South Korea's Unification Ministry said Friday that remarks by Minister Chung Dong-young on North Korea's Kusong nuclear enrichment site were based on public information. Chung is seen here testifying at the National Assembly on Wednesday. Photo by Yonhap The unification ministry has explained to t»»»

Dubai: The General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat has announced the resumption of in-person learning at all Quran memorisation centres and study circles in mosques across the UAE, effective Monday, April 20, 2026. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now -»»»

A total of 2,066 alerts for election crimes and violations, have been received by the authorities by 9 in the morning on Friday, caretaker Interior Minister Emil Dechev said in Pleven. Similar alerts ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections totaled only 612, he said. The authorities have opened 53»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah: Despite its vast intelligence capabilities and overwhelming firepower, the Israeli war machine has failed to deter Islamic Resis»»»

Security-2026 command and staff exercises will be held in Issyk-Kul region from April 21 to 23, the regional administration announced. The exercises will take place in Karakol, as well as in the villages of Kazasuu and Ak-Suu. During the exercises, a curfew will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. A»»»

Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Aldabaiba inaugurated the 52nd edition of the Tripoli International Fair yesterday evening, in its centenary year, in the presence of several participating international delegations, as well as government ministers. 35 foreign companies and 250 local companiesThe exhibiti»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Alfred Kammer, head of the International Monetary Fund's European Department, warned on Friday that the European Union could be on the brink of recession with inflation approaching 5% amid the Middle East conflict. "In a more severe scenario as described in the World Economic Out»»»

Dubai: Dubai South has introduced a fresh round of incentives for companies operating within its free zone, as part of a broader push to sustain business activity and ease cost pressures amid the ongoing crisis. The measures include support for new company formation, assistance with licence renewal»»»

Libya’s Customs Authority announced yesterday that it has officially adjusted the Customs Dollar Rate used to calculate the tariff imposed on imports to the be the applicable exchange rate set by the Central Bank of Libya at the time of calculation. In effect, this means that the former Customs Dol»»»

A fragile 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon appeared to be holding early Friday, raising cautious hopes of a broader de-escalation across the Middle East after weeks of intense fighting. The truce, announced by US President Donald Trump and agreed by Israel and Lebanon, took effect overni»»»

DOHA: Minister of Public Health His Excellency Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud has issued a circular authorising the use of the valid national identification (QID) card for residents instead of the health card when accessing services at Hamad Medical Corporation, the Primary Health Care Corporation,»»»

Dubai Police have impounded several vehicles after motorists were found performing dangerous stunts during recent rainfall, turning wet road conditions into incidents of reckless driving and road disorder across the emirate. Brigadier Jumaa Salem bin Suwaidan, Director of the General Department of »»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Public Health HE Mansoor bin Ebrahim bin Saad Al Mahmoud has issued a circular adopting the valid national ID (QID) card for residents in place of the health card when visiting Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, and other government health sector in»»»

Gold held largely steady on Friday and was on track for a fourth straight weekly gain, as hopes for a US-Iran peace deal eased fears of higher inflation and elevated interest rates. Spot gold eased 0.1% to $4,784.72 per ounce by 0646 GMT, but was up about 1% so far this week. US gold futures for Ju»»»

Beirut MPs representing most of Lebanon’s political parties met in the capital to support a government move declaring the city “safe and weapons-free,” following recent security incidents and Israeli strikes. The conference brought together most factions, except MPs from Hezbollah, the Amal Movemen»»»

Dubai: Lebanese civilians crossed the shattered remains of the Qasmiyeh bridge at sunrise Thursday, hours after Israeli strikes destroyed the crossing linking communities in southern Lebanon. A fragile ten-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel had just taken effect, prompting residents to return»»»

The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) has suspended the operations of a meat processing facility in the village of Radinovo, near Plovdiv, after an inspection found multiple violations of hygiene requirements and meat without documentation, the agency said. In three cold storage rooms, inspectors»»»

Residents of southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs began returning to their towns and villages on Friday, as a 10-day ceasefire with the Israeli occupation took effect at midnight. The roads leading to southern Lebanon witnessed heavy traffic congestion, with large numbers of citizens head»»»

Nearly a week after their Pacific splashdown, the astronauts who crewed the Artemis II mission that flew around the Moon told reporters Thursday they have yet to fully grasp the magnitude of the moment. "It's been a week of medical testing, physical testing, doctors, science objectives," mission co»»»

A federal judge on Thursday ordered all above-ground construction of the White House ballroom to stop. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 17 (UPI) -- All above-ground construction of the White House ballroom must be stopped amid litigation, a federal judge ordered Thursday, reprima»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli Army Radio quotes senior Israeli official: Lebanon ceasefire has been intrinsically linked to Tehran’s demands within talks with th»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem: The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon has once again demonstrated the Israeli enemy’s failure to achieve its obje»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli Army Radio: Senior Israeli official acknowledges Iran’s role in Lebanon ceasefire 17-04-2026 10:25 AM Latest News Urgent News Israe»»»

Dubai: At a time when headlines feel heavier than usual, South African comedian Robby Collins arrives in Dubai with none of the noise and with a very clear goal: make people laugh. The towering comic, currently performing with The Laughter Factory this weekend in Dubai, is in town during what many »»»

The US decision not to extend the New START treaty's limits after it expired — combined with attacks on Venezuela and Iran “create a strong incentive to acquire nuclear weapons as a tool of last resort for self-defense,” Russian economist Professor Alexander Dynkin tells Sputnik. The economist note»»»

Pakistani-flagged ‌tanker Shalamar has exited the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz carrying crude loaded from the United Arab Emirates, shipping data from Kpler and LSEG showed. The Aframax tanker exited the waterway on Thursday laden with about 440,000 barrels of Abu Dhabi's Das Blend crude loaded ea»»»

Air India has entered into a new interline partnership with WestJet, Canada’s leading leisure carrier, aimed at expanding connectivity between India and North America via Toronto and Vancouver. The agreement allows passengers to book single-ticket itineraries across both airlines, offering seamless»»»

A prehistoric hidden cave and hippo bones found beneath a Welsh castle could transform understanding of ancient life in Britain, researchers said Thursday, calling the site a "once-in-a-lifetime discovery". Previous small-scale excavations at Pembroke Castle have already uncovered evidence of early»»»

Türkiye hosts a high-stakes forum Friday bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as Islamabad pushes diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East war. Pakistan's powerful army chief met senior negotiators in Tehran on Thursday as Washington and Iran considered a fr»»»

A higher voter turnout is expected compared to the previous elections, with over 3.3 million people projected to go to the polls on April 19, around 60% of eligible voters living in the country, compared to 2.57 million who voted in the last parliamentary elections in October 2024, according to a p»»»

All eight people on board a helicopter were killed after it crashed in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province, authorities confirmed to local media on Friday. The aircraft, an Airbus H130 operated by a local aviation company, lost contact just five minutes after taking off on Thursday morning from a »»»

Law enforcement officers have been detained in Jalal-Abad region for taking a bribe, the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) reported. According to the investigation, a deputy head of the regional police department and an investigator demanded $2,000 in exchange for terminati»»»

Washington, April 17 (SANA) Finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Seven (G7) countries on Thursday called for efforts to limit the global economic impact of prolonged conflict in the Middle East, urging progress toward lasting stability in the region. Reuters quoted a stateme»»»

On April 17, 2013, an explosion at a West, Texas, fertilizer plant killed 15 people, injured dozens and caused massive property damage in the community. 1 of 4 | Remains of a fertilizer plant and other buildings smolder after the plant exploded in West, Texas on April 17, 2013. File Photo by Larry »»»

Ajman: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman. Their Highnesses engaged in warm discuss»»»

Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre (AD Mobility) has announced temporary road closures around Wahat Al Karama for the “Run for the Nation” 5km community race on Saturday, April 18. The event, organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in partnership with the Zayed Charity Run, will begin at 8am»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said he was concerned that a ceasefire between militant group Hezbollah and Israel "may already be undermined by ongoing military operations." "I call for the safety of civilians on both sides of the border between Lebanon and Israel," he said on X. "Hezbo»»»

A ten-day ceasefire deal agreed between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Friday, as US President Donald Trump said he was trying to set up the first-ever face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the two countries. The truce, which Trump said would begin at midnight local time in Lebanon and Isr»»»

An asteroid named after a god of chaos is heading toward Earth — but there is no need to panic just yet, according to The Independent. The massive rock is arriving for a historic flyby rather than a disaster, according to NASA. The encounter is still a few years away, but when it finally arrives, i»»»

US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that an agreement could soon be reached to end the Iran war and urged the Tehran-aligned Hezbollah group to hold its fire as a 10-day truce went into effect between Lebanon and Israel. Trump said the next meeting between the United States and Iran coul»»»

The 30th edition of the European Film Festival (FFE) started from Thursday, April 16, until June 1 in 12 cities across the country and in the capital city Bucharest, with film producer Ada Solomon and filmmaker Igor Cobileanski serving as honorary ambassadors.The President of the Romanian Cultural »»»

Romania has a real potential for opening new export markets and the institutional dialogue and technical cooperation are essential for the Romanian producers stated the chairman of the National Sanitary Veterinary Authority and for Food Safety (ANSVSA), Alexandru Bociu after a meeting with Chen Fen»»»

The Government approved, on Thursday, a draft decision that stipulates that, for 2026, the maximum ceiling for contracting loans by local authorities is set at 3 billion lei both for the financing that can be contracted and for the related withdrawals.According to a press release from the Executive»»»

The Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, on Thursday discussed financing opportunities, infrastructure development and the involvement of American capital in major energy projects, as well as the importance of the partnership with the United States of America, with the Executive Director of the N»»»

The European Commission (EC) has opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether public support that Romania plans to grant for the refurbishment and lifetime extension of Unit 1 of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant is in line with EU state aid rules.In January 2026, Romania notified the EC of i»»»

The Government has regulated the manner in which the Authority for State Assets Administration takes over budgetary claims of certain companies with majority or wholly state-owned capital.To this end, two emergency ordinances have been adopted, which will allow the state to pursue its strategic int»»»

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) announced on Thursday that it opposes the steps initiated by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu for the sale of "profitable state-owned companies", companies that have an essential role in the country's security architecture. It sa»»»

Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu said that during Thursday's government meeting she presented an exploratory list of state-owned companies with potential for stock-exchange listing.She clarified this after being asked whether CEC Bank and Bucharest Airports National Corporation are being consid»»»

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) threatens government collapse, demands Ilie Bolojan resignation amid ultimatum claims. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan paid a late-night visit to the National Liberal Party (PNL) headquarters in Bucharest, where some party members had gathered for their “traditional Ea»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Sadd SC suffered a heartbreaking exit from the AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite, going down 5-4 on penalties to Vissel Kobe after a pulsating 3-3 draw in the quarter-final at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah yesterday. Substitute Jean Patric scored the winning»»»