The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced an alternative assessment policy for Class 12 students in West Asian countries, including the UAE, after board exams scheduled between March 16 and April 10, 2026, could not be held due to extraordinary circumstances. The new scheme aims»»»

Charleroi, Belgium: Belgian artist Nicolas Buissart started doubling as a tour guide as a joke after a newspaper in the neighbouring Netherlands named his city the ugliest in the world. Some 15 years later, he is still arranging tours of Charleroi for visitors seeking beauty in dilapidated factorie»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) prevented a terrorist attack planned by Kiev against a law enforcement officer in Stavropol, the FSB press center said on Saturday. "The Federal Security Service of Russia in the city of Stavropol prevented a sabotage and terrorist act p»»»

Abu Dhabi: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, discussed security developments in the region amid ongoing military escalation and their implications for regional and international peace and security, as well as their impact on»»»

Global ratings agency Fitch reaffirmed Israel's long-term foreign-currency rating at "A" with a negative outlook on Friday, adding that rising public debt levels and ongoing war-related risks could weaken the country's ⁠fiscal trajectory. Fitch forecast ⁠military expenditure will remain high in 202»»»

Noelia Castillo died on Thursday after receiving life-ending medication at a medical facility in Sant Pere de Ribes, near Barcelona. She had requested to be alone at the time of her death, although relatives had been present earlier. A close friend who had hoped to persuade her to change her mind w»»»

Police in Athens said they have launched all “necessary procedural and official actions” after a foreign detainee died in administrative custody on Friday. The man was found unresponsive in a detention cell at Omonia Police Station on Friday evening. An ambulance crew called to the scene declared h»»»

Softbank Group said on Friday it has secured a $40 billion bridge loan to bolster investments in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and for general corporate purposes, marking another significant step in its artificial intelligence strategy. The Japanese investment conglomerate, led by founder Masayoshi Son, con»»»

Belgian artist Nicolas Buissart started doubling as a tour guide as a joke after a newspaper in the neighbouring Netherlands named his city the ugliest in the world. Some 15 years later, he is still arranging tours of Charleroi for visitors seeking beauty in dilapidated factories and rundown wareho»»»

Manila: The Philippines faces ongoing energy security pressures. This was highlighted by recent government actions amid global oil market volatility induced by the Mideast war. According to data from the Philippine National Oil Co (PNOC) and the Department of Energy references cited in recent analy»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) has called on individuals and institutions across the country to participate in Earth Hour, observed this evening, by switching off lights and non-essential electrical appliances for one hour, from 8.30pm to 9.30pm. In a statement posted »»»

Doha, Qatar: Oman, Bahrain and the UAE confirmed interceptions of missiles and drones on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Few injuries have been reported. Stay tuned for more updates: 10am Doha Time Thai PM says reached deal with Iran for vessels to transit Hormuz Strait Thailand has reached an agreement »»»

On March 28, 2005, an 8.6-magnitude earthquake jolted the western coast of Sumatra, killing about 1,000 people and destroying hundreds of buildings. 1 of 6 | An aerial photograph taken February 12, 2005, shows damage six weeks after a tsunami hit Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. On M»»»

Indonesia began enforcing a social media ban for children under the age of 16 on Saturday, after a minister warned digital platforms there was "no room for compromise." The Southeast Asian nation announced the ban this month citing threats from online pornography, cyberbullying and internet addicti»»»

Muscat, Oman: A drone attack on one of Oman's main ports wounded a foreign worker, the Gulf country's authorities said on Saturday. Two drones hit the port of Salalah in the far south of Oman, a statement carried by the country's official news agency said, injuring the worker and causing "limited" »»»

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on citizens of Kyrgyzstan currently staying in the Middle East to leave the region due to the escalation of tensions. Citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic are also advised to refrain from traveling to the region until the situation fully stabilizes. It is noted that»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) has called on individuals and institutions across the country to participate in Earth Hour, observed this evening, by switching off lights and non-essential electrical appliances for one hour, from 8:30pm to 9:30pm. In a stateme»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian air defenses shot down 155 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. "This past night, from 23:00 Moscow time [20:00 GMT] on March 27 to 7:00 Moscow time [04:00 GMT] on March 28 this year, air defense systems on duty intercepted and des»»»

Large differences remain between most countries and the US and India as trade ministers meet to discuss reforms at the World Trade Organization, two diplomats told Reuters on Friday. The ministers are meeting in Yaounde, Cameroon, as the organization faces a critical test to its future amid a year »»»

If you haven’t seen an example of collective male hysteria for a while, take a look at the comments on the news story about the opening of a women-only pub in Minsk. There are tears, threats, and even strategic plans to take over the territory. The men commenting are furious that there will be a pl»»»

In Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Greco-Roman wrestler Akzhol Makhmudov competed against Japan’s Olympic champion Nao Kusaka. The bout was broadcast on wrestlingtv.ru. Competing in the 82 kg weight category, Makhmudov secured an early victory over his opponent with a score of 19:6. The two athletes h»»»

Bangkok: Thailand has reached an agreement with Iran to allow Thai oil vessels safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the Southeast Asian nation's Prime Minister said on Saturday. Iranian forces have effectively slowed shipping through the strait to a trickle during the Middle East war, which b»»»

Brussels, March 28 (SANA) The European Commission and European Union member states said on Friday that the security of oil and gas supplies remains stable at present, despite the ongoing war in the Middle East, noting that oil reserves continue to stand at high levels. The official website of the E»»»

The European Central Bank should not rush to raise rates in response to surging energy costs, as its “baseline” outlook remains intact and there is no sign yet that inflation is becoming entrenched, Cypriot central bank chief Christodoulos Patsalides said. With energy prices surging on the US-Israe»»»

China has donated 12 drones to Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, the ministry’s press service reported. According to the ministry, Minister Erlist Akunbekov met with representatives of the Chinese IT company Quanyibao (Hangzhou). «The unmanned aerial ve»»»

Perhaps the worst-case scenario long feared in decision-making circles has come true. With the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Washington and Tel Aviv used the same “shock and awe” approach Israel has relied on in recent years, one that delivers rapid gains before losing momentum by t»»»

Israel’s military said early Saturday that it had detected a missile fired from Yemen, the first since the Iran war began. Yemen’s Houthis so far had stayed out of the war. Hours earlier, the Houthis said they were prepared to act if what the group called an escalation against Iran and the "axis of»»»

Dubai: The Philippines is stepping up efforts to strengthen protections for its migrant workers around the world, as the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has convened multiple stakeholders in Quezon city this week ahead of a United Nations (UN) forum on migration. Together with the International»»»

Secretary of the Security Council of Kyrgyzstan Adilet Orozbekov met with Marcell Biro, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister of Hungary on National Security, in Budapest. The Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan reported. According to it, the discussion focused on issues related to the formatio»»»

A 15.64-kilometer bypass road is under construction in Cholpon-Ata and is scheduled for completion in time for the World Nomad Games (WNG) and the SCO summit. The press service of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Kyrgyzstan reported. According to the ministry, the project involves th»»»

DOHA: The Qatar Meteorology Department has forecast moderate temperatures with some cloud cover during the day on Saturday, becoming relatively cold by night. In its daily weather report, the department said offshore conditions will be partly cloudy at times, warning of strong winds and high seas. »»»

Washington: US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said today that the US and Iran could hold talks this week. Witkoff did not provide further details on the potential meeting, but confirmed that Iran had received its 15-point plan, and that Washington was still awaiting Tehran's respons»»»

Washington: President Donald Trump has listed five objectives that the US wants to achieve before ending its war with Iran. Now, one month into the conflict, he has suggested the US may soon be “winding down” the operation, even though some of his key aims remain undefined or unfulfilled. Trump las»»»

Miami: Tiger Woods was arrested and charged with driving under the influence Friday after a rollover crash near his Florida home, authorities said, as the 15-time major champion's golf career veered into fresh turmoil. Woods, 50, escaped injury but was detained after his vehicle clipped a truck whi»»»

This week, FRANCE 24's media show Scoop looks at media coverage of the war in Israel. The country's military censor has tightened restrictions on the press. Authorities say the changes are for national security, but critics argue it leaves audiences with an inaccurate and incomplete picture of the »»»

William Hilderbrandt is pleased to welcome Nitzan Horowitz, Journalist and former Israeli Minister of Health (2021–2022). According to Horowitz, regime change and the dismantling of military capabilities were unattainable. And now there's a widening gap emerging between expectation and re»»»

Gavin Lee is pleased to welcome Philippe Bolopion. Executive Director of Human Rights Watch. He describes a seismic shift in the conduct of war, marked not merely by violations of international humanitarian law, but by an unprecedented openness in asserting, even embracing, such violations. What di»»»

In a week of movable ultimatums set by President Trump, to “obliterate Iran’s power plants”, a deadline was set initially of Monday at Midnight, then extended by five days on account of “very productive conversations”, then to ten days with Trump claiming “talks are ongoing” and “going very well”. »»»

Gavin Lee is pleased to welcome Philippe Bolopion. Executive Director of Human Rights Watch. He describes a seismic shift in the conduct of war, marked not merely by violations of international humanitarian law, but by an unprecedented openness in asserting, even embracing, such violations. What di»»»

Doha, Qatar: Abu Dhabi authorities have announced that they dealt with two incidents of fire in the vicinity of Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) caused by falling debris following a successful interception of ballistic missile. It further stated that this incident resulted in injuring five i»»»

Fifteen years after the revolution that deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, our team reports from the eastern city of Benghazi. Although the security situation there is now relatively stable, reunification does not seem to be on the immediate agenda, with Libya still ruled by two differen»»»

Former French police officer Cédric Prizzon, a "father's rights activist" who had been involved in a bitter custody dispute with his former partner, has been arrested in Portugal on suspicion of kidnapping and killing his partner and ex-girlfriend.  Portuguese police have arrested a forme»»»

France is "more and more keen" on investing in Australian critical minerals projects, Australia's Resources Minister Madeleine King said Thursday, as countries across the world race to secure access to rare earths and other much-needed minerals. Canberra is hunting for billions in foreign investmen»»»

European lawmakers cleared the way Thursday for tougher penalties for irregular migrants and their potential deportation to so-called "return hubs" outside the bloc. The measures, criticised by human rights groups, are part of a tightening of Europe's immigration rules in response to pressure acros»»»

The ultra-conservative Catholic organisation Opus Dei was founded a century ago in Spain. Today, it's an international movement with around 90,000 members. In its home country, it has managed to infiltrate all spheres of modern society, from schools to hospitals. Despite serious allegations against»»»

After Greenland and trade tariffs, US President Donald Trump is threatening European countries once again. If they fail to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, "it will be very bad for the future of NATO", Trump has said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made it clear that the US will make its ow»»»

Eighty years ago, Moldova was struck by a famine that killed more than 150,000 people. Long shrouded in silence, this episode remains a blind spot in the country's history. But gradually, survivors' accounts, combined with the work of researchers, have shed light on a tragedy largely orchestrated b»»»

Europe must speed up its push for energy independence and break free from "excessive dependence on fossil fuels" as the continent grapples with a more volatile and hostile global order, the head of the world's largest public bank told FRANCE 24's Douglas Herbert in Talking Europe. Nadia Calviño, th»»»