BUDAPEST - The Hungarian oil firm MOL said on Thursday it would retain the Pancevo oil refinery for the long term if it became the majority owner of the Serbian oil company NIS. MOL said the refinery had a very important strategic role in ensuring stable and uninterrupted energy supply. "MOL's obje»»»

BARCELONA: A feature of Jordan’s rise to footballing prominence over the past two years has been their fearsome attacking triumvirate. Stade Rennais’ Musa Al-Taamari might win all the plaudits but his partners in crime, Ali Olwan and Yazan Al-Naimat, scored the goals that delivered World Cup qualif»»»

As the United States edges closer to a critical May 1 deadline in its war with Iran, a decades-old law is quietly becoming one of the most consequential forces shaping the next phase of the conflict. Nearly eight weeks after Washington joined Israeli strikes against Iran, President Donald Trump fac»»»

RIYADH: Female labor force participation across Gulf Cooperation Council countries climbed to 39.3 percent in 2025, as employment gains and falling joblessness signal steady progress in the region’s workforce diversification efforts. The number of employed women rose to 7.3 million in 2025 from 5.7»»»

A new push in the US-backed diplomacy between Lebanon and Israel is beginning to take shape, with another round of talks expected in Washington later this week. According to Asharq News, sources say the US is preparing to press Lebanon to reconsider its law criminalizing contact with Israel, follow»»»

The results of the April 19 parliamentary elections and the resignation of acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov dominate Thursday’s news media. POLITICS & ELECTION RESULTS Dnevnik.bg has an article about the news members of Parliament who were elected on April 19. The 52nd National Assembly w»»»

Dubai: On a Wednesday evening at Dubai Autodrome, an 80-year-old man walks briskly ahead of his daughter, lapping the circuit with more energy than people half his age. Nearby, a 13-year-old cyclist carves through the track he has been dreaming of riding for years. A triathlete spots a friend, then»»»

Dubai: A vibrant celebration of Filipino cuisine and culture has been held in the UAE capital as a night market at Madinat Zayed Exhibition brought Philippine flavours, culture, and entrepreneurship together in celebration of Filipino Food Month. The event has been visited by the Philippine ambassa»»»

What would it take to curb planning chaos and better protect the natural environment? Greece’s Ministry of Environment and Energy argues the answer is not stricter limits on out-of-plan construction, but allowing limited urban development within parts of protected Natura 2000 areas. The provision i»»»

BELGRADE - Today, the Serbian Armed Forces represent a strong and dependable pillar of security and peace in Serbia, and a symbol of the country's strength and support to all citizens, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday, congratulating Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic, Serbian Arme»»»

Dubai: Travellers in the UAE will once again have more flight options as Qatar Airways resumes daily services to Dubai and Sharjah from April 23, marking a key step in restoring regional connectivity. The airline confirmed it has restarted daily flights between Doha and both Dubai International Air»»»

UK Chargé D’Affaires Victoria Dunne and Deputy Defense Attaché Thomas Hobbs met Thursday senior officers of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), to deliver UK relief assistance to displaced LAF families, at the LAF logistics hub in Beirut. The UK Ministry of Defense is providing essential and practical»»»

Dubai: Discussions over a potential currency swap line between the UAE and the US have drawn scrutiny this week, with analysts and officials stressing the move reflects precautionary planning rather than any sign of financial strain in the economy. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf»»»

Dubai: Customers of Emirates Islamic continued to borrow and deposit more in early 2026, helping the bank post a 7 per cent rise in operating profit to Dh1.1 billion for the first quarter, it said in its earnings report posted Thursday. The Dubai-based Islamic lender reported higher income from bot»»»

Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority has launched a safety awareness initiative to welcome students back to schools, focusing on building a culture of safety among young learners. The programme was carried out by the Authority’s Safety Patrol as part of the “Proud of the UAE” initiative, which aims to»»»

When uncertainty hits, leadership stops being a title and starts showing its true shape. At the the Tristar presents Limitless: The UAE Power Women’s Forum in association with Gulf News, held at Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, The Palm, five women leaders cut through the noise on what it really takes to »»»

A ​top envoy to US President Donald Trump has asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. The plan is an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s»»»

This photo, released by Iran's foreign ministry on Thursday, shows South Korea's special envoy, Chung Byung-ha (L), meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran. Photo Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran South Korea's special envoy to Iran has m»»»

Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) Chairman, Masoud Suleiman, revealed yesterday that he had met with representatives of Nigerian company Aiteo, one of the companies that won the public bidding round for exploration, securing Block M1 in the Murzuq Basin. During the meeting, they discussed the »»»

DOHA: Qatar Airways has announced the resumption of flight operations between Doha and several key destinations across the Middle East, marking another step in the phased restoration of its global network. Beginning 23 April 2026, the national carrier will restart daily flights to Dubai (DXB) and S»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon and Israel were set to begin a second session of direct talks in Washington on Thursday to discuss the possibility of extending a truce between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and plans for future negotiations between the two neighbors with a long history of hostile relation»»»

Amid clear signs of uncertainty and the continued “arm-wrestling”-style negotiations between the United States and Iran, the sudden decline in what only a few days ago was described as an imminent agreement or settlement to end the war between the two sides, mediated by Pakistan, raises many fundam»»»

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a fifth Democrat bid to curb President Donald Trump's ability to wage war with Iran. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo April 23 (UPI) -- Senate Republicans have again blocked the Democrats from curbing President Donald Trump's ability to wage war»»»

BRATISLAVA: Slovakia said it was receiving Russian oil on Thursday after Ukraine repaired the Druzhba pipeline which was damaged in a Russian attack in January. The pipeline has been at the center of a standoff between Ukraine, the European Union as well as Hungary and Slovakia, which still import »»»

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat (Awqaf UAE) has announced that this week’s Friday sermon across all mosques in the UAE will be delivered under the title: “Whoever betrays our nation is not one of us”. In guidance issued to imams, the authority stressed that betrayal o»»»

Libya’s Minister of Oil and Gas, Khalifa Abdel Sadig, received today at the Ministry’s Tripoli headquarters a high-level delegation from the French company Beicip-Franlab, which specializes in technical consulting and technological solutions for the energy sector. The French delegation included Thi»»»

DUBAI: The Professional Fighters League has announced that PFL MENA: Pride of Arabia, the season opener, will take place on May 24 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. The event will feature athletes representing 11 nations across the region, highlighting the depth and unity of mixed martial arts in the Mi»»»

The European Union voted on April 22 to simultaneously unlock its long-delayed €90bn EU loan for Ukraine and adopt the stalled twentieth sanctions package against Russia, in a diplomatic double act that had been blocked for months by Hungary and Slovakia — both of which finally »»»

The European Union voted on April 22 to simultaneously unlock its long-delayed €90bn EU loan for Ukraine and adopt the stalled twentieth sanctions package against Russia, in a diplomatic double act that had been blocked for months by Hungary and Slovakia — both of which finally »»»

South Korea’s economy grew at its fastest pace in nearly six years in the first quarter, central bank data showed Thursday, driven by strong chip exports. In this April 1 photo, containers are stacked at a port in Pyeongtaek. Photo by Yonhap SEOUL, April 23 (UPI) -- South Korea's economy grew at it»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, including re-exports, reached SR31.03 billion ($8.27 billion) in February, marking a 15.1 percent increase compared to the same month in 2025, official data showed. Preliminary figures released by the General Authority for Statistics showed that the UAE remai»»»

The Libyan Export Development Authority (LEDA) called, last Tuesday (21 April), for the Gulf of Sirte to be assigned an international nature reserve. It said this is for the sake of our future generations and the sustainability of Libya’s marine resources. LEDA said the objective is to protect the »»»

Abu Dhabi: President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto, who is visiting Abu Dhabi, discussed ways to strengthen relations and cooperation between the two countries, particularly in defense and security matters. Dur»»»

A delegation from the Mouvement des Entreprises de France (Medef) is set to visit Algeria on Thursday, with its president Patrick Martin leading around 40 senior company executives, in an economic push aimed at repairing trade relations strained by political tensions over the past two years. Accord»»»

New York, April 23 (SANA) Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, said Wednesday during a UN Security Council session that Syria is advancing efforts to restore stability and development while urging an end to the repeated Israeli violations. Speaking at a special ses»»»

China's role as an unofficial mediator in the latest war in the Middle East is drawing attention across the world as it seeks to project the image of being a responsible global power while U.S. actions are straining its long-standing alliances. China's profile in international diplomacy has risen i»»»

Dubai: Getting a taxi in Dubai could become easier from this summer after Dubai Taxi Company announced plans to add 600 new vehicles to its fleet, following the latest licence auction by Dubai Roads and Transport Authority. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The expansion»»»

Dubai: Dubai’s planned Gold Line will add 42km to the emirate’s metro network, taking the total length from 120km to 162km, according to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The expansion will also increase the number of stations from 67 to 85, marking a 35% increase in network size. Get update»»»

New York, April 23 (SANA) The U.N. Security Council held a special session on Syria’s 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, with members emphasizing the need to scale up international support, ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance and respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integr»»»

Lebanon will not enter negotiations with Israel until a ceasefire is firmly in place, President Joseph Aoun said, calling for a unified national stance. He also stressed the need to prioritize the return of displaced residents to their villages, alongside a crackdown on weapons stockpiles and any a»»»

The “Yas Park Place” project has recorded a notable milestone in Abu Dhabi’s real estate market, as Aldar Properties announced today that 80% of the units released within the new residential development—featuring mid-rise buildings in the heart of Yas Island—have been sold, generating more than Dh8»»»

United Nations: Contenders for next UN secretary-general made their case this week for a United Nations more invested in peace, but avoided taking positions that could antagonize the member states who will choose the world body's next chief. Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Argentina's Rafael Grossi, Cos»»»

In areas of southern Lebanon it has occupied since agreeing last week to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, the Israeli army has been destroying homes it says were used as outposts by the Iran-backed militant group. But the demolitions are happening on such a wide scale that residents, Lebanese officials »»»

SINGAPORE: Oil prices extended their gains on Thursday, rising more than $1 ‌in the wake of stalled peace talks between Iran and the US and as both nations maintained restrictions on the flow of trade through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures rose $1.26, or 1.2 percent, to $103.17 a barrel »»»

ABU DHABI: The UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Co., is preparing to compete from April 24 to 26 at the 2026 Paris Open Grand Prix, one of the world’s leading international competitions. Official weigh-ins are scheduled for April 24, followed by preliminary and semifina»»»

US: Contenders for next UN secretary-general made their case this week for a United Nations more invested in peace, but avoided taking positions that could antagonize the member states who will choose the world body’s next chief. Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica’s Re»»»

Investor confidence in Romania recorded a cautious improvement, but the business environment remains concerned about legislative predictability and rising cost pressures, according to the latest edition of the Business Sentiment Index (BSI), a survey conducted in March 2026 by the Foreign Investors»»»

The non-reimbursable component of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) increased in the first quarter by 3 billion RON, from 2.8 billion RON to 5.8 billion RON, but the absorption of funds must be accelerated, given the August deadline for meeting milestones and obtaining tranches from »»»

Dubai: Emirates NBD reported higher first-quarter earnings, supported by strong lending growth and record non-funded income, as it navigated a period of geopolitical uncertainty. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.Total income rose 21% year-on-year t»»»

The Trump administration naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz failed after at least 34 tankers with links to Iran passed through the narrow waterway and exited the Persian Gulf in defiance of the US warships attempts to halt Iran’s oil exports. »»»