The Israeli army struck Wednesday Kafra, al-Tiri, Qalaway, and Hanine in south Lebanon and detonated houses in the border towns of Shamaa and Naqoura, despite an ongoing ceasefire. Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed more than 13 people, including civil defense rescuers, women, and children. Hezbolla»»»

Iran’s ruling system, built over 47 years since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, is showing signs of deepening strain, analysts and a US think-tank reported Wednesday. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), based in Washington DC, stated that economic hardship, internal rivalries, international pres»»»

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will face tough questions from lawmakers about the Iran war on Wednesday during his first testimony to Congress since the start of the conflict, AFP reported. Hegseth's appearance before the House Armed Services Committee -- for a hearing on President Donald Trump'»»»

Dubai: Two vessels, Omicron Nikos and Nord, have safely exited the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The safe departure on April 25 has marked another easing point for shipping traffic through the strategic waterway, one of the world’s most important maritime routes for glo»»»

1 of 2 | South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission on Wednesday designated Kim Bom, the founder of U.S.-listed e-commerce giant Coupang, as the company’s controlling entity. In this December photo, a Coupang sign is seen on an office building near a distribution center in the Ttukseom area of Seoul. Phot»»»

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has approved the launch of a National Programme to Strengthen Supply Chain Resilience in the UAE, a strategic initiative designed to enhance economic security and reinforce th»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has amended several decisions in the tax sector, strengthening requirements for information exchange between banks and tax authorities. The changes affect resolutions adopted in 2022 and 2024 and are aimed at implementing provisions of the Tax Code. Under the »»»

MindSpire Education, the regional K-12 platform formerly known as Spark Education Platform, officially launched its new brand identity at an exclusive ceremony at Bab Samhan, A Luxury Collection Hotel, in the heart of historic Diriyah. The launch marks the next stage of growth for one of the region»»»

RIYADH: Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade rose 36 percent year on year to exceed 415.4 billion dirhams ($113 billion) in 2025, driven by expanding commercial activity and stronger economic partnerships with global markets. Data from Abu Dhabi Customs shows that non-oil exports saw an annual surge o»»»

London: Struggling British carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, said its losses narrowed in the first-quarter and that it will receive fresh funding from its biggest shareholder. The luxury carmaker, which has faced several years of financial pressure, maintained its full-yea»»»

Verden an der Aller, Germany: Prosecutors on Tuesday called for an alleged former member of Germany's far-left Red Army Faction (RAF) militant group to be sentenced to 15 years in jail for a series of armed robberies said to have been carried out to support herself while she was on the run. Prosecu»»»

A Palestinian was martyred by Israeli occupation forces on Tuesday night after reportedly stabbing two Israeli occupation soldiers who had raided his home in the town of Silwad, as resistance continues against ongoing military incursions across the occupied West Bank. Israeli occupation forces abdu»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.4128 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 »»»

At a dusty lot an hour outside Beijing, a steady stream of vehicles come and go for a quick battery charge -- just one node in China's rapidly expanding network of electric trucks. While the country's prowess in electric passenger vehicles has long been known globally, electric trucks have only rec»»»

Dubai has eased requirements for a two-year real estate investor residency visa, removing the minimum property value threshold for sole owners while introducing a Dh400,000 minimum per investor for jointly owned investments, in a move aimed at widening investor access. Under updated rules issued by»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan approved measures to implement the presidential decree introducing a moratorium on business inspections. According to the decree, inspections of business entities by law enforcement and other authorized agencies are temporarily banned until December 31, 2026. »»»

According to a leaked letter, directed to all General Managers of banks operating in Libya, dated 28 April, the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) has issued new instructions to Libyan banks regarding the status of hard currency cash. According to the circular, the CBL is now allowing banks in Libya to: T»»»

Libya’s Tripoli based Ministry of Economy reported yesterday that the Minister of Economy and Trade approved four decisions concerning (Indian, Maltese, Italian and Egyptian) foreign companies. These decisions included extending the operating licenses of branches and relocating the headquarters of »»»

Police arrested one inmate and filed charges against three others following an operation Tuesday at the psychiatric ward inside Korydallos Prison, Greece’s largest penitentiary, authorities said. The operation was carried out by the Organized Crime Division (DAOE), also known as the “Greek FBI,” wi»»»

Jakarta: The death toll from a train crash outside the Indonesian capital Jakarta rose to 16, all women, after an injured passenger passed away in hospital, officials said Wednesday. A long-distance train slammed into the last, women-only carriage of a stationary commuter train near the Bekasi Timu»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Public Health, HE Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud, inaugurated the Second Forum on Regulating Healthcare in the Private Health Sector, organised by the Ministry of Public Health. The forum aims to strengthen collaboration and integration between the public and private sector»»»

DOHA: In a qualitative step reflecting its orientation towards adopting the latest training practices, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs announced the launch of an innovative training programme entitled 'Leadership in Crises with Virtual Reality (VR) Technology', under the supervision »»»

A sharply worded Truth Social post by Donald Trump has once again put US-Iran tensions under the global spotlight, after the US president declared: “No more Mr. Nice Guy!” The post, published on Trump’s platform Truth Social, accused Iran of failing to move toward what he described as a “deal,” whi»»»

A corruption scheme has been uncovered at an electricity distribution enterprise in Bishkek, with officials suspected of embezzling funds through fraudulent payroll operations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported. According to investigators, between 2023 and March 2026, the enterprise’s manag»»»

GENEVA: Iran has executed at least 21 people and arrested more than 4,000 since the beginning of the Middle East war, the United Nations said on Wednesday. Since the US-Israeli strikes sparked the war in late February, “at least nine people have been executed in connection with the January 2026 pro»»»

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Foreign Trade said Saudi commercial attachés contributed to creating 2.221 export opportunities and secured 393 new investment opportunities, underscoring efforts to expand the Kingdom’s global economic footprint. The gains came alongside measures to protect dome»»»

Dubai: UAE resident Sadique Ahamed didn’t just run the London Marathon, he ran it in Emirati traditional kandura carrying the UAE flag. “Normally people run in trousers,” he says. “I wanted to do it in traditional gear.” The 34-year-old just completed the 42.2km race in 3:19:20, setting a Guinness »»»

The EU is in a slow-moving identity collapse crisis. Disunity in the EU is growing more obvious each month and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is casting about for ways to rebuild a consensus without much luck. Last week she called on Turkey to step up as a strategic partner, but»»»

Bulgaria and Romania rank at the bottom of the European Union in terms of basic digital skills, according to Eurostat’s Digitalisation in Europe report for 2026 published on April 23. Around 40% of all EU citizen»»»

The Kremlin has announced that it will end a three-year old deal to deliver “Kazakh” oil to Berlin from the start of May, plunging Berlin into a fresh energy shortfall crisis as it scrambles to find an alternative source of crude to keep its fancy cars on the road. »»»

Ukraine could face a budget shortfall of around €19bn in 2027 despite substantial financial support pledged by its Western partners, highlighting the mounting strain of a prolonged war and a fragile economic recovery, reported Ukraine Business News. »»»

Kosovo will head to another snap election after parliament failed to elect a president by the midnight April 28 constitutional deadline, plunging the country deeper into political uncertainty. After Vjosa Osmani's man»»»

Bulgaria and Romania rank at the bottom of the European Union in terms of basic digital skills, according to Eurostat’s Digitalisation in Europe report for 2026 published on April 23. Around 40% of all EU citizen»»»

Russia’s Ministry of Finance has advanced a draft law that would tax cryptocurrency income broadly in line with securities investments, according to RBC business portal citing the draft legislation approved by a special government commission. »»»

The Kremlin has announced that it will end a three-year old deal to deliver “Kazakh” oil to Berlin from the start of May, plunging Berlin into a fresh energy shortfall crisis as it scrambles to find an alternative source of crude to keep its fancy cars on the road. »»»

Moscow State University or MGU on April 21 opened a new artificial intelligence faculty, completing what investigators described as a unified AI ecosystem built over several years under Katerina Tikhonova, director of the university’s AI Institute and reportedly President Vladimir Putin’s daughter,»»»

DUBAI: The Vice President’s Jiu-Jitsu Cup will take place on May 2-3 at Shabab Al Ahli Club in Dubai, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation has announced. The championship, which brings together nine of the UAE’s leading clubs and academies, offers a prize pool of more than $270,000 (»»»

HUWAIZAH MARSHES: A fishing boat glides quietly across the waters of Iraq’s southern marshes, sending gentle ripples shimmering over the once-parched wetlands, now revived by long-awaited rains.Running through almost the entire Huwaizah Marshes, the returning water is dotted with patches of greener»»»

Bulgarian customs officers have prevented the smuggling of tropical butterfly pupae at the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint on the border with Turkiye, the Customs Agency in Svilengrad said on Wednesday. On April 25, a bus leaving Bulgaria with 14 passengers arrived at the border checkpoint. During a th»»»

Egypt has received 120,000 tonnes of sugar imported from Brazil and France, Egypt’s Minister of Supply Mohamed Ali El-Sheikh said. El-Sheikh said that 85,000 tonnes arrived at Port Alexandria and 35,000 arrived at Port Damietta, adding that distribution of the shipment has begun throughout the coun»»»

The US naval blockade is having significant impact on oil flows in Iran, which is running out of places to store its own crude and only about 22 days of capacity left to avoid a crippling production shutdown. With shipments falling sharply and fuel reservoirs nearly filled, Iran’s storage capacity »»»

The Treasury under Secretary Scott Bessent sanctioned 35 entities and individuals accused of operating as a sanctions-evasion banking network for Iran. Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI | License Photo April 29 (UPI) -- The United States has sanctioned 35 entities and individuals accused of overseeing a shad»»»

'Historic homecoming' as endangered antelopes flown to Kenya from Czech Republic zoo 13 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on Google KWS/XThe mountain bongos sent from the Czech Republic will spend time building up their immunity before being introduced to the wild Four mountain bongos, a rare ty»»»

France on Wednesday called on its citizens to leave Mali "as soon as possible" following weekend of attacks on government targets in cities across the country launched by jihadists and Tuareg separatists. France on Wednesday urged its nationals in Mali to leave "as soon as possible", citing we»»»

DHAKA: Heavy pre-monsoon rainfall and surging ‌upstream flows from India have swollen rivers in northeastern Bangladesh, threatening vast areas with flooding during the crucial summer rice harvest, officials said on Wednesday. Despite relentless ​rain, strong winds and thunderstorms, farmers have b»»»

DUBAI: Former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo has issued a stark warning about the situation in the occupied West Bank, condemning what he describes as escalating violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians. Speaking on Monday during a visit to Palestinian villages alongside former officials includi»»»

PARIS: France on Wednesday urged its nationals in Mali to leave “as soon as possible,” citing weekend attacks by jihadists and Tuareg separatists and an “extremely volatile” security situation. “Travel to Mali is still strongly discouraged, regardless of the reason,” the foreign ministry said in it»»»

PRISTINA: Kosovo is heading for its third parliamentary election in over a year after lawmakers repeatedly failed to elect a new president, pushing the young Balkan nation into renewed political uncertainty. Parliament, which is tasked with choosing the presidents of Kosovo, on Tuesday faced a dead»»»

An elderly man accused of barging into a court complex and a social security office with a shotgun and lightly injuring five civil servants appeared before a prosecutor in Athens Wednesday to be formally charged. The 89-year-old, who was arrested in the western port city of Patra hours after Tuesda»»»

WWF Greece on Wednesday urged authorities to strengthen wildfire prevention and improve coordination as the country enters its annual fire season, warning that the success of new policies will hinge on swift implementation. The environmental organization welcomed a new legal framework, “Active Batt»»»