As US-brokered direct talks between Lebanon and Israel unfold in Washington, Congress is stepping up pressure of a different kind, pushing the Lebanese army to act on pledges to disarm Hezbollah or face a freeze in annual US military aid. Senior congressional sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Repub»»»

Tunis, April 23 (TAP) - Tunisian date exports reached about 108,000 tonnes during the 2025/2026 season up to April 10, 2026, with a value of nearly 705 million dinars.This performance reflects the continued growth of exports, supported by a notable...»»»

JERUSALEM: Defense minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Israel was “prepared to resume the war against Iran,” adding that his country was awaiting a green light from the United States to return Iran to “the Stone Age.” “The IDF is ready both defensively and offensively, and the targets have b»»»

Doha: The General Authority of Customs and Qatar Aviation Services signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two parties in the field of customs clearance for personal imports, contributing to the enhancement of service standards, simplification of pr»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Lebanese government will not sign any agreement with Israel as part of negotiations unless it includes a "full withdrawal" of the Israeli troops from its territory, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. "We cannot live with a so»»»

OSLO: The Iran war is having a devastating humanitarian impact globally with ​higher energy prices making everything from filling the tank of an aid lorry to paying employees and buying food for displaced people costlier, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council said on Thursday.The NRC is one of »»»

HOUSTON: Kash Shaikh, the former chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Dubai-based Baseball United, has been appointed chief marketing officer and head of international at Perfect Game, the world’s largest platform for elite youth baseball and softball. Having built the region’s first professional baseb»»»

Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Israel was "prepared to resume the war against Iran", adding that his country was awaiting a green light from the United States to return Iran to "the Stone Age". "The IDF is ready both defensively and offensively, and the targets have been marked,»»»

Teams from the Burgas Naval Base Wednesday discovered an air defence missile engine and a drone washed ashore in the area of Sunny Beach resort. They posed no danger and were transported to the base, the Ministry of Defence reported Thursday. On April 22, a specialized team from the Burgas Naval Ba»»»

Brussels, Apr.23 ( SANA) The eurozone’s private sector slipped back into contraction in April, marking its weakest performance in nearly a year and a half since November 2024, as the war in Iran hit services and fuelled inflation. The war in the Middle East, involving Iran, has now done what no tra»»»

Tonight's second round of preparatory direct talks between Lebanon and Israel will be held at the White House instead of the State Department, Lebanese TV networks said. The meeting is scheduled for 11:00 pm Beirut time (8:00 pm GMT). MTV and Al-Arabiya later reported that U.S. President Donald Tru»»»

Applications for US unemployment benefits rose last week, though they remain at a level consistent with low layoffs. Initial claims increased by 6,000 to 214,000 in the week ended April 18, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists»»»

BEIRUT: An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon killed three people on Thursday, the Lebanese health ministry said, the latest attack despite a 10-day truce in the Israel-Hezbollah war. In a statement, the ministry said that “an Israeli airstrike on the Shoukine road in the Nabatieh district,” more t»»»

Accra, Ghana: Newly-appointed Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz said Thursday that leading the Black Stars at the 2026 World Cup will be "the biggest challenge" of his career. The arrival of the veteran Portuguese coach, who oversaw Iran at the 2022 World Cup and also spent a season at Real Madrid, has sp»»»

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel speaks at an event commemorating the 65th anniversary of the proclamation of the socialist character of the Cuban Revolution, in Havana on April 16. Photo by Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA April 23 (UPI) -- President Miguel Díaz-Canel said any negotiations with the United»»»

Dubai: Iran’s decision-making core has undergone a quiet but profound transformation, with real power shifting away from clerics to a hardened network of military commanders, according to a detailed report by The New York Times. At the centre of this shift is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamen»»»

Washington, United States: Getting around without Google Maps. No longer scrolling Instagram at the bus stop. Ditching your headphones to hear the birds sing. In March, a group of 20- and 30-somethings in the US capital swapped their smartphones for basic flip phones and embarked on a one-month dig»»»

Iran has the justification for its Hormuz tolls, as it can cite “severe constraint” from US sanctions and war, Professor Azmi Hassan, senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research in Malaysia, tells Sputnik. It also has unique leverage in that it effectively controls the waterway, he»»»

WASHINGTON: Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was seriously wounded in the US-Israeli airstrike that killed his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei but is mentally sharp, the New York Times reported on Thursday. Citing several Iranian officials which it did not name, the Times said Mojtaba»»»

London, United Kingdom: Anonymised medical data of half a million members of UK health database Biobank was temporarily listed for sale on a popular Chinese website, the government said on Thursday. Data minister Ian Murray told parliament that the breach involved the information of all 500,000 Bio»»»

Albania’s Supreme Court has ordered the Appellate Court of the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO) to re-examine a request filed by former President and leader of the Freedom Party, Ilir Meta, seeking a change of his pre-trial detention measure. Meta had requested that »»»

More than 500 hectares of state forest land will be re-designated in order to build a parking area near the Zemen Monastery. This decision was made by municipal councilors at a meeting held on Thursday, the Chair of the Zemen Municipal Council, Iva Borisova, told BTA. Mayor Mihail Zlatanov submitte»»»

Tunis, April 23 (TAP) - The stock market regained some ground on Thursday (+0.25%), ending the session at 15,805.14 points. Trading volumes remained solid, nearing TND 20 million, notably supported by the execution of a block trade on BH ASSURANCES...»»»

The US is not setting any deadlines for concluding the war against Iran, President Donald Trump has said. The remarks contrast with Trump’s earlier claim, made shortly after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, that the fighting would last “four to five weeks.” He also repeate»»»

Landlords across London and the south-east of the UK have been illegally advertising properties exclusively for Muslim tenants, in an apparent breach of Britain’s equality laws, according to an investigation published by The Telegraph on Wednesday. Listings on Facebook and Telegram posted across mu»»»

Berlin: The sad saga of a humpback whale stranded a month ago on the German coast has sparked a flood of compassion but also a media frenzy, angry spats, conspiracy theories and death threats. As Germans have followed the travails of the sea mammal, dubbed "Timmy" by a newspaper, on their live news»»»

GENEVA: An Iranian government spokesperson says the men’s national team are preparing for “proud and successful participation” in their World Cup games in the United States. Iran’s ability and willingness to go to the World Cup across north America starting June 11 has been unclear since the US and»»»

Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved the merger with Paramount Skydance Thursday morning. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo April 23 (UPI) -- Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders voted to give their preliminary blessing to the long-debated merger with Paramount Skydance Wednesday »»»

LONDON: Syrian authorities announced on Thursday the resumption of flights to Damascus International Airport from Doha and Jeddah, beginning May 1, following weeks of stoppage amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport said that Qatar Ai»»»

Madrid: Aryna Sabalenka shook off some rust to post her first victory of the season on clay and extend her winning streak to 13 matches on Thursday in Madrid. The world number one, who was playing her first match since she completed the Sunshine Double by winning Indian Wells and Miami last month, »»»

A C-230 Overkill (Striker)) one-way attack drone is on display during a press tour in Taichung, Taiwan, on Tuesday. Thunder Tiger Corp. is a Taiwanese company that designs and manufactures defense-oriented unmanned vehicles, including UAVs, unmanned surface vessels, underwater ROVs and all-terrain »»»

Crunchy, gooey, sweet and easy to make, crispy rice treats are a dessert that delivers joy and invites creativity. The recipe as we know it first appeared on a box of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal in 1940 and is a simple combination of the cereal, marshmallows, butter and vanilla. It has not only »»»

US President Donald Trump has shared a letter deriding India and China as “hellholes.” Trump reposted the letter from former radio host Michael Savage’s podcast Savage Nation on Truth Social on Wednesday. The post was a criticism of the US birthright citizenship laws, which referred to India, China»»»

Italian officials have rebuked a US proposal for their national football team to replace Iran at the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Italy lost the chance to participate at the World Cup for a third successive time after a humiliating penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a playoff last mon»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia will continue seeking recognition of Nazi crimes against Soviet people as genocide, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday. "Our diplomacy will consistently strive to ensure that the crimes of the Nazis and their collaborators against Soviet citizens of al»»»

Kuwait: Kuwait Ministry of Interior announced the reinstatement of permission to hold social activities in the country effective from Friday April 24, 2026. In a statement by the ministry “With reference to Statement No. (11) regarding the prohibition of holding weddings, parties, and theatrical pe»»»

DOHA: The General Authority of Customs and Qatar Aviation Services signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to enhance cooperation in the field of general customs clearance for personal imports, aiming to improve service quality, simplify procedures, expedite transactions, and enhance the e»»»

The abrupt departure of US Navy Secretary John Phelan has come at a particularly sensitive moment — with American naval forces deeply engaged in operations linked to the Iran conflict and a fragile ceasefire still holding. The Pentagon announced that Phelan was leaving “effective immediately,” offe»»»

Lebanon's leaders accused Israel on Thursday of committing a war crime, after an airstrike killed a Lebanese journalist in the country's south, with the Israeli army saying it was reviewing the incident. Rescuers and the reporter's employer on Wednesday confirmed the death of Amal Khalil, a 42-year»»»

ANKARA: Turkiye is making efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and bring together the leaders of the warring sides, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in a meeting in Ankara, the Turkish presidency said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, Ky»»»

Dubai: Dubai's flagship Emirates is confident it will rebound quickly from disruptions caused by the Iran conflict, with President Tim Clark saying strong demand will help the airline recover lost ground and fend off competition. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Speakin»»»

1 of 2 | The Justice Department announced that it is immediately seeking to reschedule FDA-approved cannabis products including state-licensed medical marijuana, to Schedule III. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said this open the door for research into the substance. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI |»»»

Authorities investigating the death of a 43-year-old woman in Crete are focusing on her former partner, a 40-year-old man, as the main suspect, after he was found dead on Tuesday from a gunshot wound in what is believed to have been suicide. The woman was discovered on Wednesday in the back seat of»»»

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia's main stock index closed lower on Thursday, falling by 135.40 points to settle at 11,109.59, with total trading value reaching SAR 6 billion. A total of 331 million shares were traded, with 45 companies posting gains, while 212 stocks declined. Meanwhile, the par»»»

Tunis, April 23 (TAP) - The Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (DHAMAN) is keen to boost investment and public finance by providing guarantees, DHAMAN Director General Rashed Ahmed Al-Haroun said during his meeting with Finance...»»»

The United Nations said Thursday it was "working on" maintaining a presence in Lebanon once the mandate for its UNIFIL peacekeeping force expires at the end of the year. "In terms of the post-UNIFIL, we're currently in the process of working on these options," said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the U.N. Und»»»

BARCELONA: Lamine Yamal will miss the rest of Barcelona’s season but should be healed from a leg injury in time to play for Spain at the World Cup, the club said on Thursday. Barcelona said 18-year-old Yamal will miss the remaining six La Liga games for the leaders as he follows a “conservative tre»»»

A draft resolution proposing amendments to the regulations governing the National Hospital under the Ministry of Health has been submitted for public discussion in Kyrgyzstan. The document proposes changes to the procedure for appointing the leadership of one of the country’s key medical institutio»»»

Malta is on collision course for another legal dispute with the European Commission over its online gambling industry, after the European Court of Justice’s top advisor said that its law which forbids Maltese courts from recognising rulings from other member states breaks EU law. In a legal opinion»»»

Frankfurt, Germany: Elon Musk's automotive and robotics company Tesla said Thursday that it would hire more than 1,000 people in Germany, a rare bright spot in the country's struggling auto industry. A thousand employees will be added at Tesla's factory outside Berlin by the end of June, a company »»»