RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s total point-of-sale transactions stood at SR12.3 billion ($3.2 billion) in the week ending April 18, boosted by a 9.9 percent surge in hotel spending. According to the latest Saudi Central Bank data, hotel spending was among the few categories to record gains during the week.»»»

The senior officer, who has been accused by Ukrainian military intelligence of involvement in criminal activities on European territory, has been appointed head of the FSB Border Guard Directorate for Karelia. Vladimir Shchemelinin is the new head of the FSB directorate responsible for guarding the»»»

Doha: Ezdan Holding Group announced its financial results for the first quarter (Q1) ended March 31, 2026, showing a net profit of QR225m during Q1-2026 compared to QR153m in Q1-2025. The earnings per share reached QR0.008 in Q1-2026 compared to QR0.006 in Q1-2025.»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Chamber (QC) recently held a meeting with H E Ashraf Khodjaev, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the State of Qatar, who was received by Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Obaidli, QC Board Member and Head of the Food Security Committee. The meeting reviewed economic and trade relat»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Tehran has provided exceptions for a number of countries, including Russia, regarding transit fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali told Sputnik. First Deputy Speaker of the Iranian parliament Hamid Reza Haji Babaei said Thursday»»»

Kathmandu: A large ice chunk is blocking the climbing route to Everest’s summit, officials said Friday, risking delays in the summit season at the world’s highest peak. A team of highly skilled mountaineers, known in Nepal as “icefall doctors”, began fixing ropes and ladders on Mount Everest last m»»»

Meta is laying off about 8,000 workers, or about 10% of its workforce, the company said Thursday as it continues to ramp up spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and highly paid AI-expert hires. The company said it was making the cuts for the sake of efficiency and to allow new investm»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he expected the Israeli and Lebanese leaders to meet with him over the next couple of weeks and voiced hope for a permanent peace deal this year. "I think there's a very good chance of having peace. I think it should be an easy one," Trump told reporters as»»»

Speaking alongside Trump in the Oval Office, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said Israel and Lebanon “have never been next to each other more than today.” Leiter thanked Trump and Vice President JD Vance for a day he said was decades in the making. “We are going to keep going, working»»»

The president reiterated that the U.S. continues to demand that Iran stop it’s backing of proxy groups in the Mideast, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, as part of any deal between Washington and Tehran to end the U.S. war on Iran. "Yeah, they’ll have to cut that," Trump said to a reporter’s question»»»

Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said ministers on Thursday discussed joining the International Criminal Court, a permanent tribunal that prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, for “a specific period.” The move would mark a significant shift for Lebanon, which»»»

Paris: Liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies are likely to remain strained through the end of 2027 due to disruptions and infrastructure damage from the US-Iran war, the International Energy Agency said Friday, April 24, 2026. Energy prices have soared since Tehran effectively closed the Strait of H»»»

Doha: Qatar Navigation (Milaha), the industry-leading provider of maritime and logistics solutions in the region, announced a strategic realignment of its business segments. As part of this initiative, Milaha has restructured its operational and financial reporting segments to align more closely wi»»»

Dubai: Aster DM Healthcare, one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the region, has once again been certified as a Great Place To Work in the UAE and across its regional markets – Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The recognition highlights Aster’s co»»»

Norway said on Friday it would present a bill in parliament by year-end to ban children from using social media until they turn 16, making technology companies responsible for the task of age verification. Several European nations seeking to rein in children's ⁠use of social media ⁠after Australia »»»

Oslo: Norway said Friday, April 24, 2026, it will present a bill this year making it the latest country seeking to ban social networks for under 16s, adding that technology companies will be responsible for verifying the age of its users. "We are introducing this legislation because we want a child»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar witnessed a total value of transactions across various payment systems worth QR150.910bn with total number of transactions reaching 70.964 million in March 2026. The recent data from the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) highlights notable shifts in the country’s payment ecosystem, with s»»»

Abu Dhabi: Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has announced the launch of direct flights to Amman Civil Airport (ADJ) in Jordan, with the new service set to begin on May 1, 2026. The route will operate three times a week between Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi and Amman Civil Airport, offering passenger»»»

The 13 candidates for Parliament, who stood simultaneously in two constituencies and were elected in both, have until Friday to determine the constituency which they will represent in the 52nd National Assembly, the Central Election Commission said. A total of 1,019 candidates ran in two constituen»»»

The National Council of the Yes, Bulgaria party, which is part of Democratic Bulgaria in its CC-DB coalition with Continue the Change, has adopted a decision tasking the party with proposing a formal coalition agreement to its partners in CC-DB, the party’s press office announced Friday. According »»»

CTM360, a Bahrain-based cybersecurity company, showcased its global presence as a Platinum Sponsor at the FIRST Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) Conference 2026, held in Munich, Germany. The event, organized by the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), brought together leading cyber»»»

The Tax Service officials in Kyrgyzstan have uncovered violations related to the illegal circulation of excisable products in Chui and Jalal-Abad regions. The agency’s press service reported. Tobacco products without excise stamps were found in a store in Kant town. More than 5,500 packs of cigaret»»»

A three-judge panel of the International Criminal Court has ruled there is enough evidence to try Rodrigo Duterte, seen here as the president of the Philippines in 2019, on charges of committing crimes against humanity. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo April 24 (UPI) -- A three-judge pa»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Rayyan delivered a strong second-half performance to thrash Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab 3-0 in the final and lift the Gulf Club Champions League (GCCL) trophy at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium yesterday. David Garcia, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Roger Guedes scored in the second half to delight the»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Palestinian sources: Israeli occupation forces open heavy fire east of Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, torch a number of homes in th»»»

Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran Ayatollah Sayyed Mujtaba Khamenei praised the powerful effect of national unity in the Islamic Republic, saying the Iranian nation’s solidarity has significantly undermined enemy ranks. “Due to the strange unity created among compatriots, a fracture has occu»»»

NICOSIA: French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday it was in “everyone’s interest” for stability to return to the Middle East, as the spillover of the Iran war rattles the global economy. “It is in everyone’s interest for stability to return as soon as possible and for the world’s economies to b»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks after talks at the White House on Thursday. Trump said the meeting between the ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon to the United States went "very well." The meeting was t»»»

Doha: The world marks World Book and Copyright Day (WBCD) on April 23, an annual observance established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to celebrate books and authors and recognise their contribution to cultural progress, intellectual development, an»»»

Doha, Qatar: In line with its ongoing efforts to enhance community awareness and promote a culture of prevention, the Ministry of Interior, represented by the Juvenile Police Department, organised an awareness exhibition at Villaggio Mall. The exhibition aimed to instill positive behavioural values»»»

Kamdesh,: Afghan villagers in isolated mountain areas, cut off from the world by the conflict with neighbouring Pakistan, finally saw relief this week after nearly two months without vital supplies. Some residents in the remote border village of Kamdesh, nestled in the peaks of Nuristan province, s»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Ex-Israeli DM Avigdor Lieberman: Once again, residents of the north are left to learn their fate through English-language news channels, th»»»

The United States has placed a $10 million bounty on the leader of an Iranian-backed Shiite group in Iraq. The US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program issued a notice it sought the leader of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada. It said Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji led the group, whose members “kill»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Centre for Empowerment and Care of the Elderly (Ehsan) continues to advance its mission of empowering senior citizens across Qatar through an integrated vision focused on inclusion, accessibility, and active participation in society. In an interview with Qatar TV, Salem Hussein Al-»»»

Minister of Environment and Climate Change H E Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie met yesterday with Ambassador of Georgia to the State of Qatar H E Varlam Avaliani. During the meeting, they discussed opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of environment, »»»

RIYADH: After three decades of absence, the critically endangered Arabian Bream is being brought back from the brink through a joint breeding program between the National Center for Wildlife and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. The effort has achieved a 90 percent survival rate a»»»

RIYADH: Saudi riyal-denominated government sukuk is approved for inclusion in the J.P. Morgan Emerging Markets Government Bond Index and the Bloomberg Emerging Market Local Currency Government Index. According to a statement, J.P. Morgan confirmed that Shariah-compliant bonds from the Kingdom will »»»

In a video message on Facebook, Interior Ministry's acting Secretary General Georgi Kandev said that he had been pressured. "Yesterday [Thursday], I received my own message: 'Go home!' Those who have long relied on silence and obedience are trying the same approach again - with the same words and t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has reinforced its commitment to human rights and the empowerment of persons with disabilities through a comprehensive package of initiatives and streamlined measures implemented during the first quarter of 2026. This effort reflects the Minist»»»

DUBAI: Abdullah Alshaikh (who goes by his family name only) is one of the rising stars of the Kingdom’s hip-hop scene. He released his debut EP, “Karma — The Rise of the Ascent,” on MDLBEAST Records on April 22. “I get my inspiration for my music from my city, Jeddah,” Alshaikh tells Arab News. “My»»»

DUBAI: Kuwait reopened its airspace at Kuwait International Airport on Thursday night, as the fragile ceasefire between US-Israel and Iran appears to be holding following the outbreak of the conflict on Feb. 28 which forced a two-month closure of the facility. The reopening is part of a “phased pla»»»

BANGKOK: A Thai court decided on Friday to hear a case against 10 MPs, including the leader of the largest opposition party, for trying to reform the royal insult law, but refrained from suspending them. The progressive People’s Party, led by Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, came second in February’s gen»»»

Doha, Qatar: Aspire Academy has completed the European debut of its flagship “Aspire in the World Fellows – The Workshop Tour” in Bucharest, Romania, reinforcing Qatar’s growing role in global youth football development and international sports cooperation. The three-day programme, held from April »»»

Singapore: The US dollar was on track for its first weekly gain in three weeks on Friday, as persistent uncertainty following the collapse of US-Iran peace talks dampened expectations for a swift easing of Middle East tensions. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of major »»»

Dubai: Dubai-based Al Habtoor Group has initiated international arbitration proceedings against the Lebanese Republic, escalating a long-running dispute over its investments in the country. The UAE conglomerate said late last night that it has formally filed a Request for Arbitration with the Inter»»»

Oil prices rose on Friday as tensions remain high in the Strait of Hormuz despite a extended ceasefire between Iran and the US. Iran on Thursday released footage of commandos boarding a ship in the vital oil shipping route as Tehran’s air defences engaged “hostile targets”. Follow our liveblog for »»»

Minister of State for Interior Affairs H E Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Faisal bin Mohammed Al-Thani met with Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to the State H E Mohamed Mohamed Abdullah Bebane. During the meeting, cooperation between the two countries in the security fields were reviewed, an»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality has released its latest statistics on building permits and technical affairs for the first quarter of 2026, highlighting sustained momentum across the construction and urban development sectors. According to the report, a total of 1,777 building permits wer»»»

Damascus: Syrian Minister of Finance H E Mohammed Yasser Barnieh affirmed that cooperation with the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) in the project to assess the financial and banking sector represents an important strategic step in a qualitative transformation phase that the Syrian economy is wit»»»

Dubai: In a small art studio in the Gaza Strip, children are finding comfort and joy through an unusual form of therapy — interacting with animals. Rabbits, dogs, hedgehogs and birds are part of structured psychological support sessions designed to help children cope with stress. Project leader Ras»»»