Thermal SPA Hotel Roman Bath in the village of Banya reports a steady average annual occupancy rate of between 75% and 80%, the management of the complex said. The hotel operates year-round, with the only planned interruption scheduled for May, when routine maintenance, servicing, and facility upgr»»»

RIYADH: The Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission launched the Ebrahim Al-Kazi Chair of Research at the Saudi Center for Research and Knowledge Intercommunication, supported by the Ministry of Culture. “The Commission announces the launch of the Ebrahim Al-Kazi Research Chair, who serves as »»»

RIYADH: Light art festival Noor Riyadh has released a selection of music created by Majdi bin Marwan, who has been blind since the age of 6. Marwan’s “Melodies of Light” were inspired by the musician’s interpretation of Noor Riyadh’s installations. Riyadh Art said the works were gathered through hi»»»

Amsterdam: A picture of an Ecuadoran family separated when US immigration agents arrested the father following a court hearing won the 2025 World Press Photo of the Year Award on Thursday. The photo, taken by Carol Guzy of the ZUMA Press agency and iWitness for the Miami Herald, shows the moment Im»»»

The U.S. military on Thursday seized another tanker associated with the smuggling of Iranian oil, ratcheting up a standoff with Iran a day after its paramilitary Revolutionary Guards took control of two vessels in the crucial Strait of Hormuz. The Defense Department released video footage of U.S. f»»»

Saudi Arabia’s debt market is set for a strategic shift in early 2027, following J.P. Morgan’s announcement that local-currency bonds will be included in its global emerging markets bond index. The move represents a vote of confidence in the Kingdom’s structural reforms and is expected to open the »»»

Dhaka: Bangladesh has recorded 194 child deaths due to measles in an outbreak that began last month, while the number of suspected child cases has exceeded 28,000, government data showed on Thursday. Between three and five children have died from the disease every day for the past week. Five childr»»»

Global — Gold prices retreated toward $4,700 per ounce, declining by nearly 1%, as a stronger US dollar and rising oil prices weighed on the metal, according to data reported by Bloomberg. The pullback follows the extension of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which has shifted market»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president and prime minister accused Israel on Thursday of a war crime, after an airstrike killed a Lebanese journalist in the country’s south, where Israeli forces occupy several areas. Rescuers and the reporter’s employer on Wednesday confirmed the death of Amal Khalil, a 42-yea»»»

TUNIS, April 23, 2026 (TAP) – Tunisia is set to launch, on May 7, 8 and 9, 2026, at the City of Culture in Tunis, the first edition of the “Tunisian Travel Market,” a new professional conference focused on domestic and neighbouring tourism....»»»

SHENZHEN,- Serbian Deputy PM and Minister of Economy Adrijana Mesarovic met with top executives of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD in Shenzhen on Thursday to discuss active inclusion of Serbian automotive companies in a sustainable supply chain of a BYD factory in Szeged, Hungary, due to »»»

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - Sri Lanka is planning to pay for future imports of Russian crude oil in Chinese yuan, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported on Thursday, citing the country's new energy minister, Aruna Karunatilake. The discussions on the matter are still ongoing, the minister said. "We expect t»»»

Lebanon's president and prime minister accused Israel on Thursday of a war crime, after an airstrike killed a Lebanese journalist in the country's south, where Israeli forces occupy several areas. Rescuers and the reporter's employer on Wednesday confirmed the death of Amal Khalil, a 42-year-old jo»»»

Cairo — Egypt is advancing its state IPO programme with the addition of six new government-owned companies to the Egyptian Exchange (EGX), in a move aimed at strengthening market depth and broadening investor participation. According to official EGX statements, and as confirmed by Deputy Chairman M»»»

Cairo — Egypt has accelerated its industrial expansion drive with the inauguration of nine new industrial projects in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, as Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly led an official tour of the Sokhna integrated industrial area. The projects span strategic sectors including enginee»»»

Global — Gold prices retreated toward $4,700 per ounce, declining by nearly 1%, as a stronger US dollar and rising oil prices weighed on the metal, according to data reported by Bloomberg. The pullback follows the extension of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which has shifted market»»»

US Navy Secretary John C. Phelan has stepped down in an abrupt move announced by the Pentagon without any public explanation or indication that his exit was linked to the naval blockade of Iran. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that Phelan was “departing the administration” at on»»»

Organizers of the Cumbria Nature Festival in England issued an "important clarification" about the upcoming event: it is not for nudists. File Photo by Friedemann Vogel/EPA April 22 (UPI) -- Organizers of the Cumbria Nature Festival in England issued an "important clarification" about the upcoming »»»

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hollywood Fire Rescue (@hollywoodfirerescue) April 21 (UPI) -- A Florida woman's home security camera was recording when an electric wheelchair she bought from a thrift store exploded in her driveway. Hollywood Fire Rescue shared a video on social media »»»

London, United Kingdom: Microsoft is facing a £1.7-billion ($2.3 billion) class action lawsuit in Britain alleging that it abused its dominant market position to overcharge businesses, claimants said Thursday. The case was brought by digital markets regulation expert Maria Luisa Stasi on behalf of »»»

Warsaw: A 58-year-old woman was killed by a bear in Southeastern Poland on Thursday, Pawel Giba, press officer for the District State Fire Service Headquarters in Sanok, told AFP. A report received by the fire department "indicated that in the village of Plonna a woman was allegedly attacked by a b»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received Minister of Defence of the friendly Italian Republic HE Guido Crosetto, and his accompanying delegation at his office in the Amiri Diwan, on the occasion of their visit to the country. During the meeting, the»»»

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has urged the Trump administration to pressure Israel to scale back its demands and end its military invasion of the country. In an interview with the Washington Post, Salam said Lebanon could not sign any agreement that does not include a “full withdrawal” of Israeli for»»»

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»»»

LONDON: Independent Arabia has won a Fetisov Journalism Award prize for its investigation into an adoption-brokers network in Egypt, adding to the outlet’s growing list of honors since its launch in 2019. Journalist Salah Labban won the 2025 prize in the civil rights category for his investigation,»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia will not charge tolls in the Strait of Malacca, its foreign minister said on Thursday, dispelling reports it could follow Iran’s example in the Strait of Hormuz. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono spoke to reporters in response to media reports over the possible blockage of the»»»

NAIROBI: A Tanzanian government report into election violence that killed hundreds is “an attempt to whitewash the regime’s crimes,” the main opposition party told AFP on Thursday. A commission of enquiry reported on Thursday that 518 people were killed in protests and violence around the election »»»

BRUSSELS: The European Union on Thursday approved a massive loan package to help Ukraine meet its economic and military needs for the next two years, the bloc’s Cypriot presidency said, after Hungary lifted its veto. The EU also approved a new raft of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukrain»»»

Washington, United States: The US Defense Department said Thursday its forces boarded a vessel in the Indian Ocean that was providing material support to Iran, the second time it had done so in three days. "Overnight, US forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the »»»

Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, today announced the appointment of Hussain Salman as Enterprise Services Director for the Gulf Region, where he will lead across the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. With the region consistently ranking among »»»

A national network of prosecutors and investigators probing crimes related to intellectual property and cybercrime was established at the National Investigation Service, the prosecution service said on Thursday. The establishment ceremony was attended by acting Prosecutor General Vanya Stefanova, f»»»

Barcelona: Spain's Lamine Yamal has picked up a hamstring injury, but is expected to be fit for the upcoming World Cup, his club Barcelona announced Thursday. "Tests have confirmed that first-team player Lamine Yamal has a hamstring injury in his left leg," Barca said. "The player will undergo cons»»»

Dubai: Iran’s move to impose and reportedly collect tolls from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz marks a direct challenge to international law and a dangerous escalation in its confrontation with the United States and its allies. A senior Iranian parliament official has claimed that Tehran»»»

MP George Adwan said Thursday at a press conference held by the Strong Republic bloc in parliament that "what happened over the past two years is that a certain faction dragged Lebanon into a war in support of Gaza, and the result was the destruction of Gaza and hundreds of thousands of martyrs. Th»»»

Colombo, Sri Lanka: Cyber criminals hacked into the Sri Lankan finance ministry's computer system and siphoned off $2.5 million, the government said Thursday, the most amount of cash ever stolen by hackers from a state institution. The cyber attack is a major blow to Sri Lanka, which is recovering »»»

Damascus, April 23 (SANA) After one year in power, Syria’s government is focusing on reintegrating the country into the global political and economic system, seeking to end decades of sanctions and isolation. While officials say the most difficult phase has passed, the country still faces deep stru»»»

Tunis, April 23, 2026 (TAP) — A business mission for Tunisian companies will be organized ahead of the World Textile and Garment Technology Fair “ITMA 2027,” scheduled to take place from September 16 to 22, 2027, in Hanover, Germany.Known as the...»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received HE Guido Crosetto, Minister of Defense of the friendly Italian Republic, and his accompanying delegation at Amiri Diwan today, April 23, 2026, on the occasion of their visit to the country. During the meeting, they reviewed regional »»»

S&P Global Ratings warned on Thursday that the risks to African sovereign credit scores were likely to worsen the longer the Middle East war drags on. The ratings agency said that higher fuel and fertilizer import costs would increase inflation and fiscal strains for countries, "potentially leading»»»

Dubai: Air travel across the UAE continues to operate under strain nearly two months after the US-Israel-Iran conflict that erupted on February 28, with airlines relying on restricted air corridors, longer flight paths, and reduced schedules to maintain connectivity. The aviation sector has been am»»»

Dubai: Dubai toll operator and DFM-listed Salik Company has signed a strategic agreement with Valtrans Transportation Systems and Services to roll out digital payment solutions for valet parking across more than 100 locations in the UAE. The partnership will allow customers to pay for valet service»»»

There is a unique sense of pride that comes from witnessing a nation transform challenges into a masterclass in stability. Over the past 50 days, as regional uncertainty dominated global headlines, I have watched the UAE once again demonstrate why it stands as a global standard for crisis managemen»»»

Five new cases of the deadly livestock disease sheep pox have been recorded in the second fortnight of April, authorities said Thursday, while a total 486,666 animals have been culled since the epidemic started. The Rural Development ministry said 2,152 cases of sheep or goat pox have been recorded»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received at his office in the Amiri Diwan today, April 23, 2026, HE Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of French giant TotalEnergies, and his accompanying delegation, on the occasion of their visit to the country. During the meeting»»»

Tunis, April 23 (TAP)- Cimpress, the global leader in web-to-print mass customisation, wants increased investments in Tunisia. A Cimpress delegation was received by Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) Director General Jalel Tebib. It was made...»»»

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Purbaya Yudha Sadewa has floated copying Iran's tax on the Strait of Hormuz for ships sailing the Strait of Malacca—bordered by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Indonesia "is not a peripheral country. We sit on a strategic global trade and energy route. Ships pass wi»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister for International Economic Cooperation Nenad Popovic met on Thursday in Belgrade with Russian Deputy FM Alexander Grushko, who is on an official visit to Serbia for a meeting of a Serbia-Russia intergovernmental committee on trade and economic and science and technical c»»»

GENEVA: 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 »»»

Doha, Qatar: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, HE Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani, met with HE Guido Crosetto, the Italian Minister of Defense, and his accompanying delegation during their visit to the State of Qatar. During the meeting, the two sides »»»

London: Both chambers of Britain's parliament have approved a bill that would ban children aged 17 and under from buying cigarettes during their lifetime. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to stop anyone born after January 1, 2009 (now aged 17) from taking up smoking. Health minister Wes Streeting ca»»»