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»»»

Doha: Ezdan Holding Group announced its financial results for the first quarter (Q1) ended March 31, 2026, showing a net profit of QR225m during Q1-2026 compared to QR153m in Q1-2025. The earnings per share reached QR0.008 in Q1-2026 compared to QR0.006 in Q1-2025.»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Chamber (QC) recently held a meeting with H E Ashraf Khodjaev, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the State of Qatar, who was received by Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Obaidli, QC Board Member and Head of the Food Security Committee. The meeting reviewed economic and trade relat»»»

Tunis, April 24 (TAP) – The Ministry of Social Affairs has announced the appointment of Fehmi Guezmir as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Caisse nationale de la sécurité sociale.According to issue No. 041 of April 23, 2026, of the...»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Tehran has provided exceptions for a number of countries, including Russia, regarding transit fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali told Sputnik. First Deputy Speaker of the Iranian parliament Hamid Reza Haji Babaei said Thursday»»»

Kathmandu: A large ice chunk is blocking the climbing route to Everest’s summit, officials said Friday, risking delays in the summit season at the world’s highest peak. A team of highly skilled mountaineers, known in Nepal as “icefall doctors”, began fixing ropes and ladders on Mount Everest last m»»»

Meta is laying off about 8,000 workers, or about 10% of its workforce, the company said Thursday as it continues to ramp up spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and highly paid AI-expert hires. The company said it was making the cuts for the sake of efficiency and to allow new investm»»»

The Israeli army targeted Friday the southern villages of Touline and Kherbet Selem despite residents returning home to their southern towns and villages after a 3-week extension of the ceasefire. Hezbollah said on Thursday it fired rockets at northern Israel in response to the country's ceasefire »»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he expected the Israeli and Lebanese leaders to meet with him over the next couple of weeks and voiced hope for a permanent peace deal this year. "I think there's a very good chance of having peace. I think it should be an easy one," Trump told reporters as»»»

Speaking alongside Trump in the Oval Office, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said Israel and Lebanon “have never been next to each other more than today.” Leiter thanked Trump and Vice President JD Vance for a day he said was decades in the making. “We are going to keep going, working»»»

The president reiterated that the U.S. continues to demand that Iran stop it’s backing of proxy groups in the Mideast, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, as part of any deal between Washington and Tehran to end the U.S. war on Iran. "Yeah, they’ll have to cut that," Trump said to a reporter’s question»»»

Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said ministers on Thursday discussed joining the International Criminal Court, a permanent tribunal that prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, for “a specific period.” The move would mark a significant shift for Lebanon, which»»»

Paris: Liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies are likely to remain strained through the end of 2027 due to disruptions and infrastructure damage from the US-Iran war, the International Energy Agency said Friday, April 24, 2026. Energy prices have soared since Tehran effectively closed the Strait of H»»»

Doha: Qatar Navigation (Milaha), the industry-leading provider of maritime and logistics solutions in the region, announced a strategic realignment of its business segments. As part of this initiative, Milaha has restructured its operational and financial reporting segments to align more closely wi»»»

Dubai: Aster DM Healthcare, one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the region, has once again been certified as a Great Place To Work in the UAE and across its regional markets – Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The recognition highlights Aster’s co»»»

Norway said on Friday it would present a bill in parliament by year-end to ban children from using social media until they turn 16, making technology companies responsible for the task of age verification. Several European nations seeking to rein in children's ⁠use of social media ⁠after Australia »»»

Oslo: Norway said Friday, April 24, 2026, it will present a bill this year making it the latest country seeking to ban social networks for under 16s, adding that technology companies will be responsible for verifying the age of its users. "We are introducing this legislation because we want a child»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar witnessed a total value of transactions across various payment systems worth QR150.910bn with total number of transactions reaching 70.964 million in March 2026. The recent data from the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) highlights notable shifts in the country’s payment ecosystem, with s»»»

Abu Dhabi: Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has announced the launch of direct flights to Amman Civil Airport (ADJ) in Jordan, with the new service set to begin on May 1, 2026. The route will operate three times a week between Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi and Amman Civil Airport, offering passenger»»»

The 13 candidates for Parliament, who stood simultaneously in two constituencies and were elected in both, have until Friday to determine the constituency which they will represent in the 52nd National Assembly, the Central Election Commission said. A total of 1,019 candidates ran in two constituen»»»

The National Council of the Yes, Bulgaria party, which is part of Democratic Bulgaria in its CC-DB coalition with Continue the Change, has adopted a decision tasking the party with proposing a formal coalition agreement to its partners in CC-DB, the party’s press office announced Friday. According »»»

The Israeli army targeted Friday the southern villages of Touline and Kherbet Selem despite residents returning home to their southern towns and villages after a 3-week extension of the ceasefire. Hezbollah said on Thursday it fired rockets at northern Israel in response to the country's ceasefire »»»

CTM360, a Bahrain-based cybersecurity company, showcased its global presence as a Platinum Sponsor at the FIRST Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) Conference 2026, held in Munich, Germany. The event, organized by the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), brought together leading cyber»»»

The Tax Service officials in Kyrgyzstan have uncovered violations related to the illegal circulation of excisable products in Chui and Jalal-Abad regions. The agency’s press service reported. Tobacco products without excise stamps were found in a store in Kant town. More than 5,500 packs of cigaret»»»

A three-judge panel of the International Criminal Court has ruled there is enough evidence to try Rodrigo Duterte, seen here as the president of the Philippines in 2019, on charges of committing crimes against humanity. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo April 24 (UPI) -- A three-judge pa»»»