The Central Bank of the UAE has issued a warning to licensed financial institutions in the country—including banks, insurance companies, reinsurance firms, and other financial entities—granting them a 90-day period to comply with the newly introduced “Telemarketing Regulation.” The Central Bank cir»»»

Fred Fleitz, former chief of staff of the NSC, predicted Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump could meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for a summit sometime this fall. Fleitz made the comment at the Asan Plenum in Seoul. Photo courtesy of Asan Institute of Policy Studies A former Trump»»»

Times have been a bit tough, of late. But chin up, chin up, as Dubai-based Shraddha Mishra, a homemaker insists on telling her children. "There's always a way forward, and that's what we do." Indeed, in the past one month, she along with other residents have looked to make changes in their lives, c»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The use of the Northern Sea Route in the current international situation will be of particular importance, and its reliability will increase, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. "In the situation that has been developing literally in recent days, in recent h»»»

OVERVIEW No single topic dominates all media on Wednesday. POLITICS An op-ed by economist Boyan Durankev published by Trud lists the strategies implemented by the various political forces that have nominated candidates for the snap parliamentary elections scheduled for April 19. The text reads: "Th»»»

This photo, taken Wednesday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in central Seoul as South Korean stocks jumped nearly 7 percent after the United States and Iran agreed on a two-week ceasefire. Photo by Yonhap South Korean stocks spiked nearly 7 percent after the United States and Iran agreed on a »»»

Dubai: In the UAE, a new kind of economy is flourishing, one powered not just by money, but by generosity. Small businesses have been turning their success into support for local communities, who have been both their customers and partners in giving. What started as simple forms of assistance have »»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3750 dinars for one euro on Wednesday, which is a slight change relative to Tuesday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is steady against the euro m-o-m, down by 0.2 pct y-o-y and down by 0.1 pct relative »»»

BELGRADE - Red Star Belgrade defeated Paris 94-81 in Round 36 of the basketball EuroLeague on Tuesday evening. With 20 wins and 16 losses in the competition, Red Star remain a contender for the play-in and possibly even the play-off. In the Belgrade Arena, Red Star's Chima Moneke led the scoring wi»»»

Pope Leo on Wednesday praised the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, hours after calling US President Donald Trump's threat against the population of Iran "unacceptable". The pope, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of ‌the war in recent ‌weeks, said he welcomed ‌the ⁠announcement of the cease»»»

Two French nationals arrived in Paris on Wednesday after spending more than three years in an Iranian prison on espionage charges, with President Emmanuel Macron hailing "the end of a terrible ordeal." Cecile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72, arrived on a commercial flight, landing at Charles de G»»»

About 500 employees of the prosecutor’s office in Kyrgyzstan are in need of housing. Prosecutor General Maksat Asanaliev said during a session of the Zhogorku Kenesh. He made the statement in response to lawmakers’ questions about housing provision, including concerns that prosecutors transferred t»»»

German-Bulgarian solar photovoltaic developer Sunotec said on April 7 it has secured a structured equity investment from funds managed by Blackstone’s Tactical Opportunities unit to support its expansion across Europe. The»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Calendar House (QCH) has noted that the star 'Al Sarfah' that marks the end of Suhail season can be best observed during the months of April and May, when it becomes more visible in the night sky. Highlighting key astronomical details about the star, the QCH shared in a socia»»»

A premeditated murder investigation is underway after a violent incident in the village of Kokalyane near Sofia, where a man is accused of fatally stabbing another person inside a garage that had been adapted for living. According to the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office, the attack took place on Apri»»»

The Israeli military on Wednesday urged residents of Beirut's southern suburbs to evacuate, its third warning for residents of Lebanon since Washington announced a ceasefire with Iran. "Urgent warning to residents of the southern suburbs ... The IDF continues operations and attacks Hezbollah's mili»»»

Antigua and Barbuda has long held a prominent place in Caribbean sailing thanks to steady trade winds, historic harbours, and a maritime society that convenes throughout the year. From the renowned Antigua Sailing Week to classic yacht celebrations in English Harbour, the island regularly welcomes »»»

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has added five more universities to its automatic recognition scheme for domestic higher education qualifications, bringing the total number of participating institutions to 38 as part of efforts to streamline procedures and reduce»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced the implementation of alternative assessment procedures for the mid-term exams of the second semester of the 2025-2026 academic year. The Ministry, represented by the Assessment Affairs Sector, said this decision applies to stude»»»

Dubai: Oil markets are signalling that prices will remain elevated despite a sharp pullback recorded on Wednesday, as a temporary ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran eases immediate fears but leaves deeper supply risks unresolved. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - si»»»

Dubai: Iraq has reopened its airspace to civil aviation after an improvement in security conditions, allowing flights to resume across one of the region’s key air corridors. The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority said on Wednesday that all civil flights, including overflights, departures and arrivals a»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Culture has launched the fifth edition of the National Grant Programme for Culture and Creativity, one of the UAE’s flagship national initiatives dedicated to supporting creative Emiratis and enabling them to develop impactful cultural and creative projects. The launch re»»»

Banking and ‌airline stocks led a more than 4% rise in Turkish shares and the lira was on track for a rare daily gain on Wednesday, as the two-week Middle East ceasefire sparked a relief rally across global markets. At 0823 GMT, Türkiye's blue-chip BIST 100 index was up 4.3%, while the banking inde»»»

Israel's military said Wednesday its forces would continue their campaign against Hezbollah fighters, claiming the ceasefire with Iran does not apply to Lebanon. "The battle in Lebanon continues, and the ceasefire does not include Lebanon," the military's Arabic-language spokesman, Colonel Avichay »»»

Iran has put forward a sweeping 10-point plan to secure an end to its war with the United States and Israel, centring on a permanent halt to hostilities, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of sanctions, as both sides agreed to a fragile two-week ceasefire to allow negotiations. T»»»

Stock markets in the Gulf region jumped on Wednesday in line with global equities after US President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday. Trump said the last-minute deal was subject to Iran's agreement to pause its blockade of oil and gas supplies through the Strait of »»»

President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, calling the agreement a "very good thing," but said he wishes it will include Lebanon. "We expect, in the coming days and weeks, that it will be fully respected throughout the region and will allow negotiations»»»

Lebanon's army warned people against returning to the country's south on Wednesday, where the Israeli military is still launching attacks, as Israel said the ceasefire with Iran did not include its conflict with Hezbollah. "In light of regional developments and reports circulating about a ceasefire»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanese Army urges caution: Citizens are advised to remain patient before returning to southern towns and to avoid approaching areas where»»»

A total of 223 people have so far been detained for election-related offences, caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov said at the start of the caretaker Government meeting on Wednesday. He stressed that the caretaker Cabinet will not enter the party political arena, but will fight against vote broke»»»

Washington, United States: The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday in an 11th-hour bid to avert all-out destruction threatened by US President Donald Trump. Here's what we know about the truce between two countries, which are set to begin negotiations but remain poles a»»»

Beijing, China: China's top diplomat Wang Yi will travel to North Korea on Thursday, Beijing's foreign ministry said, aiming to deepen relations between the neighbours. China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and political support for the isolated n»»»

Tunis, April 8 (TAP) – The weather, will be locally foggy on Wednesday morning, followed by partly cloudy skies across most regions of the country, according to the National Institute of Meteorology (INM).Temperatures will see a slight rise, ranging...»»»

Gulf banks are holding up well despite rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, underpinned by solid financial positions and early regulatory action, though the full impact on the sector has yet to emerge. Mohamed Damak, managing director at S&P Global Ratings, told Asharq Al-Awsat there ha»»»

Israel's opposition leaders swiftly criticized the ceasefire with Iran on Wednesday, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to achieve the war's objectives. The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire in an 11th-hour bid to avert all-out destruction of Iran threatened b»»»

American journalist Tucker Carlson has accused President Donald Trump of mocking Christians by issuing an expletive-laden threat to Iran at Easter. On Sunday, Trump again demanded Tehran to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, which has remained effectively shut since the US-Israeli attack on Iran on Febr»»»

Baghdad, Iraq: Iraq's civil aviation authority said it was reopening the country's airspace on Wednesday following the announcement of a US-Iran ceasefire, after it was closed due to the Middle East war. "The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announces the reopening of Iraqi airspace to air traffic ef»»»

Gold prices climbed to a nearly three-week high on Wednesday as markets reassessed near-term risks after US President Donald Trump agreed to suspend bombings and attacks on Iran for two weeks, easing fears of energy-driven inflation. Spot gold was up 2.5% at $4,819.52 per ounce, as of 0726 GMT. Ear»»»

Gama, an Egypt-based private construction company that delivers turnkey construction projects and solutions, said Thursday that it has signed a contract worth around EGP 168 million with Vinavil, an Italian manufacturer specialised in industrial polymers and the provision of services in the chemica»»»

Abu Dhabi: Two Emiratis and one Indian national sustained minor injuries after falling debris from a successfully intercepted aerial threat struck the Habshan gas processing complex, authorities said, as emergency teams worked to contain several small fires at the site. Abu Dhabi Media Office confi»»»

Manama, Bahrain: Bahrain's Ministry of Interior announced that two citizens sustained minor injuries and a number of homes in the Sitra area were damaged as a result of falling shrapnel from the interception and destruction of an Iranian drone. In a post on social media, the ministry reported today»»»

Acting Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov reported that law enforcement has detained 223 people so far in connection with alleged vote-buying schemes, framing the issue as a central challenge to the legitimacy of Bulgaria’s democratic process. Speaking at the start of a Council of Ministers meeting, he a»»»

An attempt by members of an armed group aligned with Israel to abduct operatives from the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, in central Gaza left at least 10 Palestinians dead and about 15 wounded, according to field sources. A source from an armed faction in Gaza said fight»»»

Decisions by Sudan’s transitional Sovereign Council chief and army commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to dismiss several senior military leaders and reassign them to other top positions have fueled speculation that the moves are “not isolated” from imminent changes within the army-led governing aut»»»

For women who experience premature menopause, before 45, and especially under 40, the stakes for heart health are higher than most realise. The early loss of estrogen, which naturally protects the cardiovascular system, leaves the heart vulnerable to high blood pressure, inflammation, and stiffenin»»»

An Israeli strike killed eight people in the Lebanese city of Sidon, the health ministry said Wednesday, as the United States and its allies agreed to a ceasefire with Iran. "The Israeli enemy's strike on Sidon, south Lebanon, resulted in a preliminary toll of eight citizens martyred and 22 wounded»»»

BusinessWill AI doom office space to history?Arthur SullivanArtificial intelligence's potential for disruption is being felt across multiple industries. Now commercial real estate is feeling the heat from what analysts say is a "paradigm shift". https://p.dw.com/p/5BRYXWill AI usher in an era of em»»»

Pro-Iran armed factions in Iraq announced on Wednesday a two-week halt to their attacks on "enemy bases" in the region after the start of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran. "The Islamic Resistance in Iraq announces the suspension of its operations in Iraq and the region for two weeks,"»»»

Israel renewed its strikes on southern Lebanon on Wednesday, state media reported, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the Iran war truce does not include Lebanon. The Israeli army also issued an evacuation warning for a building near the southern city of Tyre. "Urgent and repeate»»»

New York: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran. Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, said that Guterres called on all parties to work towards achieving a lasting peace in the Middle East. Dujarric added tha»»»