RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Palestinians in the West Bank and a central area of Gaza head to the polls Saturday for municipal elections in a first vote since the Gaza war, marked by a narrow political field and widespread disillusionment. Nearly 1.5 million people are registered to vote in t»»»

*WASHINGTON: The Trump administration said on Friday it had imposed sanctions on an independent “teapot” refinery in China for buying billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil, as Washington and Tehran head into another round of peace talks over the weekend. The Treasury Department targeted Hengli »»»

Spirit airlines is engaged with the Trump administration about a potential bailout after being warned it may be in default with its creditors and could have only days left to operate. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo April 24 (UPI) -- The Trump administration is working on a bailou»»»

When a nation faces a threat, it is tested not only in its defences but also in its character. In recent weeks, the UAE has shown both. Faced with unprovoked missile and drone attacks against its territory, the country’s armed forces have responded with capability, precision and composure. The inte»»»

RIYADH: The Saudi General Directorate of Civil Defense has urged the public to exercise heightened caution as thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and flash flood risks are expected to persist across much of the Kingdom through Tuesday. Residents have been advised to remain in safe locations, avoid valle»»»

Share: A worker tears down the pictures of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, Lebanon’s late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a gas station in Nubl, in rural Aleppo, Syria, December 11, 2024.(photo credit: UMIT BEKTA»»»

The US is allegedly weighing unprecedented measures to punish NATO members it believes failed to support its war against Iran, Reuters reported on Friday, citing an internal Pentagon email. The options are said to include the possible suspension of Spain from the bloc, according to the outlet. The »»»

US President Donald Trump has threatened lethal force against any Iranian boats suspected of laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that Washington now has “total control” over the key waterway until Tehran agrees to a deal. The warning comes amid a maritime standoff in the Strait of Hormuz»»»

Dubai: Trade flows across the Middle East face mounting strain as geopolitical tensions disrupt critical shipping routes, raising questions over whether the shock will reshape global commerce or prove temporary. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.A n»»»

Maine Gov. Janet Mills on Friday vetoed a bill that would have paused construction of artificial intelligence data centers in the state because lawmakers in the Maine legislature refused a carve-out to the pause for an already in progress project there. File Photo CJ Gunther/EPA April 24 (UPI) -- M»»»

Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast has formally filed the Economic and Social Reconstruction and Development Bill in the Chamber of Deputies, a 40-plus measure package including a staged reduction in corporate tax from 27% to 23% aimed at reviving growth and cutting unemployment, El Mercurio repor»»»

A rotating cast of people, which could include President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, will fill in for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt when she takes maternity leave after her daughter is born. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo April 24 (UPI) -- White House Press S»»»

Tunis, April 25 (TAP) - The executive board of the Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LTDH) said on Friday evening that it had received information indicating a decision to suspend its activities for one month, pending official...»»»

In a week where a stalemate appears to have developed after nearly two months of asymmetric conflict between the US and Iran, President Trump’s Truth Social posts have swung between belligerent maximalism and breezy deal-making—one minute suggesting a within-reach deal, and that Iranian forces woul»»»

Protests are planned nationwide on Saturday as part of the "Communities Not Cages National Day of Action" against the growth of ICE and millions of dollars being poured into new immigrant detention centers. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo April 24 (UPI) -- Hundreds of rallies are pla»»»

TUNIS: Prominent Tunisian ‌reporter Zied Heni was detained on Friday after writing an article criticizing the judiciary, according to his lawyer, a ​move the journalists’ union said was part of a broader crackdown on free speech. The Tunisian public prosecutor ordered the arrest, lawyer Nafaa Larib»»»

NAIROBI: The head of a global vaccine organisation told AFP on Friday that aid cuts by the United States and other donors have forced it to slash its malaria programme in Africa, threatening tens of thousands of children's lives. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, brings together government and private do»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Friday condemned attacks on Kuwaiti border posts by drones launched from Iraqi territory, the foreign ministry said. The Kuwaiti military said on Friday that two drones coming from the direction of neighboring Iraq struck border posts on its northern frontier with the countr»»»

A late-season freeze this week brought damaging cold to the mid-Atlantic, threatening crops just as orchards and berry fields entered critical stages of growth. Record lows were set in parts of the region Monday and Tuesday, including 24 degrees Fahrenheit in Allentown, Pa. Temperatures also droppe»»»

KYIV: US weapons deliveries to Ukraine haven’t stopped despite the Iran war, and Ukrainian long-range strikes continue to hammer Russian oil production and manufacturing plants, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday. “Of course, we are hitting what is painful for Russia, and it is v»»»

CASABLANCA, Morocco: Towering over the Moroccan capital’s historic cityscape, a $700 million, 55-story skyscraper opened this week in a move that underscores the country’s expanding global ambitions. Named for King Mohammed VI and inspired by a rocket on its launchpad, the 820-foot Mohammed VI Towe»»»

ABHA: The southwestern city of Abha is witnessing the peak of its annual jacaranda bloom, as streets and parks turn into sweeping landscapes of vibrant purple, underscoring the distinctive mountain environment of the Asir region and reinforcing the city’s growing appeal as a seasonal tourism destin»»»

Damascus, April 25 (SANA) Representatives from the energy ministries of Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon held a virtual meeting to review the executive procedures required to activate the Arab Gas Pipeline and supply Lebanon with its energy needs. In a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Energy said the»»»

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday that the Department of Justice is ending it moratorium on seeking the death penalty in federal capital cases, reinstating the use of single-chemical lethal injection and adding firing squad to methods of execution. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | »»»

Bishkek: The gross domestic product of agricultural production in Kyrgyzstan amounted to 47.923 billion soms (approximately 547 million U.S. dollars) in January-March, an increase of 102.8 percent year on year, the country's Kabar news agency reported Friday, citing the Ministry of Water Resources,»»»

Exclusive images obtained by Tasnim show Epaminondas, a large MSC-operated containership, after it was intercepted and transferred to Iranian territorial waters by the IRGC Navy in the Strait of Hormuz as part of ongoing maritime security operations targeting violating ships. The IRGC Navy announce»»»

The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement confirming the arrival of the Iranian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad. The delegation will meet Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, and o»»»

BEIRUT: A Lebanese journalist who was wounded in an Israeli airstrike that killed her colleague this week described hours of agony as they waited for help to arrive, in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday. Zeinab Faraj, a young freelance photographer and video journalist, frequently mo»»»

DUBAI: The killing of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil on Wednesday has renewed scrutiny over the rising number of media workers killed in conflicts involving Israel, with press freedom groups questioning accountability and transparency. Khalil, a correspondent for Al-Akhbar, was reportedly shelteri»»»

Special envoy Steve Witkoff (L) and President Donald Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner are heading to Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, to have more talks with Iran to make a peace deal. File Photo courtesy Ukrainian President's Office | License Photo April 24 (UPI) -- Talks with Iran are s»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the Saate of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a telephone call from President of the friendly United States of America, HE Donald Trump. The two sides reviewed the latest regional developments, particularly the ceasefire agreement between the United Stat»»»

Sanya, China: The Qatari men's beach volleyball teams have qualified for the Round of 16 at the Sanya 2026 Asian Beach Games, after securing two more victories today in the final matches of the second round of the preliminary stage. The first team, comprised of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, def»»»

GENEVA: The World Health Organization announced Friday that it had given prequalification approval to a malaria treatment for newborns and infants for the first time. Artemether-lumefantrine is the first antimalarial formulation designed specifically for the youngest victims of the mosquito-borne d»»»

NICOSIA: President Ahmad Al-Sharaa said on Friday that the Syrian Arab Republic is positioned to become a secure strategic corridor linking Central Asia and the Gulf with Europe, as he presented a regional connectivity vision during an informal meeting of the EU and regional partners in Nicosia. Sp»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon faces growing concern over what officials describe as potential Israeli encroachment onto its offshore energy resources, after the Israeli military published a map extending its buffer zone into the Mediterranean, raising questions about the fate of the Qana gas field. The map, rele»»»

Hundreds of alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-A3) gang were tried at an El Salvador prison on Thursday, accused of collectively carrying out more than 29,000 murders. Mass trials are a centrepiece of President Nayib Bukele's "war" on gangs. Hundreds of alleged Mara Salvatrucha gang m»»»

HBO Max, Harry Potter and CNN could soon come under Paramount after Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved an $81 billion sale of the company on Thursday, bringing the long-running takeover saga closer to completion, though the deal still faces regulatory scrutiny and criticism from those con»»»

President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday reclassified state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, easing research barriers and granting tax relief. The change falls short of federal legalisation but marks a major shift in US cannabis policy. President Donald Trump's acting»»»

El Salvador has launched a mass trial of 486 alleged MS-13 members accused by prosecutors of thousands of murders and other crimes, as President Nayib Bukele continues his sweeping crackdown under a state of emergency that has sharply reduced crime, though human rights groups warn the measures—intr»»»

A US Special Forces soldier involved in the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been charged with multiple crimes, including unlawful use of classified government information, after allegedly using insider knowledge to place bets on Polymarket that earned him over $400,000.»»»

Spain's centre-left Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday declined to comment on a reported Pentagon email written by top policy adviser Elbridge Colby raising the possibility of suspending Madrid from the NATO military alliance. The note reportedly also suggested reconsidering US suppor»»»

A tornado tore through the US state of Oklahoma on Thursday, ripping roofs off homes and damaging power infrastructure as it struck parts of Enid, a town of about 50,000 near the northern border, with no fatalities reported but residents trapped in their homes and extensive damage recorded, accordi»»»

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Thursday fired Stars and Stripes' ombudsman, whose job it had to been to protect the newspapers' editorial independence and report to Congress if military officials were interfering with it. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo April 24 (UPI) -- Th»»»

Former Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) chair Georgi Cholakov denied holding conversations with an alleged intermediary involved in arranging court decisions in exchange for bribes of hundreds of thousands of euro, quoted by SAC's press centre on Friday evening. His comments came in response to e»»»

LONDON: Turkiye has become the latest country to restrict children’s access to social media, passing legislation this week that prevents under-15s from opening accounts on major platforms and requires stricter controls on harmful content. The bill, now awaiting final approval from President Recep T»»»

Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire by three weeks on Thursday following a meeting of officials from both sides at the White House. US President Donald Trump said he believed there was a "great chance" the two countries would agree on a peace deal, even though Israel and Hezbollah have accu»»»

Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire by three weeks on Thursday following a meeting of officials from both sides at the White House. US President Donald Trump said he believed there was a "great chance" the two countries would agree on a peace deal, even though Israel and Hezbollah have»»»

US President Donald Trump says he is not rushing into a peace agreement with Iran, downplaying concerns over Iranian small boats even after they seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and arguing that Tehran is unable to strike a deal due to divisions within its leadership, an accusati»»»

The standoff between the United States and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz appears to be edging closer to renewed conflict than a peace deal, with President Donald Trump ordering the Navy to target Iranian boats laying mines and Israel signaling it is ready to resume bombing once it receives the go-ah»»»

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire for three weeks, according to the White House, which hosted ambassadors from both countries, but fighting persists as Hezbollah, absent from the talks, has launched new waves of rockets and drones, while Israeli forces continue operations in sout»»»