RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, has opened registration for the second Researchers in the Service of Pilgrims award, supporting innovation and applied research in the Hajj and Umrah sector. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the aw»»»

Cairo — Egypt is advancing its state IPO programme with the addition of six new government-owned companies to the Egyptian Exchange (EGX), in a move aimed at strengthening market depth and broadening investor participation. According to official EGX statements, and as confirmed by Deputy Chairman M»»»

US Navy Secretary John C. Phelan has stepped down in an abrupt move announced by the Pentagon without any public explanation or indication that his exit was linked to the naval blockade of Iran. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that Phelan was “departing the administration” at on»»»

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»»»

LONDON: Independent Arabia has won a Fetisov Journalism Award prize for its investigation into an adoption-brokers network in Egypt, adding to the outlet’s growing list of honors since its launch in 2019. Journalist Salah Labban won the 2025 prize in the civil rights category for his investigation,»»»

A national network of prosecutors and investigators probing crimes related to intellectual property and cybercrime was established at the National Investigation Service, the prosecution service said on Thursday. The establishment ceremony was attended by acting Prosecutor General Vanya Stefanova, f»»»

Colombo, Sri Lanka: Cyber criminals hacked into the Sri Lankan finance ministry's computer system and siphoned off $2.5 million, the government said Thursday, the most amount of cash ever stolen by hackers from a state institution. The cyber attack is a major blow to Sri Lanka, which is recovering »»»

Dubai: Air travel across the UAE continues to operate under strain nearly two months after the US-Israel-Iran conflict that erupted on February 28, with airlines relying on restricted air corridors, longer flight paths, and reduced schedules to maintain connectivity. The aviation sector has been am»»»

Tunis, April 23 (TAP)- Cimpress, the global leader in web-to-print mass customisation, wants increased investments in Tunisia. A Cimpress delegation was received by Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) Director General Jalel Tebib. It was made...»»»

GENEVA: 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 »»»

London: Both chambers of Britain's parliament have approved a bill that would ban children aged 17 and under from buying cigarettes during their lifetime. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to stop anyone born after January 1, 2009 (now aged 17) from taking up smoking. Health minister Wes Streeting ca»»»

Dubai: The UAE will transform half of its government sectors, services and operations to autonomous artificial intelligence systems within two years, under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The major government shift was announced by His Highness Sheikh Mo»»»

Our weekly digest of Hungarian politics continues as we report on developments after the historic April election and on the formation of the Tisza government. This week we cover the following topics: After 10 days, outgoing foreign minister Péter Szijjártó has resurfaced. The newly-victorious Tisza»»»

Three sailors were injured after a fire broke out aboard USS Zumwalt while the stealth destroyer was sitting pierside at HII Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, undergoing a costly modernization meant to give the ship a whole new identity. One sailor was taken to a local hospital in st»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump insisted Wednesday there was no time pressure to end the war with Iran and no deadline for when American military action would resume in the absence of a deal, saying the Iranians were more fearful of the U.S. maritime blockade than they were of the bombing. Photo by Dan»»»

Dubai: Indian filmmaker Anubhav Sinha’s latest Hindi-language rape trial drama Assi is not an easy watch and it’s not meant to be. Starring Kani Kusruti, Tapsee Pannu, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, and Mohammed Zeeshan, the compelling and visceral courtroom procedural out on Zee5 now delves into sexua»»»

Journalist Gabriela Naplatanova has been elected to chair the Council for Electronic Media (CEM). She was nominated for the position by the previous leader, Simona Veleva, and by member Kadrinka Kadrinova. During a CEM meeting on Thursday, Naplatanova was also supported by Prolet Velkova, while Gal»»»

The White House has reportedly drawn up a NATO “naughty and nice” list, sorting member states into tiers as it considers how to reward countries that backed the US war against Iran and punish those that did not. According to Politico, the internal paper was prepared ahead of NATO Secretary General »»»

BARCELONA: A feature of Jordan’s rise to footballing prominence over the past two years has been their fearsome attacking triumvirate. Stade Rennais’ Musa Al-Taamari might win all the plaudits but his partners in crime, Ali Olwan and Yazan Al-Naimat, scored the goals that delivered World Cup qualif»»»

RIYADH: Female labor force participation across Gulf Cooperation Council countries climbed to 39.3 percent in 2025, as employment gains and falling joblessness signal steady progress in the region’s workforce diversification efforts. The number of employed women rose to 7.3 million in 2025 from 5.7»»»

Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk affirmed that the new fiscal year 2026/2027 budget aims to meet citizens’ basic needs, improve services, and support economic activity. During his presentation of the financial statement for the 2026/2027 draft budget before the House of Representatives on Wednesday,»»»

The results of the April 19 parliamentary elections and the resignation of acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov dominate Thursday’s news media. POLITICS & ELECTION RESULTS Dnevnik.bg has an article about the news members of Parliament who were elected on April 19. The 52nd National Assembly w»»»

DOHA: As part of its firm commitment to human rights principles and its keenness to promote the inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs continued to implement an integrated package of quality initiatives and programs, across its various»»»

JOHANNESBURG: The Zambian government says it has taken custody of former President Edgar Lungu’s body from his family in a long-running dispute over where he should be buried after he died in South Africa nearly a year ago. In a statement Wednesday, Zambia’s attorney general said the government had»»»

Lulu Group Chairman M.A. Yusuff Ali held a meeting with Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef and Minister of Investment Fahad bin Abduljalil Al-Saif. During the meeting, Ali briefed the ministers on the steps taken by Lu»»»

Serbian General Ratko Mladić is in the most severe condition he has ever been in, according to assessments by Serbian doctors who examined him in the detention unit of the Hague tribunal, his son Darko Mladić said in a statement to SRNA, stressing that the authorities in the Hague have effectively »»»

Dar es Salaam: Violence around Tanzania's election in October last year left 518 dead, a commission of enquiry organised by the government said Thursday, giving a figure far below opposition estimates. "The total number of deaths resulting from the general elections was 518, of whom 490 were male,"»»»

Dubai: On a Wednesday evening at Dubai Autodrome, an 80-year-old man walks briskly ahead of his daughter, lapping the circuit with more energy than people half his age. Nearby, a 13-year-old cyclist carves through the track he has been dreaming of riding for years. A triathlete spots a friend, then»»»

European Investment Bank (EIB) Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris today visited a site near the Romanian city of Curtea de Argeș where a section of the country’s first motorway across the Carpathian Mountains is being built. He observed work on a tunnel that is part of the planned A1 motorway, which i»»»

BELGRADE - Today, the Serbian Armed Forces represent a strong and dependable pillar of security and peace in Serbia, and a symbol of the country's strength and support to all citizens, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday, congratulating Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic, Serbian Arme»»»

UK Chargé D’Affaires Victoria Dunne and Deputy Defense Attaché Thomas Hobbs met Thursday senior officers of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), to deliver UK relief assistance to displaced LAF families, at the LAF logistics hub in Beirut. The UK Ministry of Defense is providing essential and practical»»»

The medical and surgical team of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program began on Thursday the separation surgery for the Filipino conjoined twins Klea and Maurice Ann, who are joined at the head, at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh. The surgery is in »»»

Dubai: Discussions over a potential currency swap line between the UAE and the US have drawn scrutiny this week, with analysts and officials stressing the move reflects precautionary planning rather than any sign of financial strain in the economy. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf»»»

Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority has launched a safety awareness initiative to welcome students back to schools, focusing on building a culture of safety among young learners. The programme was carried out by the Authority’s Safety Patrol as part of the “Proud of the UAE” initiative, which aims to»»»

President Joseph Aoun met Thursday with Saudi Foreign Ministry Advisor Prince Yazid bin Farhan in Baabda. Their discussions focused on the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to assist Lebanon in overcoming its prevailing hardships and regional challenges. Bin Farhan had arrived earlier in Beirut and met wit»»»

RIYADH: Jordan’s capital expenditure jumped 60.4 percent year on year in the first two months of 2026, reaching 1.98 billion Jordanian dinars ($2.79 billion) by the end of February, a move aimed at accelerating economic activity and improving public infrastructure. According to a Ministry of Financ»»»

SANYA: President of the Olympic Council of Asia HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani met separately in Sanya City, People's Republic of China, with HE Feng Fei, Secretary-General of the Central Commitee of the Communist Party of China in Hainan Province; HE Liu Xiaoming, Governor of Hainan Province; »»»

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a fifth Democrat bid to curb President Donald Trump's ability to wage war with Iran. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo April 23 (UPI) -- Senate Republicans have again blocked the Democrats from curbing President Donald Trump's ability to wage war»»»

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat (Awqaf UAE) has announced that this week’s Friday sermon across all mosques in the UAE will be delivered under the title: “Whoever betrays our nation is not one of us”. In guidance issued to imams, the authority stressed that betrayal o»»»

RIYADH: PepsiCo regards Saudi Arabia as a “strategic” market with growing opportunities for investment and innovation, as the Kingdom continues to be a key target for the company. The company says it has aligned closely with the Kingdom’s long-term goals, building on a presence that spans nearly se»»»

WASHINGTON: The United States slammed China’s “intimidation campaign” on Wednesday after several African countries were reportedly pressured by Beijing to derail an official trip by Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te by revoking overflight permits. Taiwan announced Tuesday that Lai was postponing his »»»

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on April 22 called on countries to refrain from using the Caspian Sea for military purposes. Tokayev did not name any particular countries in his appeal, though since Russia lau»»»

DUBAI: The Professional Fighters League has announced that PFL MENA: Pride of Arabia, the season opener, will take place on May 24 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. The event will feature athletes representing 11 nations across the region, highlighting the depth and unity of mixed martial arts in the Mi»»»

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on April 22 called on countries to refrain from using the Caspian Sea for military purposes. Tokayev did not name any particular countries in his appeal, though since Russia lau»»»

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on April 22 called on countries to refrain from using the Caspian Sea for military purposes. Tokayev did not name any particular countries in his appeal, though since Russia lau»»»

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on April 22 called on countries to refrain from using the Caspian Sea for military purposes. Tokayev did not name any particular countries in his appeal, though since Russia lau»»»

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on April 22 called on countries to refrain from using the Caspian Sea for military purposes. Tokayev did not name any particular countries in his appeal, though since Russia lau»»»

The European Union voted on April 22 to simultaneously unlock its long-delayed €90bn EU loan for Ukraine and adopt the stalled twentieth sanctions package against Russia, in a diplomatic double act that had been blocked for months by Hungary and Slovakia — both of which finally »»»

The European Union voted on April 22 to simultaneously unlock its long-delayed €90bn EU loan for Ukraine and adopt the stalled twentieth sanctions package against Russia, in a diplomatic double act that had been blocked for months by Hungary and Slovakia — both of which finally »»»

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on April 22 called on countries to refrain from using the Caspian Sea for military purposes. Tokayev did not name any particular countries in his appeal, though since Russia lau»»»