Monday, ending more than 40 days of distance learning introduced in response to regional conflict linked to the US-Israel Iran war. However, while campuses reopen, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said school tran»»»

New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi struck a light-hearted note in the Lok Sabha on Friday during a debate on the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill and delimitation, drawing laughter when he remarked that both he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi do not have “wife issues”. The Leader of the Opposit»»»

New Bulgarian University (NBU) is hosting a two-day international conference in Sofia marking the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, bringing together leading scholars from Europe, the United States and Bulgaria to reassess the political, social and health impacts of one of the wor»»»

After 17 years in journalism, spanning local newsrooms, radio, and national television, Teodora Tompea is stepping into a new rhythm at Observator 16, where speed meets meaning and news reporting blends with storytelling. On March 16, she also hosted the 21st edition of the Business Review Awards G»»»

Jeddah: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed deep concern over the worsening conditions of more than 9,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, including women and children, in addition to detainees from Gaza whose numbers remain unknown. In a statement, the OIC warned of se»»»

Hisense, a leading global brand in consumer electronics and home appliances, has unveiled its new 2026 RGB MiniLED TV range at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, underlining not only its latest advances in display technology but also the strength and maturity of its long-standing partnership with FIFA ahe»»»

Washington: The UAE maintained security and continuity in the face of unprecedented and unprovoked attacks, a senior minister said, underscoring the country’s ability to respond swiftly while keeping daily life and institutions functioning without disruption. Speaking yesterday at the Semafor World»»»

Agriculture Minister Margaritis Schinas is expected to urge livestock farmers of Lesvos on Friday to comply with biosecurity measures aimed at containing foot-and-mouth disease, as authorities seek to curb its spread quickly. A delegation from the island has been invited to meet at 11 a.m. at the a»»»

The Court of Audit has raised serious concerns about efforts to hastily complete the national cadastre, warning of prolonged uncertainty over property ownership and a surge in court appeals. In a report, the watchdog said recent measures allowing the register to operate before objections are examin»»»

Paris: The 2026 Paris Book Festival has opened in the French capital, drawing thousands of writers, publishers and readers from around the world for one of Europe's largest literary gatherings. Taking place at the Grand Palais, the three-day event runs until Sunday and features around 1,200 publish»»»

A 53-year-old Indian-origin woman who has lived in the United States for more than three decades has been detained by immigration authorities in Texas, triggering legal challenges and growing concern over her treatment. Meenu Batra, a court interpreter who has spent over 35 years in the US, was arr»»»

London: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Friday he was "furious" after it emerged his sacked US ambassador Peter Mandelson was appointed despite failing security vetting, as the scandal again threatens his hold on power. The beleaguered British leader, who has been dogged for months by the contr»»»

Macquarie invested in Evryo Group in 2021. Evryo Group is the owner of Distributie Energie Oltenia (DEO), a regulated electricity distribution network active in the south-western Romanian region of Oltenia. DEO develops, maintains, and operates the grid to safely supply electricity across 80,000 ki»»»

Dubai: Dubai Safari Park has been accepted as an institutional member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) on March 19, 2026, marking a step in its efforts to align with international standards in animal welfare and conservation. WAZA is a global organisation representing zoos and »»»

Share: The Lebanese army started reconstruction of some of the bridges bombed by Israel during its war with Hezbollah Here is the latest on Middle East war Hezbollah and Iran have indicated backing for the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, but both say they’re poised with their “fingers on the »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters regarding Iran on the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday before departing on Marine One to travel to Las Vegas for a Republican Party event. Photo by Graeme Sloan/UPI | License Photo April 17 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump an»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's proposal to export enriched uranium from Iran is currently not in demand from the United States, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. "Now this proposal is not in demand from the United States," Peskov told reporters. At the same time, Russia remains open to a»»»

A total of 7,500 voting machines have been installed and validated over four days, representing about 80% of the total number used for voting in the country. For the first time, an effort is being made to verify all machines, the Ministry of E-Governance announced on Friday. The number of quarantin»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli Media: Lebanese Return South of Litani Another Reminder of Broken Promises 17-04-2026 14:12 PM People wave Hezbollah flags and an i»»»

Dubai:HONOR a global AI device ecosystem has kicked off its latest campaign, “Dream Big with HONOR 600,” in celebration of the launch of the HONOR 600 Series, inviting people across the GCC to share their dreams and express their creativity. Running for six weeks from April 15, the campaign combine»»»

Geneva: Last year was the deadliest on record for Rohingya refugees fleeing by sea, with deaths continuing to soar in 2026, the UN said Friday, after hundreds were lost in a shipwreck earlier this month. "In 2025, nearly 900 Rohingya refugees were reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay»»»

Police say phone fraud rings continue to operate using familiar tactics, despite repeated arrests and prosecutions, with suspects often returning to crime after release. Authorities describe a pattern in which offenders pose as accountants or power utility technicians, warning victims of supposed f»»»

Property Concept, one of the leading companies in Romania specialized in turnkey real estate investments, offering integrated services including sales, interior design, and property management, is rebranding as Alera, marking a new stage in its development. The company is targeting accelerated grow»»»

The third Sofia Zoo Expo 2026 opened at the Inter Expo Centre on Friday, bringing together business representatives, animal lovers, and international participants from the pet care sector. The forum, organized by Animalia, runs from April 17 to 19 and has significantly expanded in scale this year. »»»

Dubai: In a move to address the growing concerns over global energy security, Japan has announced a major regional initiative aimed at protecting Asian economies from supply disruptions, particularly those linked to key shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. During an online meeting held on »»»

Escalating geopolitical tensions in the Gulf region are breathing new life into China’s long-standing ambition to expand the role of the yuan in global energy trade, reviving discussions around the so-called “Petroyuan” as an alternative to the Dollar-dominated system. Recent developments surroundi»»»

Cairo — Egypt expects its economy to grow between 4.8% and 5% in the third quarter of the current 2025/2026 fiscal year, reflecting continued resilience despite global uncertainty, according to Ahmed Kouchouk in statements reported by Asharq Bloomberg. Speaking on the sidelines of the Spring Meetin»»»

A fragile calm settled over parts of Lebanon on Friday as a 10-day ceasefire brokered by the United States took hold between Israel and Hezbollah, prompting thousands of displaced families to begin the journey home — even as uncertainty, destruction and Israeli warnings against going back to parts »»»

Dubai: Fair to partly cloudy weather is expected across the UAE on Friday, with light to moderate northwesterly winds picking up at times and raising dust, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.Wind»»»

Denis Kitaev is a property developer, a co-founder and shareholder of Vesper, a firm specialising in premium residential construction and renovation. Born in Moscow on 3 February 1977, Denis Vladimirovich Kitaev attended Secondary School No. 622, where he developed a marked interest in drawing and »»»

The 5th “Patria” International Colloquium which opened on Thursday in Havana will run for three days until April 18. The media forum brings together around 150 journalists, analysts, academics, and media specialists from over 20 countries. Sputnik has its own booth in the colloquium’s exhibition ar»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have liberated the settlement of Zybino in the Kharkov region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. "Over the week, as a result of decisive actions by units of the Sever battlegroup, the village of Volchanskie Khutora in the Kharkov region was lib»»»

Dubai: UAE banks are rolling out a series of relief measures — from free loan deferrals to zero-interest payment plans — as residents navigate mounting financial pressures amid the ongoing crisis. In return, lenders are widening support across housing, healthcare and everyday expenses. Banks are in»»»

Skopje, 15 April 2026 (MIA) - The situation with the oil derivatives is stable and unchanged, with not a liter from the oil reserves spent, said Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski on Wednesday, adding that fuel prices would remain as they are or go down considering oil stock prices. Regarding the pi»»»

Tom Barrack, the U.S. special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, told a diplomacy conference Friday that the “brilliance” of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon was that it ended “senseless killing.” “The brilliance of what happened yesterday is it stopped senseless killing and Presiden»»»

British police said on Friday they had charged three people over an attempted arson attack on offices linked to television station Iran International in northwest London earlier this week. The three, two men and a teenager and all British, are accused of arson with intent to endanger life after an »»»

US President Donald Trump’s true religion is “Israelism” rather than Christianity, conservative journalist and podcaster Tucker Carlson has claimed, criticizing the president’s Middle East policies. Carlson made the remarks in response to controversial statements Trump made over the past week, incl»»»

The Governor of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL), Naji Issa, held and participated in several meetings during his participation in the IMF Spring Meetings 2026 held at the IMF’s headquarters in Washington DC from 13 to 18 April. US Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for the Middle East and AfricaTh»»»

London: UK police said Friday they had charged two young men and a teenage boy, following an attempted arson attack on the offices of Persian-language outlet Iran International. London's Met police said Oisin McGuinness, 21, and Nathan Dunn, 19, both of Watford, northwest of London, and a 16-year-o»»»

Seoul: South Korea wants to host a Formula One race for the first time since 2013 after unveiling a new circuit design that officials say is financially viable. The plan would see races held on a five-kilometre street circuit in the city of Incheon, just outside the capital Seoul. The Korean Grand »»»