Dubai: The United States has hosted the first direct talks between Lebanon and Israel since 1993 in Washington, DC, in what officials describe as a high-level diplomatic push to contain escalating violence. Both sides agreed to hold direct negotiations after “productive discussions” between the env»»»

Wednesday’s Bulgarian media coverage is dominated by the April 19 parliamentary elections, with outlets focusing on coalition arithmetic, vote-buying and the possibility that the Hemus Motorway tunnel blockage was a political provocation. Energy security also remains high on the agenda after Washin»»»

Israel's High Court was on Wednesday hearing four petitions backed by the country's attorney general that seek to oust hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The case is the latest example of the tension between the judiciary and one of the most right-wing governments in Israel's hist»»»

Dubai: Participants can now enjoy a more hands-on lottery experience with the launch of the first retail outlet by the UAE Lottery in Musaffah, Abu Dhabi. Strategically located in M40, the new shop has made lottery participation more accessible, especially for those who prefer face-to-face interact»»»

Bologna: The United Arab Emirates has been selected to host the 42nd International Congress of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) in 2030, marking the first time the prestigious global event will be held in the Arab world. The congress will take place in Sharjah under the them»»»

Dubai: Tucked away in one of Alserkal Avenue’s lanes, Swey Collective doesn’t look like your typical retail space. Housed inside a repurposed container, the store leans into an edgy, stripped-back aesthetic, metallic, clean lines, and a steady flow of creatives filtering in and out. Gulf News talke»»»

Vote buyers will remain the target of the Interior Ministry's attention even after the snap elections this coming Sunday, acting Interior Ministry Secretary General Georgi Kandev told Prime Minister Andrey Gurov on Wednesday. In a Facebook post, the Prime Minister repeated an announcement made by K»»»

South Korean Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Kyung-ryul (L) and U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Stephen Koehler (R) hold talks in Seoul on Wednesday. The two were also set to meet with Japan's top naval commander for trilateral talks on strengthening maritime cooperation. Photo courtesy of Sou»»»

The government directed all its weight to the continent in order to increase Egyptian exports to them and take advantage of trade agreements with countries in the continent especially COMESA and SADC. The Egyptian government is involved represented by the Minister of Commerce and Industry Tariq Al »»»

Acting Interior Ministry Secretary General Georgi Kandev has reported that police operations against vote buying in Bulgaria have so far led to the seizure of around 1 million euros, alongside thousands of inspections and a sharp rise in citizen alerts ahead of the elections. “We are already at 1 m»»»

North Korea on Wednesday accused Japan of a “grave provocation” after Tokyo expressed concern about Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs in an annual diplomatic report. In this February 2026 photo, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi delivers a speech at the National Diet in Tokyo. File»»»

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, seen here in June meeting of the Group of Seven, announced a suspension to Canada's Fuel Excise Tax on Tuesday. File Photo by Alexandros Michailidis/EU/UPI | License Photo April 15 (UPI) -- Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada has announced a temporary suspensio»»»

Beijing, China: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, urged closer and stronger strategic coordination between China and Russia to firmly defend their legitimate interests and safeguard the unity of Global South countries. Xi made the remarks when meeting with Russian Foreign M»»»

Kurstanbek Matiev, the former deputy head of the Osh Municipal Property Department, announced that he was criminally prosecuted for demolishing the old building of the Valentina Tereshkova boarding school. He made this statement during a meeting of the president with residents of Kara-Kuldzha distr»»»

An "eco-friendly" range of paper tubes and pouches touted by Yonwoo, a South Korean maker of packaging for cosmetics, has reaped unexpected benefit from the Iran war, which has disrupted supplies of the plastic needed to turn out single-use wrapping. While the conflict has sent prices of plastic so»»»

“The CarAudit technical inspection is very detailed and includes up to 270 checkpoints. In about a quarter of cases, we do not recommend that the customer purchase the selected vehicle,” explains Vlad Ion, Country Manager at Carvago Romania. “Common reasons include service history, inconsistencies »»»

Dubai: As Dubai’s most recognisable hotel begins its first major restoration in more than 25 years, Jumeirah Burj Al Arab is entering a new chapter. Over the years, the hotel has become inseparable from Dubai itself. In messages sent to guests, Jumeirah confirmed that the refurbishment follows long»»»

Copenhagen, Denmark: Denmark's double Olympic badminton champion Viktor Axelsen announced his retirement at 32 on Wednesday, saying back problems meant he could no longer "compete and train at the highest level". Axelsen, who won gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and again in Paris in 2024, had back »»»

Saudi Arabia has announced strict penalties, including a fine of up to SR100,000, for individuals who perform Hajj without a permit or assist visit visa holders in doing so illegally, the Ministry of Interior said. The measures will apply from April 18 until mid-June, covering the peak Hajj period,»»»

Minister of Housing and Construction, Essam Al-Tamouni, met Monday with representatives of the Stock Market Authority, headed by its Chairman Mahmoud Wafa with a view to developing real estate financing mechanisms. Also present were Mr. Al-Hussein Hammouda, Director General of the Savings and Real »»»

One million euros have been seized so far in operations by the Interior Ministry against vote buying, Prime Minister Andrey Gurov said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. “We will break both old and new cartels – vote buyers will be in the Ministry’s sights even after the elections,” said acting Inter»»»

US President Donald Trump is once again at odds with the Vatican, this time hurling personal attacks and wild insults at Pope Leo XIV. Conflicts between the White House and the Vatican, however, are nothing new. From John Paul II’s open defiance of George W. Bush over the Iraq war to heated exchang»»»

Raipur: The death toll from a boiler blast at a power plant in central India has risen to 19, a police officer said on Wednesday, noting 17 others were injured. The explosion occurred Tuesday at a facility operated by Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of London-listed Vedanta Resources, in Chhattisgarh»»»

Dubai: The UAE’s trade relationship with Azerbaijan has entered a new phase after the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries officially came into force on Tuesday. This opens the door to lower tariffs, easier market access and fresh investment opportunities fo»»»

Authorities are monitoring environmental conditions at Lake Pamvotis in northwestern Greece where quantities of dead fish have washed up in recent days. The local environmental authority said the fish were found around the lakeside town of Ioannina, and samples have been taken to determine what cau»»»

Ukrainian Foreign ‌Minister Andrii Sybiha held a call with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar to discuss a Russian vessel carrying what he described as grain stolen from Ukraine that was allowed to dock in an Israeli port. Kyiv considers all grain produced in the four regions Russia claimed as it»»»

Political consultations between Kyrgyzstan and the United States were held in Washington on April 14, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan reported. The consultations were co-chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan Meder Abakirov and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and»»»

Since the US and Israel waged war on Iran on 28 February, China has issued a cascade of diplomatic communiqués condemning the strikes, calling for a ceasefire, invoking UN Charter principles, and proposing a joint five-point peace initiative with Pakistan. Not a single weapon has followed. Not a wa»»»

Russia will continue helping fuel-hungry Cuba with crucial supplies of oil, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday, two weeks after Moscow sent a tanker with around 700,000 barrels of crude to the Caribbean island. Washington stopped oil exports to Cuba ‌from its ‌main ally Venezuela afte»»»

Jawad Younes, 11, and his cousins were playing soccer in the lot between their houses, as they often did. His little brother, 4-year-old Mehdi, had joined them but grew tired, so Jawad took him home and handed him off to their mother before returning to the game. Minutes later, an Israeli strike ca»»»

Syrian authorities are set to take control of prisons run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a government official said, as part of efforts to resolve the detainee issue under an agreement reached on January 29. Ahmad al-Hilali, spokesman for the presidential team overseeing implementation of t»»»

Germany has unveiled a sweeping €4bn military support package for Ukraine and Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for the rapid disbursement of a long-delayed €90bn EU loan to Kyiv, as European powers scramble to shore up Ukraine's defences as the Trump administration loses interest in the conflic»»»

Sudan’s war enters its fourth year on Wednesday after three years of bitter fighting that have reshaped life for millions, not only in casualty figures but in daily stories of loss, endurance, and shattered hopes for safety and stability. The conflict, which erupted between the Sudanese army and th»»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices. »»»

Caretaker Interior Minister Emil Dechev said he has information that a large amount of counterfeit euros is being prepared for vote buying in the coming days. Speaking on Nova TV on Wednesday, he added that this would effectively allow elections "to be bought without real money". He declined to spe»»»

Doha, Qatar: Coach Roberto Mancini heaped praise on Al Sadd SC after their outstanding display secured a place in the AFC Champions League Elite Finals Jeddah 2026 on Monday. The Qatari side showed tremendous resilience, coming from behind three times to force extra time after a thrilling 3-3 draw,»»»

Malé, Maldives: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has cut down his cabinet and brought in new ministers, the government said on Wednesday, following his party's defeat at local polls. Muizzu introduced four new faces into a cabinet trimmed to 15 members from the previous 20. Foreign Minister Abdull»»»

Romania's Finance Minister, Alexandru Nazare, will take part in the Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), held in Washington, DC, United States, between 14 and 20 April 2026.According to a press release from the Ministry of Finance, the main objectives o»»»