MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China is currently being organized, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. "President Putin's visit to China is indeed being prepared. China is our privileged strategic partner. The visit, high-level contacts are being »»»

Bulgargaz has submitted a proposal to the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) suggesting a natural gas price of €35.98 per megawatt hour (MWh) for May, excluding access, transmission, excise duty and VAT. The application has been published on the regulator’s website and is now awaiting re»»»

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»»»

A 26-year-old man wanted in Turkey for alleged murder has been arrested in eastern Attica on an international arrest warrant, police said Wednesday. A police statement said the Turkish national was detained by a police patrol in the seaside town of Rafina Tuesday after an inspection of his identity»»»

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»»»

Benghazi based Emaar Libya Holding Company, headed by Chairman Abdulhamid Musa Awad, hosted a delegation from China Railway Corporation last Friday (10 April) to explore investment opportunities across various vital sectors. The meeting addressed prospects for collaboration, reviewed available oppo»»»

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»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3740 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 »»»

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 »»»

Oslo, April 15 (SANA) Norway plans to lift a ban on investments in Syrian government bonds by its $2.2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, marking a significant step in Syria’s reintegration into the global financial system. The decision, revealed in a government document obtained by Reuters, signals i»»»

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»»»

In the jagged Hindu Kush in eastern Afghanistan, hundreds of men dug into the rocky bed of the Kunar River searching for a few grams of gold dust as an alternative source of income. At the foot of imposing peaks, some still covered in snow in April, they toiled near the border with Pakistan to find»»»

A super typhoon steadily battered a pair of remote US islands in the Pacific Ocean with ferocious winds and relentless rains, shredding tin roofs and forcing residents to take cover from flying tree limbs. Super Typhoon Sinlaku pounded the Northern Mariana Islands for hours before daybreak Wednesda»»»

South Korean-made K1E1 tanks (background R), K9 howitzers (front) and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers (L) are on standby for an integrated field maneuver at the training field of the Army's 17th Division in Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, South Korea. File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA April 14 (A»»»

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»»»

Authorities in northeastern Greece have arrested a suspected member of an organized smuggling gang who was driving a car with 11 migrants squashed into it, police said Wednesday. A police statement said the suspect was detained Tuesday near the Greek-Turkish border in the Orestiada region. He was o»»»

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»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Resistance fighters fired a barrage of rockets targeting Israeli settlement of Misgav Am: Hezbollah Military Media statement 6 15-0»»»

The Abu Dhabi labour court has ordered a company to pay Dh251,461 to a former employee who was dismissed after more than 13 years of continuous service without receiving his full entitlements. The Court of First Instance ruled in favour of the employee, who filed a case after first pursuing a compl»»»

“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 »»»

Washington, USA: Google announced a new feature in its Chrome browser that allows users to save and reuse AI prompts across different web pages, with the aim of simplifying interaction with the Gemini smart assistant. The new feature is called Skills, which enables the user to save any prompt used »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) general index opened higher on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, gaining 56.90 points, or 0.53%, to reach 10,747 points, compared to the previous session's close, supported by most sectors. Market data showed gains in the Consumer Goods and Services sector by (+»»»

Dubai: The UAE is strengthening its presence on the global publishing map with the participation of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) at the 2026 edition of the Bologna Children's Book Fair. The event has been widely regarded as the world’s leading platform dedicated to children and young a»»»

head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that "very detailed" measures to verify Iran's nuclear activities must be included in a potential U.S.-Iran agreement to end their war in the Middle East. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi stressed the need for the t»»»

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»»»

The aviation services sector continues to demonstrate strong resilience amid geopolitical tensions disrupting air traffic across the Middle East, said Hassan El-Houry, chairman of Menzies Aviation. While airspace closures, flight cancellations and reroutings have strained operations, El-Houry descr»»»

The Israeli military has said that three Hezbollah militants were brought to Israel for questioning after surrendering during close-quarters combat in southern Lebanon. "Yesterday, IDF soldiers engaged in close-range combat with a Hezbollah terrorist cell in Bint Jbeil," the military said. "At the »»»

Sharjah: Sharjah Police General Command on Wednesday alerted motorists to a traffic accident on Emirates Road, from Interchange No. 7 towards Al Rahmaniya Tunnel. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.Authorities urged drivers to exercise caution, adher»»»

DOHA: Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) has joined the World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings, alongside global leaders and development partners, to advance dialogue and solutions shaping the future of international development. QFFD’s participation underscores»»»

French lawmakers on Monday passed a bill to simplify the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney, historian Marie Cécile Zinsou, resident of the Zinsou Fondation, a contemporary art museum, explains that the restitutio»»»

In this edition: We focus on Sudan, which is set to mark three years of civil war. The conflict has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced around 12 million people. Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV continues his Africa tour. After spending his second day in Algeria, where he celebrated mas»»»

A gold pocket watch owned by an unsung hero of the Titanic disaster could fetch up to £100,000 at auction, those selling it say, according to BBC. The item, which goes under the hammer in Penshurst later this month, was awarded to the engineer of a steamship responsible for saving more than 700 of »»»

South Korea has secured supplies of more than 270 million barrels of crude oil via routes unaffected by the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a senior official said on Wednesday. "I hereby report to the nation that visits to four countries have secured the import of 273 million barrels of crude »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli Aggression Claims Four Martyrs from One Family as Aid Vehicle Targeted in Saadiyat 15-04-2026 11:26 AM Israeli enemy forces carried»»»

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 »»»

Two Israeli strikes on Wednesday hit vehicles south of Beirut, state media reported, while Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, hours after Lebanon and Israel agreed to hold direct negotiations. Israel is continuing its strikes on southern Lebanon, but has not targeted the Lebanese capital since a»»»

Sydney, Australia: A diet high in salt may accelerate memory decline in men, Australian research reveals, highlighting the importance of dietary choices in supporting brain health. The study found that higher sodium intake may impair episodic memory, which enables people to recall personal experien»»»

Why did gold suffer its sharpest fall since 2008? Investors saw the Middle East conflict not as a normal geopolitical event, but as the start of a new inflation shock, increasing expectations that central banks would keep interest rates higher for longer. That was negative for gold. As US Treasury »»»

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,»»»

The National Oil Corporation (NOC) Chairman Masoud Suleiman hailed yesterday’s announcement of the completion of the 42-inch gas pipeline as a strategic achievement on a multiplicity of levels. ‘‘Despite the immense challenges and exceptional circumstances, the country has faced, the people of the »»»

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 »»»