France is investigating allegations that two Lebanese banks transferred billions of dollars out of the country despite strict capital controls during a financial crisis, a source close to the case and lawyers said Monday. The probe is the latest in France to look into alleged corruption linked to t»»»

Berlin: Efforts to rescue a humpback whale stranded for weeks on Germany's Baltic Sea coast were complicated Monday when the animal unexpectedly swam away but then appeared to have got stuck again. The 13.5-metre (44-foot) whale and its struggle for survival have captured the hearts of the German p»»»

Avilio Troconiz (C), regional president of the Primero Justicia party in Zulia, speaks at a press conference in front of the Las Tarabas electrical substation in Maracaibo, Zulia state, Venezuela, on March 26. The party denounced the the electricity crisis, which has worsened in recent months. Phot»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has unveiled a new digital platform designed to catalogue and safeguard the country’s diverse date palm varieties, harnessing technology to serve a sector long shaped by tradition. The “UAE Digital Platform for Date Palm Varieties”, announced on Monday, brings together a nationwi»»»

An under-age boy has been arrested in central Greece for allegedly throwing stones at passing coaches on a highway, damaging two but causing no injury, authorities said Monday. A police statement said the youth was taken into custody during a raid on a Roma camp in the Lamia region late Sunday, fol»»»

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Monday everything Pristina's PM Albin Kurti was doing ran contrary to stabilisation in Kosovo-Metohija as he was setting conditions for dialogue, destroying Brussels agreements, denying the Serbs their r»»»

Moscow on Monday called for the US-Iran ceasefire to be maintained and for diplomatic efforts to continue, after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with his Iranian counterpart, a close Russian ally. "The Russian side again emphasized the need to preserve the truce, which must be observed within »»»

FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on March 18. On Monday he sued The Atlantic for $250 million in damages. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo April 20 (UPI) -- FBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic on Monday, seeking $250 million in da»»»

Fujairah: The UAE is fending off around 800,000 cyberattacks each day, even during periods of relative calm, underscoring the persistent and evolving nature of digital threats, a senior official has said. Dr Mohammed Al Kuwaiti, head of the UAE Cyber Security Council, revealed the scale of the acti»»»

The basement of a residential building in the central Athens district of Kypseli was flooded with grey mud on Monday, marking the second such incident in less than a week linked to tunnelling works for the new metro Line 4. The building, on Evias Street, is located next to an unoccupied property wh»»»

Doha: The Shura Council held on Monday its weekly session at the Tamim bin Hamad Hall, under the chairmanship of HE Speaker of the Shura Council Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim. At the outset of the meeting, the Shura Council highlighted HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's meeting with HM S»»»

Tunis, April 20 (TAP) - The National Anti-Counterfeiting Council resumed its activities on Monday, chaired by Trade and Export Development Minister, Samir Abid. The council's first meeting for 2026 is a step forward, reflecting the ministry's...»»»

Andrzej Sterczyński, CEO of Unibep, says the company plans to enter the power transmission sector to benefit from a coming investment boom. Poland may see up to two trillion złoty in infrastructure spending across energy, transport, and major projects, prompting Unibep to diversify toward public se»»»

Poland remains the second highest in the EU for public finance deficit, likely behind Romania. In 2025, Poland’s deficit reached 7.2 percent of GDP according to Statistics Poland data. The increase was driven by rising spending on defense, social programs, and debt servicing, despite solid economic»»»

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Iraq has reopened the Rabia border crossing with Syria after more than a decade to accelerate overland fuel oil exports and revive cross-border trade amid disruption to Gulf shipping following the Iran war, Iraqi border officials said on Monday. The crossing, located in Iraq’s northern Nineveh prov»»»

Lebanese and Israeli representatives will hold talks in Washington on Thursday, a US State Department spokesperson and an Israeli source speaking on the condition of anonymity told Reuters ‌on Monday. The ‌US will host ‌the ⁠second round of ⁠ambassador-level talks between the two countries at the D»»»

1 of 3 | A coalition of journalists are calling on the White House Correspondents’ Association to push back on President Donald Trump’s attacks on the press ahead of his attendance at Saturday’s correspondents’ dinner. Photo by Graeme Sloan/UPI | License Photo April 20 (UPI) -- A coalition of journ»»»

Abu Dhabi: More than Dh1.8 million worth of counterfeit and non-compliant goods were seized in Abu Dhabi during 2025, according to the Abu Dhabi Registration Authority (ADRA), the arm of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) responsible for developing and regulating the business »»»

Rumen Radev on Monday received congratulations from foreign leaders on his Progressive Bulgaria coalition winning the April 19 snap parliamentary election. Congratulations were cabled by European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary Gen»»»

An exhibition “For the Freedom of a People”, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising, opened at the National Library on Monday. President Iliana Iotova attended the event. She said the venue is symbolic and that it would be difficult to find a more suitable space for such an exhibi»»»

Washington, United States: The United States said Monday it is committed to hosting further talks among G20 economies on how the Middle East conflict is impacting food and fertilizer supplies and prices. The United States is the current rotating chair of the Group of 20, which represents 85 percent»»»

THE HAGUE - Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujic on Monday visited former Republika Srpska Army General Ratko Mladic and former Republika Srpska Minister Mico Stanisic, who are serving prison sentences in The Hague, and subsequently met with International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (»»»

A high-profile paramilitary commander in Sudan has changed sides and joined the country’s army in a move welcomed by army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan shortly after the war entered its fourth year. Burhan on Sunday welcomed Maj. Gen. al-Nour Ahmed Adam, who defected earlier this month from the Ra»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Venture Capital has announced an investment in the Growth Catalyst Fund, marking a continued push to expand private equity activity in Saudi Arabia’s mid-market segment. The fund, managed by Growth Catalyst Investment Co., will target growth-stage businesses across the Kingdom and the»»»

Sharjah: Sharjah Civil Defence calls for strict safety compliance as students return to classrooms Officials urge schools, students and staff to build a culture of prevention and emergency readiness As students across Sharjah return to in-person classes, the Sharjah Civil Defence Authority has unde»»»

Libya’s Ministry of Oil Gas reported yesterday that its Nigeria-Niger-Libya Gas Pipeline Project Committee held its meeting today as part of its ongoing technical and coordination work on the project. The meeting included a review and analysis of preliminary engineering studies and concepts, as wel»»»

Dozens of firefighters assisted by water-dropping planes battled a forest blaze that broke out in central Greece Monday, as authorities said a total 52 wildfires erupted over the weekend in various parts of the country. The fire service said the fire broke out in the afternoon in a forest near Neoc»»»

Luanda: And in Africa, the lion roared. There is a case to be made that Pope Leo XIV, the careful, reserved, Midwestern Augustinian, found his voice on his epic trip through Africa, blasting the “handful of tyrants” and “chains of corruption” that have held the continent hostage for centuries. But »»»

Hungary's incoming prime minister Peter Magyar said Monday the country will execute International Criminal Court warrants against anyone, after he invited Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu -- wanted under just such a warrant -- to Budapest later this year. In 2024, the ICC issued an arrest warrant »»»

The EU's top diplomat said Monday the bloc will gauge the willingness of member states to take measures against Israel, after Spain re-upped demands to suspend a cooperation deal. Foreign ministers from the 27-nation bloc are expected to discuss the matter at a meeting in Luxembourg Tuesday after a»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for the United States and Iran to de-escalate amid increased tensions over the weekend over the Strait of Hormuz. "Our position remains the same. We need ‌to settle ‌things through diplomacy. ‌Everyone must ⁠calm down," Macron ⁠said during a joint p»»»

Kuala Lumpur: HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Qatar Olympic Committee, has held high-level talks in Malaysia focused on strengthening Olympic movement across the continent. His Excellency has been welcomed by HM Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Kin»»»

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed that honoring commitments is essential for dialogue, while condemning U.S. demands for Iran’s surrender. "Honoring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue. Deep historical mistrust in Iran toward US gov conduct remains, while unconstructive & con»»»

WASHINGTON: The World Bank has backed the Syrian Arab Republic’s ongoing recovery efforts following talks with Syrian officials on the sidelines of the IMF (International Monetary Fund)-World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington. The discussions, led by Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh and Syri»»»

A mother and her six children, ranging from 3- to 11-years-old, died in a fire in Clinton County, Pa., when their home exploded. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 20 (UPI) -- A mother and her six children, ranging from 3- to 11-years-old, died in a fire in Clinton County, Pa., whe»»»

During the “Promoting Food Sovereignty” panel of the Libya France Business Forum held in Paris on 16 April, organised by Business France and the National Development Agency (NDA), Ahmed Al-Ghazali emphasised the fact that Libya’s agricultural sector is gaining momentum, underscoring growing coopera»»»

The National Assembly will most likely be convened next week, once the election results and the names of the 240 elected members of Parliament have been officially announced, President Iliana Iotova told reporters on Monday. She recalled that the deadline for the Central Election Commission to anno»»»

Greece’s first outbreak in 25 years of the deadly livestock foot-and-mouth disease has spread to a new part of the island where it was first recorded last month, authorities said Monday, appealing for farmers’ cooperation to deal with “a very difficult situation.” Rural Development Minister Margari»»»

Doha, Qatar: Chairman of the General Authority of Customs HE Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Jamal, and a number of officials from the Authority, conducted an inspection visit yesterday morning at the Abu Samra Border Crossing, as part of following up on the implementation of work systems and inspection and »»»

Paraguay's new Minister of Industry and Trade, Marco Riquelme, said the change in residence requirements responds to demands from foreign investors who questioned the previous requirement to generate employment. File Photo by Juan Pablo Pino/EPA ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay, April 20 (UPI) -- Paraguay has la»»»

Originally published at Napunk The soon-to-be-formed Tisza government in Budapest will differ from Viktor Orbán’s governments not only in personnel but also in structure. Over the four terms since 2010, Viktor Orbán has repeatedly reshaped his governments, abolishing traditional ministries and fold»»»

Brussels: The Arab League today called for intensified international efforts to accelerate the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza Strip, ensuring it meets the needs of all residents, and for the immediate launch of early recovery and reconstruction programs. This came in a speech delivered by A»»»

Riyadh, April 20 (SANA) Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, spoke by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Monday to discuss regional developments.According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the two sides reviewed the current situation and its security and economic repercussions at both r»»»

Tunis, April 20 (TAP) - Tunindex closed Monday's session up 0.47% to 15,798.89 points with a high traded volume of TND 15.3 million, said broker Tunisie Valeurs. TUNISIE LEASING & FACTORING shares were the best performers after rising by 6% to TND...»»»

TASHKENT (Sputnik) - Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom plans to resume construction of new units at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran as quickly as possible once peace is restored, the company's CEO Alexey Likhachev said on Monday. "Our most important task, once peace is restored in t»»»

Doha, Qatar: Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah met separately on Monday, April 20, 2026, with Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan to the State of Qatar HE Nurmurod Mahmadali and Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) O»»»

Cairo — Egypt is moving forward with its state asset offering programme, with plans to initiate listings of stakes in Banque du Caire and Misr Life Insurance between May and June, according to Investment Minister Mohamed Farid. Speaking at an investor roundtable hosted by HSBC, the minister stated »»»

Cairo — The Governor of Damietta, Hossam El-Din Fouzi, conducted an inspection visit to the industrial complex of Misr Fertilizers Production Company (MOPCO), underscoring its strategic role in supporting Egypt’s economy and advancing the objectives of Egypt Vision 2030. During the visit, company o»»»

By Rania Imam Combating high pricing, infrastructure, decreasing budget deficit, electricity, transport, social security Controls on customs and avoiding evasion represent the key elements of the government’s programme Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said that his cabinet’s programme aims at improving»»»