Damascus, April 25 (SANA) Representatives from the energy ministries of Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon held a virtual meeting to review the executive procedures required to activate the Arab Gas Pipeline and supply Lebanon with its energy needs. In a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Energy said the»»»

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday that the Department of Justice is ending it moratorium on seeking the death penalty in federal capital cases, reinstating the use of single-chemical lethal injection and adding firing squad to methods of execution. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | »»»

Exclusive images obtained by Tasnim show Epaminondas, a large MSC-operated containership, after it was intercepted and transferred to Iranian territorial waters by the IRGC Navy in the Strait of Hormuz as part of ongoing maritime security operations targeting violating ships. The IRGC Navy announce»»»

The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement confirming the arrival of the Iranian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad. The delegation will meet Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, and o»»»

BEIRUT: A Lebanese journalist who was wounded in an Israeli airstrike that killed her colleague this week described hours of agony as they waited for help to arrive, in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday. Zeinab Faraj, a young freelance photographer and video journalist, frequently mo»»»

DUBAI: The killing of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil on Wednesday has renewed scrutiny over the rising number of media workers killed in conflicts involving Israel, with press freedom groups questioning accountability and transparency. Khalil, a correspondent for Al-Akhbar, was reportedly shelteri»»»

Special envoy Steve Witkoff (L) and President Donald Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner are heading to Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, to have more talks with Iran to make a peace deal. File Photo courtesy Ukrainian President's Office | License Photo April 24 (UPI) -- Talks with Iran are s»»»

Sanya, China: The Qatari men's beach volleyball teams have qualified for the Round of 16 at the Sanya 2026 Asian Beach Games, after securing two more victories today in the final matches of the second round of the preliminary stage. The first team, comprised of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, def»»»

NICOSIA: President Ahmad Al-Sharaa said on Friday that the Syrian Arab Republic is positioned to become a secure strategic corridor linking Central Asia and the Gulf with Europe, as he presented a regional connectivity vision during an informal meeting of the EU and regional partners in Nicosia. Sp»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon faces growing concern over what officials describe as potential Israeli encroachment onto its offshore energy resources, after the Israeli military published a map extending its buffer zone into the Mediterranean, raising questions about the fate of the Qana gas field. The map, rele»»»

Hundreds of alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-A3) gang were tried at an El Salvador prison on Thursday, accused of collectively carrying out more than 29,000 murders. Mass trials are a centrepiece of President Nayib Bukele's "war" on gangs. Hundreds of alleged Mara Salvatrucha gang m»»»

HBO Max, Harry Potter and CNN could soon come under Paramount after Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved an $81 billion sale of the company on Thursday, bringing the long-running takeover saga closer to completion, though the deal still faces regulatory scrutiny and criticism from those con»»»

President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday reclassified state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, easing research barriers and granting tax relief. The change falls short of federal legalisation but marks a major shift in US cannabis policy. President Donald Trump's acting»»»

The Warner Bros. takeover saga took another turn on Thursday and may finally be nearing its conclusion, with shareholders approving a buyout at $31 per share from Paramount Skydance, although regulators still need to review the deal that would merge two major entertainment groups, amid opposition, »»»

El Salvador has launched a mass trial of 486 alleged MS-13 members accused by prosecutors of thousands of murders and other crimes, as President Nayib Bukele continues his sweeping crackdown under a state of emergency that has sharply reduced crime, though human rights groups warn the measures—intr»»»

Spain's centre-left Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday declined to comment on a reported Pentagon email written by top policy adviser Elbridge Colby raising the possibility of suspending Madrid from the NATO military alliance. The note reportedly also suggested reconsidering US suppor»»»

A tornado tore through the US state of Oklahoma on Thursday, ripping roofs off homes and damaging power infrastructure as it struck parts of Enid, a town of about 50,000 near the northern border, with no fatalities reported but residents trapped in their homes and extensive damage recorded, accordi»»»

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Thursday fired Stars and Stripes' ombudsman, whose job it had to been to protect the newspapers' editorial independence and report to Congress if military officials were interfering with it. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo April 24 (UPI) -- Th»»»

Former Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) chair Georgi Cholakov denied holding conversations with an alleged intermediary involved in arranging court decisions in exchange for bribes of hundreds of thousands of euro, quoted by SAC's press centre on Friday evening. His comments came in response to e»»»

LONDON: Turkiye has become the latest country to restrict children’s access to social media, passing legislation this week that prevents under-15s from opening accounts on major platforms and requires stricter controls on harmful content. The bill, now awaiting final approval from President Recep T»»»

Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire by three weeks on Thursday following a meeting of officials from both sides at the White House. US President Donald Trump said he believed there was a "great chance" the two countries would agree on a peace deal, even though Israel and Hezbollah have accu»»»

Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire by three weeks on Thursday following a meeting of officials from both sides at the White House. US President Donald Trump said he believed there was a "great chance" the two countries would agree on a peace deal, even though Israel and Hezbollah have»»»

The standoff between the United States and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz appears to be edging closer to renewed conflict than a peace deal, with President Donald Trump ordering the Navy to target Iranian boats laying mines and Israel signaling it is ready to resume bombing once it receives the go-ah»»»

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire for three weeks, according to the White House, which hosted ambassadors from both countries, but fighting persists as Hezbollah, absent from the talks, has launched new waves of rockets and drones, while Israeli forces continue operations in sout»»»

In an interview with FRANCE 24, UNICEF global spokesperson James Elder discussed the situation in Lebanon, where "critical infrastructure that girls and boys rely on" have been targeted, giving Lebanese people "a sense that there really is nowhere safe". He also declared that humanitarian groups li»»»

In the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and Iran are locked in a struggle for influence over one of the world’s most strategic waterways, with Washington emphasizing ship seizures to demonstrate its ability to disrupt maritime traffic, while a parallel on-the-water confrontation unfolds over dem»»»

One of the notable aspects of Pakistan being the centre of peace talks is just how the country positioned itself as the mediator, or facilitator, between the US and Iran. Analysts point to a number of key moments that made Islamabad the go-to for President Trump. First, after the US mediated talks »»»

François Picard is pleased to welcome Tutu Alicante, an international human rights lawyer and anti-corruption activist. According to Alicante, the pope's visit to Equatorial Guinea presents a paradox: it offers a rare opportunity to spotlight injustice, yet risks being appropriated b»»»

France's foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Friday voiced concern about the spread of Islamist extremism in west Africa, after talks with Togo's leader, Faure Gnassingbe. Violence by jihadist groups has blighted the Sahel region for the last decade, and is now spreading into northe»»»

This week we take a step back from the news and focus on something a little different: French inventions. But we're not just talking about gadgets. Beyond the baguette and beret, France is behind some very impactful inventions, in fields as varied as medicine, fashion and transport. We bring you a »»»

This Friday, April 24, marks Earth Overshoot Day in France, a date that arrives earlier each year and signals that from now until December 31, the country is living beyond its environmental means, as explained by Elitsa Gadeva and our colleagues from France 2.»»»

Finally, a legendary rail journey from Paris to Istanbul is in the spotlight as the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris hosts an exhibition dedicated to the Orient Express, with France 2 taking a closer look, in a report brought to us by Nick Rushworth.»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that he will quit politics in 2027 as the final year in his second term approaches. He added that at this late stage in office, the "hardest thing" was to strike a balance between defending his record and acknowledging what "didn't work out".»»»

Geneva: The United Nations revealed Friday that the drought plaguing Somalia since the beginning of the year has displaced approximately 62,000 people across five regions. The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM), in its latest report, anticipates that the total number of displaced p»»»

The International Criminal Court on Thursday confirmed crimes against humanity charges against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, paving the way for a landmark trial. Duterte is accused of murder and attempted murder linked to his anti-drugs campaign, in a major test for the court amid mo»»»

A year after the deadly terror attack in Kashmir, relations between India and Pakistan remain at an all-time low. Since then, Islamabad has emerged as a key mediator seeking to end the war in Iran. On Access Asia, we're joined by Indian MP Dr Shashi Tharoor to find out what India makes of Pakistan'»»»

Government workers in Tokyo have new dress code rules that allow them to wear shorts to the office in a bid to cut air conditioning costs, an official said on Friday, as the Middle East war drives up energy costs around the world. Tokyo's metropolitan government is encouraging staff to wear shorts »»»

Meta announced it will add "tens of millions" of AWA Graviton cores to its stack to help it manage agentic AI. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo April 24 (UPI) -- Meta announced Friday that it's partnering with Amazon Web Services to add millions of AWS Gravitron cores to Meta's compu»»»

Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez said that the amnesty, enacted into law and intended to pardon alleged political crimes committed since 1999, “has come to an end.” Photo by Miguel Gutierrez/EPA April 24 (UPI) -- Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced she was ending t»»»

RIYADH: The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority participated in the 29th session of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development, held in Geneva from April 20 to 24. Under the theme “Science, Technology, and Innovation in the Age of AI,” the session gathered global repre»»»

Sanya, China: President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani visited the Athletes' Village at the 6th Asian Beach Games, being held in Sanya, People's Republic of China. This visit comes as part of his ongoing mo»»»

Author: Anne-Maartje Oud “What To Do If ...? How to handle any situation at work and come out winning,” by Anne-Maartje Oud, is a concise yet thoughtful guide to help navigate tricky situations at work. Presented through a series of 35 real-life workplace dilemmas, the book provides practical strat»»»

RIYADH: The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, represented by the King Fahd Cultural Center in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is participating in Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at the 37th Sarajevo International Book Fair, held from April 22 to 27 at the Skenderija Center. This year’s fair, the the»»»

RIYADH: Umluj governorate is redefining its status on the global tourism map, leveraging its natural wealth and maritime heritage to create a sustainable, inclusive destination. Historically known as the “white city” for its pristine sands, Umluj’s modern identity is being shaped by national transf»»»

ATHENS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday banded US President Donald Trump together with Russia’s Vladmir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping as world leaders who are “dead against” Europe. Macron’s bromance with the mercurial US leader has cooled in recent months, and the White House has made no»»»

ROME: Two-thirds of people facing food crises globally last year lived in just 10 countries, with a third of them in Sudan, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN-backed yearly report said on Friday. Conflict remained the main driver of acute food insecurity, according to the Global Re»»»

BANGKOK: Thailand wants to ​play a leading role in Myanmar’s bid to normalize its ties with Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN after five years on the sidelines, the Thai foreign minister said ahead of a meeting on Wednesday with new President Min Aung Hlaing. Former military chief Min Aung Hlaing led a 20»»»

The Syrian Interior Ministry said Amjad Youssef had been hiding out in Hama province since the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2024. Photo courtesy of the Syrian Interior Ministry/X April 24 (UPI) -- Authorities arrested a key suspect in the 2013 massacre of civilians in the Tadamon dis»»»

Sharjah: Sharjah Police has released a powerful awareness video highlighting the deadly risks of jumping red lights, as part of ongoing efforts to improve road safety and reduce traffic violations across the emirate. The video blends real-time surveillance footage with exclusive glimpses inside the»»»