Iran war effects on Europe: Is a recession already unfolding
Brussels, Apr.23 ( SANA) The eurozone’s private sector slipped back into contraction in April, marking its weakest performance in nearly a year and a half since November 2024, as the war in Iran hit services and fuelled inflation. The war in the Middle East, involving Iran, has now done what no tra»»»
Lebanon to request end to attacks, Trump 'to attend' Lebanon-Israel talks
Tonight's second round of preparatory direct talks between Lebanon and Israel will be held at the White House instead of the State Department, Lebanese TV networks said. The meeting is scheduled for 11:00 pm Beirut time (8:00 pm GMT). MTV and Al-Arabiya later reported that U.S. President Donald Tru»»»
Queiroz aims to raise bar for Ghana ahead of World Cup
Accra, Ghana: Newly-appointed Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz said Thursday that leading the Black Stars at the 2026 World Cup will be "the biggest challenge" of his career. The arrival of the veteran Portuguese coach, who oversaw Iran at the 2022 World Cup and also spent a season at Real Madrid, has sp»»»
Inside Iran’s 40-year power shift: Clerical rule fades as IRGC takes control
Dubai: Iran’s decision-making core has undergone a quiet but profound transformation, with real power shifting away from clerics to a hardened network of military commanders, according to a detailed report by The New York Times. At the centre of this shift is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamen»»»
Iran’s Hormuz Toll Offers SWIFT-Free Dollar Fiscal Endurance Lifeline
Iran has the justification for its Hormuz tolls, as it can cite “severe constraint” from US sanctions and war, Professor Azmi Hassan, senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research in Malaysia, tells Sputnik. It also has unique leverage in that it effectively controls the waterway, he»»»
‘No time frame’ for ending US-Israeli war against Iran – Trump
The US is not setting any deadlines for concluding the war against Iran, President Donald Trump has said. The remarks contrast with Trump’s earlier claim, made shortly after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, that the fighting would last “four to five weeks.” He also repeate»»»
Iran government says men’s soccer team is preparing for ‘proud participation’ at World Cup in US
GENEVA: An Iranian government spokesperson says the men’s national team are preparing for “proud and successful participation” in their World Cup games in the United States. Iran’s ability and willingness to go to the World Cup across north America starting June 11 has been unclear since the US and»»»
Flights from Doha and Jeddah resume to Syria in May
LONDON: Syrian authorities announced on Thursday the resumption of flights to Damascus International Airport from Doha and Jeddah, beginning May 1, following weeks of stoppage amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport said that Qatar Ai»»»
Sabalenka fights rust to reach third round of Madrid Open
Madrid: Aryna Sabalenka shook off some rust to post her first victory of the season on clay and extend her winning streak to 13 matches on Thursday in Madrid. The world number one, who was playing her first match since she completed the Sunshine Double by winning Indian Wells and Miami last month, »»»
Peanut butter and honey add grown-up flair to nostalgic crispy rice treats
Crunchy, gooey, sweet and easy to make, crispy rice treats are a dessert that delivers joy and invites creativity. The recipe as we know it first appeared on a box of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal in 1940 and is a simple combination of the cereal, marshmallows, butter and vanilla. It has not only »»»
US pushes FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at World Cup
Italian officials have rebuked a US proposal for their national football team to replace Iran at the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Italy lost the chance to participate at the World Cup for a third successive time after a humiliating penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a playoff last mon»»»
Russia to Seek Recognition of Nazi Crimes Against Soviet People as Genocide – Lavrov
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia will continue seeking recognition of Nazi crimes against Soviet people as genocide, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday. "Our diplomacy will consistently strive to ensure that the crimes of the Nazis and their collaborators against Soviet citizens of al»»»
Wartime exit: Why the US Navy chief’s departure matters now
The abrupt departure of US Navy Secretary John Phelan has come at a particularly sensitive moment — with American naval forces deeply engaged in operations linked to the Iran conflict and a fragile ceasefire still holding. The Pentagon announced that Phelan was leaving “effective immediately,” offe»»»
Lebanese leaders accuse Israel of war crime after journalist killed
Lebanon's leaders accused Israel on Thursday of committing a war crime, after an airstrike killed a Lebanese journalist in the country's south, with the Israeli army saying it was reviewing the incident. Rescuers and the reporter's employer on Wednesday confirmed the death of Amal Khalil, a 42-year»»»
Turkiye trying to revive Russia-Ukraine negotiations, Erdogan tells NATO chief
ANKARA: Turkiye is making efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and bring together the leaders of the warring sides, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in a meeting in Ankara, the Turkish presidency said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, Ky»»»
“Demand is strong”: Emirates chief signals recovery despite war
Dubai: Dubai's flagship Emirates is confident it will rebound quickly from disruptions caused by the Iran conflict, with President Tim Clark saying strong demand will help the airline recover lost ground and fend off competition. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Speakin»»»
Son of former Shah of Iran appeals to Western countries for support
BERLIN: The son of the former Shah appealed to Western countries to join the war against Iran and criticised the decision of the German government not to meet him during his visit to Berlin on Thursday. Reza Pahlavi, whose father was deposed in the revolution that brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomei»»»
Pope wraps up an Africa visit for the history books with a Mass in Equatorial Guinea
MALABO, Equatorial Guinea: Pope Leo XIV wrapped up his African odyssey on Thursday with a final Mass in Equatorial Guinea, bringing to an end one of the newsiest papal trips in the history of popes on the road, thanks to his extraordinary back-and-forth with President Donald Trump. A powerful rains»»»
Pentagon denies clearing Hormuz Strait mines will take six months
The Pentagon blasted as cherry picking and false on Thursday a news report saying that the department assessed it could take six months to completely clear the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian-laid mines. The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the Pentagon shared the six-month estimate during a »»»
Food prices in Kyrgyzstan fall amid rising prices in Kazakhstan and Russia - | 24.KG
Kyrgyzstan recorded a decline in prices for most basic food products amid rising prices in neighboring countries. The press service of the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. Situation on the Kyrgyz market On April 22, 2026, ministry em»»»
Senate passes resolution to begin budget reconciliation to fund DHS - UPI.com
Senate Republican Leader John Thune, R-S.D., helped the Senate pass a bill to begin the budget reconciliation process early Thursday Morning. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 23 (UPI) -- Senate Republicans were up all night voting, eventually adopting a budget reconciliation pack»»»
Berri thanks KSA for efforts to help Lebanon, end war
Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held talks on Thursday, discussing the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, "particularly Israel's continued aggression against Lebanon, including its ongoing systematic destruction of border villages," »»»
French, UK defense chiefs eye 'real progress' in Hormuz plan
Britain and France Thursday voiced hope that a military plan to protect the Strait of Hormuz was coming together and would succeed in restoring trade flows through the vital passage. At a two-day meeting in London, a dedicated operational planning group on Wednesday presented a decision brief to mi»»»
Lebanon accuses Israel of war crimes after killing of another journalist
Lebanon has accused Israel of war crimes after a reporter for a Lebanese newspaper was killed on Wednesday in a strike on a house in the southern village of al-Tiri, where she had taken cover after an earlier attack targeted the vehicle she was traveling in. Amal Khalil, a reporter for Al-Akhbar, w»»»
US Gulf Allies Risk Near Total Loss of Internet Connectivity Amid Iran War
The UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, along with Saudi Arabia, are among the most exposed to undersea cable failures. Possible damage would result in a 70 to 90% loss of connectivity for Arab Gulf States, and up to 35% for Saudi Arabia alone, risking slowdowns in e-commerce, banking, and global servi»»»
US military says it seizes another oil tanker associated with Iran
DUBAI: The US military on Thursday seized another tanker associated with the smuggling of Iranian oil, ratcheting up a standoff with Iran a day after its paramilitary Revolutionary Guards took control of two vessels in the crucial Strait of Hormuz. The Defense Department released video footage of U»»»
Bangladesh measles crisis deepens as child deaths reach 194
DHAKA: Bangladesh has recorded 194 child deaths due to measles in an outbreak that began last month, while the number of suspected child cases has exceeded 28,000, government data showed on Thursday. Between three and five children have died from the disease every day for the past week. Five childr»»»
US Stocks Dip on Mixed Earnings as Markets Monitor Iran
Wall Street stocks retreated from records early Thursday as markets digested a trove of mixed earnings reports and monitored the latest dynamics between the United States and Iran. Analysts cited profit-taking after both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq shrugged off a jump in oil prices to finish at records »»»
Israeli Fire Kills Five in Gaza and the West Bank, Medics Say
Israeli airstrikes killed at least four Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, while soldiers shot and killed a 15-year-old child during an army raid in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials said. One person was killed in a strike in southern Gaza's Khan Younis in which several ot»»»
Trump Orders Military to ‘Shoot and Kill’ Iranian Small Boats Choking Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has ordered the US military to “shoot and kill” Iranian small boats choking the Strait of Hormuz.In a social media post Thursday morning, he said the military is intensifying its mine clearing efforts in the critical waterway. The move intensified the US-Iran standoff in t»»»
Ajman rolls out incentives to boost tourism and ease business costs
Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and Chairman of the Executive Council, on Thursday approved a comprehensive package of incentives aimed at supporting the emirate's tourism sector, including the deferral of fee payments and fine waivers, in a move designed to stimulate activ»»»
Pentagon says it boarded an Iran-linked vessel on Indian Ocean - UPI.com
1 of 2 | The Pentagon posted a video on social media Thursday showing what it says is U.S. forces boarding a vessel on the Indian Ocean with ties to Iran. File Photo via U.S. European Command/UPI | License Photo April 23 (UPI) -- The Pentagon posted a video on social media Thursday showing what it »»»
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Only the State Decides on Talks with Israel
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said Lebanon “has started to gradually reclaim its natural right to determine its own fate independently of others’ calculations,” stressing that the Lebanese state “alone holds the decision to negotiate,” and that Lebanon “is not subordinate to anyone and is»»»
Defying Hezbollah, Israel and Lebanon start talking
For the first time in decades, Israeli and Lebanese civilian officials sat across a table in Washington and began talking. The discussions—convened in the shadow of a wider war with Iran, mediated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and given a 10-day ceasefire window by Donald Trump—are truly histo»»»
Are Damascus and Hezbollah headed for confrontation?
Since the fall of the Assad regime in Syria on 8 December 2024, the country’s border with Lebanon has been subject to an unprecedented mobilisation, with Damascus ramping things up in recent weeks by sending heavy reinforcements to the frontier to confront Hezbollah’s smuggling operations. Under As»»»
Pakistan eyes progress in US-Iran talks
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan voiced hope for progress in US-Iran negotiations, stressing the need to sustain diplomatic channels to address the escalating Middle East crisis. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, in talks with US Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad Natalie Baker, called for maintaining momentum, inclu»»»
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister: Only the State Decides on Talks with Israel
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said Lebanon “has started to gradually reclaim its natural right to determine its own fate independently of others’ calculations,” stressing that the Lebanese state “alone holds the decision to negotiate,” and that Lebanon “is not subordinate to anyone and is»»»
Round 2: Lebanon-Israel talks inch forward
Today (23 April), the US hosts the second round of talks between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington. The first meeting of these diplomats on 14 April was significant, not because it was the first direct legal contact between senior officials of these states since 1993, or because th»»»
Pakistan Remains Preferred Mediator in Talks With United States- Iranian Diplomatic Source
ISLAMABAD (Sputnik) - Iran still considers Pakistan as the preferred mediator in the negotiations with the United States, an Iranian diplomatic source told Sputnik. "Iran continues to consider Islamabad as the preferred and reliable mediator in the negotiations between Iran and the United States," »»»
Lebanon decries Israeli demolition of homes in areas occupied after ceasefire
BEIRUT: Spread across a hillside of southern Lebanon, the tiny village of Beit Lif had been almost entirely flattened. Once home to a few thousand people, nearly every house had been reduced to piles of concrete by Israeli military demolitions. “They were demolishing it gradually until they reached»»»
Therapists from Thailand and Indonesia Apply Expertise at Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko Spa Centre
Located on a 1,200 sq. m. area, the spa centre at Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko offers a wide range of treatments performed by professionals, manager of Kempinski The Spa Kostadinka Vishanina told BTA. Hotel guests and visitors to the spa centre are attracted by the high level of services, in »»»
Bassil: Hezbollah has lost domestic legitimacy, justification for defending Lebanon
Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil suggested Thursday that Hezbollah "has lost its internal legitimacy" and "its justification for defending Lebanon." "The great damage to Lebanon is caused by Hezbollah," Bassil, once a key ally of Hezbollah, said in an interview with Al-Arabiya's Al-Hada»»»
Trump orders US Navy to destroy boats laying mines in Hormuz
Washington, United States: President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed the United States would destroy any vessel laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as he rachets up pressure on Iran to reopen the crucial sea passage. "I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats th»»»
US military says it seizes another oil tanker associated with Iran
The U.S. military on Thursday seized another tanker associated with the smuggling of Iranian oil, ratcheting up a standoff with Iran a day after its paramilitary Revolutionary Guards took control of two vessels in the crucial Strait of Hormuz. The Defense Department released video footage of U.S. f»»»
Bangladesh measles crisis deepens as child deaths reach 194
Dhaka: Bangladesh has recorded 194 child deaths due to measles in an outbreak that began last month, while the number of suspected child cases has exceeded 28,000, government data showed on Thursday. Between three and five children have died from the disease every day for the past week. Five childr»»»
Gold Eases Near $4,700 as Dollar and Oil Press Markets Amid Hormuz Tensions
Global — Gold prices retreated toward $4,700 per ounce, declining by nearly 1%, as a stronger US dollar and rising oil prices weighed on the metal, according to data reported by Bloomberg. The pullback follows the extension of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which has shifted market»»»
Gold Eases Near $4,700 as Dollar and Oil Press Markets Amid Hormuz Tensions
Global — Gold prices retreated toward $4,700 per ounce, declining by nearly 1%, as a stronger US dollar and rising oil prices weighed on the metal, according to data reported by Bloomberg. The pullback follows the extension of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which has shifted market»»»
US Navy secretary exits administration effective immediately
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»»»
Salam says Lebanon won't sign any agreement without Israel's full withdrawal
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has urged the Trump administration to pressure Israel to scale back its demands and end its military invasion of the country. In an interview with the Washington Post, Salam said Lebanon could not sign any agreement that does not include a “full withdrawal” of Israeli for»»»
Pentagon says US forces boarded tanker carrying Iranian oil
Washington, United States: The US Defense Department said Thursday its forces boarded a vessel in the Indian Ocean that was providing material support to Iran, the second time it had done so in three days. "Overnight, US forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the »»»