France announced Tuesday that it will expand access to sustainable menstrual products by reimbursing reusable cups and underwear for eligible young women and low-income groups. The move, aimed at tackling period poverty, is expected to benefit millions once implemented through the country’s social »»»

Dubai: The UAE has introduced sweeping changes to tax penalties, cutting fines and revising how violations are handled, with the Federal Tax Authority positioning the move as a step towards easing compliance and encouraging businesses to correct past errors. Sign up for our daily business newslette»»»

The House on Thursday passed a bill to extend temporary protected status for Haitians that currently live in the United States on a bipartisan vote, but the bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate and may be vetoed by the White House if it is sent the President Donald Trump's desk. File Photo by »»»

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres welcomed the 10-day ceasefire announced Thursday between Israel and Lebanon, and urged "all actors" to fully respect the truce, his spokesman said. "The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, and commends t»»»

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, one of seven Congressional committees he testified before on Thursday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April»»»

Share: Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 10, 2026. REUTERS/Raghed Waked/File Photo Summary A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has come into effect»»»

Wall Street stocks ended higher Thursday (April 17), adding to records as investors greeted optimistic comments from US President Donald Trump about negotiations with Iran while shrugging off a jump in crude prices. After veering between gains and losses much of the day, all three major US indices »»»

A 7-month-old child was found unresponsive in a hot car outside the Monterey Public Library in Tennessee on Wednesday afternoon. The child later died, according to local reports, marking at least the second child hot car death in the United States this year. The Monterey Police Department responded»»»

QNA Berlin Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi held a series of high-level talks in Berlin on Thursday to discuss recent regional developments. Dr. Al Khulaifi met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Johann Wadephul. He also met sepa»»»

QNA Doha Qatar’s committee for the admission of lawyers convened on Thursday to review applications and regulatory matters concerning the legal profession, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s judicial framework. Chaired by Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Aff»»»

ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates has welcomed the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump of a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, and commended the diplomatic efforts led by President Trump in facilitating this agreement. Also Read: UAE President accepts US invitation to Board o»»»

Tribune News Network Doha The Gold and Jewelry Committee of the Qatar Chamber (QC) recently held a joint meeting with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) to review key challenges facing the sector and explore practical solutions to support its growth and sustainability. The meeting was cha»»»

Ashraf Siddiqui Doha Naveed Kamran Baloch, Federal Ombudsman of Pakistan, has stated that his office plans to engage with embassies and consulates worldwide as part of a broader outreach strategy. In his maiden interview since taken over present responsibilities with Qatar Tribune in Islamabad, Bal»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Qatar University (QU) President, Dr. Omar Al-Ansari, honoured the winners of the 19th Education Excellence Award for 2026 in the presence of several vice presidents during a ceremony that reflects the university’s continued commitment to supporting excellence. The recognit»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Qatar National Library (QNL) has won the Gold Award at the National Cyber Security Drill 2025, ranking first in the Education Sector. Organised by the National Cyber Security Agency under the theme ‘Cross-Border Attacks’, the event aimed to strengthen national defences aga»»»

QNA Istanbul Speaker of the Shura Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim affirmed that the State of Qatar, under the leadership of the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, will continue its steadfast approach based on dialogue, mediation, and preventing escalation, which contributes»»»

QNA Istanbul The Shura Council participated in the 217th session of the Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), as part of the 152nd Assembly of the IPU, currently underway in Istanbul, Turkiye, on Thursday. The Shura Council was represented at the event by Deputy Speaker of the S»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he has agreed to a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon. In a video statement, Netanyahu said he was taking the step in an attempt “to advance” peace efforts with Lebanon.FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem. FRANCE 24's Fraser Jackson r»»»

A new U-S-born Pope on a first-ever visit to Cameroon’s restive English-speaking northwest, and who’s not turning the other cheek: “Blessed are the peacemakers! But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that »»»

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar welcomes the ceasefire announcement in the sisterly Republic of Lebanon, considering it an initial step towards de-escalation. Qatar emphasizes the necessity of adhering to the ceasefire and building upon it urgently to solidify the truce and prevent the spread of te»»»

DOHA: Minister of Public Health HE Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud has issued a circular replacing health cards with ID cards for residents at public healthcare facilities. A statement from the Ministry of Public Health on Thursday said that under Circular No. (10) of 2026, residents will be require»»»

Hezbollah said in a statement that “any ceasefire must be comprehensive across all Lebanese territory and must not allow the Israeli enemy any freedom of movement.” Hezbollah added that “Israeli occupation on our land grants Lebanon and its people the right to resist it, and this matter will be det»»»

The UAE has welcomed the announcement by US President Donald Trump of a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, commending the diplomatic efforts that led to the breakthrough. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that the development would represent a positive step»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Public Health HE Mansoor bin Ebrahim bin Saad Al Mahmoud has issued a circular adopting the valid national ID (QID) card for residents in place of the health card when visiting Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, and other government health sector in»»»

Washington, United States: US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran has agreed to hand over its store of enriched uranium and that the two sides were "close" to a peace deal to end the war that has engulfed the Middle East. The United States had earlier threatened to resume airstrikes on t»»»

AMMAN — Minister of Agriculture Saeb Khreissat on Thursday said Jordan’s agricultural sector continues to post strong performance, underpinned by improved supply chains and growing domestic production.Speaking to Al Mamlaka TV, Khreissat described the sector as a "success story" despite limited nat»»»

Pet insurance grows 3.5-fold in three years... insurance industry moves to boost awareness A chart shows the number of pet insurance policies in South Korea rising sharply from 51,727 in 2021 to 251,961 in 2025. Graphic by Asia Today and translated by UPI April 15 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's pet »»»

Istanbul: The Shura Council participated Thursday in the 217th session of the Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), as part of the 152nd Assembly of the IPU, currently underway in Istanbul, Turkiye. The Shura Council was represented at the event by Deputy Speaker of the Shura Co»»»

Washington, United States: President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States and Iran were "very close" to a peace deal and that he would consider going to Pakistan to sign an agreement. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump added that Tehran had agreed to hand over its store of»»»

Republicans in the House of Representatives voted down a war powers resolution that would rein in President Trump's ability to wage war in Iran for a second time, although with just a one-vote margin this time. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- Republican members of th»»»

Sharjah : Seventy schools and nurseries from across the UAE took part in the third edition of the “My Green Environment is My Future” initiative, it was revealed when the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) in Sharjah honoured winners during a closing ceremony at Al Dhaid Wildlife Muse»»»

Lebanon and Israel have agreed to observe a 10-day ceasefire that begins at midnight Beirut time, the United States said. Below is the full text of the statement that was agreed to by the Government of Israel and Government of Lebanon, as published by the U.S. State Department: "Following productiv»»»

Berlin: Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi held a series of high-level talks in Berlin on Thursday to discuss recent regional developments. HE Al Khulaifi met separately with senior German officials including HE Dr Guenter Sautter, Foreign »»»

Anti-money laundering measures dominated talks in Washington between governor of the Central Bank of Libya Naji Issa and US officials, as prosecutors pursue corruption cases. The central bank said Issa outlined efforts to strengthen anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing systems, expa»»»

Hezbollah plunged Lebanon into war with Israel in early March. Six weeks later, the group, which had suffered setbacks in 2024, is still putting up a fight. But how? And can the Lebanese government succeed in getting the militant group to disarm? In this edition of Middle East Matters, we are »»»

Plastic sheeting serving as tents and mattresses laid on the ground: in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, the widows of fallen soldiers are struggling to survive in a makeshift camp. They say they fled the capital of North Kivu province, Goma, after it fell to the M23 rebels in January 2025. Left»»»

The caretaker Government Thursday approved the establishment of an interagency working group to coordinate industrial cooperation in projects for the procurement of defence equipment and products for the needs of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, the Government Information Service reported. The working g»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a ceasefire Thursday, and said he was trying to set up the first-ever meeting between the leaders of the two countries. Following what he called "excellent" phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Leb»»»

Pope Leo XIV condemned "a handful of tyrants" that were ravaging the world with war on Thursday, calling instead for the billions spent every year on weapons to go instead towards healthcare and education. The pontiff's strident comments came during a visit to Cameroon's separatist west, where thou»»»

Dimitar Karbov, the top-of-the-list candidate of Nation for Varna, is quoted by the party’s press office as saying that "Children are our greatest treasure and hope for Bulgaria’s future, which is why addressing the country’s demographic crisis is a top priority for Nation." Karbov added that solvi»»»

In a speech in Riyadh in May 2025, US President Donald Trump appeared to criticise his White House predecessors, including fellow Republican President George W. Bush, for invading Iraq in 2003, bringing down Saddam Hussein’s regime, and trying to rebuild the Iraqi state. Trump’s barb was at “so-cal»»»

Cairo is seeing renewed diplomatic momentum on Gaza, with mediators working to narrow gaps between Hamas and Israel, alongside the United States and Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza at the Board of Peace. A meeting in Cairo on Tuesday brought together Hamas chief negotiator Khali»»»

1 of 2 | Pope Leo XIV waves to supporters as he leaves after his visit to the Ngul Zamba orphanage in Yaounde, Cameroon, Wednesday. Pool photo by Alberto Pizzoli April 16 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV spent his second day in Cameroon in the city of Bamenda, the center of separatist fighting, calling for pe»»»

Share: President Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, to begin on Thursday at 5pm ET. Why it matters: The U.S. has been pressing for a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon for several days, while working in parallel on a potential peace deal with Iran. “I just had e»»»

The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, speaks at a pro-government event in Caracas on Monday to commemorate National Dignity Day, which marks the return of the late former president Hugo Chavez to the presidency after being ousted in a coup. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez/EPA April 16 (UPI)»»»

More than three dozen Democrats backed a bid by Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday to block US arms sales to Israel, reflecting growing unease over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and conflicts in Gaza and Iran. The measures failed, opposed by Republicans, but underscored rising dissent within t»»»

Angela Diffley is pleased to welcome Bilal Y. Saab, Senior Managing Director of TRENDS US.Former Pentagon Official in the first Trump administration. According to Saab, Lebanon is at a crossroads: the government is committed to reform, is fundamentally “pro-Lebanese” and rejects interference from e»»»

A woman who came to the world's attention at the age of just 16 has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how helping women has been an honour for her. Now 22, as a teenager Bohlale Mphahlele invented what she calls the Alerting Earpiece, designed to help protect women against sexual predators. She spoke »»»

More than 100 authors said they would leave France's Grasset publishing house on Thursday after the surprise departure of its long-time CEO, thought to be sparked by a disagreement with billionaire owner Vincent Bolloré. Critics accuse Bolloré of championing far-right views in his media e»»»

From a quick sandwich or a supermarket salad, to a three-course meal, to solo dining, lunch breaks are evolving in France. Has French culture reached a fork in the road when it comes to its traditional lunch break? With upcoming reforms to meal vouchers (titres-restaurant), we take a look at h»»»