In 2025, the shortage of military personnel decreased by 1.8% and reached 20.5%, according to the Report on the State of Defence and the Armed Forces, approved by the caretaker government on April 1. Despite the measures taken, vacant positions for military personnel remained close to those in 2024»»»

Hamas is pressing mediators to secure changes to a plan presented more than a week ago by Nikolay Mladenov, the High Representative of the “Board of Peace,” which calls for the full disarmament of Gaza without exception. A Hamas delegation in Cairo is holding intensive talks with Palestinian factio»»»

The Iraqi government moved on Friday to contain the fallout from an escalating regional war, after the US issued sharp warnings of possible attacks on its interests inside Iraq. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani vowed to pursue those behind attacks and the kidnapping of foreigners, saying the »»»

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk met with First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Daniyar Amangeldiev. The Russian Government’s Telegram channel reported. «Russia and Kyrgyzstan enjoy a strong partnership based on trust and mutual support. We see significant pot»»»

A senior Israeli military commander said on Friday that disarming Hezbollah was not part of the current war objectives, and that the army’s plan instead focused on razing entire villages in southern Lebanon and forcibly displacing residents to create a buffer zone imposing a new border reality. Def»»»

A US fighter jet was shot down over Iranian airspace on Friday, triggering a search operation by Washington which rescued one crew member. A second US Air Force aircraft went down later in the day, according to a US official. The whereabouts of any other crew were not immediately known. A US f»»»

The restoration of aluminum production at Abu Dhabi plant of the Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) company, the largest aluminum producer in the Middle East, may take up to 12 months, EGA said. On March 28, the government of Abu Dhabi said that six people were injured as a result of debris from an in»»»

Due to supply chain disruptions stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, India could potentially see a decline in fertiliser output. According to a recent Bloomberg report, New Delhi has asked China to allow the sale of some urea cargoes. Indian officials have asked Beijing to ease restrictio»»»

Due to supply chain disruptions stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, India could potentially see a decline in fertiliser output. According to a recent Bloomberg report, New Delhi has asked China to allow the sale of some urea cargoes. Indian officials have asked Beijing to ease restrictio»»»

Due to supply chain disruptions stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, India could potentially see a decline in fertiliser output. According to a recent Bloomberg report, New Delhi has asked China to allow the sale of some urea cargoes. Indian officials have asked Beijing to ease restrictio»»»

A third suspect has been remanded in custody in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 20-year-old man in Kalamaria, Thessaloniki, on March 12, authorities said Friday. The 21-year-old appeared before an examining magistrate in Thessaloniki, facing charges of aggravated bodily harm, gang membershi»»»

Cuban authorities began releasing prisoners on Friday after announcing the day before that 2,010 inmates had been pardoned, marking a second wave of releases in less than a month as Havana faces increased pressure from the United States. Cuban authorities began to free prisoners on Friday after ann»»»

It’s been a week that began with President Trump addressing the nation for the first time since the Iran War began five weeks ago. Expectations that he might signal an end to the conflict—or announce a ground offensive or a split from NATO—were unmet. Instead, his 18-minute speech echoed his social»»»

In tonight’s edition: Human Rights Watch reports that Burkina Faso’s government forces and jihadist groups together killed more than 1,800 civilians between 2023 and 2025. In Accra, a collapsed and unfinished school has left four people dead and nearly 30 injured, raising concerns over unsafe class»»»

A leak of confidential documents from a network of Russian agents operating on the African continent reveals how Russia managed to place hundreds of articles in 35 different West African French-language media outlets – sometimes without their knowledge. The FRANCE 24 Observers team worked with»»»

The Company – a network of Russian agents specialised in disinformation operations – has been carrying out a vast propaganda campaign against the Ukrainian embassy in Ivory Coast. When the pan-African media outlet The Continent received a trove of leaked documents about this operation, the FRANCE 2»»»

Japan’s demographic crisis is playing out even behind bars. The number of elderly inmates has quadrupled over the past 20 years. Around a fifth of people over 65 live below the poverty line, struggling to make ends meet. Some go to extraordinary lengths to improve their circumstances, deliberately »»»

Russia conducted rolling aerial attacks across Ukraine that began with overnight drone barrages followed by daytime missile and drone attacks that killed six people, Ukrainian officials said Friday. Russia has conducted an increasing number of daytime attacks on Ukraine as it attempts to penetrate »»»

Ukraine has in recent days intensified drone attacks on ports and refineries in Russia’s Leningrad region on the Baltic Sea. Yet Kyiv’s strategy of trying to stop Moscow from reaping the benefits of oil disruption in the Middle East doesn’t come without significant risk. Ukrainian drones struck key»»»

Authorities responded to a minor incident in Dubai Internet City after debris from an aerial interception fell on the facade of the Oracle building, the Dubai Media Office said. Officials confirmed that no injuries were reported and the situation was quickly brought under control Earlier, authoriti»»»

Dubai: Authorities responded to an incident in Dubai Marina after debris from an aerial interception struck the facade of a building, the Dubai Media Office said. Officials confirmed that the situation was brought under control, with no reports of injuries or fire. Get updated faster and for FREE: »»»

Share: Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs © Ibrahim Amro, AFP A growing number of Shiite families displaced by the war in Lebanon say they’re being pushed out of towns where they feel unwelcome over the suspicion that they may be Hezbollah members By : BA»»»

Dubai: For thousands of students across the UAE who have spent a long time preparing for high-stakes international examinations, the news recently arrived in waves. First the IB. Then Cambridge, Pearson and OxfordAQA. One by one, the major exam boards have confirmed that traditional in-person writt»»»

Iranian and American forces were racing each other early Saturday to recover a crew member of the first US fighter jet to go down inside Iran since the start of the war. Tehran said it had shot down the F-15 warplane, while US media reported American special forces had rescued one of its two crew m»»»

BEIJING: Peace talks between Afghanistan's Taliban government and Pakistan are advancing, China's government said Friday, two days after those countries resumed conversations following weeks of fighting that have killed hundreds. “The consultation process is being steadily implemented and advanced,»»»

KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence announced on Friday that Kuwait's air defence systems have detected and engaged nine missiles; seven ballistic and two cruise, in the last 24 hours amidst the current regional military escalation. In the media briefing conducted by the Government Communicatio»»»

A federal district court judge denied a Department of Justice motion asking the court to reconsider its quashing of subpoenas aimed at U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, pictured in January at a press conference, and the Fed Board. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo April 3 (»»»

Many international shipping vessels, such as the one pictured in March, have been anchored and idling in the Middle East after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian traffic after the United States and Israel engaged in a war there. Friday, Iran allowed vessels linked to France and Japan t»»»

Myanmar military Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing sits during a ceremony to mark the one-year anniversary of the earthquake at the Myanmar International Convention Center in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, on March 28. Min Aung Hlaing won a parliamentary vote Friday to become the country's pre»»»

Share: What to know about the Iran war today: A U.S. F-15E fighter jet was shot down by Iran and a crew member was rescued by American forces, U.S. officials told CBS News. U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News Iran’s claim that it shot down an American fighter jet. Images posted on social media and»»»

Air India and Air India Express will operate a total of 42 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the West Asia region on April 4, 2026. This includes 26 non-scheduled flights to and from the UAE, subject to slot availability and other operational conditions at departure airports. All flig»»»

Dubai: When Elon Musk began positioning SpaceX for what could be a record-breaking IPO, the headline figure—up to $75 billion—drew the most attention, but the proposed listing is shaping up as much as a referendum on Musk’s broader strategy as it is on the company itself. Get updated faster and for»»»

Abu Dhabi: Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, has criticised arguments put forward by former Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a recent article published in the US magazine Foreign Affairs, saying they overlook fundamental facts and Iran’s continued hostile be»»»

Washington: The White House administration Friday called on Congress to approve a massive $1.5 trillion defense budget for next year. This request comes amid the ongoing war between the US, Israel and Iran and Washington's efforts to fund its military operations and replenish its weapons stockpiles»»»

The candidates for MPs from the list of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms party in Kardzhali 9th Multi-member Constituency met on Friday with residents of several settlements in the region - Sevdalina, Zaychino, Bagra, Skalna Glava, Kalinka, Chilik and Kostino, according to the local party press»»»

The Ministry of Interior in Qatar has cautioned the public against playing or circulating audio or video clips that mimic the National Emergency Alert System, including using such tones as mobile ringtones. Authorities warned that these risks causing panic and disturbing public order. In a statemen»»»

Tunis, April 3 (TAP) - The Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries is working to address the challenges facing fishing ports by preparing a national study aimed at improving governance and ensuring the sustainability of port...»»»

Tunis, April 3 (TAP) - Tunisia's Cap Bon is aiming to become the World Capital of Gastronomy 2028. This bid was highlighted during an economic and tourism promotion event held on March 31 in Rome by the Tunisian embassy in Italy, in partnership...»»»

Tunis, April 3 (TAP) - The Tunisian Consulate in Toulouse organised an economic meeting on Thursday in the French city of Toulouse, in cooperation with the "Agence pour le Développement Économique et Culturel Nord-Sud", the Foreign Investment...»»»

The US embassy in Beirut said on ‌Friday ‌that Iran ‌and ⁠its aligned armed ⁠groups "may intend to target ⁠universities ‌in Lebanon". In ‌a security ‌alert, ‌the embassy also ‌urged US citizens to depart ⁠Lebanon "while ⁠commercial flight options remain available". Lebanon was dragged into the conf»»»

BELGRADE - Secretary General at the Serbian MFA Dusan Kozarev met with North Macedonian Ambassador to Belgrade Nikola Tupanceski on Friday to discuss stepping up economic and cultural cooperation, as well as strengthening ties in the infrastructure and energy sectors. "Serbia remains firmly committ»»»

Abu Dhabi: Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has said its Al Taweelah site sustained significant damage following recent Iranian missile and drone attacks, with full restoration of primary aluminium production likely to take up to 12 months. In an initial assessment released on Friday, the company co»»»

The Iranian military shot down a U.S. F-15E similar to the one pictured on Friday. File Photo by Senior Airman Mitch Fuqua/U.S. Air Force. April 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. forces rescued at least one crew member after Iran shot down a U.S. F-15E fighter jet Friday, unnamed U.S. military sources told multi»»»

The Chilean The Family Committee of the Chamber of Deputies began this week to discuss a bill supported by all political parties that would prohibit and penalize the practice of surrogate motherhood. Photo by widephish/Pixabay SANTIAGO, Chile, April 3 (UPI) -- Chile has joined other Latin American »»»

Caretaker Minister of Environment and Water Julian Popov discussed current topics on environmental protection with the Ambassador of France to Bulgaria Marie Dumoulin, the Ministry's press centre reported on Friday. A topic raised by the French side was the import of batteries and solar panels. Pop»»»

The average annual inflation in Bulgaria is expected to reach 4.3% this year, while the annual increase in consumer prices is projected to amount to 5.2% by the end of 2026, according to the spring macroeconomic forecast of the Finance Ministry, published on its website. At the same time, the real »»»

Istanbul: Turkiye's economy is facing mounting pressure from persistently high global energy prices, as the country relies heavily on imports of oil and gas to meet domestic demand. This dependence has exposed it to global market volatility, driving up production costs, increasing the burden on bus»»»

Iran shot down a US warplane on Friday, setting off a search by both sides for surviving crew as the war looked set to intensify with President Donald Trump threatening more attacks on civilian infrastructure. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was combing an area near where the plane came do»»»

Deir Ezzor, Apr. 3 (SANA) Internal security forces have reinforced measures to secure and protect oil tanker trucks convoys departing from al-Omar oil field in Deir Ezzor province and heading toward the city of Banyas, as part of a comprehensive plan to safeguard oil infrastructure and ensure the s»»»

The White House sent a spending proposal to lawmakers Friday calling for a massive $1.5 trillion US defense budget next year as it faces increased costs due to the war in Iran. The total year-on-year increase in Pentagon spending would be the largest since World War II, US media reported, although »»»