Los Angeles, United States: More than four million tickets were sold worldwide for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics during this month's first window for purchases, organizers announced on Thursday. Ticket buyers were from 85 nations, with top global sales beyond the United States coming from the Unite»»»

JERUSALEM: Defense minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Israel was “prepared to resume the war against Iran,” adding that his country was awaiting a green light from the United States to return Iran to “the Stone Age.” “The IDF is ready both defensively and offensively, and the targets have b»»»

Doha: Qatar Tourism has announced the opening of Nami Beach, a new leisure destination in central Doha designed to offer a high-end seaside experience within the city. In a statement released on Thursday, the authority said the development was created in partnership with Loft A Trading and Contract»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Lebanese government will not sign any agreement with Israel as part of negotiations unless it includes a "full withdrawal" of the Israeli troops from its territory, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. "We cannot live with a so»»»

OSLO: The Iran war is having a devastating humanitarian impact globally with ​higher energy prices making everything from filling the tank of an aid lorry to paying employees and buying food for displaced people costlier, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council said on Thursday.The NRC is one of »»»

HOUSTON: Kash Shaikh, the former chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Dubai-based Baseball United, has been appointed chief marketing officer and head of international at Perfect Game, the world’s largest platform for elite youth baseball and softball. Having built the region’s first professional baseb»»»

Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Israel was "prepared to resume the war against Iran", adding that his country was awaiting a green light from the United States to return Iran to "the Stone Age". "The IDF is ready both defensively and offensively, and the targets have been marked,»»»

Teams from the Burgas Naval Base Wednesday discovered an air defence missile engine and a drone washed ashore in the area of Sunny Beach resort. They posed no danger and were transported to the base, the Ministry of Defence reported Thursday. On April 22, a specialized team from the Burgas Naval Ba»»»

Tonight's second round of preparatory direct talks between Lebanon and Israel will be held at the White House instead of the State Department, Lebanese TV networks said. The meeting is scheduled for 11:00 pm Beirut time (8:00 pm GMT). MTV and Al-Arabiya later reported that U.S. President Donald Tru»»»

LONDON: Coventry City chairman Doug King ‌is unconcerned about the prospect that Frank Lampard, the manager who led the club back to the Premier League after 25 years, may leave in the close season, with reports linking the coach with a return to Chelsea. Lampard spent 13 years at Chelsea as a play»»»

Accra, Ghana: Newly-appointed Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz said Thursday that leading the Black Stars at the 2026 World Cup will be "the biggest challenge" of his career. The arrival of the veteran Portuguese coach, who oversaw Iran at the 2022 World Cup and also spent a season at Real Madrid, has sp»»»

Dubai: Iran’s decision-making core has undergone a quiet but profound transformation, with real power shifting away from clerics to a hardened network of military commanders, according to a detailed report by The New York Times. At the centre of this shift is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamen»»»

The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced the distribution of parliamentary seats among parties and coalitions in the 52nd National Assembly on Thursday. The Progressive Bulgaria coalition will have a majority with 131 MPs (54.58% of the total number of 240), said CEC Chair Kamelia Neykova. T»»»

Washington, United States: Getting around without Google Maps. No longer scrolling Instagram at the bus stop. Ditching your headphones to hear the birds sing. In March, a group of 20- and 30-somethings in the US capital swapped their smartphones for basic flip phones and embarked on a one-month dig»»»

Iran has the justification for its Hormuz tolls, as it can cite “severe constraint” from US sanctions and war, Professor Azmi Hassan, senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research in Malaysia, tells Sputnik. It also has unique leverage in that it effectively controls the waterway, he»»»

WASHINGTON: Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was seriously wounded in the US-Israeli airstrike that killed his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei but is mentally sharp, the New York Times reported on Thursday. Citing several Iranian officials which it did not name, the Times said Mojtaba»»»

More than 500 hectares of state forest land will be re-designated in order to build a parking area near the Zemen Monastery. This decision was made by municipal councilors at a meeting held on Thursday, the Chair of the Zemen Municipal Council, Iva Borisova, told BTA. Mayor Mihail Zlatanov submitte»»»

The US is not setting any deadlines for concluding the war against Iran, President Donald Trump has said. The remarks contrast with Trump’s earlier claim, made shortly after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, that the fighting would last “four to five weeks.” He also repeate»»»

GENEVA: An Iranian government spokesperson says the men’s national team are preparing for “proud and successful participation” in their World Cup games in the United States. Iran’s ability and willingness to go to the World Cup across north America starting June 11 has been unclear since the US and»»»

Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved the merger with Paramount Skydance Thursday morning. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo April 23 (UPI) -- Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders voted to give their preliminary blessing to the long-debated merger with Paramount Skydance Wednesday »»»

LONDON: Syrian authorities announced on Thursday the resumption of flights to Damascus International Airport from Doha and Jeddah, beginning May 1, following weeks of stoppage amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport said that Qatar Ai»»»

DOHA: Qatar will take on El Salvador in an international friendly at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on June 6, the Qatar Football Association announced on Thursday, as Al Annabi continue their build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match forms part of a crucial overseas training camp designed to fine»»»

Madrid: Aryna Sabalenka shook off some rust to post her first victory of the season on clay and extend her winning streak to 13 matches on Thursday in Madrid. The world number one, who was playing her first match since she completed the Sunshine Double by winning Indian Wells and Miami last month, »»»

A C-230 Overkill (Striker)) one-way attack drone is on display during a press tour in Taichung, Taiwan, on Tuesday. Thunder Tiger Corp. is a Taiwanese company that designs and manufactures defense-oriented unmanned vehicles, including UAVs, unmanned surface vessels, underwater ROVs and all-terrain »»»

The spa centre with mineralized water at the Grand Hotel Veliko Tarnovo spans 2,000 sq. m. The renovated hotel has once again become an attractive site for congress tourism, international events, team-building activities, and individual visits. Construction of the hotel began in 1967 and finished i»»»

In response to the Israeli violations of the ceasefire and attacks on the civilians in At-Tiri town, South Lebanon, the Islamic Resistance carried out on Thursday a number of military operations against the enemy forces. Hezbollah Military Media issued consecutive statements to illustrate the Resis»»»

MADRID: ‌Real Madrid have suffered a double blow after Arda Guler and Eder Militao were ruled out for the remainder of the season with hamstring injuries, the club confirmed. According to club sources, the pair are expected to be sidelined for around four weeks but should recover in time for the Wo»»»

Italian officials have rebuked a US proposal for their national football team to replace Iran at the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Italy lost the chance to participate at the World Cup for a third successive time after a humiliating penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a playoff last mon»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia will continue seeking recognition of Nazi crimes against Soviet people as genocide, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday. "Our diplomacy will consistently strive to ensure that the crimes of the Nazis and their collaborators against Soviet citizens of al»»»

DOHA: The General Authority of Customs and Qatar Aviation Services signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to enhance cooperation in the field of general customs clearance for personal imports, aiming to improve service quality, simplify procedures, expedite transactions, and enhance the e»»»

RIYADH: A pact between a Saudi Arabia university and Japanese space exploration company has raised hopes of using the Kingdom’s expertise in oil and gas infrastructure for a lunar economy. Dr. Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, CEO of ispace-Europe, told Arab News recently that the company envisages tangible»»»

The abrupt departure of US Navy Secretary John Phelan has come at a particularly sensitive moment — with American naval forces deeply engaged in operations linked to the Iran conflict and a fragile ceasefire still holding. The Pentagon announced that Phelan was leaving “effective immediately,” offe»»»

Dubai: Dubai's flagship Emirates is confident it will rebound quickly from disruptions caused by the Iran conflict, with President Tim Clark saying strong demand will help the airline recover lost ground and fend off competition. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Speakin»»»

1 of 2 | The Justice Department announced that it is immediately seeking to reschedule FDA-approved cannabis products including state-licensed medical marijuana, to Schedule III. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said this open the door for research into the substance. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI |»»»

New York: Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday said shareholders approved its sale to Paramount Skydance, giving a green light to a hostile takeover bid valuing the combined company at $110 billion. The agreement ends a lengthy takeover saga and creates an entertainment behemoth whose impact on a str»»»

Tunis, April 23 (TAP) - The Tunisian Embassy in London announced that a service for submitting applications for issuance or renewal of national identity cards will, for the first time, be installed on its premises, starting April 27, for a period of...»»»

The United Nations said Thursday it was "working on" maintaining a presence in Lebanon once the mandate for its UNIFIL peacekeeping force expires at the end of the year. "In terms of the post-UNIFIL, we're currently in the process of working on these options," said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the U.N. Und»»»

BARCELONA: Lamine Yamal will miss the rest of Barcelona’s season but should be healed from a leg injury in time to play for Spain at the World Cup, the club said on Thursday. Barcelona said 18-year-old Yamal will miss the remaining six La Liga games for the leaders as he follows a “conservative tre»»»

A draft resolution proposing amendments to the regulations governing the National Hospital under the Ministry of Health has been submitted for public discussion in Kyrgyzstan. The document proposes changes to the procedure for appointing the leadership of one of the country’s key medical institutio»»»

Malta is on collision course for another legal dispute with the European Commission over its online gambling industry, after the European Court of Justice’s top advisor said that its law which forbids Maltese courts from recognising rulings from other member states breaks EU law. In a legal opinion»»»

Frankfurt, Germany: Elon Musk's automotive and robotics company Tesla said Thursday that it would hire more than 1,000 people in Germany, a rare bright spot in the country's struggling auto industry. A thousand employees will be added at Tesla's factory outside Berlin by the end of June, a company »»»

BERLIN: The son of the ‌former Shah appealed to Western countries to join the war against Iran and criticised the decision of the German government not to meet him during his visit to Berlin on Thursday. Reza Pahlavi, whose father was deposed in the revolution that brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomei»»»

RIYADH: Aquarabia, the Middle East’s largest water park, opened on Thursday at the Qiddiya City entertainment complex on the outskirts of Riyadh. The park features 22 rides and attractions with eight themed zones spread across 250,000 sq. meters. There are also an additional seven dry rides and att»»»

Tripoli — Sulzer has launched a joint venture with Jawaby Services & Investments Ltd, a subsidiary of the National Oil Corporation, marking a significant step toward rebuilding and localizing Libya’s industrial and energy services sector. The new entity, Jawaby Sulzer Services, will operate from th»»»

Alexandria — Pharco Pharmaceuticals has inaugurated a new ophthalmic drops production line at its Al Amreya facility, with investments of approximately $5.8 million (EGP 300 million), as part of a broader expansion programme valued at EGP 500 million. The company stated that the new line will produ»»»

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea: Pope Leo XIV wrapped up his African odyssey on Thursday with a final Mass in Equatorial Guinea, bringing to an end one of the newsiest papal trips in the history of popes on the road, thanks to his extraordinary back-and-forth with President Donald Trump. A powerful rains»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon will formally urge Israel to immediately halt attacks on journalists and paramedics during US-sponsored talks in Washington, a day after an Israeli strike killed a Lebanese reporter and wounded another in southern Lebanon. An official source told Arab News that the demand was added »»»

LODNON: Israeli forces fatally shot a 15-year-old Palestinian boy on Thursday during a raid in the Rafidia neighborhood of Nablus, north of the West Bank. The teenager died in hospital from critical injuries after he was shot in the shoulder, according to the Wafa news agency. Israeli forces carry »»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Navigation (Milaha) - Qatari public shareholding company - announced a strategic reorganization of its business sectors aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and supporting its future direction. In a statement published on the Qatar Stock Exchange website, the company said th»»»

The Pentagon blasted as cherry picking and false on Thursday a news report saying that the department assessed it could take six months to completely clear the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian-laid mines. The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the Pentagon shared the six-month estimate during a »»»