Dubai: Dubai Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department has expanded the emirate’s religious infrastructure in the first quarter of 2026, with the opening of 13 new mosques at a total cost of Dh162 million, in an effortto meet growing demand in newly developed communities. The new mosques»»»

Abu Dhabi: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan witnessed the swearing-in of a number of newly appointed UAE ambassadors. During the ceremony, Sheikh Mohamed wished the ambassadors success in carrying out their duties and in strengthening bilateral relations in line with th»»»

ANTALYA:The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to fostering a stable and secure environment and to pursuing constructive policies based on development and prosperity, rather than onwars and conflicts. This commitment aims to strengthen mutual trust with regional and»»»

Kuala lumpur: A fire that broke out Sunday morning, April 19, 2026, destroyed approximately 200 stilt houses in the Kampung Bahagia water village of Sandankan, Malaysia. Sandakan Fire and Rescue Station chief, Jimmy Lagung, said that firefighting operations are still underway and the blaze has not »»»

Dubai: Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq has issued a royal decree granting Omani citizenship to 226 individuals. The decree, No. 46/2026, was published in the Official Gazette on April 19, listing the names of those approved for citizenship. The decision comes within the framework of Oman’s national»»»

Dubai: The Strait of Hormuz is no longer a shipping lane — it is now a gunboat-enforced negotiating table. What unfolded over the past 36 hours has stripped away any lingering illusion that the waterway is returning to normal. A brief window of optimism — sparked by Iran’s signal that the strait wa»»»

Jumhouria Bank, Libya’s biggest bank, has announced its Palm-scan Payment service. The launch was announced during the bank’s participation at the 52 Tripoli International Fair, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Jumhouria bank said the launch comes as part of its wider policy and the Cent»»»

Beijing: A humanoid robot broke the human world record by winning a robot half-marathon race held on Sunday, April 19, 2026, in the Chinese capital, Beijing. The winning robot covered the distance faster than the human world record, completing the 21 km (13 mile) race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, »»»

•• Malawi Minister of Health: A new phase of cooperation with EIPICO has now begun, because what we saw in the company exceeds any expectation or perception. •• Dr. Olfat Ghorab: Acdima companies are the strong arm of the state in providing medicine to Africa as well. •• Dr. Ahmed Kilani: An import»»»

Twenty-four years after the arrest of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, now 67, and after long stretches in solitary confinement, he remains a central figure in Palestinian politics. His influence has outpaced that of other officials in decision-making roles, and he has topped Fatah elections in»»»

Casting his vote in Sunday's parliamentary elections, There Is Such a People (TISP) Deputy Chair Stanislav Balabanov said he voted in the name of protecting children and preserving the traditional Bulgarian family. He chose to vote using a paper ballot. Balabanov said he had voted so that society w»»»

As she wen to cast her vote in the April 19 snap parliamentary elections Sunday, President Iliana Iotova said her vote went "to have a working Parliament soon, and a strong government". "I voted so that Bulgaria has a working National Assembly soon, which will elect a leadership swiftly and skip th»»»

Tunis, April 19 (TAP)- The weather on Sunday is slightly cloudy, the National Institute of Meteorology (INM) said. The wind is blowing north in the north and the centre and south in the south, relatively strong in the Gulf of Tunis and light to...»»»

Routine maintenance work at Islam’s holiest site has been completed to the highest international standards, Saudi authorities said, as the Kingdom simultaneously began welcoming the first wave of pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj season. The General Authority for the Care of the Grand Mosque and the P»»»

Lebanon's president and prime minister have discussed preparations for the first direct negotiations with Israel in decades. In a statement, the office of President Joseph Aoun said he and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam conducted "an assessment of the post-ceasefire phase and the ongoing efforts to con»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Ahli and Al Sadd secured their places in the semifinals of the Amir Cup basketball competition for the 2025–2026 season after quarterfinal wins over Al Wakrah and Al Shamal at Al Gharafa Hall yesterday. Al Ahli defeated Al Wakrah 85-72 in a tightly contested game. Al Ahli led 18–10 »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation organised Survival 1, the opening round of the 2026 Qatar Off Road Championship (QORC), in the challenging dunes of Sealine. The event featured a strong entry list of 42 competitors representing Qatar and several other nationalities, delivering»»»

The Supreme National Security Council of Iran affirmed that Iran’s negotiating delegation will make no concessions in talks aimed at ending the war, underscoring its full commitment to safeguarding national rights and defending the interests of the Iranian people. In a statement, the council said T»»»

SocietyAustriaAustria: Police find rat poison in recalled baby food jarRana Taha with AFP, ReutersThe Germany-based HiPP had recalled the jars, suggesting they were tampered with. The contaminated jars were also found in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. https://p.dw.com/p/5CRMhPolice examined a sam»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday condemned the easing of sanctions on Russian oil after the United States extended a waiver meant to soften surging energy prices driven by the Middle East war. "Every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war" and is used for devastating strik»»»

Election day has started normally across the country, Central Election Commission (CEC) Chair Kamelia Neykova told a briefing on Sunday, noting that any issues with absent section election commission members have been resolved. Some voting sections in Sofia and elsewhere opened late, but the proble»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Ahli SC step into their defining match of the season with everything on the line, facing Al Hussein SC in a no-margin-for-error AFC Champions League (ACL) Two quarter-final at Zabeel Stadium in Dubai today. For Al Ahli, this is it. A difficult domestic campaign that will end in the »»»

Doha, Qatar: In many technical projects, failure is not caused by a lack of talent, but by a lack of structure. Despite the availability of skilled professionals across various disciplines, projects can still face delays, misalignment, or incomplete delivery due to the absence of an organized execu»»»

Hezbollah on Saturday denied it was involved in a deadly attack on United Nations peacekeepers (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, after France accused the group of being behind the incident. "Hezbollah denies any connection to the incident that occurred with UNIFIL forces in the Ghandouriyeh-Bint Jbeil »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index opened higher today, gaining 0.16 percent, adding 17.36 points to reach 10,732 points compared to the previous session's close. This rise was supported by gains in four sectors. QSE figures showed positive performance in the banking and financial se»»»

The strategic Strait of Hormuz was again closed on Sunday in the stand-off between Iran and the United States, with Iran's powerful parliament speaker signalling a final peace deal remained "far" off despite some movement in negotiations. As mediation efforts continued following high-level talks in»»»

A skydiver ‌trailing a large American flag drifted off course and became tangled in the video board at a US college football game on Saturday, leaving him suspended above the field by his parachute until he was rescued. Viral videos from inside ‌Virginia Tech's ‌Lane Stadium, confirmed ‌by ⁠Reuters»»»

An earthquake measuring 4.6 struck Sunday morning in the sea southeast of Crete, south of the Lasithi region. The tremor, which occurred shortly after 10 a.m., was primarily felt across the eastern parts of the island. Authorities reported no disturbances or damages following the event. According t»»»

Having cast his ballot in Sofia, Progressive Bulgaria leader Rumen Radev said: "Today Bulgaria has a historic chance to break once and for all with the Peevski-Borissov oligarchic model, and this is an opportunity we must not miss." He was referring to Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Delyan»»»

Doha, Qatar: India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and rapidly transforming into an engine of global growth. During the 2000-2025, which includes the volatile years of the Global Financial Crisis and the Covid-pandemic, the average growth rate for the South-Asian giant was 6.3»»»

Doha, Qatar: The FEI Regional Group VII Finals for Juniors, Cadets, and Young Riders, featuring qualifiers from the 2025-2026 equestrian season, concluded with thrilling action at the Longines Arena in Al Shaqab after four days of competition. The event brought together more than 100 riders represe»»»

Doha: Commercial Bank has announced key appointments to its senior management team, reinforcing its leadership structure to support strategic priorities, sustainable growth, and its continued commitment to developing national talent in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. As part of these appointm»»»

Israeli occupation army announced on Sunday a reservist was killed and nine others were wounded, including one seriously, after being hit by an explosive device in southern Lebanon a day earlier. The slain soldier was named as a sergeant first class reservist of the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade’s»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Iran not to "blackmail" Washington with its flip-flopping on the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran declared the strategic waterway once again closed. "We're talking to them. They wanted to close up the strait again -- you know, as they've been»»»

On contaminated land that is too dangerous for human life, the world’s wildest horses roam free. Across the Chernobyl exclusion zone, Przewalski’s horses — stocky, sand-colored and almost toy-like in appearance — graze in a radioactive landscape larger than Luxembourg. On April 26, 1986, an explosi»»»

Britain's government is set to announce legislation next month to move the country closer to the European Union, as the Iran war sours the UK's so-called special relationship with the United States. President Donald Trump's unpredictability and stream of insults towards America's historic ally is a»»»

After voting in Sofia on Sunday, Yes, Bulgaria Co-chair Bozhidar Bozhanov said: "I voted for a strong Bulgaria in a strong Europe, and for the dismantling of the state capture model." Yes, Bulgaria is part of the Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria coalition, which has the second largest grou»»»

Doha, Qatar: QIIB has announced the winners of its promotional campaign for Visa credit and debit cardholders, launched in collaboration with Visa from February 2 to 28, 2026. The campaign offered customers the opportunity to win travel packages to attend FIFA World Cup 2026 matches. A draw was con»»»

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has quipped at Kaja Kallas, who urged Iran to adhere to international law and open the Strait of Hormuz. “Oh, that 'international law'?! The one that the EU dusts off to lecture others while quietly green-lighting a US-Israeli war of aggression—a»»»

Vienna: Austrian police have found rat poison in a baby food jar, they said late Saturday, April 18, 2026, in a probe that has seen the supplier recall the line over suspected tampering. The Germany-based HiPP brand announced the recall at SPAR supermarkets in Austria late Friday over the possibili»»»

Doha, Qatar: The rental market in Qatar witnessed a positive performance, supported by increased activity and continued demand, reflecting the sector’s vitality and stability. The rental market continued its upward trajectory last year with contract volumes rising across all quarters compared to 20»»»

Belarusian President ‌Alexander Lukashenko said he would be ready to meet US President Donald Trump once a "big deal" between the two countries has been prepared. "We are ready for a deal, but it needs to be prepared in a way that reflects the interests of both the United States and Belarus," Lukas»»»

Ukraine's military hit a drone manufacturing plant in the city of Taganrog in ‌Russia's Rostov ‌region overnight, ‌the ⁠military said on Sunday. "The ⁠destruction of this facility will reduce the ⁠enemy's capacity to ‌produce ‌drones and ‌weaken the ‌Russian aggressor's ability to carry out strikes»»»

Lebanon's military said Sunday it had reopened a road and bridge damaged by Israeli strikes in the country's south, as a 10-day truce holds between Hezbollah and Israel. In a statement, the military said it "fully reopened" a road linking the city of Nabatieh with the Khardali area, and had "partia»»»

The Libyan Business Council (LBC) has informed that the Libyan British Business Forum will be held on 22 June in London. The LBC said that the forum is born out of the cooperation agreement signed with the West London Chamber of Commerce in the UK and comes following discussions regarding the estab»»»

Vienna: Austrian police have found rat poison in a baby food jar, they said late Saturday, in a probe that has seen the supplier recall the line over suspected tampering. The Germany-based HiPP brand announced the recall at SPAR supermarkets in Austria late Friday over the possibility that "a hazar»»»

Kyiv: Ukraine announced Sunday that its air defenses intercepted a Russian drone attack last night, shooting down 203 drones launched at various locations across the country. Ukrainian news agency reported that its air defenses successfully downed 203 out of 236 drones. According to preliminary dat»»»

Deputy Foreign Minister Radi Naidenov told a briefing on Sunday that no problems with voting abroad had been reported. The Foreign Ministry aims to organize fair elections, he said. There are 493 voting sections for Bulgarians in 55 countries. The most numerous voting sections abroad have been open»»»

Beirut, Lebanon: Lebanon's military announced on Sunday, April 19, 2026, it had reopened a road and bridge damaged by Israeli strikes in the country's south, as a 10-day truce holds between Hezbollah and Israel. In a statement, the military said it "fully reopened" a road linking the city of Nabati»»»

As the master developer behind The Pearl and Gewan Islands, United Development Company (UDC) is shaping one of Qatar’s most distinctive urban destinations—where premium living, environmental responsibility, and community engagement are fully integrated. Across these flagship developments, UDC is ad»»»