In this image released Thursday by state media, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's daughter Kim Ju Ae fires a pistol during an inspection of a munitions factory with her father. Photo by KCNA/EPA SEOUL, March 12 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a munitions factory that produces lig»»»

In times of uncertainty, words can carry immense power. In the UAE, a recent speech by the President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan did exactly that, offering reassurance, strength and a reminder of the resilience that defines the nation. One phrase from his address quickly resonat»»»

An Italian military base in Iraqi Kurdistan was struck by a missile overnight though no injuries were reported, the Italian defense ministry said on Thursday. "A missile hit our ‌base in ‌Erbil. There are ‌no ⁠casualties or injuries among ⁠the Italian personnel. They are all fine," the ministry sai»»»

The MRF - New Beginning political formation will submit a proposal to impose a moratorium on the transfer of state-owned properties by the caretaker Government, the party’s press centre announced here on Thursday. The statement added that “Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev and municipal councillors from Co»»»

Iran has repeatedly struck the Gulf states, where American military bases are located, in retaliation for US–Israeli attacks that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and continue to pummel Iranian sites. The UN Security Council resolution, passed by 13 votes with two abstentions fr»»»

Doha, Qatar: Sweden has reaffirmed its strong support for and solidarity with Qatar amid the evolving geopolitical situation in the region, with senior Swedish leaders holding high-level discussions with their Qatari counterparts, and the Swedish Embassy in Doha working around the clock to assist i»»»

AMMAN — Rising Mideast tension is beginning to affect shipping and transport activity in the region, with freight costs increasing and some shipping lines imposing additional fees to cover operational risks.Government officials and logistics sector representatives held meetings earlier this week to»»»

AMMAN — The Amman Stock Exchange (ASE), in collaboration with UN Women, UN Global Compact Jordan (UNGCJ), and the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative (SSE), hosted the 12th annual Ring The Bell (RTB) for Gender Equality event.Held in celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2026, the globa»»»

A nationwide strike in Belgium on Thursday is expected to cause significant disruptions to the country’s transport infrastructure, Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry said on its website. Brussels Airport (Zaventem) has announced the suspension of all departing flights and part of arriving flights for the »»»

Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment as Iran’s new Supreme Leader marks the most consequential political transition in the Islamic Republic in more than three decades. For the first time since the 1979 revolution, supreme authority has passed directly from father to son. The Assembly of Experts confirmed»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi has affirmed that Qatar has been actively engaging with its international and regional partners in recent days as part of efforts to address escalating tensions and support calls f»»»

Switzerland said Wednesday it was temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran due to the Middle East war but maintaining an "open line" of communication between the United States and Iran. For decades, neutral Switzerland has played a key role in maintaining basic diplomatic contacts between Iran and»»»

Dubai: The spy-action film Dhurandhar is returning to theatres worldwide in a rare international re-release ahead of the upcoming sequel Dhurandhar The Revenge, which is scheduled to hit cinemas on March 19. The re-release, announced by Jio Studios and B62 Studios, will see the original film screen»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai eased on Thursday morning, giving shoppers a small breather after several sessions of elevated prices earlier this month. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The 24-karat rate stood at Dh619.75 per gram at around 9.30 am on Thursday, down from D»»»

This is a direct translation from the original article that appeared in Arabic. With the 2026 midterm elections now only eight months away, the United States is entering an exceptional and unusually fraught political moment, one in which geopolitical turmoil collides with the deep internal polarisa»»»

Doha, Qatar: Visa consultancy The Visa Guy in Qatar has launched an AI-powered Visa Eligibility Checker designed to predict travellers’ chances of obtaining a visa before starting the application process. The tool allows users to select a destination country and interact with an AI assistant throug»»»

Doha, Qatar: Mannai Corporation convened its Ordinary General Assembly Meeting virtually via the Zoom platform yesterday, at 9:30 p.m. Doha time. The meeting was chaired by Sheikh Suhaim bin Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairman of the Company, who reviewed and highlighted Mannai Corporation’s fin»»»

Lebanon said an Israeli strike on central Beirut's seafront killed at least seven people early on Thursday, another attack in the heart of the capital as Iran-backed Hezbollah launched more missiles at Israel. The Israeli military said separately it had carried out strikes on Beirut's southern subu»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stars League (QSL) resumes today with Round 18 matches after a brief suspension caused by regional tensions, as teams return to action for the decisive phase of the season. The pause resulted in the postponement of two Round 17 fixtures - Qatar SC vs Al Shamal and Al Arabi vs»»»

The US, it seems, is back in the ‘regime change’ business. Despite his past promises to “stop the reckless and costly policy of regime change,” Donald Trump’s Operation Epic Fury looks anything but. Israel’s assassination of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khameni on the first day and Trump’s urging the »»»

FRANCE 24 spoke to Artak Beglaryan, former state minister and human rights ombudsman of Nagorno-Karabakh. The peace declaration signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan last August in Washington raised cautious hopes, but for displaced residents of Nagorno-Karabakh the situation remains difficult.&nbs»»»

The International Energy Agency (IEA) said its 32 members would release a record 400 million barrels from strategic reserves to steady markets as the Middle East war continue to push oil prices higher and threaten global supply. The 32 member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) decid»»»

Over 700,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon amid intense Israeli strikes, with nearly 600 having died since the start of the war. Although the capital has mostly been spared, it has suffered two strikes in its heart. FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris Trent speaks from where the latest bomb struck»»»

Since the war has started, fourteen ships have been hit in the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran vows to carry out an 'oil blockade'. Although oil prices have gone down after sharply increasing, concern remains. French President Emmanuel Macron is calling on G7 leaders to work together to reestablish 'free»»»

US financial service group Citi and two other companies in Dubai's financial centre asked employees to evacuate their offices on Wednesday after Iran threatened to strike US and Israel-linked banks in the Middle East. FRANCE 24's Camille Knight has more.»»»

More than 700,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Lebanon since the country was dragged back into war with Israel on March 2. FRANCE 24’s reporter met with displaced families who have found refuge in Beirut’s overwhelmed emergency shelters, and others who have no choi»»»

The New York Times on Wednesday reported that a US Tomahawk missile likely hit a school in Iran due to outdated targeting data, killing more than 150 people. This comes after US President Donald Trump suggested that Iran itself might have been responsible for the strike. The United States was respo»»»

Iran has ⁠arrested dozens including ​a foreign national for allegedly spying for the country's "enemies". Dr Aviva Guttmann, Lecturer in Strategy and Intelligence at the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University, details how Mossad has inflirtated Iran's security apparatus over»»»

Iran has ⁠arrested dozens including ​a foreign national for allegedly spying for the country's "enemies". Dr Aviva Guttmann, Lecturer in Strategy and Intelligence at the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University, details how Mossad has inflirtated Iran's security apparatus over»»»

Tehran may seek to choke off oil traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, raising fears it could deploy sea mines, officials say. President Donald Trump said US forces struck 28 Iranian mine-laying vessels as concerns grow over threats to the strategic sh»»»

Several major international businesses closed or evacuated offices in Gulf countries after Iran threatened US- and Israel-linked economic targets and centres in the Middle East. US finance group Citi and British consultancy Deloitte evacuated offices in Dubai's financial centre, while PwC, another »»»

The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday it has made "considerable progress" in talks with Pakistan ⁠over its funding ⁠facilities and that discussions will continue. "While considerable progress was made ⁠in the discussions, these will continue in the coming days, including to more fully a»»»

War-torn Ukraine "will stop at nothing" to prevent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party winning the upcoming Hungarian elections, the Hungarian government claims. Physical violence against the prime minister and his family, and attacks or sabotage of key energy installations, are being »»»

The Veterinary, Livestock, Pastures, and Feed Development Service of Kyrgyzstan reminds everyone that meat sold in official markets and retail outlets across the country is safe. The agency emphasizes that the country has a well-functioning animal identification and tracking system. All cattle, pig»»»

A French aid worker for the UN children's agency was killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday, after air strikes overnight killed several people in the city of Goma.  A French national working for UNICEF was killed in Goma in the eastern »»»

Rising inflation has dampened Ramadan celebrations in Libya. Across the country, families have had to cope with higher prices. In the eastern city of Benghazi, residents have embraced the spirit of the holy month by lending a helping hand to the city's most disadvantaged people. FRANCE 24's Lilia B»»»

With France preparing to vote in the first round of the municipal elections on Sunday, Paris has become a battleground between left- and right-wing forces fighting to shape the capital’s future. FRANCE 24 looks at how the city’s affordable housing crisis is shaping the tight-run race.  For man»»»

French artificial intelligence startup AMI on Tuesday said it has raised $1 billion to develop AI systems designed to understand the physical world "in the way animals and humans do", unlike the language-based models behind chatbots such as ChatGPT. The company said it expected to pr»»»

Greek Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias will visit Bulgaria on Thursday at the invitation of caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov. The two ministers and the delegations they lead will discuss current issues in the field of security and defence, the Bulgarian Defence Ministry’s press»»»

Shell, the world's largest liquefied natural gas trader, has declared force majeure on LNG cargoes it buys from QatarEnergy and sells to its clients worldwide, three sources told Reuters on Wednesday. Qatar, the world's second-largest exporter of LNG, announced a production halt at its 77 million t»»»

Parliament is set to debate at first reading five bills proposing amendments to the Penal Code, according to the agenda adopted for Thursday's plenary sitting. Four of the bills have been approved by the National Assembly’s Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, while one has been rejected.»»»

A woman suspected of murdering her husband has been detained in Chui region. The press service of the Main Department of Internal Affairs of Chui region reported. According to police, on March 11, 2026, at approximately 12:20 p.m., a woman U.V. reported the murder of her husband, P.A., in a house o»»»

Over the past weeks, the bodies of anonymous migrants have washed up on the shores of Sicily, victims of the recent extreme weather caused by Storm Harry as they were attempting to cross the sea from north Africa. The cyclone has underlined a brutal reality: that the central Mediterranean remains o»»»

Ukraine has sent drone expert teams to several Gulf countries to help in their fight against Iran's drones. The Ukrainian military has experience downing Iranian Shahed drones and the government “sees this as an opportunity,” explains FRANCE 24’s Gulliver Cragg, reporting from Kyiv. With the war ag»»»

The country is consistently working to develop its processing industry, and the sector is showing steady positive growth. During the reporting period, the share of food processing enterprises, including beverage and tobacco production, in the total volume of processing industry output was 18.8 perc»»»

Dubai: Dutch carrier KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has cancelled all flights to Dubai until March 28 due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The airline said passengers booked on the affected services will be contacted and can either »»»

Spain has permanently withdrawn its ambassador from Israel, formally downgrading the level of diplomatic relations with the country. The long-strained relations between Madrid and West Jerusalem have deteriorated amid the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran. Spain is the only Western nation that ha»»»

WASHINGTON (AP): House lawmakers were digging into Jeffrey Epstein's sprawling financial portfolio Wednesday as a committee deposed his former accountant and tried to understand his connections to some of the world's wealthiest men. Richard Kahn, who worked closely with Epstein for years and now se»»»

Twenty people have been admitted to the Republican Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital as a result of the mass food poisoning, the hospital’s chief physician, Gulzhigit Aaliev, told 24.kg news agency. According to him, 19 people have been hospitalized, and another is receiving outpatient treatmen»»»

A police officer has been detained in Bishkek on suspicion of fraud, the press center of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) reported. According to the SCNS, an officer of the Security Department of Pervomaisky District of the Interior Ministry’s Security Service, K.u.A., took a large »»»