BELGRADE - Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Gen Milan Mojsilovic says the security situation in Serbia is stable but that certain challenges and risks do exist, above all, the Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija, and noted that the Serbian Armed Forces are fully capable of executing a»»»

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," »»»

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»»»

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin can only meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the purpose of finalizing agreements on the conflict, Russian news agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Wednesday. Peskov’s comments on state television, reported by Russian new»»»

Doha, Qatar: The General Authority of Customs and Qatar Aviation Services, QAS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two parties in the field of customs clearance for personal imports. The agreement seeks to enhance service standards, simplif»»»

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»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he is ordering the United States Navy to triple mine clearing activity in the Strait of Hormuz. The US president said that he ordered the Navy to shoot any Iranian boat allegedly putting mines in the strait. "Additionally, our mine '»»»

Dubai: Aldar Properties has acquired an industrial and logistics portfolio from a subsidiary of AD Ports Group for Dh650 million, expanding its presence in Abu Dhabi’s key economic zone. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The transaction involves the»»»

Thermal SPA Hotel Roman Bath in the village of Banya reports a steady average annual occupancy rate of between 75% and 80%, the management of the complex said. The hotel operates year-round, with the only planned interruption scheduled for May, when routine maintenance, servicing, and facility upgr»»»

RIYADH: The Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission launched the Ebrahim Al-Kazi Chair of Research at the Saudi Center for Research and Knowledge Intercommunication, supported by the Ministry of Culture. “The Commission announces the launch of the Ebrahim Al-Kazi Research Chair, who serves as »»»

RIYADH: Light art festival Noor Riyadh has released a selection of music created by Majdi bin Marwan, who has been blind since the age of 6. Marwan’s “Melodies of Light” were inspired by the musician’s interpretation of Noor Riyadh’s installations. Riyadh Art said the works were gathered through hi»»»

Amsterdam: A picture of an Ecuadoran family separated when US immigration agents arrested the father following a court hearing won the 2025 World Press Photo of the Year Award on Thursday. The photo, taken by Carol Guzy of the ZUMA Press agency and iWitness for the Miami Herald, shows the moment Im»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president and prime minister accused Israel on Thursday of a war crime, after an airstrike killed a Lebanese journalist in the country’s south, where Israeli forces occupy several areas. Rescuers and the reporter’s employer on Wednesday confirmed the death of Amal Khalil, a 42-yea»»»

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 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»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received Minister of Defence of the friendly Italian Republic HE Guido Crosetto, and his accompanying delegation at his office in the Amiri Diwan, on the occasion of their visit to the country. During the meeting, the»»»

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»»»

The United Nations said Thursday it was "working on" maintaining a presence in Lebanon once the mandate for its UNIFIL peacekeeping force expires at the end of the year. "In terms of the post-UNIFIL, we're currently in the process of working on these options," said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the U.N. Und»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia will not charge tolls in the Strait of Malacca, its foreign minister said on Thursday, dispelling reports it could follow Iran’s example in the Strait of Hormuz. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono spoke to reporters in response to media reports over the possible blockage of the»»»

BRUSSELS: The European Union on Thursday approved a massive loan package to help Ukraine meet its economic and military needs for the next two years, the bloc’s Cypriot presidency said, after Hungary lifted its veto. The EU also approved a new raft of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukrain»»»

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 »»»

A national network of prosecutors and investigators probing crimes related to intellectual property and cybercrime was established at the National Investigation Service, the prosecution service said on Thursday. The establishment ceremony was attended by acting Prosecutor General Vanya Stefanova, f»»»

Dubai: Iran’s move to impose and reportedly collect tolls from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz marks a direct challenge to international law and a dangerous escalation in its confrontation with the United States and its allies. A senior Iranian parliament official has claimed that Tehran»»»

Damascus, April 23 (SANA) After one year in power, Syria’s government is focusing on reintegrating the country into the global political and economic system, seeking to end decades of sanctions and isolation. While officials say the most difficult phase has passed, the country still faces deep stru»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received HE Guido Crosetto, Minister of Defense of the friendly Italian Republic, and his accompanying delegation at Amiri Diwan today, April 23, 2026, on the occasion of their visit to the country. During the meeting, they reviewed regional »»»

Dubai: Air travel across the UAE continues to operate under strain nearly two months after the US-Israel-Iran conflict that erupted on February 28, with airlines relying on restricted air corridors, longer flight paths, and reduced schedules to maintain connectivity. The aviation sector has been am»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister for International Economic Cooperation Nenad Popovic met on Thursday in Belgrade with Russian Deputy FM Alexander Grushko, who is on an official visit to Serbia for a meeting of a Serbia-Russia intergovernmental committee on trade and economic and science and technical c»»»

GENEVA: The United Nations said Thursday it was “working on” maintaining a presence in Lebanon once the mandate for its UNIFIL peacekeeping force expires at the end of the year. “In terms of the post-UNIFIL, we’re currently in the process of working on these options,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the »»»

Gold prices fell on Thursday, pressured by a stronger dollar and elevated oil prices that stoked inflation worries, as investors tried to assess the conflict direction from stalled US-Iran talks. Spot gold was down 0.9% at $4,696.71 per ounce, as of 1135 GMT. US gold futures for June delivery fell »»»

Our weekly digest of Hungarian politics continues as we report on developments after the historic April election and on the formation of the Tisza government. This week we cover the following topics: After 10 days, outgoing foreign minister Péter Szijjártó has resurfaced. The newly-victorious Tisza»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Armed Forces intercepted the Majestic X ship in the Indian Ocean, allegedly carrying oil from Iran, the Pentagon said on Thursday. "Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X tran»»»

Doha, Qatar: Unsettled weather conditions featuring rain, thunder, and strong winds are expected to affect Qatar this weekend, stated the Qatar Meteorology Department. In its latest update on social media, the department stated that, today, Thursday, April 23, 2026, will see thundery rain accompani»»»

Three sailors were injured after a fire broke out aboard USS Zumwalt while the stealth destroyer was sitting pierside at HII Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, undergoing a costly modernization meant to give the ship a whole new identity. One sailor was taken to a local hospital in st»»»

While the colonialism of old involved “the looting of gold and silver and the ransacking of nations,” digital age neocolonialism is all about “forcing citizens and countries to use certain technology while extracting their personal data,” Facebook whistleblower and censorship expert Ryan Hartwig te»»»

Dubai: Workplace stress is no longer just a matter of fatigue or burnout. A new report by the United Nations' International Labour Organisation (ILO) has revealed that it is linked to nearly 900,000 deaths every year worldwide. The study entitled “The psychosocial working environment: Global develo»»»

A massive granite statue discovered in Sharqia during residential excavation, believed to date to the era of Ramses II; transferred to San al-Hagar for examination and restoration near Tell el-Faraoun under strict legal supervision A massive ancient granite statue believed to date back to the era o»»»

Dubai: Indian filmmaker Anubhav Sinha’s latest Hindi-language rape trial drama Assi is not an easy watch and it’s not meant to be. Starring Kani Kusruti, Tapsee Pannu, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, and Mohammed Zeeshan, the compelling and visceral courtroom procedural out on Zee5 now delves into sexua»»»

On April 25, the Indian Premier League will be halfway through its 19th edition. Coverage of it dominates the Indian-owned and based cricket media. Last week, Harsha Bhogle, one of its long-serving commentators and journalists, declared that the IPL “has to be one of the greatest sporting phenomena»»»

JEDDAH: Syria has announced plans to launch the Damascus Market for Foreign Exchange and Gold, aiming to strengthen monetary policy and enhance financial stability. Governor of the Central Bank of Syria Abdulkader Husrieh said the initiative is part of a broader strategy to create a balanced and tr»»»

Park Hotel Kyustendil offers opportunity for complete rest and recovery, due to its mineral water with proven therapeutic properties and its proximity to Hisarlaka Park. The hotel combines balneology traditions of the region with modern facilities and services focused on relaxation and health, Ange»»»

Journalist Gabriela Naplatanova has been elected to chair the Council for Electronic Media (CEM). She was nominated for the position by the previous leader, Simona Veleva, and by member Kadrinka Kadrinova. During a CEM meeting on Thursday, Naplatanova was also supported by Prolet Velkova, while Gal»»»

The White House has reportedly drawn up a NATO “naughty and nice” list, sorting member states into tiers as it considers how to reward countries that backed the US war against Iran and punish those that did not. According to Politico, the internal paper was prepared ahead of NATO Secretary General »»»

As the United States edges closer to a critical May 1 deadline in its war with Iran, a decades-old law is quietly becoming one of the most consequential forces shaping the next phase of the conflict. Nearly eight weeks after Washington joined Israeli strikes against Iran, President Donald Trump fac»»»

RIYADH: Female labor force participation across Gulf Cooperation Council countries climbed to 39.3 percent in 2025, as employment gains and falling joblessness signal steady progress in the region’s workforce diversification efforts. The number of employed women rose to 7.3 million in 2025 from 5.7»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe The Israeli army is aware that Hezbollah carried out operations over the past two days but has not disclosed them publicly: Hebrew media 23»»»

A new push in the US-backed diplomacy between Lebanon and Israel is beginning to take shape, with another round of talks expected in Washington later this week. According to Asharq News, sources say the US is preparing to press Lebanon to reconsider its law criminalizing contact with Israel, follow»»»

LONDON: Britain’s King Charles heads to the United States next week for the most high-profile trip of his reign so far, on a mission to shore up the future ​of the two allies’ “special relationship” which the Iran war has plunged to its lowest point in 70 years. The state visit marks the 250th anni»»»