Diplomatic efforts to stabilise the ceasefire between the United States and Iran entered a delicate phase on Monday, as both sides sent mixed signals over the prospects of a new round of talks in Pakistan. Iranian officials stressed that deep-rooted mistrust of Washington remains a key obstacle to »»»

HAVANA: A senior Cuban diplomat on Monday confirmed recent talks in Havana with US officials, as the communist-led island faces a deep crisis over President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign. “I can confirm that a meeting between delegations from Cuba and the United States was recently held here 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»»»

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»»»

Damascus, April 20 (SANA) Syria’s Ministry of Transport announced that around $200 million has been allocated through a World Bank grant to finance a number of railway infrastructure projects aimed at accelerating the country’s economic recovery. Ali Asbar, Director of Land Transport Affairs at the»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Lebanese and Israeli representatives will hold talks in Washington on Thursday, a US State Department spokesperson and an Israeli source speaking on the condition of anonymity told Reuters ‌on Monday. The ‌US will host ‌the ⁠second round of ⁠ambassador-level talks between the two countries at the D»»»

THE HAGUE - Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujic on Monday visited former Republika Srpska Army General Ratko Mladic and former Republika Srpska Minister Mico Stanisic, who are serving prison sentences in The Hague, and subsequently met with International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (»»»

Luanda: And in Africa, the lion roared. There is a case to be made that Pope Leo XIV, the careful, reserved, Midwestern Augustinian, found his voice on his epic trip through Africa, blasting the “handful of tyrants” and “chains of corruption” that have held the continent hostage for centuries. But »»»

Hungary's incoming prime minister Peter Magyar said Monday the country will execute International Criminal Court warrants against anyone, after he invited Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu -- wanted under just such a warrant -- to Budapest later this year. In 2024, the ICC issued an arrest warrant »»»

The National Assembly will most likely be convened next week, once the election results and the names of the 240 elected members of Parliament have been officially announced, President Iliana Iotova told reporters on Monday. She recalled that the deadline for the Central Election Commission to anno»»»

TASHKENT (Sputnik) - Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom plans to resume construction of new units at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran as quickly as possible once peace is restored, the company's CEO Alexey Likhachev said on Monday. "Our most important task, once peace is restored in t»»»

Pristina: The trial in Pristina over an alleged secession attempt in northern Kosovo entered its final phase Monday, April 20, 2026, with the defence rejecting charges against three Serbs accused of "terrorist acts". In September 2023, a group of dozens of heavily armed men led by Serb Milan Radoic»»»

A court on the Dodecanese island of Kos has jailed a 56-year-old man from Rhodes to ten years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty of multiple counts raping his daughter and committing incest. As a result of the rape and incest, the daughter, now aged 31, gave birth to a child three-and-a-half ye»»»

Israel says it has established a "Yellow Line" in south Lebanon near the border, where its forces are operating despite a 10-day ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah. What is the so-called "Yellow Line", how does it resemble an Israeli military demarcation in the Gaza Strip and where does it leave »»»

After a month-long closure triggered by the Iran–Israel–US conflict, Global Village has reopened with renewed energy, and a sharpened focus on safety. As we are told by security, the priority is clear: Keep calm, stay alert, and protect every visitor who walks through the gates. We have to be calm.»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe MP Fadlallah: Israeli Enemy Will Fail to Create Buffer Zone in South Lebanon, None Can Disarm Hezbollah 20-04-2026 17:37 PM MP Hasan Fadlal»»»

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said on Monday that it was in President Joseph Aoun's interest to withdraw from direct talks with Israel, while adding that his group wanted the current ceasefire to last. "It is in the interest of the state, the interest of Lebanon, the president of the republic»»»

The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington will hold a second preparatory meeting Thursday at the U.S. State Department, a Lebanese official told Al-Jazeera. The official said Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad will represent Lebanon at the meeting, which is "considered a continuation »»»

Iran said it had yet to decide whether to attend a new round of peace negotiations with the United States on Monday, casting uncertainty on a push to stop the Middle East war from resuming. US President Donald Trump said he was sending negotiators to Pakistan for talks on ending the war that engulf»»»

Peru’s Fuerza Popular party's Keiko Fujimori reacts after casting her vote in Lima on April 12. She now awaits finding out who her opponent will be in the June 7 presidential runoff. Photo by Renato Pajuelo/EPA April 20 (UPI) -- Peru's National Jury of Elections, known as Jurado Nacional de Eleccio»»»

Bulgarian Prime Minister-elect, Rumen Radev (C), leader of the Progressive Bulgaria coalition, addresses the media on Sunday night after the first exit polls indicated he was on track to win. Photo by Borislav Troshev/EPA April 20 (UPI) -- Former president Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria Party h»»»

Hong Kong: Hong Kong residents who lost their homes in a massive fire at an apartment complex last year began returning on Monday for the first time to collect what is left of their belongings. The city's deadliest fire in decades killed 168 people when it ripped through seven of the eight apartmen»»»

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) said the repercussions of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have triggered a global food security shock, warning that disruptions to fertilizer and fuel supplies, rising input costs, and declining purchasing power are threatening producti»»»

DAMMAM: Saudi comic writer Abdullah Al-Otaibi outlined the fundamental differences between graphic novels and traditional fiction during a public discussion hosted at the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Dammam on Sunday. The session, part of the Literary Partner initiative launched by»»»

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced on Monday new partnerships in energy supply chains and critical technologies to address global trade fallout from the US–Israeli war on Iran. Lee arrived in India as the war, which started on Feb. 28, »»»

The unique maritime climate of the St. Vlas resort can help treat chronic pulmonary diseases. This was established in the 1960s, when St. Vlas was recognized as one of Bulgaria's most favourable locations for climatotherapy and rehabilitation, Daniela Dineva of hotel owner Dinevi Group told BTA. Th»»»

Dubai: The UAE is aiming to turn 1,000 Emirati families into entrepreneurs over the next five years, as part of a wider push to reduce reliance on state support and build a more self-sufficient economy. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Announced under the national campa»»»

LONDON: For much of the Global South, the US-Israel-Iran war is no longer a distant geopolitical crisis. It is showing up in farm budgets, fuel queues and food markets, as disruption in the Strait of Hormuz drives up costs and strains already fragile economies. Iran’s blockade of Hormuz has rattled»»»

BEIRUT: Wael Mousawi, a 35-year-old Civil Defense responder in Tyre, says he has spent weeks moving “between death and death,” pulling bodies from the rubble of flattened homes in southern Lebanon as rescue teams struggled to keep pace with the scale of destruction. Paramedics and rescue workers ac»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday during which they discussed efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, and the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to navigation. During the call, the leaders discussed "»»»

LONDON: Reverberations of the conflict in the Middle East are being felt across the region both physically and metaphorically. The booms and jolts of missile interceptions over Gulf cities and industrial sites may have halted since President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire on April 8, b»»»

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan moved ahead Monday with preparations for a new round of talks between the United States and Iran days before a tenuous ceasefire is set to expire, even as renewed conflict around the Strait of Hormuz raised questions about whether the meeting would take place. Over the weekend, »»»

TOKYO/LONDON: British foreign minister ‌Yvette Cooper will cut short an intensive diplomatic tour designed to build consensus around making a ceasefire ​in the Iran war permanent and on the next steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Cooper's department is at the centre of a new crisis over Peter Ma»»»

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed “harsh action” Monday against a soldier caught on camera vandalizing a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon, as the image spread online. The photo, which the military determined was authentic, shows an Israeli soldier using a sledgeha»»»

TOKYO: A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan on Monday, prompting authorities to urge residents to stay away from coastal areas where tsunami waves of up to 3 meters (10 ft) were expected. Two hours after the tremor, which struck at 4:53 p.m. (0753 GMT), tsunami wave»»»

European Council ‌President Antonio Costa told Jordan’s King Abdullah that the Strait of Hormuz ​must be reopened, during a phone call between the two, said Costa on Monday. Costa wrote on X that he had held the call with King Abdullah on Monday. “In our ‌call today, I ‌reiterated that ​the ‌EU ⁠st»»»

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province is preparing to welcome a SR1 billion ($267 million) private sector-driven sports development project after a major agreement was concluded during the Sports Investment Forum in Riyadh. The deal for the planned Dammam Sports City was formally signed by Talal »»»

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince HRH Mohammed bin Salman in a phone call on Monday that "normal traffic" through the vital Strait of Hormuz "should be maintained", state media said. “Normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz should be maintained, this is i»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed "harsh action" Monday against a soldier caught on camera vandalizing a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon, as the image spread online. The photo, which the military determined was authentic, shows an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to str»»»

Poland: French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk are meeting Monday in the north of Poland to strengthen defence cooperation in the face of Russian threats and weakening US commitment to Europe. The meeting is the first since the two countries signed a treaty of friend»»»

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the US is working to extend the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, while President Joseph Aoun confirmed that “bilateral negotiations will be handled by Lebanon through a delegation headed by Ambassador Simon Karam, and no one will take part on Lebano»»»

Damascus, April 20 (SANA) The Ministry of Local Administration and Environment, in cooperation with Damascus Governorate, organized an environmental forum on Monday in Damascus to mark World Earth Day, focusing on water security and climate-related challenges. The event, titled “Water in Our Lives,»»»

London: Embattled UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will face lawmakers in parliament on Monday as he bids to quell anger over an unrelenting scandal involving long-time Jeffrey Epstein associate Peter Mandelson. Starmer, already widely unpopular with the public and many Labour MPs, is struggling to e»»»

Impulse Hotel, located in the centre of Vidin, reports over 90% year-round occupancy. Its spa area offers modern amenities combined with wellness relaxation, designed to provide a high level of comfort, owner Krasimir Bogdanov told BTA. In recent years, the hotel reports an increase in tourists fro»»»

ZRENJANIN - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday he believed the date of early parliamentary elections in Serbia would become known by Orthodox St George's Day (May 6) or a few days later. "I believe that, approximately by St George's Day or a few days later, we will know exactly when »»»

Japan issued a special advisory on Monday warning of an increased risk of earthquakes at magnitude 8.0 or stronger, after a powerful jolt rattled the country's north and prompted a tsunami warning. The Japan Meteorological Agency said in a statement that "the likelihood of a new, huge earthquake oc»»»