London: Israel could lose its observer status at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe over a new death penalty law, the assembly president has warned. The law could see Palestinians face execution for offenses including murder and terrorism if convicted in military courts in occupied»»»

Riyadh: The mobile clinics of Saudi aid agency KSrelief in Hairan district of Yemen’s Hajjah governorate provided medical services to 472 beneficiaries in one week. The facilities handled infectious disease cases and provided emergency, internal medicine, and reproductive health services, the Saudi»»»

Washington: The United States blocked a plane carrying nearly $500 million in banknotes from delivering the cash to Iraq, US media reported on Tuesday, piling pressure on Baghdad to fight Iran-backed militant groups. The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has suspended cash shipments to I»»»

Brussels: The European Commission (EU) proposed on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, a series of measures to address the repercussions of West Asia crisis on energy markets in European Union countries. The Commission said these measures include improving the distribution of aircraft fuel among bloc member»»»

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Kyrgyzstan’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ’B’ with a stable outlook, website of the agency says. The ratings reflect Kyrgyzstan’s modest fiscal deficits, low government debt burden, and strong growth prospects, driven by investments in the ene»»»

Kyiv, Ukraine: Ukraine will resume shipping Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia "within a few hours" Wednesday following the completion of repairs to the Druzhba pipeline damaged by a Russian attack, a Kyiv official told AFP. The pipeline has been at the centre of a standoff between Hungary and Slo»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian air defense systems shot down a guided aerial bomb, three HIMARS rockets and 368 Ukrainian drones, and Russian Black Sea Fleet forces destroyed a Ukrainian unmanned boat in the Black Sea, as well as attacked Ukrainian energy, transport and port infrastructure facilities, »»»

The Russian Armed Forces have completed the liberation of the Lugansk People's Republic. A total of 80 settlements have been freed. In March and April alone, the Russian army emancipated 34 settlements and approximately 700 square kilometers of territory, making major advances in the Kherson, Zapor»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality has unveiled a new list of electronic services for the Urban Planning Affairs sector, marking a further step in the country's ongoing digital transformation efforts. In a statement shared on platform X, the ministry said the services are now available on it»»»

A weather alert has been issued in Kyrgyzstan for April 23-24, the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported. According to the service, unstable weather with localized heavy rains is expected in the foothills and mountainous regions of the republic. This may lead to mudflows and rising river levels»»»

First Deputy Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh, Mederbek Aliev, met with Susanne Raab, Director General of the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), as part of his participation in the 26th Conference of the Alliance Against Trafficking in Persons in Vienna. The press service »»»

A working meeting was held at the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan with Igor Bugorsky, CEO of the largest importer of berry products, the Berry Union of the Russian Federation. During the meeting, berry production and the industry’s export potential we»»»

Israel’s latest land grab is dashing Lebanon’s hope of tapping offshore gas to solve its persistent energy shortage. Maritime energy prospects were the focus of a 2022 deal on a disputed border between the two nations. On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published a map of a “forward defense»»»

Dubai: The Central Bank of the UAE reported significant progress in Emiratisation across the banking, financial, and insurance sectors, with employment targets exceeded and compliance rates nearing full alignment by the end of 2025. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - »»»

At least two cargo ships reported being fired on near the key Strait of Hormuz shipping lane where Tehran is once again jockying with the United States for control in a long-simmering dispute illustrated by this view of Iranian navy speed boats conducting military exercises off southern Iran back i»»»

Dubai: The European Commission has launched a sweeping energy emergency package after the conflict in the Middle East pushed the bloc's fuel import costs up by €24 billion — without delivering a single additional unit of energy. The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled a broad package of emerg»»»

RIYADH: The UAE’s real estate sector remained resilient in the first quarter of 2026 despite conflict in the Middle East, while office markets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi remained tight due to limited new supply, according to CBRE. In its latest report, the real estate consultancy said that average offi»»»

A new Dubai Metro line spanning 42km and connecting 15 key areas in Dubai was announced on Wednesday. In a post on X, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said the Dh34 billion Golden Line project will benefit 1.5 milli»»»

Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev Wednesday urged the State to act beyond party interests after the April 19 snap parliamentary elections. "My task is to protect the interests of all Sofia residents - regardless of their political choice. And I expect the same from the state - an attitude driven not by pa»»»

Dubai: Airfares have been expected to rise again, with authorities increasing fuel surcharges to near-maximum levels. The Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has raised the passenger and cargo fuel surcharge to level 19 for the second half of April. In an advisory released today, the CAB has n»»»

London: Workers streamed into the British capital by foot, bike and bus Wednesday, April 22, 2026, as strike action on the London Underground train network disrupted services. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) walked out from 12:00pm (1100GMT) on Tuesday for 24 hours over plan»»»

Tehran: Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that their naval forces stopped two ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz and directed them to the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic. "The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval force this morning identified and stopped in the»»»

GUANGZHOU - Serbian Deputy PM and Minister of Economy Adrijana Mesarovic, who is on a visit to Guangzhou, China, met with the city's mayor Sun Zhiyang on Wednesday to discuss opportunities for investments in Serbia by Guangzhou-based companies. "This city is famous for research and development cent»»»

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Wednesday described Hezbollah as the sole remaining obstacle to “peace” and normalization with Lebanon, calling on the Lebanese Government to cooperate in disarming the Lebanese resistance group. In remarks cited by Israeli media, Gideon Sa’ar said the Zioni»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has become an anchor investor in a newly launched exchange-traded fund by State Street Investment Management, one of the world’s largest asset managers. The newly launched ETF, State Street Saudi Arabia Enhanced Active Equity UCITS ETF, or SAQL, activel»»»

OSLO: Norway will take over planning ​for the Fen rare earth deposit — Europe’s largest — to speed up development after a resource upgrade nearly doubled its estimated size, the government said on Wednesday. Fen was estimated last month to hold 15.9 million metric tons of rare earth oxide in indica»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia started its Hajj flights on Wednesday with expanded access to the Makkah Route, as Saudi authorities added a new major Indonesian airport to the flagship initiative that streamlines immigration procedures for pilgrims. Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country, will »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior, MOI, announced the addition of a new feature on Metrash App that allows users to pay for family and friends’ traffic violations. The ministry in a social media post stated that to access this feature, users should log into the Metrash app, navigate to “Traffic»»»

Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that the military remained on high alert and was ready to return to fighting on all fronts, amid the fragile truces in Iran and Lebanon. “Since the inferno of October 7, we have been working to reestablish our military strength through conti»»»

A Russian national team has appeared at a major team sport event under the national flag and anthem for the first time since 2022. The women’s water polo team became the first Russian squad to participate in a competition in a full-fledged status after the World Aquatics lifted all the restrictions»»»

The reshuffle of the acting Prosecutor General is a process of implementing constitutional and legal norms within the independent judiciary, and in particular within the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) said in a statement sent to the media»»»

Abu Dhabi: President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed in a phone call on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, with King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco the developments taking place in the Middle East and their serious implications for regional and inter»»»

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard attacked a third ship Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported. Nour News, Fars and Mehr all reported the attack by the Guard on a vessel called the Euphoria. They said the vessel had become “stranded” on the Iranian coas»»»

OneClickDrive, the mobility marketplace that has established a strong presence across the UAE and wider Middle East, has extended its platform to Morocco, offering travelers, residents, and tourists a structured way to compare and book vehicles across the country's major cities. The platform is now»»»

In 2024, 156,703 square kilometers of the European Union’s territory were affected by drought, according to data from Eurostat, published on Wednesday. Over the period 2014–2024, there were significant increases in areas affected by drought, particularly in 2018 (520,817 sq km) and 2022 (558,313 sq»»»

Berlin, April 22 (SANA) Lufthansa announced it will cancel around 20,000 flights from its schedule amid a sharp rise in fuel costs and growing concerns over jet fuel (kerosene) supplies, highlighting mounting pressure on Europe’s aviation sector. According to Germany’s Bild magazine, the airline sa»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in his greeting to participants and guests of the second Russian-African international conference on combating infectious diseases that Russian agencies are providing full assistance to their African counterparts in biological security. "Ru»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.4045 dinars for one euro on Wednesday, which is a slight change relative to Tuesday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is steady against the euro m-o-m, down by 0.1 pct y-o-y and down by 0.1 pct relative »»»

In an era marked by ecological challenges, development dilemmas and geopolitical dynamics are increasingly intertwined. Through a series of innovative practices, Chinese modernization offers a "green solution" to some of humanity's pressing questions of survival and development. Rooted in the wisdo»»»

BARCELONA - Red Star Belgrade have failed to qualify for the final of the basketball EuroLeague play-in by losing 80-72 (29-21, 18-12, 16-18, 17-21) to Barcelona on the road on Tuesday evening. The defeat ended Red Star's campaign in European basketball's top-tier competition this season. Codi Mill»»»

BELGRADE - An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission will begin an official visit to Belgrade on Thursday, with the opening meeting to be held at the National Bank of Serbia (NBS). A plenary meeting of the IMF mission and a Serbian delegation at the NBS is scheduled for 10 am, the central bank h»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran's military has detained two unauthorized vessels that tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the naval forces of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday. "The IRGC naval forces detained and escorted to the coast of Iran two violating vesse»»»

Dubai A woman tourist from the United States has alleged that she was sexually assaulted at a homestay in Karnataka’s Kodagu district, with police arresting two men, including the property owner and a staff member, following a complaint, according to multiple media reports. The incident took place »»»

Dubai: Parents planning to send children to travel have been advised to avoid relying on unverified social media services, as Philippine authorities have officially named Facebook pages offering fake travel clearance assistance. The Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), th»»»

The bonds listed today are part of a broader Medium‑Term Notes (MTN) Programme, under which the Bank may issue bonds in several tranches. The maximum nominal value of all tranches under the programme amounts to EUR 100 million. Key features of the bond issue VISTA36E: “We welcome Vista Bank to the »»»

Customers can apply for the offer 100% online via Home’Bank and benefit from a transparent discount structure that helps them customize their interest rate. With these offers, ING Bank Romania ranks among the top three most competitive mortgage solutions on the local market, according to an analysi»»»

BEIJING: China on Wednesday denied again that a ship intercepted by the United States contained a “gift” from Beijing for Iran, a day after US President Donald Trump made the accusation. Trump had said that an Iranian-flagged ship seized by US forces in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday contained “a gift »»»

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball secured first place in the ABA League Top 8 stage with a commanding 92-64 victory over Bosna BH Telecom in Sarajevo on Tuesday, locking in pole position ahead of the 2026 playoffs. The result ensures Dubai will carry home-court advantage into the quarterfinals in May, with t»»»

Coordination is ongoing between Riyadh and the Lebanese state to extend the 10-day truce and ensure the success of direct negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv, informed Gulf sources told Nidaa al-Watan newspaper. Lebanese President's Advisor Andre Rahal had visited Saudi Arabia in the past hour»»»