Yandex (YNDX) holds around 70% of all search queries in Russia, consolidating its position as the dominant domestic search engine and outpacing global rival Google, according to motoram.ru. Yandex is one of a rare example »»»

A leaked transcript of a phone call between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russian President Vladimir Putin, dated October 17, 2025, revealed Hungary’s readiness to host a Russian–U.S. peace summit in Budapest, while also highlighting Orban’s close relationship with Putin, Bloomberg»»»

Russia's Central Election Commission (CIK) has confirmed that political parties and candidates may campaign on Telegram ahead of the State Duma elections in autumn 2026, despite the platform being officially blocked, Vedomosti reported on April 8. »»»

The National Bank of Poland (NBP) expanded its gold reserves to just over 583 tonnes in March, taking advantage of a sharp correction in global gold prices, bankier.pl, an economic and financial news website, reported on April 7. »»»

US Vice President JD Vance praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for his leadership on energy security, calling him a model for other European leaders to follow amid the continent's ongoing energy crisis at a joint press conference in Budapest on April 7. »»»

A leaked transcript of a phone call between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russian President Vladimir Putin, dated October 17, 2025, revealed Hungary’s readiness to host a Russian–U.S. peace summit in Budapest, while also highlighting Orban’s close relationship with Putin, Bloomberg»»»

Lithuania’s governing coalition is expected to hold together despite mounting disagreements over plans to build a new military training ground in Kapciamiestis, leaders of the ruling parties, the SD, “The Dawn of the River Neman” and “Greens and Farmers Union”, said on April 7 – though tensions wit»»»

The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine.  Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Ambassador to Germany, Omurbek Tekebayev, met with President Sadyr Japarov. The ambassador himself posted on social media. According to Tekebayev, the discussion focused on ideas from his work «Dynasty, Metal, At,» which explores the historical and institutional features of Eurasian no»»»

The State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports under the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has announced a tender for the procurement of services for organizing the 2026 SCO International Marathon. According to the government procurement portal, 2,150 million soms are planned for this purpose. T»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov signed a law ratifying an agreement with Egypt that abolishes visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, service, and special passports. The document, previously adopted by the Zhogorku Kenesh, completes the domestic procedures required to launch the simplifi»»»

Dubai: Flight operations are gradually returning at Bahrain International Airport, offering relief to passengers after recent airspace restrictions disrupted schedules across the region. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Bahrain Airport Company, which operates the airpor»»»

Washington, United States: US President Donald Trump late Wednesday said US military deployed near Iran would remains stationed in the area until a "real agreement" is reached, as it enters a fragile two-week ceasefire with Tehran. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - s»»»

Arab Parliament Speaker Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Yamahi condemned the brutal Israeli attacks against Lebanon, which have left hundreds of civilians dead or injured and caused widespread material damage, the Saudi Press Agency said on Thursday. He said the attacks constitute a flagrant violation of int»»»

It is planned to install CCTV cameras at Bishkek cemeteries. The announcement was made by acting director of the municipal enterprise Bishkek Funeral Services Agency, Kubat Kuramaev, during a meeting of the Bishkek City Council’s Standing Commission on housing and utilities, fuel and energy complex»»»

Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, met with Alexey Overchuk, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, who arrived in the country on a working visit. During the meeting, a wide range of bilateral cooperation issues in trade, economy, and other ar»»»

Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Edil Baisalov, met with Evgeny Kassyura, Deputy Chairman of the St. Petersburg Committee on External Relations. He noted that Evgeny Kassyura’s visit provides a good opportunity for a substantive discussion of current issues of bilateral an»»»

LONDON — Oil and gas prices plunged, stock markets soared and the dollar retreated Wednesday after the United States and Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire that includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz."It is a massive market reversal," Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB traders, tol»»»

AMMAN — Despite five weeks of regional conflict that have unsettled financial markets worldwide, the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) has demonstrated "notable" resilience, reinforcing its position as a stable investment destination during times of uncertainty.Market analysts said that the exchange’s per»»»

Dubai: Passengers planning travel between Kuwait and several Indian cities are facing disruptions after Jazeera Airways pulled services across nine routes, with cancellations running for over a month amid operational challenges. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The airl»»»

1 of 4 | NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, seen here in 2025, is set to visit Washington to soothe tensions with the cornerstone of the defensive pact after amid threats by Trump to pull out. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo April 8 (UPI) -- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met wi»»»

A wolf that escaped from a zoo in South Korea remained at large Thursday, authorities said, prompting a local school to close over safety concerns as the search continued. The male wolf -- born in 2024 and weighing about 30 kilogrammes — escaped from a zoo at a theme park in Daejeon, about 150 kilo»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s General Directorate of Civil Defence announced that the death toll from the Israeli airstrikes that targeted several areas across the country yesterday, particularly the capital Beirut, has risen to 254, with 1,165 people injured. In a statement, the Directorate said its teams car»»»

Dubai: Unsettled weather is expected across the UAE from Thursday through to Monday, with scattered rainfall, increasing cloud cover and dusty conditions forecast, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). According to its daily bulletin, the NCM said that today will see partly cloudy »»»

The White House briefly published – then deleted – a video from Donald Trump’s private Easter luncheon in which the US president made a series of inflammatory remarks, and repeated false claims about several public figures. These extraordinarily candid comments were likely never supposed to be hear»»»

During a press conference on Monday about the war in Iran, US President Donald Trump made a series of false claims about Washington’s progress in the conflict, his own past foreign policy, and that his book released in 2000 predicted 9/11. After correctly mentioning three US fighter planes had been»»»

Donald Trump may have announced a last-minute ceasefire agreement with Iran, but it’s done little to quieten the growing wave of Democratic lawmakers calling for his removal by invoking the 25th Amendment. As of Tuesday, over 80 Democrats had posted on social media calling for Trump to be removed f»»»

Pakistan cast itself as an unlikely diplomatic broker on Wednesday, saying it had helped secure a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said he would host talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the Middle East war beginning on April 10. Pak»»»

Iran proposed a 10-point plan for ending the war with the US and Israel early Wednesday after the establishment of a two-week ceasefire just before a US-imposed deadline and threats to destroy Iranian "civilisation". US President Donald Trump said the plan was "workable", despite several points whi»»»

Eve Irvine is pleased to welcome Professor Marc Weller, Director of the Global Governance and Security Centre and Programme Director of the International Law Programme at Chatham House. According to Professor Weller, the central issue is whether we are witnessing an erosion of the international ord»»»

The US and Iran on Wednesday agreed to a two-week ceasefire, reaching a deal just hours before President Donald Trump's deadline and threatened destruction of Iranian "civilisation" if Tehran failed to unblock the Strait of Hormuz. Details of the Pakistan-brokered agreement are set to be negotiated»»»

Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome Rania Abouzeid, Lebanese Australian independent journalist and veteran war reporter. Ms. Abouzeid describes "chaotic scenes" in the Lebanese capital. Israel's attacks on Beirut have been extensive and they are now targeting areas well beyond the southern suburbs: »»»

Reporting from Doha for FRANCE 24, Hoda Abdel-Hamid explains that Iran's demands regarding the control over the Strait of Hormuz and the departure of US combat troops from the region are unlikely to be acceptable to Gulf countries.»»»

Air defense systems were activated in Tehran and in some areas of Alborz province in Iran less than 24 hours after the announcement of a ceasefire with the United States and Israel. FRANCE 24's correspondent in Tehran Reza Sayah says that "we are seeing the first signs of the fragility and the comp»»»

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel remains prepared to confront Iran if necessary, despite a truce reached between the United States and Iran. Lebanon's civil defence service said 254 ​people had been killed in Israel's strikes across Lebanon on Wednesday. FRANCE »»»

Speaking with FRANCE 24's Jennie Shin, Barbara Slavin, Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center, says that "the Trump administration is desperately seeking a way to end the war and declare victory. The US can stop its attacks for a while but its claims of victory are really quite hollow".»»»

François Picard is pleased to welcome Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Ambassador of Pakistan to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. According to Ambassador Zahra Baloch, this is less about victory in the conventional sense and more about the survival and recalibration of power. What we are witnessing is »»»

No apocalypse. Instead an eleventh hour ceasefire between Iran and the United States, one that is still being tested, two sides that are both claiming victory, and five and-a-half weeks of a war that may change the way the rest of the world looks at both Iran and the United States.  Meanwhile,»»»

François Picard is pleased to welcome Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Ambassador of Pakistan to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. According to Ambassador Zahra Baloch, this is less about victory in the conventional sense and more about the survival and recalibration of power. What we are witnessing is »»»

Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome Ali Vaez, Director of Iran Project & Senior Advisor at the International Crisis Group. While the US sees the outcome as a decisive military victory, Vaez argues that the more consequential story lies in the reconfiguration of power within Iran. From Tehran’s p»»»

Lebanon’s health ministry said that Israeli strikes on Wednesday killed 182 people, the highest single-day death toll in the Israel-Hezbollah war. Israel launched a barrage of strikes in central Beirut and elsewhere in the country as a shaky ceasefire took effect between the U.S. and Iran. Iranian »»»

A fragile two-week truce between Iran and the United States hung in the balance on Wednesday as Tehran threatened renewed hostilities and Israel launched heavy strikes on Lebanon. Both sides claimed victory, but at least 182 people were killed and nearly 900 wounded, Lebanese authorities said. The »»»

In tonight's edition: As leaders gather for the “One Health” summit in France, antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a bigger killer in Africa than malaria, HIV or TB. Also, in Kinshasa, a woman seeking care was beaten by her doctor. The video has gone viral, sparking outrage in the DRC»»»

More than a month after being hit by an explosion, the Arctic Metagaz, a liquid natural gas (LNG) carrier belonging to Russia’s "shadow fleet", is adrift in the Mediterranean following a failed Libyan towing operation. The incident underscores the risks and crisis management challenges posed by the»»»

Fuel shortages are affecting nearly one in five petrol stations across France as surging global oil prices stoke pressure at the pump. The government blames logistical strains and heavy demand at discounted outlets but frustration is mounting, with road blockades hinting at wider unease while house»»»

Measures to combat cybercrime were discussed at the Main Department of Internal Affairs of Chui region, the department’s press service reported. According to the statement, leadership of the Main Department of Internal Affairs, prosecutor’s office and court of the region held a roundtable on preven»»»

Najla Saif Al Shamsi, Chair of the Board of Directors of Research Science Investment, announced the upcoming launch of the “Cultured Teacher” Award across the Arab world at the “Teachers’ National Forum” ceremony. The award aims to recognise the role of teachers in fostering reading, developing awa»»»

Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan has declared two days of local holidays in the capital at short notice from Thursday, authorities said, ahead of talks between the United States and Iran due to take place in Islamabad. No reason was given in the notification issued by the Islamabad district administra»»»