Hezbollah is responding to direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, under US sponsorship, on two tracks: political and military. Politically, it is disavowing the talks and calling on the state to “reconsider its decision to negotiate with Israel,” describing the move as one that “will deepe»»»

Hundreds of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants and refugees were missing, feared dead, after their boat sank in the Andaman Sea as they attempted to reach Malaysia. Photo courtesy of Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency/EPA-EFE April 15 (UPI) -- As many as 250 Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants and »»»

1 of 3 | U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro sent Justice Department prosecutors to the Federal Reserve headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday but they were turned away from entering to inspect renovations. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 15 (UPI) -- U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro se»»»

Doha, Qatar: Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, President of Paris Saint-Germain, praised his side’s collective approach after they secured a place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Liverpool FC at Anfield on Tuesday evening, sealing a 4-0 aggregate victory. PSG are the defending champi»»»

Dubai: Hotel revenues in the UAE rose 9.7% to around Dh49.21 billion in 2025, as the country’s tourism sector recorded strong growth across key indicators, the Ministry of Economy said on Wednesday. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The figures were reviewed during the s»»»

Between April 14 and April 17, Varna Airport on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast is receiving several pre-planned landings of C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft. The flights are related to the execution of routine procedures for technical maintenance and refuelling of the aircraft, the press centre o»»»

An average of about 500 guests per month stay at the Danube Hotel & Spa complex in Silistra. The guests are mainly Bulgarians, but there are also tourists from Romania, Moldova, Turkiye, Greece, and other European countries, the complex’s owner, Krum Krumov, told BTA. The spa and wellness centre at»»»

The United Arab Emirates has been elected to the Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP) for the 2026–2028 term, at a time of unprecedented global food security challenges and mounting risks linked to the near-total disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—developments that coul»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that China has agreed not to send weapons to its close partner Iran and that he has received personal assurances from leader Xi Jinping. "They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few week»»»

Dubai: Sanad reported Dh7 billion in revenue for 2025, marking a 41% increase year-on-year, driven by sustained global demand for aircraft engine maintenance and long-term contracts with airlines and manufacturers. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Mubadala-owned aer»»»

The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) has no authority to audit the pricing and procedures used to negotiate the prices of medicinal products that are not authorized or registered in Bulgaria but are intended for therapies approved under Regulation No. 2 of 2019 of the Health Ministry, the NHIF»»»

TYRE, Lebanon: Israeli strikes rocked southern Lebanon overnight and into Wednesday, a day after a first round of historic talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington. Smoke rose over the coastal city of Tyre, underscoring the fragility of diplomatic efforts. Though Israeli strikes i»»»

What began as a disagreement over the Iran war has escalated into a rare and highly public clash between the White House and the Vatican. US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance have repeatedly criticised Pope Leo XIV, accusing him of being “weak on crime” and overstepping into politi»»»

Istanbul: A student aged about 13 opened fire at random in a Turkish school Wednesday killing four people and wounding 20, just one day after a shooter wounded 16 people and then killed himself in another school, officials said. Kahramanmaras province governor Mukerrem Unluer said a teacher and thr»»»

Additional episodes of alleged illegal activity have been uncovered in the criminal case against former Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Chingiz Aidarbekov. The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported. Earlier, authorities had reported abuse of office related to the misuse of budget funds. During furt»»»

Skopje, 15 April 2026 (MIA) — An attempted arson attack on the Jewish Community building and the Bet Yaakov synagogue was a direct strike against the centuries-old peace and coexistence of Macedonian society, the nation's top five religious leaders said in joint statement issued together with the C»»»

At a time when waves of geopolitical tensions disrupt the stability of vital maritime corridors, fundamental questions are emerging about the ability of major economic ambitions in the Gulf to withstand the test of the Strait of Hormuz, which represents an indispensable “lifeline” for the global ec»»»

Around three million Bulgarians are expected to vote in the snap parliamentary elections on April 19, with five political formations set to cross the 4% electoral threshold and one hovering on it. Compared with the last election in October 2024, between 200,000 and 300,000 more people are likely to»»»

A student aged about 13 opened fire at random in a Turkish school Wednesday killing four people and wounding 20, just one day after a shooter wounded 16 people and then killed himself in another school, officials said. Kahramanmaras province governor Mukerrem Unluer said a teacher and three student»»»

Dubai: Ships linked to Iran are increasingly adopting “ghost” tactics — going dark, spoofing identities and masking movements — in a bid to evade the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, signalling a shift toward more cautious and covert operations at sea. Maritime intelligence experts say a »»»

The conflict between the US and Iran is close to being settled, President Donald Trump has claimed, adding that the second round of peace talks between the two sides could take place in the next few days. The US president gave interviews to several outlets on Tuesday, where he detailed Washington’s»»»

US President Donald Trump has announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, saying he made the decision after China agreed not to send weapons to Iran. Trump initially announced the blockade of the vital waterway on Sunday after Pakistani-mediated talks failed to produce a peace deal with Iran. On»»»

BELGRADE - Speaking to reporters after consultations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, People's Party leader Vladimir Gajic said on Wednesday his party was interested in early elections being called as soon as possible as the only democratic way out of the current social and political crisis»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran does not confirm that it and the United States agreed on the extension of the truce, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, media reported, citing officials, that the United States and Iran "agree in principle" to extend the »»»

Hezbollah’s Military Media released a defiant message on Tuesday from its fighters addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly boasted that ‘Israel’ has “eliminated” the group’s capabilities. The video shows a rocket attack by Hezbollah fighters against Kiryat Shmona,»»»

An international media association on Wednesday accused the Israeli military of discrediting a Lebanese journalist it killed last month by circulating an AI‑generated image of him in Hezbollah fatigues. Three Lebanese journalists, including Ali Shoeib -- a prominent correspondent for the Hezbollah-»»»

A routine convoy transporting military and civilian peacekeepers, along with essential contractors, from Beirut to UNIFIL headquarters was halted by Israeli troops a few kilometers from its destination in Naqoura. U.N.-marked vehicles were eventually allowed to proceed; however, local contractors w»»»

The volume of industrial production lagged behind the one year earlier level by 1.5% in February 2026. The working day adjusted index is equal to the non-adjusted one. A production decrease occurred in the majority of the manufacturing subsections. According to seasonally and working-day adjusted d»»»

Iran's foreign ministry said Wednesday that Tehran's right to enrich uranium was "indisputable" although the level of enrichment is "negotiable". In a weekly press briefing, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy could not be "taken away under pre»»»

A public consultation on an Environment Ministry bill drew unusually high participation, closing with approximately 700 comments. The draft legislation, titled, “Modernizing Renewable Energy Production Law,” sparked intense opposition over two key provisions. The first designates “acceleration zone»»»

Charles Smith was named the world's oldest first-time grandfather by Guinness World Records. His granddaughter, Isla, was born when he was 91 years and 209 days old. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records April 14 (UPI) -- An Australian man was certified by Guinness World Records as the oldest fi»»»

Former Defense Minister Prof. Todor Tagarev has commented on Bulgaria’s military aviation situation, noting concerns about the condition of the country’s current fighter fleet and the pace at which new aircraft are being integrated. In an interview with News.bg, Tagarev said it would be “very stran»»»

Commander of Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya Air Defense Base Major General Ali Abdollahi warned on Tuesday that the continued US naval blockade and threats against Iranian vessels would amount to a prelude to breaching the ceasefire, raising the risk of renewed escalation. In remarks carried by Iranian me»»»

Iran’s top military commander, Major General Ali Abdollahi, has issued a stern warning to the United States, stating that any attempt to block maritime trade in the Persian Gulf or Sea of Oman would be met with decisive action. In remarks made on Wednesday, Abdollahi, the commander of Khatam al-Anb»»»

Dubai: Office values across Dubai’s main business districts continued to rise in 2025, led by Downtown Dubai where average sales prices reached Dh5,130 per square foot, up 29% from Dh3,986 a year earlier, according to Knight Frank. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.High-»»»

In the next 2-3 years, not a single village in Kyrgyzstan will be left without a mini-football field. President Sadyr Japarov announced this during a meeting with residents of Uzgen district. According to him, construction of sports facilities is already underway throughout the country. «We started»»»

Acting Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov has warned that authorities have received intelligence about a significant volume of counterfeit euros allegedly intended for use in vote-buying schemes ahead of the elections. At a briefing of the Coordination Council on election preparations, Gyurov said the In»»»

Acting Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov has warned that authorities have received intelligence about a significant volume of counterfeit euros allegedly intended for use in vote-buying schemes ahead of the elections. At a briefing of the Coordination Council on election preparations, Gyurov said the In»»»

Dozens of boats carrying activists and aid for Palestinians in Gaza set sail from the northeastern Spanish city of Barcelona on Wednesday. Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla say that more than 70 boats and 1,000 people from around the world will participate, with campaigners saying it's the bi»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that talks to end a seven week-long war with Iran "could be happening in the next two days," most likely in Pakistan. Photo by Salwan Georges/UPI | License Photo April 15 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said peace talks with Iran "could be happening in »»»

United Nations refugee chief Barham Salih on Wednesday called on the international community to provide urgent support to Lebanon, with a fifth of the country's population displaced by the Israel-Hezbollah war. "I call upon the international community to provide urgent support and relief to Lebanon»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with relevant departments of the Ministry of Interior (MOI), has concluded its inspection campaigns planned for Q1 of 2026 on limousine companies and the companies that provide passenger transportation services via electronic applications. Th»»»

Eighteen months after the nation's largest Arab American community helped propel Donald Trump to a second term as president, the prayers have not stopped. In Dearborn, just outside of Detroit, families wait restlessly for word from relatives abroad, hoping they are safe, and mourning those already »»»

Brussels: The European Union is set to roll out a new age-verification app for online platforms, as governments worldwide step up efforts to shield children from harmful content and curb access to social media. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the app is “technically ready” a»»»

A total of 10,897 voting screens have been distributed to all municipalities in order to put an end to at least some of the practices involving vote-buying and manipulation, said Vanya Nusheva, advisor to the caretaker Prime Minister on election matters. She was speaking at a briefing of the Coordi»»»

Deputy Interior Minister Ivan Anchev told Wednesday's briefing of the Coordination Council for the preparation of the April 19 snap parliamentary elections that EUR 5,000 and GBP 6,000 intended for vote buying had been seized. Over the past month, every single regional directorate of the Interior M»»»

Jawad Younes, 11, and his cousins were playing soccer in the lot between their houses, as they often did. His little brother, 4-year-old Mehdi, had joined them but grew tired, so Jawad took him home and handed him off to their mother before returning to the game. Minutes later, an Israeli strike ca»»»

There are few precedents for the direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials that began in Washington on Tuesday. - 1949, Fragile armistice - The first Arab-Israeli war began on May 15, 1948, the day after the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel. Five countries -- Egypt,»»»

India’s Central Board of Secondary Education declared the Class 10 board examination 2026 (Session 1) results on Wednesday. Students can check their results on the official websites - cbse.gov.in and results.cbse.nic.in - as well as on the UMANG app and DigiLocker. More than 13,600 students in UAE »»»