French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday it would be unrealistic to launch a military operation to force open the Strait of Hormuz, after US President Donald Trump challenged US allies to work towards reopening it. Thousands of people have been killed across the Middle East since February »»»

Concentrations of Saharan dust over Crete reached up to ten times recommended limits on Wednesday, as strong winds from North Africa carried a dense orange haze across the island, according to data from the University of Crete. Winds of up to 140 km/h transported large quantities of dust from easte»»»

On April 1, the Federation threatened possible disciplinary action against 15-year-old Russian gymnast Sofia Ilteryakova after she failed to turn toward the flags raising behind her at an awards ceremony at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria on March 30. The event was Ilteryakova’»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran has nearly completed its draft protocol, which would establish a new navigation regime in the Strait of Hormuz, and plans to begin talks with Oman to develop a joint solution, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in an interview with Sputnik. "The draft of »»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - The Iranian military has attacked US-linked steel and aluminum industry facilities in the Middle East, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday. Iran has previously said that US and Israel attacked facilities of the Iranian metallurgical companies Khouzest»»»

1 of 6 | The Earth is seen from NASA’s Orion spacecraft as it orbits above the planet during the Artemis II test flight. NASA astronauts launched at 6:35 p.m. EDT on Wednesday for a 10-day mission around the Moon and back to Earth. Image courtesy of NASA April 2 (UPI) -- The Artemis II astronauts h»»»

In our ongoing weekly digest, award-winning journalist Veronika Munk summarises and explains the most important political developments in Hungary. We guide readers on the route to the crunch 12 April 2026 election — a poll without precedent in the region over the past 15 years. This week, we cover:»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on Thursday in Belgrade with Milorad Dodik, leader of the Republika Srpska party Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, to discuss all important matters for Serbs in the region. "I especially informed Dodik of an attempt to erode stability and se»»»

Dubai: Cambridge International Education has announced that schools in the UAE will not sit traditional exams in the June 2026 series, replacing them with a portfolio of evidence route for all candidates. The decision, made in coordination with the UAE Ministry of Education, affects students taking»»»

Hezbollah has, in recent days, activated the use of surface-to-air missiles to target Israeli drones, in addition to firing them at helicopters and fighter jets, according to statements it issued. It reported the downing of several drones in southern Lebanon and damage to a helicopter, while expert»»»

Road accident fatalities in the greater Athens area fell by 75 percent in March compared to the same month last year, according to the latest traffic police data. A total of 433 traffic accidents with 511 injuries were recorded, resulting in four deaths, a 75% decrease from March 2025. Authorities »»»

Greece’s “deport or jail” migration policy is failing in practice, data shows. Greek police issued 26,527 removal orders in 2025, but completed only 5,736 actual deportations. Roughly 1,800 migrants are held in pre-departure detention centers, with another 200 in police stations — far short of what»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic announced on Thursday he was back at work following a 36-day sick leave and that he would be returning to his duties from next Monday. "In the coming days, I will have to follow all instructions given to me by doctors and be careful. From Monday, I w»»»

London: Shipping companies from Greece, the UAE and China are most affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to data from Bloomberg and marine traffic organisations. Around 670 commodity vessels sent signals from west of the Strait of Hormuz over the last day, with companies from t»»»

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan today received a phone call from King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, during which they discussed regional developments and their serious implications for regional and international security and stability. »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanese Health Ministry reports 1,345 martyred and 4,040 wounded since the onset of Israeli aggression 02-04-2026 17:22 PM Latest News Urg»»»

In rugged terrain along the Syrian-Lebanese border, yellow bulldozers raised earthen berms in front of armoured vehicles while soldiers combed through tunnels they said were used by Hezbollah, as Syria reinforces its side of the border. Syria is seeking to stay out of the regional war, whose flames»»»

Paris, France: Citigroup has urged staff in Paris and Frankfurt to work from home, a company spokeswoman said Thursday, as US banks step up security following a thwarted attack against another US financial institution over the weekend. "The safety of our employees is our number one priority, and we»»»

NEW YORK: The State of Qatar has sent a 10th identical letter to Secretary-General of the United Nations HE Antonio Guterres, and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for April, HE Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, regarding the latest »»»

New York: The State of Qatar has sent a 10th identical letter to HE Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, and HE Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of April, Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, regardin»»»

DOHA: Minister of State for Energy Affairs HE Saad Sherida Al Kaabi met with Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero of the United Kingdom HE Ed Miliband. Discussions during the meeting, which was held virtually, dealt with the impact of the ongoing regional conflict on the global energ»»»

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov has announced that authorities have seized more than half a million euros in what he described as funds intended to influence or distort the outcome of the upcoming elections in Bulgaria. In a recorded video message distributed on social media, he said the gov»»»

Dubai: Airfares from the UAE are climbing sharply as airlines grapple with a surge in jet fuel prices, tighter capacity and operational disruptions linked to the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East. For travellers planning summer holidays or last-minute trips, the message is becoming »»»

Sharjah: A 12-year-old boy has died after drowning in Wadi Al Helo in the Kalba area of Sharjah, prompting Sharjah Police to issue an urgent warning against swimming in wadis and rainwater pools. Police said the incident was reported at 7:05pm on Wednesday, when the operations room received a call »»»

Sudan has appointed General Yassir al-Atta, a member of the country's Sovereign Council and assistant to the commander-in-chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chief of staff of the country's Armed Forces, a military spokesman told Reuters on Thursday. The move is the most significant personnel shift since»»»

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Thursday there was no end in sight to a war that had already displaced a million people over the last month, as families fleeing Israeli strikes said they were exhausted by repeated rounds of conflict. Lebanon is entering the second month of conflict betw»»»

Iran has accused the US and Israel of genocide over the “deliberate” targeting of schools and education facilities in strikes on the country. In a post on X on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said more than 600 schools and educational facilities across Iran have been targeted i»»»

Several tour guides in Nepal ran a fake helicopter rescue racket to defraud insurance companies in Australia and the UK, the Kathmandu Post has reported. Investigations by the paper revealed that the guides first staged a medical emergency, called in a helicopter, and checked tourists into a hospit»»»

Poland will not relocate its American-made Patriot air defense missile systems to the Middle East to help the US intercept attacks from Iran, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has said. Despite US President Donald Trump claiming that the Pentagon has an “unlimited” stockpile of weap»»»

Polls ahead of the Hungarian elections point to an opposition victory, but players behind the scenes expect Prime Minister Viktor Orban to come out on top. Others say it’s a scenario ripe for a Kiev-style ‘color revolution’. READ MORE: Battle for Hungary: EU attacks on Orban are a sign of worse thi»»»

Three new secretaries have been appointed to President Iliana Iotova since she took office at the end of January, shows information on the President's website. They are Meglena Plugchieva, Kristiela Simeonova, and Milena Dimitrova. Plugchieva has been appointed Secretary for Foreign Policy. She has»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called for intensifying political and diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East war during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "Both sides emphasized the need for a rapid cessation of hostilities and the intensification of political»»»

The Senate Thursday sent a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security back to the House of Representatives. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 2 (UPI) -- The Senate sent its bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security back to the House Thursday morning after t»»»

The United Arab Emirates has expressed its solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan over the victims of floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfall in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries. Get updated faster and for FREE: Do»»»

In a step reflecting a strategic shift in regional energy routes, Baghdad has officially begun exporting crude oil via Syria, in an effort to bypass the paralysis that has affected traditional maritime trade corridors. The move, which Damascus described as a return to its role as a “transit compass»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Athletes Commission of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) held its Ordinary General Assembly meeting 2026 on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by Secretary-General of the Commission Mutaz Essa Barshim, in the presence of Assistant Secretary-General of the Athletes Commission Nada Mo»»»

Dubai: Dubai is accelerating its push toward an AI-driven government, with all public services set to be integrated into a single digital ecosystem within one year. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The directive was issued by Sheikh Hamdan bin Moha»»»

The United Arab Emirates has expressed its solidarity with Afghanistan over the victims of floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfall that affected several regions, which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click »»»

London: Reports of the death of the world's oldest living land animal - a nearly 200-year-old tortoise - were greatly exaggerated. Jonathan, believed to be 193, is still kicking - albeit slowly - on the island of St. Helena. "It was a hoax," Anne Dillon, head of communications on the island, told T»»»

The price of oil surged while stock markets fell back after U.S. President Donald Trump's address Wednesday night stoked fears the Iran war could be about to get a lot worse. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo April 2 (UPI) -- The price of oil surged while stocks retreated on Thursday afte»»»

Doha, Qatar: After careful consideration, in light of the evolving situation in the region, Qatar Museums and Design Doha have made the decision to postpone the opening of the Design Doha Biennial 2026 to Nov. 5-7, 2026, with exhibitions remaining on view until Dec. 31, 2026. Qatar Museums remains »»»

Bulgaria has formally requested assistance from the European Union to counter potential foreign interference and disinformation campaigns ahead of its upcoming parliamentary elections, according to reporting by POLITICO and correspondence seen by the publication. In the request, Bulgarian authoriti»»»

At this point, more than half a million euros have been seized in police operations related to the upcoming elections, caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov said in a video published on his Facebook page on Thursday. According to him, this is the budget of a small municipality. “Against this sum, t»»»

BELGRADE - The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade on Thursday dismissed as untrue reports by some media outlets about a fresh "raid" of the Faculty of Philosophy building in Belgrade by Criminal Police Directorate personnel. In a statement on its website, the prosecutor's office said tha»»»

The Rossiya Segodnya media group has launched a new SputnikPro internship for nine specialists from leading media in South Asia at its headquarters in Moscow. The project is part of the InteRussia programme of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund.The event was opened by Director for Intern»»»

Dubai: At a time when the US–Israel–Iran conflict is reshaping geopolitical and economic realities, businesses across the region are being tested on their ability to adapt and endure. Against this backdrop, Danube Group’s Founder and Chairman Rizwan Sajan is setting a strong example of leadership b»»»

Dubai: Singapore Airlines has extended the cancellation of its Dubai flights until May 31, citing the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East. In an advisory, the airline confirmed that these two services will remain suspended during this period - SQ494 departing Singapore for Dubai and S»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Minister of State for Energy Affairs, HE Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, met today, April 2, 2026, with the Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero of the United Kingdom. Discussions during the meeting, which was held virtually, dealt with the impact of»»»

Dubai: The UAE government's decision to extend distance learning until April 17 amid regional tensions has been met with relief and gratitude by parents, who say their children's safety outweighs any disruption to routine. For Praseetha Rajesh, a mother of two whose elder daughter Anushka is a univ»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe IRGC announces targeting US-linked steel facilities in Abu Dhabi, parts of aluminum operations in Bahrain, as well as military industries t»»»