Dubai: The global financial system’s reliance on the US dollar for oil trade is being tested in real time as the Iran war approaches the two-month mark, with a fragile two-week ceasefire window now in focus. What began as a geopolitical shock has evolved into a deeper market shift, forcing investor»»»

GENEVA: More than $71 billion will be needed over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction in war-ravaged Gaza, according to an EU-UN assessment published on Monday. In their final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, or RDNA, the UN and the EU said that more than two years of war in the »»»

CAIRO: Israeli strikes killed at least two Palestinians ​in separate incidents in the Gaza Strip on Monday, health officials said, and fighters from Hamas clashed with gunmen from an Israeli-backed militia, witnesses said. Medics said one man was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Bureij camp in»»»

SOFIA: Pro-Russian former President Rumen Radev has won ​Bulgaria’s parliamentary election by a landslide, official results showed on Monday, crushing long-dominant political forces and possibly pushing the EU and NATO member state closer to Moscow. The performance, exceeding opinion poll forecasts»»»

I had the opportunity to try Dave’s Hot Chicken — the brand’s fifth branch in Saudi Arabia and its first in Jeddah, located at the stylish U-Walk in the Al-Zahra district — shortly after its official opening earlier this month. The chain is known for serving chicken with a wide range of spice level»»»

The Sultan of the Bohra sect, Mufaddal Saifuddin, confirmed plans to increase the number of Bohra tourists visiting Egypt, as President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi pledged the state’s continued assistance for the sect’s restoration of historic mosques, the Egyptian presidency said on Monday. During the ta»»»

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a media tour at the Hanover Fair 2026 Hanover, Germany, on Monday. Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/EPA April 20 (UPI) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has warned about the deterioration of the international order and the paralys»»»

Brussels, Apr.20 (SANA) The European Commission announced on Monday that it has forwarded a proposal to the European Council to fully reactivate the EU-Syria Cooperation Agreement, which has been suspended since 2011. In a statement published on its official website, the Commission said that relati»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif has approved a new strategic plan for the Crime Research Center. It was prepared with the help of experts in criminal research and analysis and supported by the ministry’s International Partnerships Program, the Saudi Pr»»»

LUANDA: Pope Leo XIV heads to Angola’s remote and diamond-rich northeast on Monday in the latest stop on an Africa tour during which he has spoken out against the country’s glaring poverty. On the eighth day of a trip to four African nations, Leo will fly to the town of Saurimo, 800 kilometers east»»»

KHARTOUM: Bending low in the baking sun and sheathed in heavy protective gear, Hussein Idris sweeps a metal detector across a vast minefield in central Khartoum that was once a park beloved by local families. The war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has moved on from t»»»

ADDIS ABABA: The Tigray People’s Liberation Front has announced the restoration of a regional parliament, the election of which was one of the triggers for the Tigray war, alarming observers fearing a resumption of the deadly conflict between the Ethiopian government and regional forces. The Tigray»»»

A 22-year-old man has been sent to prison for four years after a Thessaloniki court convicted him of stealing €100,000 in cash from an elderly woman who had buried it in her garden for safekeeping, state ERT television said Monday. The man was arrested last week for defrauding the 76-year-old woman»»»

The winner of the Bulgarian parliamentary election, Progressive Bulgaria’s Rumen Radev, has called for dialogue with Russia to be restored. The former president has led the newly formed left-leaning populist party to a landslide victory on a platform of critical dialogue with Brussels and pragmatis»»»

Iran has denounced a US attack on one of its vessels as “armed maritime piracy,” warning of retaliation. On Sunday, a US warship fired at and subsequently seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman. The military said the ship, identified as the Touska, was attempting to breach a nav»»»

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a press conference Monday at the National Palace in Mexico City she has requested detailed information about a security operation in Chihuahua involving U.S. agents that left four people dead, including two Americans. Photo by Sáshenka Gutiérrez/EPA April»»»

After Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top leaders and commanders were killed on February 28, “it took Iran 10 minutes to retaliate” and start targeting US bases across the Gulf and in Israel, says veteran war correspondent Elijah Magnier. “Therefore, the IRGC is the one running the show,” Mag»»»

Jeddah: HH Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud met Monday with Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, who is visiting Saudi Arabia. During the meeting, both sides reviewed the latest developments in Sud»»»

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Monday he believed a nuclear ​deal the US is currently negotiating with Iran will be better than a 2015 international agreement to curb Tehran’s nuclear program. “The DEAL that we are making with Iran will be FAR BETTER than the JCPOA, commonly referred to»»»

The new Superbrands Honorary Council has also been established, bringing together 30 leaders from the business environment and specialists from the marketing and communication industry, whose mission, as in every edition, is to evaluate the reputational performance of the brands listed in the progr»»»

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., speaks to the press at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 2. He announced the death of his daughter Monday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 20 (UPI) -- Sen. Mark Warner announced Monday that his daughter, Madison Warner, died after decades of»»»

Helicopters are vital for countering drones and protecting shipping, says Andrei Vrublevsky, commander of the Northern Fleet’s new helicopter regiment. According to the lieutenant colonel, a major refurbishment of the regiment’s air base on the Kola Peninsula is due to be completed in 2027. Lieuten»»»

Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, met with Oliver Bognon, Chief Executive Officer of the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF), an affiliate of the African Development Bank (AfDB), to discuss strengthening institutional cooperation and advancing economic development unde»»»

LONDON: King Abdullah of Jordan and the president of Finland, Alexander Stubb, attended a military tactical exercise in Amman on Monday. It took place at the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center, which trains special operations units at the regional and international levels. King Abd»»»

1 of 3 | Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to collect election materials, including ballot information. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo April 20 (UPI) -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has rejected the Trump administration's atte»»»

Greece has finally signed into effect legislation securing the status as a marine protected area of the uninhabited but richly biodiverse islet of Gyaros in the Cyclades island group, the Greek branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature said Monday. WWF Greece hailed Thursday’s signing of a president»»»

Damascus, April 20 (SANA) A series of recent diplomatic and economic developments is refocusing attention on Syria’s strategic location, as regional and international actors increasingly view the country not only through the lens of politics and reconstruction, but also as a potential hub for trans»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s representative at a conference on the two-state solution in Brussels stressed the necessity of ensuring the full and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza on Monday. Manal bint Hassan Radwan also emphasized the importance of advancing early recovery and reconstructi»»»

Iraq revives key Syria trade route, boosts regional links Dubai: Iraq reopened a strategic border crossing with Syria on Monday, restoring a key trade and transit route that had been closed for more than a decade following the rise of ISIS. The Rabia crossing, located in Iraq’s north-western Nineve»»»

Authorities are investigating a suspected arson attack on the car of an Athens University professor who co-authored an expert report attributing the fireball that followed the deadly 2023 Tempe train crash to engine oils. The vehicle, belonging to Professor Dimitris Karonis, was set ablaze on the u»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received Monday a telephone call from Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait HE Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Discussion during the call dealt with the two countri»»»

Our performance in 2025 was marked by sustained growth in our loan and deposit portfolio. The gross loan portfolio grew by 12%, bringing our market share to 11%, while deposits reached 72.4 billion lei, up 4% from the previous year, securing a market share of 10.7%. Operating expenses increased by »»»

Lebanese official media said an Israeli strike hit a town in the country's south on Monday despite a 10-day ceasefire in force between Israel and Hezbollah. The state-run National News Agency said that "an enemy drone targeted the vicinity of the Litani River in the town of Qaqaiyat al-Jisr," witho»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received Monday a telephone call from Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait HE Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Discussion during the call dealt with the two countri»»»

Warsaw is nearing completion of a major underground tram project beneath Dworzec Zachodni, designed as a transport hub connecting rail and tram systems. The 1.6 km route will run two levels below ground, allowing passengers to transfer directly from trains to trams. A 600 meter tunnel is almost fin»»»

More than $71 billion will be needed over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction in war-ravaged Gaza, according to an EU-UN assessment published Monday. In their final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), the United Nations and the European Union said that more than two years of »»»

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that his government would introduce sweeping measures, including restrictions on gun ownership, after two school shootings last week that shocked Türkiye. Eight students aged 10 and 11 and a teacher were killed Wednesday when a 14-year-old student opene»»»

The renovated monument to Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi was unveiled at an official ceremony in Sofia after being restored and cleaned through the joint efforts of Sofia Municipality and the Italian Embassy, Sofia Municipality’s press office said on Monday. The ceremony was attended by S»»»

Poland introduced a flat 19% tax for sole proprietors in 2004 to boost entrepreneurship and economic growth. However, research shows it mainly encouraged tax optimization rather than creating new businesses or jobs. Many high earning professionals shifted from employment contracts to self employmen»»»

Mostostal Warszawa has sued Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad for PLN 487 million over unreimbursed cost increases on the S19 expressway project. The company argues that sharply rising material and execution costs were not adequately covered by contract indexation mechanisms. It also wi»»»

Greece’s maritime affairs minister pledged Monday to “defend” the southern island of Crete against a wave of immigration in small boats that risk the long and dangerous passage from north Africa to reach European soil. Speaking during a visit to the island, Vassilis Kikilias said that Crete was his»»»

Iran said it had yet to decide whether to attend a new round of peace negotiations with the United States, as Washington's delegation prepared to depart for Pakistan on Monday. The uncertainty over the talks on ending the war that engulfed the region and rattled global markets came as U.S. Presiden»»»

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a case over whether a public school district violated parents’ rights by using preferred pronouns and a preferred name for their child. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo April 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani received a telephone call from Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman HE Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi. The two sides discussed aspects of bilateral coopera»»»

Share: The Israeli military said it viewed the soldier’s actions with “great severity” There has been widespread condemnation after an image of an Israeli soldier apparently hitting a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon went viral. Israel’s prime minister said he was “stunned an»»»

France is investigating allegations that two Lebanese banks transferred billions of dollars out of the country despite strict capital controls during a financial crisis, a source close to the case and lawyers said Monday. The probe is the latest in France to look into alleged corruption linked to t»»»

Berlin: Efforts to rescue a humpback whale stranded for weeks on Germany's Baltic Sea coast were complicated Monday when the animal unexpectedly swam away but then appeared to have got stuck again. The 13.5-metre (44-foot) whale and its struggle for survival have captured the hearts of the German p»»»

Avilio Troconiz (C), regional president of the Primero Justicia party in Zulia, speaks at a press conference in front of the Las Tarabas electrical substation in Maracaibo, Zulia state, Venezuela, on March 26. The party denounced the the electricity crisis, which has worsened in recent months. Phot»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has unveiled a new digital platform designed to catalogue and safeguard the country’s diverse date palm varieties, harnessing technology to serve a sector long shaped by tradition. The “UAE Digital Platform for Date Palm Varieties”, announced on Monday, brings together a nationwi»»»

An under-age boy has been arrested in central Greece for allegedly throwing stones at passing coaches on a highway, damaging two but causing no injury, authorities said Monday. A police statement said the youth was taken into custody during a raid on a Roma camp in the Lamia region late Sunday, fol»»»