The owners of the only spa hotel in Vratsa Region - Ariel in Mezdra - will expand their operations with a renovated facility at their Wine & SPA complex ChaTony in the village of Darmantsi, where a spa centre and new accommodations will be built in the family-owned winery this July. The owner of bo»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah fighters targeted the Shraga base, the administrative headquarters of the Golani Brigade north of the occupied city of Acre, Isra»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah fighters targeted the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Shmona with a rocket barrage: Military Media Statement 33 16-04-2026 18:24 PM »»»

President Joseph Aoun held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday during which he thanked the U.S. leader for his "efforts" to secure a ceasefire with Israel, the Lebanese Presidency said. "President Aoun reiterated his thanks for the efforts Trump is making to achieve a ceasefir»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US measures to impose a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz are unilateral, illegal and a liberal interpretation of the rules of international law by US, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. "The illegal nature of the US actions does not mean »»»

Our weekly series on Hungarian politics continues so we can report on developments after these historic elections and on events around the formation of the Tisza government. This week we cover the following topics: We may know the final election result on Saturday (18 April). Tisza’s victory has re»»»

Dubai: The UAE has held a series of high-level meetings with global finance leaders in Washington, focusing on strengthening financial partnerships, expanding tax frameworks and reinforcing its role in supporting international financial stability. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Organizing Committee of 4th GCC Games – Doha 2026 staged the official draw ceremony for the team sports competitions on Thursday via advanced virtual communication technology. Held at Lusail Hall at the Qatar Olympic Committee headquarters, the event brought together heads of deleg»»»

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»»»

PRAGUE - Czech FM Petr Macinka said on Thursday the issue of Serbia's autonomous province of Kosovo-Metohija should be resolved through compromise and added that it was, above all, a Serbian and regional issue, rather than an international one, noting that Czechia should have acted more cautiously »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah fighters targeted newly established Israeli occupation artillery positions in the town of Al-Bayyada with a rocket barrage: Milit»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah said its fighters targeted two separate gatherings of IOF vehicles and soldiers in Al-Qantara, another in Al-Qantara, a third nea»»»

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»»»

Kahramanmaras, Turkiye: Eleven-year-old Yusuf trembled and sobbed as he clung to his father. His close friend Bayram, 10, was among eight pupils and a teacher killed on Wednesday when a 14-year-old student opened fire in their classroom, in an attack without precedent in Turkiye. "Our grief is endl»»»

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»»»

Sydney: Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle claimed Thursday she has been "bullied and attacked" on social media every day for a decade and was "the most trolled person in the entire world". The 44-year-old former American actress made the comments during the couple's four-day tour of Australia, as t»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Navy is enforcing a blockade of Iran's coastline and ports rather than of the Strait of Hormuz, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said on Thursday. "Let me be clear. This blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian por»»»

Dubai: Barings has opened a new office in Abu Dhabi, expanding its presence in the Gulf as it looks to strengthen ties with institutional investors and capture growing demand for alternative investments in the region. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The move follows th»»»

Syria on Thursday said it had taken control of all military bases previously hosting US forces, who had long been in the country leading an international coalition against the ISIS group. The foreign ministry in a statement said it "welcomes the completed handover of military sites where United Sta»»»

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun rejected a US request for a direct phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, an official source told AFP. "The Lebanese president refused a direct call with Netanyahu and informed (US Secretary of State) Marco Rubio of this," adding that "»»»

Munich, Germany: Bayern Munich supporters have apologised after several photographers were injured when fans stormed over barriers at the end of Wednesday's home Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid. With scores level in the tie, Bayern's Luis Diaz and Michael Olise both scored late i»»»

The Russian Defense Ministry’s statement on Europe’s plan to scale up drone production for Ukraine contained an explicit warning, says military analyst Ivan Konovalov speaking to Sputnik: Europe is turning into a “strategic rear base.” The term applies to infrastructure that, while located outside »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke by phone with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Thursday to discuss strengthening of energy security and stability of supplies, as well as challenges in the energy sector, including NIS operations, with a view to preserving market»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called for a UN reform to give it the power to restore peace, warning that a new world war would be a tragedy 10 times worse than World War II. The world is witnessing an unprecedented number of simultaneous conflicts not seen sin»»»

Russia’s defence ministry has released what it said were the names and addresses of Ukrainian-linked enterprises across Europe involved in the production of military drones on April 16.  “The European public should bo»»»

The US Navy said on Thursday the military had expanded a maritime blockade on Iran to include “contraband” shipments, adding that any vessel suspected of heading to Iranian territory would be subject to verification and inspection. “These vessels, regardless of their location, are subject to boardi»»»

Europe has “maybe six weeks or so (of) jet fuel left,” the head of the International Energy Agency said Thursday in a wide-ranging Associated Press interview, warning of possible flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies remain blocked by the Iran war. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol painted a»»»

US President Donald Trump is making “a big move towards controlling the marginal barrel of oil,” attempting to shift the world’s energy focus from the Persian Gulf region to the Gulf of Mexico, “where oil tankers are now lining up,” geopolitical analyst Tom Luongo told RT in an interview on Wednesd»»»

A US lawmaker has introduced six articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over actions tied to the war on Iran. The resolution, submitted earlier this week by Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari and backed by eight Democratic co-sponsors and several anti-war groups, outli»»»

Russia’s defence ministry has released what it said were the names and addresses of Ukrainian-linked enterprises across Europe involved in the production of military drones on April 16.  “The European public should bo»»»

Dubai: Parents in Dubai could soon be held legally responsible for their children’s unsafe use of electric scooters, under a new draft law aimed at curbing rising safety risks on the roads. The proposed legislation—prepared by Dubai Police in coordination with key partners including the Roads and T»»»

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that she agreed with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to work in the coming weeks to strengthen the European Union's relationship with the military alliance. "We discussed the upcoming NATO Summit and how we can upscale defense in»»»

Dubai: The CBSE Class 10 board examination results for 2026 (Phase 1) have delivered a historic moment for Indian schools across the UAE, with multiple students scoring a perfect 100% and almost all institutions recording a 100% pass rate. What makes the results even more extraordinary is the backd»»»

Qaqortoq, Denmark: A commercial aircraft landed on Thursday for the first time in Qaqortoq, Greenland's fourth-largest town, whose new airport means that the whole of the Arctic island -- coveted by US President Donald Trump -- has international connections. The flight between Nuuk, the Greenlandic»»»

President of the Economic Freedom Fighters Julius Malema greets the crowd at the party's final election rally in 2024. Malema was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for firing a gun into the air at a rally. He is appealing. File Photo by Stringer/EPA April 16 (UPI) -- South African politic»»»

Europe, Middle East and Africa President of Snap, Ronan Harris (L), and Wifredo Fernandez, director of global government affairs at X, leave No. 10 Downing Street in London on Thursday morning after meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss ways to protect children safe when they are on social»»»

Brussels, Belgium: The European Commission set out Thursday how it wants Google to make a wide range of data accessible to rival search engines in order to comply with the bloc's digital rules. The announcement forms part of amicable proceedings launched in January to ensure Google meets its obliga»»»

Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri has made no secret of his "displeasure and resentment" at President Joseph Aoun and PM Nawaf Salam's decision to engage in direct negotiations with Israel, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Wednesday. "He reiterates to his visitors his categorical rejection of any fo»»»

Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun discussed, in a phone call today with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Washington's efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. During the call, Rubio affirmed his country's continued efforts to achieve a ceasefire between the two side»»»

Damascus, April 16 (SANA) Syria’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the transfer of military sites previously operated by U.S. forces to the Syrian government, saying the move marks a step toward restoring state control over all territory. In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said the handover reflects»»»

Israel's defense minister warned Iran on Thursday against rejecting a US proposal focused on renouncing "nuclear armament" and vowed to stage "even more painful" strikes on new targets if it did so. "Iran is standing at a historic crossroads: one path is renouncing the ways of terror and nuclear ar»»»

PRAGUE - Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Thursday in Prague Serbia considered Czechia and its current government as friendly and noted that Serbia and Czechia were focusing on advancement of political, economic and cultural cooperation, besides cooperation on the European aspect and regional affair»»»

Israel's defense minister warned Iran on Thursday against rejecting a U.S. proposal focused on renouncing "nuclear armament" and vowed to stage "even more painful" strikes on new targets if it did so. "Iran is standing at a historic crossroads: one path is renouncing the ways of terror and nuclear »»»

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized US President Donald Trump, saying the US leader has "no right" to threaten other nations, in an interview published in Spain on Thursday. Lula's comments come after Trump this month warned that a "whole civilization will die" in Iran if the c»»»

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun will not hold a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the near future, three Lebanese officials told Reuters on Thursday, after US President Donald Trump said leaders of both countries would speak. Two of the Lebanese officials said that the Lebanese»»»

1 of 3 | The rise in prediction markets and an email to White House staff have lawmakers weighing how to regulate prediction markets and prevent government officials from trading using nonpublic information. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- The rise in prediction mark»»»

The influential chief of Pakistan's armed forces visited Iran to meet the head of Tehran's negotiators on Thursday, as Washington considers agreeing to another round of peace talks in Islamabad. Iranian state television showed Field Marshal Asim Munir meeting Iran's speaker of parliament, Mohammad »»»