Washington, April 16 (SANA) The U.S. Treasury Department said on Wednesday it was strengthening sanctions on Iran’s oil sector, targeting 20 individuals and entities linked to the network of oil trader Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, amid restrictions by Tehran on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.»»»

A suspected international plot with elements of espionage has unfolded in Greece, where authorities arrested a 55-year-old Greek from the former Soviet Union in Thessaloniki, accused of involvement in a network allegedly planning assassinations in Lithuania. According to judicial documents from a V»»»

These results validate Claret Credit’s development strategy, which focuses on strengthening the management team and digitalizing operations. In 2024, the company appointed Mircea Lupu as CEO, an executive with over 20 years of experience in the banking and non-banking financial sectors. Claret Cred»»»

Gold prices rose on Thursday as growing optimism about a possible end to conflicts in the Middle East calmed inflation worries and improved prospects for lower interest rates. Spot gold rose 0.5% to $4,815.15 per ounce by 0926 GMT, after rising to a one-month high in the previous session. US gold f»»»

An Israeli strike has severed the last bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, a senior Lebanese security official told Reuters on Thursday, adding that the strike “shattered” the bridge and left no possibility of repairing it. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported t»»»

The US is in discussions on staging a second round of peace talks with Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said. The first direct meeting between the sides since the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28 took place in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, at the weekend, but deliv»»»

Ambassador of the United States to Lebanon Michel Issa has met with President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio, the U.S. Embassy said on the X platform. The meeting took place Wednesday, a day after Lebanon and Israel held a high-level face-to-face meeting in Washington -- the first such negotiat»»»

The report highlights both operational pressures—particularly the shortage of skilled labor—and a shift in how companies plan their investments, with an increasingly clear focus on efficiency, infrastructure, and compliance with regulatory requirements. Long-term planning and the absorption of Euro»»»

More than a dozen people, including at least one child, have been killed in Russian missile and drone attacks on infrastructure and residential buildings in Kyiv and in other Ukrainian cities like Odesa and Dnipro overnight to Thursday. Several dozens of civilians were also injured in the assaults.»»»

Dubai: Turkish Airlines has reshaped its leadership structure, appointing a new chairman and chief executive as it moves to align management with its next phase of growth. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The airline named Prof. Murat Şeker as Chairman of the Board and »»»

A Ukrainian firefighter battles a massive blaze early Thursday at the scene of a Russian missile strike in the capital, Kyiv, where four people were among 16 killed in large scale aerial attacks on several Ukrainian cities overnight. Photo by Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA April 16 (UPI) -- An airborne Russi»»»

Iran's prominent speaker of parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told his Lebanese counterpart on Thursday that a ceasefire in Lebanon was "as important" as in Iran, according to a statement posted on Telegram. In talks to end the war between Iran and the United States, Ghalibaf said Tehran has "bee»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s energy system is undergoing a deep transformation amid rising demand and deteriorating infrastructure. In an interview with 24.kg news agency, Kubatbek Rakhimov, an expert on infrastructure projects in Central Eurasia and head of Applicata Center for Strategic Solutions, explained why »»»

In the first quarter of 2026, the turnover of wholesale and retail trade, as well as automobile repair, in Kyrgyzstan amounted to 465,267.6 billion soms. Compared to 2025, this figure increased by 12.1 percent, the National Statistical Committee reported. Automobile market The most active growth wa»»»

Nuqi Gold, a DMCC-registered fintech entity, and Mawarid Finance, a UAE Central Bank–regulated institution, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to launch the GCC's first gold-backed co-branded card — a landmark step in ethical, asset-backed digital finance. The partnership brings togeth»»»

Democracy in Bulgaria is facing a crisis, driven by a disconnect between citizens and those in power. But choosing not to vote will not fix the problems of democracy, Filip Pavlov, top-of-the-list candidate of the Anti-Corruption Bloc Coalition in Vratsa, said during a meeting with local residents,»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and His Excellency Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, discussed the latest regional and international developments, particularly those in the Middle East, during a meeting held today, April »»»

Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty met with Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee Brian Mast as part of a series of meetings he is holding with leaders and members of the US Congress during his visit to Washington. Abdelatty a»»»

The climate-denialist Trump administration is pushing the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to stop focusing on clean energy development projects. We take a closer look. But first: Russia vows to make up for any shortfall in Chinese oil supplies due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, and crude»»»

Share: Israeli soldiers next to artillery vehicles near the Israel-Lebanon border, in northern Israel, April 15, 2026. REUTERS/Florion Goga Optimism grew on Thursday that the Iran war may be near an end, with a key Pakistani mediator having made a breakthrough on “sticky issues”, a source said, alt»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received the credentials of new Moroccan Ambassador to Belgrade Omar Amrar on Thursday. "I expressed the confidence that, with his engagement, he will help to lend a new impetus to advancement of cooperation between our countries, which are traditionall»»»

Dubai: Park Hyatt Dubai Creek will temporarily close from May as it enters the final phase of a planned renovation, with the operator moving to upgrade the property ahead of its next reopening. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Dubai Creek property, part of the wider»»»

The Central Election Commission (CEC) decided Thursday that 400 tactile ballot paper templates with Braille markings for voting by visually impaired voterss will be provided in Blagoevgrad, Plovdiv, and Sofia City’s three constituencies. According to the decision, Blagoevgrad will receive 90 templa»»»

Public tension in Bulgarian society remains high, with the index measured jointly by the Centre for Analysis and Crisis Communications and the Myara polling agency standing at 6.88 in the first quarter of the year, the two organizations said on Thursday. They publish the index every three months. T»»»

In a statement Thursday, the prosecution service said a national interagency task force, involving prosecutors, the Interior Ministry and State Agency for National Security, remains actively engaged in monitoring and responding to alleged violations tied to the 19 April election. The statement emph»»»

Dubai: The UAE has taken a significant step towards strengthening its non-profit sector with the launch of the non-profit organisations (NPO) empowerment fund, a Dh100 million initiative designed to support community-driven programmes across the country. The launch ceremony has been held today at t»»»

Doha, Qatar: Governor of Qatar Central Bank and Chairman of Qatar Investment Authority, HE Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al Thani, met today, Thursday, April 16, 2026, with Anthony Malkin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Empire State Realty Trust. During the meeting, they discussed t»»»

Share: Photo- Israel claims killing a key member of Quds force in Lebanon. Iran’s IRGC is reportedly commanding Hezbollah war with Israel according to Lebanese government sources Lebanon earlier cast doubt on Donald Trump’s claim that the leaders were due to hold talks On Wednesday night in the US,»»»

BELGRADE - A parliamentary session on an opposition no-confidence motion against the Serbian government was postponed again on Thursday due to a lack of quorum. Instead of a majority of MPs, just twenty lawmakers were in attendance. Again, MPs of the ruling coalition did not provide the quorum. Dep»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has been elected to the Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP) for the 2026–2028 term, at a time of escalating global food security challenges and mounting risks linked to disruptions in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, developments that could push tens of million»»»

President Joseph Aoun on Thursday stressed the importance of a ceasefire before any direct negotiations with Israel, ahead of possible talks with Israel's leader that Beirut has not confirmed will take place. "The ceasefire requested by Lebanon with Israel is the natural starting point for direct n»»»

Housing construction in Kyrgyzstan increased significantly in the first quarter of 2026. According to the National Statistical Committee, 4,461 residential buildings with a total area of ​​484,200 square meters have been commissioned. This is 15.6 percent higher than the figures for January — March»»»

Tunis, April 16 (TAP)- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Mohamed Ali Nafti had a talk Wednesday with Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe. Means to step up...»»»

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a social media post that he thanked Pakistan for its “gracious hosting” of the US-Iran dialogue as he received the country’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, in Tehran on Wednesday. Araghchi received Munir, who is heading a high-level political-security »»»

Al-Manar dismissed on Thursday reports alleging an Israeli landing operation in the southern Lebanese town of Dibbine, stressing that all field evidence contradicts the circulating claims. Al-Manar correspondent in south Lebanon said the rumors were part of misleading narratives promoted by the ene»»»

Beijing, April 16, 2026 (SANA) Traditional Aleppo laurel soap is seeing rising demand in China, according to a report by Xinhua News Agency, with the product gaining traction on e-commerce platforms and at trade exhibitions. At an authorized store for Syrian products on JD.com, Aleppo soap ranks am»»»

Dubai: Anantara World Islands Dubai Resort has ceased operations, bringing a pause to one of the more distinctive hospitality concepts within Dubai’s World Islands development. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Minor Hotels confirmed in a statement that the resort stoppe»»»

“Attempts to write laws that run counter to God’s law continue to this day,” said Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil on Thursday in Veliko Tarnovo at the opening of observances of the Day of the Bulgarian Constitution. The event, held at the Revival and Constituent Assembly Museum, where the Tarnovo Consti»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Resistance fighters fired a salvo of rockets targeting Israeli settlement of Kfar Giladi: Hezbollah Military Media statement 15 16-»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah’s Islamic Resistance fighters targeted gathering of Israeli soldiers and vehicles east of Rub Al-Thalatheen border town with a ba»»»

The Israeli military carried out two strikes against a key bridge in the south of Lebanon on Thursday, destroying it, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported. "Enemy aircraft carried out two consecutive strikes on the Qasmieh bridge, the last bridge between the Tyre and Sidon regions, com»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Football Association, QFA, has announced that the Amir Cup Final will take place on May 9 at Khalifa International Stadium. The tickets for the country’s biggest annual football cup will go on sale at www.qfa.qa on May 2. Tickets for the Amir Cup Final 2026 will be available »»»

BELGRADE - A parliamentary session on an opposition no-confidence motion against the Serbian government was postponed again on Thursday due to a lack of quorum. Instead of a majority of MPs, just twenty lawmakers were in attendance. Again, MPs of the ruling coalition did not provide the quorum. Dep»»»

"We have already learned to act in a way that minimizes the consequences of such measures for our interests. We will continue to do so," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US would not extend licenses that temporarily allowed purchases of Russ»»»

Leading real estate developer One United Properties is known for its modern mixed-use developments, sustainable initiatives, and investments in the Bucharest and Romanian regional property markets. The company is committed to creating vibrant, eco-friendly communities while respecting local heritag»»»

Britain's economy put on a burst of growth in February, suggesting it was in slightly better shape before the start of the Iran war than many economists had feared, official figures showed on Thursday. Gross domestic product expanded 0.5% month-on-month in February, the biggest increase since Janua»»»

Mariam Zein cradled her 11-week-old son on a mattress on the floor where she and her family have sheltered near Beirut since the Israel-Hezbollah war upended her young family's life. "I was really excited when I was in my ninth month of pregnancy... I never thought he'd be born and there'd be war,"»»»

European Commission announced Thursday that it has approved a major Bulgarian state aid scheme aimed at shielding energy-intensive industries from high electricity costs, while tying the support to investments in greener production. The Bulgarian programme, worth EUR 334 million, will provide tempo»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has presented its Tenth National Report at the Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS), held at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The UAE delegation presented the report as part of the review process under the Convention, h»»»

Israeli troops were trying to advance from the occupied Shebaa farms into Debbine in south Lebanon after violent strikes and artillery shelling on the southern town. The Israeli army also targeted Thursday Hebbarieh and Kfarshouba, while Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several drone attacks ta»»»