Damascus, April 17 (SANA) Syria welcomed on Friday the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, describing it as an important step toward preventing further escalation in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said in a statement that Syria continues to support all efforts aimed at pres»»»

Abu Dhabi: Infrastructure development projects launched across the UAE in 2026 reflect a comprehensive national vision aimed at advancing development across sectors and enhancing quality of life for all residents. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.S»»»

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has sparked discussion after delivering remarks at a Pentagon prayer service that closely echoed dialogue from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, blending military ceremony with language widely recognised from the film. Pentagon prayer service remarksDuring the serv»»»

Manila: Filipino billionaire Enrique 'Ricky' Razon Jr.’s energy firm is pressing beyond the aging Malampaya gas field in a bid to expand the country’s long-term domestic gas supply and reduce reliance on imported fuel. Prime Energy Resources Development B.V., the Razon-led operator of Malampaya, sa»»»

A 10-day truce began in Lebanon on Friday that could pause fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and boost attempts to extend the ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel after weeks of devastating war. US President Donald Trump announced the agreement as a ceasefire »»»

Poland is outpacing much of the EU, with GDP rising 3.6% in 2025 versus 1.6% across the bloc, and nominal output surpassing $1 trillion. Strong exports—worth PLN 1.426 trillion in the first eleven months of 2025—underscore its deep integration into European supply chains. Foreign media, particularl»»»

The Department of State under Secretary Marco Rubio (L) announced an expansion to an existing policy to restrict visas to anyone in the Western Hemisphere it accuses of working to forward the interests of U.S. adversaries. File Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- The Trump ad»»»

A looming jet fuel shortage across Europe and Asia, triggered by the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, could disrupt global travel within weeks if oil flows are not restored soon. The pressure on supplies risks higher airfares and potential flight cancellations as the peak»»»

GENEVA: New data released today by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, shows that lower income countries have collectively contributed over US$ 300 million towards Gavi-supported immunisation programmes for 2025, setting a new record for annual country investment in vaccines. This performance reflects the »»»

Manila: Former Zaldy Co, a fugitive at the center of a sprawling corruption scandal, has been detained by Czech authorities in Prague, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced Thursday night, ending months on the run. Marcos posted on social media that Co had been arrested, added that th»»»

Dubai: The UAE has introduced sweeping changes to tax penalties, cutting fines and revising how violations are handled, with the Federal Tax Authority positioning the move as a step towards easing compliance and encouraging businesses to correct past errors. Sign up for our daily business newslette»»»

The House on Thursday passed a bill to extend temporary protected status for Haitians that currently live in the United States on a bipartisan vote, but the bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate and may be vetoed by the White House if it is sent the President Donald Trump's desk. File Photo by »»»

First Sermon (Khutbah One)All praise is for Allah, and again all praise is for Allah. O Allah, to You belongs all praise as befits the majesty of Your Face and the majesty of Your dominion. Glory be to You—we cannot enumerate praise of You; You are as You have praised Yourself. We bear witness that»»»

South Korean government secures alternative oil supplies of 27 million barrels in June, expands support to diversify imports amid Middle East disruptions. Trade, Industry and Resources Minister Kim Jung-kwan attends a press conference at the government complex in Sejong, central South Korea. Photo »»»

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told reporters Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz needs to reopen "but not at any price," adding that G7 leaders stand ready to mitigate the war's economic fallout. Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven advanced economies added i»»»

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, one of seven Congressional committees he testified before on Thursday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April»»»

The 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon entered into force on Friday, with US President Donald Trump insisting that Hezbollah is part of the agreement, although the armed group had boycotted peace talks with Israel as futile. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) renewed their operation in Lebano»»»

QNA Doha Qatar’s committee for the admission of lawyers convened on Thursday to review applications and regulatory matters concerning the legal profession, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s judicial framework. Chaired by Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Aff»»»

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a cease-fire for 10 days to allow for talks about ejecting Hezbollah from that country, which Israel said is its primary goal in strikes launched on its neighbor over the last six weeks. File Photo by Jim Hollander/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- President Do»»»

1 of 2 | Noemi Guzman, 31, attempts to stab Cyler Hillman, 3, just before being shot to death by Omaha police. Cyler suffered a slash on the cheek. Photo courtesy of Omaha Police Deptartment body-worn camera April 16 (UPI) -- Omaha police have released more details about the kidnapping and assault »»»

AMMAN — Minister of Agriculture Saeb Khreissat on Thursday said Jordan’s agricultural sector continues to post strong performance, underpinned by improved supply chains and growing domestic production.Speaking to Al Mamlaka TV, Khreissat described the sector as a "success story" despite limited nat»»»

1 of 3 | Ryan Gosling attends the New York premiere of "Project Hail Mary" in March. File Photo by Serena Xu Ning/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- Project Hail Mary has earned a Guinness World Record following its publicity stunt in space. Sony announced Thursday that the movie was awarded the»»»

Pet insurance grows 3.5-fold in three years... insurance industry moves to boost awareness A chart shows the number of pet insurance policies in South Korea rising sharply from 51,727 in 2021 to 251,961 in 2025. Graphic by Asia Today and translated by UPI April 15 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's pet »»»

1 of 4 | White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds an illustration on Wednesday of the proposed Triumphal Arch that President Donald Trump wants to build. Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- The Commission of Fine Arts voted Thursday to OK President Donald Trump's pla»»»

Republicans in the House of Representatives voted down a war powers resolution that would rein in President Trump's ability to wage war in Iran for a second time, although with just a one-vote margin this time. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- Republican members of th»»»

Sharjah : Seventy schools and nurseries from across the UAE took part in the third edition of the “My Green Environment is My Future” initiative, it was revealed when the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) in Sharjah honoured winners during a closing ceremony at Al Dhaid Wildlife Muse»»»

BlackRock, Inc (NYSE: BLK), the world’s largest asset manager, is among big funds that have signalled their support for the Uzbek state’s first foray into global equity markets by signing cornerstone agreements that will back a National Investment Fund of the Uzbek Republic (UzNIF) initial public o»»»

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer takes part in a stop in Minneapolis on January 9. Hennepin County prosecutors announced charges against an ICE officer accused of pointing his weapon at people in a moving vehicle in February. File Photo by Craig Lassig/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UP»»»

A man has been arrested in Athens for mail-ordering nearly two kilograms of marijuana from abroad, police said Thursday. The 27-year-old was taken into custody after trying to pick up the package that had already been detected and opened by police. A police statement said a search of the suspect’s »»»

Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast (C) arrives by car at the Metropolitan Cathedral to attend aass and a 'Prayer for the People of Chile and the New Government' in Santiago on Sunday. Photo by Allen Diaz/EPA SANTIAGO-Chile, April 16 (UPI) -- Chilean President José Antonio Kast announced a package »»»

The caretaker Government Thursday approved an Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (the BBNJ Agreement), signed by the Republic of Bulgaria on September 20, 2023. The Government proposes that the Nat»»»

An Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Ghazieh has killed at least seven people and wounded 33, the health ministry said Thursday, hours before a 10-day ceasefire between the two countries is scheduled to take effect. Lebanese state media reported a "massacre against civilians" in the t»»»

At a sitting on Thursday, the Council of Ministers adopted a report approving Draft Amendment and Supplement No. 1 to the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) BU-B-UCR Procurement of Ammunition for Stryker Vehicles. Proposing amendments and supplements to existing contracts under the Foreign Milita»»»

1 of 2 | Pope Leo XIV waves to supporters as he leaves after his visit to the Ngul Zamba orphanage in Yaounde, Cameroon, Wednesday. Pool photo by Alberto Pizzoli April 16 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV spent his second day in Cameroon in the city of Bamenda, the center of separatist fighting, calling for pe»»»

The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, speaks at a pro-government event in Caracas on Monday to commemorate National Dignity Day, which marks the return of the late former president Hugo Chavez to the presidency after being ousted in a coup. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez/EPA April 16 (UPI)»»»

The French government on Thursday said it was pushing for the release of an 86-year-old French citizen who has been detained by ICE since early April. Marie-Thérèse Ross, who is now widowed, moved to the US last year to marry her sweetheart from the 1950s.  French officials have said they»»»

Angela Diffley is pleased to welcome Bilal Y. Saab, Senior Managing Director of TRENDS US.Former Pentagon Official in the first Trump administration. According to Saab, Lebanon is at a crossroads: the government is committed to reform, is fundamentally “pro-Lebanese” and rejects interference from e»»»

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis makes remarks at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 8, 2025. On Wednesday, he delayed plans for the state legislature to hold a special session to redraw the state's congressional districts. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- Florida»»»

South Korea recorded a first-quarter record of 4.76 million foreign tourist arrivals, up 23 percent from a year earlier, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Thursday. The figure represents the highest first-quarter total on record, achieved despite geopolitical tensions in the Mid»»»

Yuji, a 6-week-old patas monkey in Mexico, wakes up every day clinging to a stuffed dog. More than a toy, this plush companion acts as a surrogate mom after the tiny primate was rejected by his own mother, Kamaria, a first-time parent unable to form a maternal bond. Weighing a mere 673 grams (1.4 p»»»

Police brought the mother of one minor before a prosecutor Wednesday in connection with a school burglary and vandalism case in the southern suburb of Glyfada, while authorities continued investigating additional suspects. The case involves a group of minors accused of breaking into the school, ste»»»

Rome: Bank robbers in Italy held 25 people hostage for two hours on Thursday, before making their escape through a tunnel, a police source told AFP. Three robbers, one of whom "was certainly armed", entered a branch of the French Credit Agricole bank in Naples at around 11:30am (0930 GMT), the sour»»»

Geneva: Four more current and former officials are now under criminal investigation in the probe into Switzerland's Crans-Montana fire disaster, sources close to the case told AFP on Thursday. "The investigation has been extended to include four new individuals, bringing the total number of defenda»»»

A man has been arrested in the southern city of Patra and faces charges of human trafficking for allegedly forcing his 13-year-old son into employment, police said Thursday. A police statement said the boy was found in the northwestern Peloponnesian city carrying a load of plant pots, following a c»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah Intensifies Precision Operations Against Israeli Enemy, Directly Hits Four Merakava Tanks at Once 16-04-2026 18:39 PM A screensho»»»

Matt Rossi spent about $1,700 on StubHub for access to the first weekend of Coachella, which wrapped up Sunday, traveling from Manhattan to the California desert for the popular annual music festival. He received a wristband (the festival’s form of ticket) in the mail with a handwritten note from h»»»

1 of 3 | Virginia Lieutenant Gov.-elect Justin Fairfax arrives to speak at the official Democratic watch party at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., in 2017. Fairfax and his wife, Cerina, died by murder-suicide Thursday. File Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- Former»»»

1 of 2 | Gen. Dan Caine told the press Thursday that 13 ships have turned away from the U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz since in began on Monday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- Gen. Dan Caine told the press Thursday that 13 ships have turned away from the U.S. bloc»»»

Despite energy and food shortages, residents participate in the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the proclamation of the socialist character of the Cuban Revolution, in Havana on Thursday. Photo by Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA April 16 (UPI) -- The Russian tanker Universal, linked to the so-call»»»

A flood of grey concrete-like sludge that spewed for hours from an abandoned building in central Athens is linked with tunnel-boring work for a new Athens metro line, the subway development company confirmed Thursday. A statement by Elliniko Metro said the leak posed no safety or pollution concerns»»»