A 5.1-magnitude aftershock recorded at midday Friday off the coast of Ierapetra, southeastern Crete, is reinforcing – but not confirming – the view that the earlier 5.7-magnitude earthquake was the main shock, according to seismologists monitoring the area. Scientists describe the aftershock sequen»»»

WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday that a US blockade on Iran ​is going global, adding Tehran had a chance to make a “good deal” with Washington.“Our blockade is growing and going global,” Hegseth told reporters.“No one sails from the Strait of Hormuz to anywhere in the wo»»»

Saudi envoy Prince Yazid bin Farhan has met in Beirut with army chief Rodolphe Haykal and a number of Lebanese MPs, including Fouad Makhzoumi, Faisal Karami, and Elias Bou Saab. Prince Yazid bin Farhan affirmed KSA's support for the implementation of the Taif Agreement, full withdrawal of Israel fr»»»

ATHENS - Serbian Deputy PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic met with Greek Minister of National Defence Nikolaos Dendias in Athens on Friday to discuss possibilities for advancement of comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, especially in the field of security. The ministers agreed th»»»

The senior officer, who has been accused by Ukrainian military intelligence of involvement in criminal activities on European territory, has been appointed head of the FSB Border Guard Directorate for Karelia. Vladimir Shchemelinin is the new head of the FSB directorate responsible for guarding the»»»

RIYADH: Officials from the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority at Al-Haditha border crossing have foiled an attempt to smuggle a huge cache of captagon pills. The authority, which seized the contraband, said on Friday: “ZATCA, in coordination with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control, thwarted»»»

The Yes, Bulgaria party accused prosecutors on Friday of being used, "once again", to target officials working for institutional reform. Their statement followed claims by Interior Ministry acting Secretary General Georgi Kandev that he had come under pressure and was smeared through false testimon»»»

Kuwait Airways will resum operations from Terminal 4 at Kuwait International Airport, restoring flights to 17 destinations from Sunday, 26 April, following the reopening of the country’s airspace after a temporary suspension. The move comes after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation lifted res»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior has announced fines of up to SR100,000 for individuals who shelter visitors holding visit visas in violation of Hajj regulations, Okaz newspaper reported. The penalty applies to anyone who accommodates such visitors in hotels, apartments, private residence»»»

Algeria: Algeria today hosted the official signing of the second phase of the “Baladna Algeria” project. This includes a new set of contracts for the integrated farm project, alongside the launch of an airlift program to import dairy cows from the United States, starting in November 2026. The step »»»

ALGIERS: Algeria has hosted the official signing of the second phase of the 'Baladna Algeria'project. This includes a new set of contracts for the integrated farm project, alongside the launch of an airlift program to import dairy cows from the United States, starting in November 2026. The step ref»»»

Dubai: AMIS Development has recently received another tranche of funding from a leading Singaporean investment fund, further solidifying the ongoing partnership between the Dubai-based developer and the fund. Such investments and the continued flow of global capital into Dubai are vital in maintain»»»

Abu Dhabi: Police authorities in the UAE are using artificial intelligence to analyse driver behaviour, as part of ongoing efforts to reduce road accidents despite the country’s high global ranking in road quality. The Ministry of Interior said AI-powered monitoring systems are now in place to asse»»»

Dubai: The UAE plans to shift 50% of government services to AI within two years, a move that signals a deeper change in how residents interact with everyday processes such as visas, licensing, and document renewals. At first glance, this may sound like another phase of digital government, but the u»»»

MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s Health Minister Fahad Abdulrahman AlJalajel has completed a two-day inspection of facilities in Makkah in preparation for the upcoming Hajj season. The visit reflects the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to ensure high-quality and comprehensive services for pilgrims, in line with th»»»

MANILA: Doctors from the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program have given Maurice Ann and Klea Misa a chance each to live their own distinct lives, their mother told Arab News on Friday following successful separation surgery in Riyadh. The 7-year-old girls, who are from Lubang, a municipality on the Phili»»»

Political and diplomatic developments are accelerating toward forging an understanding between Lebanon and Israel, that has started to be known as a "non-aggression pact," based on a U.S.-Saudi initiative joined by Egypt, a political source informed on the talks said. "Egypt is reviving its previou»»»

Unsure which degree will lead to a strong career, or which path will actually pay off in the long run? With industry demands changing and new fields emerging across technology, business and sustainability, students today are weighing more choices, and more uncertainty, than ever before. This is whe»»»

Abu Dhabi: UAE travellers will soon have more flight options to the United States. UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways is ramping up services to Chicago and Charlotte amid strong demand. From June 15, the airline will double its flights to Chicago and upgrade its recently launched Charlotte route to da»»»

Reacting to the statement of Interior Ministry's acting Secretary General Georgi Kandev that he had been pressured to step down, Continue the Change (CC) leader Assen Vassilev wrote on Facebook: "Apparently, in Bulgaria, as soon as someone starts doing their job, they immediately try to frame them »»»

Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva has supported draft amendments to a 2015 ordinance on general education, tabled by the Education Ministry, to officially integrate artificial intelligence and digital literacy into the curriculum from third to twelfth grade, her office said. In her opinion addressed to »»»

In a Facebook post on Friday, acting Interior Minister Emil Dechev wrote: "Old cops are using dirty tricks - all too familiar to us, endlessly worn-out - to undermine and neutralize Georgi Kandev, the acting Secretary General of the Interior Ministry." Earlier in the day, Kandev said in a video mes»»»

The team of Bulgarian caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov has drafted revisions to the Judicial System Act intended to enhance the election procedures for the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the SJC Inspectorate, Yankulov's Ministry said in a press release on Friday. The draft legislation»»»

Dubai: Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the UAE and across the Middle East can request help through official government channels during crises such as conflict, disasters, or personal emergencies. The Philippine Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW),»»»

The spa centre at Ensana Aquahouse Hotel in the Sts. Constantine and Helena resort near Varna, on the Black Sea, is developing new anti-stress programmes, spa manager Nikolay Popov told BTA. The services are used mainly by working people who need mental recovery. The programmes target to reduce chr»»»

Skopje, 23 April 2026 (MIA) - Minister of Defense Vlado Misajlovski launched on Thursday the regular Macedonian-U.S. bilateral defense consultations, where, together with Deputy Assistant Secretary of War David Baker and the U.S. delegation, discussions were held on regional security, modernization»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic and Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Gen Milan Mojsilovic hosted a reception on Thursday evening to mark April 23 - Serbian Armed Forces Day. The reception, held in the Large War Room of the Old General Staff building, was also attended»»»

Iran is not seeking war, but it is ready to keep fighting, Tehran’s ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, has told RT in an exclusive interview, arguing that the Islamic Republic has never been the side to abandon diplomacy despite repeated stabs in the back. “The general policy of the Islamic Republ»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has completed its first-ever rail shipment of passenger vehicles for a car dealership, marking a major shift in how vehicles are transported across the country. The milestone saw Al Masaood Automobiles partner with Etihad Rail Freight - a subsidiary of Etihad Rail - to move a shi»»»

JEDDAH: Sarah Alabdali is presenting her third solo exhibition, “The Legends of Motherland,” until May 24 at Al-Balad’s Al-Falah School in Jeddah. The exhibition brings together paintings, prints, and collaborative works that reflect Alabdali’s journey as an artist and researcher whose work explore»»»

Dubai: Pilgrims preparing for Hajj 2026 have been urged to take their required vaccinations at least 10 days before departure in order to reduce the risk of infectious diseases during the pilgrimage. The Emirates Health Services (EHS) said early vaccination is essential to allow the body time to bu»»»

The Libyan-Spanish Economic Forum (23-24 April), organized by the Libyan General Union of Chambers of Commerce in conjunction with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, commenced yesterday in Madrid. The General Union of Chambers said the forum saw high-level participation from government officials and »»»

Political developments involving Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria electoral dominance and Borislav Sarafov’s resignation as acting prosecutor general dominate Friday’s news media, highlighting broader debates on power consolidation and judicial independence in Bulgaria. POLITICS Capital leads wit»»»

McDonald’s served approximately 400,000 customers daily, with over 59 million orders recorded throughout the year. At the same time, the company opened 8 restaurants in several cities across the country: Bucharest, Ploiești, Iași, Timișoara, Bacău, Baia Mare, and Mediaș. The positive growth in 2025»»»

Remarks by US President Donald Trump describing India in derogatory terms have triggered a strong backlash from New Delhi, Indian American lawmakers and community leaders, threatening to cast a shadow over ties between the two countries. The controversy erupted after Trump reposted a message on soc»»»

The African Development Bank reports that it concluded a three-day workshop with Libya’s Tripoli based Ministry of Transport to define the roadmap for implementing a strategic transport sector study aimed at supporting the country’s economic recovery. Held at the Bank’s North Africa regional office»»»

The United States’ war effort against Iran is reshaping more than just the Middle East battlefield — it is beginning to test the limits of Washington’s global military readiness. In just over a month of fighting, the US has burned through thousands of high-end missiles and munitions, raising concer»»»

Over 100 companies participated in this edition of the program, of which 30 reached the main stage, that of the workshops and recertification interviews conducted by Deloitte Romania together with the program partners, a stage that allowed them to analyze their performance according to the Deloitte»»»

Dubai Investments will decide before May 15 whether to go ahead with the IPO of its real estate business or push it to October, said Khalid Bin Kalban, Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Investments. “We have been in contact with the banks that will lead the issue, as well as major investors participat»»»

In a video message posted on his Facebook page on Friday, caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov said that he and the entire caretaker government stand firmly behind Georgi Kandev, the Interior Ministry's acting Secretary General. "Every honest Bulgarian citizen will stand behind him as well," Gurov»»»

Dubai: Across the UAE, temperatures have surged well above what is typical for April, catching many residents off guard after weeks of surprisingly mild and even cool weather. The mercury has already broken 44°C in parts of the country this week and the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has sign»»»

Zhivko Todorov, the long-serving mayor of Stara Zagora and a senior figure in GERB, announced he is stepping down from the party’s Executive Commission, its top executive body. The move became public through a Facebook post by Todorov, in which he said he would now focus entirely on the development»»»

RIYADH: Filipino conjoined twins Klea and Maurice Ann were successfully separated after an 18.5-hour operation at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday. The procedure, considered as one of the world’s most complex cases, concluded with»»»

A federal judge on Thursday ordered immigration officials to release the family of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, who is accused of attacking a group of people demonstrating in support of the release of Israeli hostages in June 2025. File Photo Courtesy of Boulder Police Department/UPI | License Photo »»»

Dubai Police have taken firm action against a number of motorcycle riders after they were caught performing dangerous stunts and violating traffic laws on roads across the emirate. The riders were seen driving on one wheel and weaving between vehicles, behaviour that puts lives at risk and poses a »»»

Washington: The United States has approved the first contract under the trilateral security cooperation agreement “AUKUS” with the United Kingdom and Australia, linked to the project of building nuclear-powered submarines. The US government announced today the deal, valued at $196 million, which wa»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s beach handball team continued its dominant performance at the Asian Beach Games - Sanya 2026, securing two convincing victories yesterday against Bangladesh and Mongolia, both with identical 2-0 scorelines in the group stage. The team delivered dominant performances in both mat»»»

President of the Olympic Council of Asia and the Qatar Olympic Committee H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani met with Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China H E Feng Fei, Governor of Hainan Province H E Liu Xiaoming, and Secretary of the Sanya Municipal Committ»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s total point-of-sale transactions stood at SR12.3 billion ($3.2 billion) in the week ending April 18, boosted by a 9.9 percent surge in hotel spending. According to the latest Saudi Central Bank data, hotel spending was among the few categories to record gains during the week.»»»

The senior officer, who has been accused by Ukrainian military intelligence of involvement in criminal activities on European territory, has been appointed head of the FSB Border Guard Directorate for Karelia. Vladimir Shchemelinin is the new head of the FSB directorate responsible for guarding the»»»