MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States has suspended shipments of US dollars to Iraq and frozen select security cooperation programs, stepping up pressure on Baghdad to clamp down on Iran-backed militias, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Iraqi and American officials. Following the 2003 invasi»»»

Hezbollah held a mass funeral in south Lebanon's Kfar Sir on Tuesday for more than a dozen fighters killed during more than six weeks of war with Israel. The ceremony came after Israel and Lebanon entered into a 10-day ceasefire on Friday announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. Iran-backed Hezbol»»»

An Israeli strike on Lebanon's Bekaa region killed one person and wounded two others on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, despite an ongoing truce between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. "One person was killed and two others were wounded as a result of an attack carried out by an enemy dr»»»

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan has denied reports of alleged disagreements between law enforcement agencies. The ministry stated that security structures are working in a coordinated manner, and the fight against corruption is being conducted systematically and within the law. Photo»»»

An Israeli drone strike on Lebanon's Bekaa region killed one person and injured two others on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, despite an ongoing truce between Israel Hezbollah. "One person was killed and two others were wounded as a result of an attack carried out by an enemy drone at daw»»»

Dubai: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) announced the launch of new commercial towers in Uptown Dubai, adding more than 560,000 square feet of luxury office space as demand from finance and technology firms gathers pace. The twin developments — One Uptown Place and Two Uptown Place — will take»»»

There are few places in Dubai where you can still eat luqaimat under fairy lights and enjoy Thai noodles from a floating boat, all in one evening, all without emptying your wallet. And after its closure during the Iran–Israel–US conflict, Global Village is finally open again. It's almost the same a»»»

George Simion, the leader of the nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), sent a letter on Wednesday to congratulate Rumen Radev, the leader of the Progressive Bulgaria coalition, on Radev's election victory at the snap parliamentary elections in Bulgaria on April 19. The letter reads»»»

As the dust settles from the latest economic upheaval triggered by the US under President Trump’s administration, the world finds itself grappling with unprecedented market volatility and investor panic. The sweeping tariffs on imports from over 180 countries have set off a chain reaction of econom»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov signed a new law «On State Awards, Honorary Titles and State Prizes of the Kyrgyz Republic,» introducing major reforms to the national awards system. The legislation, adopted by the Zhogorku Kenesh on March 19, 2026, aims to streamline and modernize the existin»»»

Egypt is preparing to offer 10 more companies belonging to the Armed Forces on the stock exchange after it had offered shares in army-owned Wataniya Petroleum Company and National Company for Producing and Bottling Water (Safi), Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli said last Saturday. In a press confere»»»

Israel is escalating its campaign in southern Lebanon beyond direct military operations, pursuing what Lebanese officials describe as a systematic destruction of infrastructure, particularly in villages along the so-called “Yellow Line.” Hospitals, schools, and water, electricity and telecommunicat»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US intelligence believes Iran has retained significant military might, despite America's assetions that Iran's defensive and offensive capabilities have been eliminated, NBC News reports, citing US lawmakers. The intelligence data contradicts statements by Pentagon chief Pete Heg»»»

The spokesman of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters has warned that the country’s armed forces have their hands on the trigger, fully prepared to immediately strike predetermined targets if the United States or ‘Israel’ commits any aggression. In a statement issued early on Wednesday, the»»»

Geneva: The State of Qatar participated in the 67th Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), dedicated to confirming the appointment of the Director General of the Organization, held Tuesday in Geneva. Permanent Representative of »»»

Doha: The Qatar Photography Centre, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, opened on Monday the joint photography exhibition “Heritage Frames” by photographers Shaima Al Mutawa and Noura Al Abd Al Jabbar. The exhibition will run until May 20 at the centre’s headquarters in the Katara Cultural Vil»»»

Iran fired on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, damaging the vessel and complicating efforts to bring the United States and Iran together in Pakistan for talks to end the war. The morning attack by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard came after U.S. President Donald Trump s»»»

US President Donald Trump said he would indefinitely extend the ceasefire with Iran to allow for further peace talks, although it was not clear on Wednesday if Iran or Israel would agree. Trump said in a statement on social media the US had agreed to a request by Pakistani mediators "to hold our At»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai dropped sharply on Wednesday morning as markets reacted to easing geopolitical tensions following a US move to extend a ceasefire with Iran. Spot gold rose 1.48 per cent to $4,770.01 per ounce, as of 11:07 am UAE time, after falling to its lowest level since ​April 13 on»»»

Doha, Qatar: Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), a Qatar Foundation partner university and branch campus of Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Richmond, Virginia (US), will showcase Aghrab Idrāk: Thresholds of Perception, a Collateral Ev»»»

MALABO: Pope Leo XIV is visiting one of Equatorial Guinea’s notorious prisons Wednesday, drawing attention to human rights abuses that campaigners have denounced for years and especially after the US began deporting third-country migrants here. Leo’s visit to the prison in Bata, the central African»»»

MALABO: Pope Leo XIV is visiting one of Equatorial Guinea’s notorious prisons Wednesday, drawing attention to human rights abuses that campaigners have denounced for years and especially after the US began deporting third-country migrants here. Leo’s visit to the prison in Bata, the central African»»»

KYIV: The killing of seven people by a gunman in Kyiv has ignited debate in Ukraine over who should be allowed to carry weapons --with many pushing for a loosening of the country’s strict gun laws.The motive of the shooter who was born in Moscow, lived in eastern Ukraine, and opened fire with a reg»»»

President Donald Trump extended the U.S. ceasefire with Iran to allow more time for peace talks, with Tehran silent on the decision early Wednesday. Trump indefinitely pushed back the end of the two week truce, crediting a request from mediator Pakistan and stressing the need to give Iran's "fractu»»»

An agent of Israel’s Mossad, identified as “M”, was killed abroad during operations against Iran, Mossad Director David Barnea said on Tuesday during an Israeli Remembrance Day ceremony for the organization's fallen. The agent played a major role in collecting intelligence related to Israel’s wars »»»

An Iranian gunboat fired at a container ship off the coast of Oman on Wednesday, causing damage but no casualties, a British maritime security agency said. "The master of a container ship reported that the vessel was approached by one IRGC gunboat... that then fired upon the vessel, which has cause»»»

On April 22, 2005, Zacarias Moussaoui, the only man charged in the United States in connection with the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. 1 of 8 | Courtroom artist Andrea Shepard leaves the courtroom after Zacarias Moussaoui pleaded guilty to co»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s 2026 Year of Culture (YoC) with Canada and Mexico is emerging as a dynamic platform for international cultural diplomacy, fostering long-term partnerships and people-to-people connections, according to Years of Culture Advisor on Latin American Affairs, Mohammed Al Kuwari. Spea»»»

An Israeli strike on Lebanon's Bekaa region killed one person and wounded two others on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, despite an ongoing truce between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. "One person was killed and two others were wounded as a result of an attack carried out by an enemy dr»»»

Doha, Qatar: Jumbo Electronics, a leading technology and enterprise solutions provider in the region, has announced a strategic partnership with NSquare Xperts, a global digital transformation and enterprise modernisation specialist. This collaboration represents a significant step forward in Jumbo»»»

Doha, Qatar: In partnership with the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is implementing a livelihood project to help improve the economic conditions of the people of Gaza. Dr. Akram Nassar, head of QRCS’s representation office in Gaza, expla»»»

State Secretary of Kyrgyzstan, Arslan Koichiev, proposed preserving the historic building of the former pretrial detention center in Osh and converting it into a museum. He announced this on Facebook. According to him, the building is located in the city center and has historical value. As Arslan K»»»

Skopje, 20 April 2026 (MIA) - Macedonia and Kazakhstan signed Monday an agreement on setting up a bilateral business council and a memorandum for promotion of trade and economic cooperation, aimed at strengthening economic ties and increasing trade exchange. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and F»»»

TOKYO: Oil prices were largely flat on ​Wednesday after rising about $1 at the start of Asian trading, with investors assessing the outlook for ‌US-Iran peace talks following the US extension of a ceasefire. Brent crude futures were up 3 cents, or 0.02 percent, at $98.51 a barrel at 07:38 a.m. Saud»»»

Ukrainian drones attacked two residential buildings in Syzran, causing the entrance sections of one of them to collapse, Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations reports. The injured people, including two children, are receiving medical assistance, the report states.Earlier in the morning, the bui»»»

Doha, Qatar: United Development Company (UDC), a leading Qatari public shareholding company and the master developer of The Pearl and Gewan Islands, announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2026, reporting net profit of QR71m on revenues of QR459m. The net profit attributable to the»»»

Doha, Qatar: Gulf Warehousing Company (GWC Group), one of the region’s leading logistics groups providing cross-border and integrated logistics solutions, released its financial performance data for the first quarter of 2026 following a Board of Directors meeting held yesterday and chaired by GWC G»»»

Around 80% of employers believe that the development of artificial intelligence will not affect hiring volumes over the next two years, although they expect to seek candidates with different skills than those currently in demand, according to a survey conducted by an online recruitment platform.Fou»»»

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said on Tuesday that the SAFE Program should be completed by the end of May, noting that negotiations are underway and that Romania stands to benefit from access to financing under more advantageous conditions than those available on the market."We are in the full proces»»»

The Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) continued its decline in Tuesday's trading session, which closed with a total turnover of approximately 121.7 million lei (23.9 million euros), up from 88 million lei (17.26 million euros) in the previous session.The main index of the Bucharest Stock Exchange, BET»»»

Romania's borrowing costs will increase as a result of the political crisis and its effects are already being felt in the economy, President of the Fiscal Council Daniel Daianu said on Tuesday."Good faith in political action, represented by Parliament, must lead to a resolution as quickly as possib»»»

National Liberal Party (PNL) chairman and Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said on Tuesday that the party will attend the consultations convened by President Nicusor Dan at the Cotroceni Palace with the mandate set out in the resolution adopted by the Liberal leadership.Asked what mandate PNL will take »»»

Police in Crete intensified their search Wednesday for a 43-year-old mother of three as the investigation into her disappearance took a grim turn following the discovery of her former partner’s body. Eleftheria Giakoumaki has been missing since Sunday morning after leaving her home in the village o»»»

Education will become a strategically important sector under a Tisza government, the party’s president wrote on Facebook on Tuesday after holding consultations with the principals of 15 secondary schools run by different maintaining bodies. Péter Magyar said that in reshaping the education system t»»»

The European Court of Justice has officially declared Hungary’s child protection law unlawful due to discrimination and stigmatization. In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) annulled the law on protection against paedophiles and the protection of childr»»»

A Tisza government is committed to improving the business environment for enterprises and will increase economic productivity and the efficiency of the domestic SME sector through a comprehensive series of measures, István Kapitány, the Tisza Party’s nominee for minister of economy and energy, wrot»»»

DUBAI: Haitham Al-Busafi will represent Oman at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia — which runs from May 9 until Nov. 22 — and he will also serve as its curator. Commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and located in the Arsenale Artiglierie, “Zinah” »»»

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Tournament debutants Machida Zelvia secured a place in a first Asian Champions League (Elite) final following a controversial 1-0 victory against UAE side Shabab Al Ahli in Jeddah yesterday. The Japanese team, who until this season had never appeared in the continent’s premier»»»

Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority announced on Tuesday a significant environmental milestone with the rehabilitation of more than 614,000 hectares of reserve land. The figure represents over 60% of the total national environmental accomplishment of rehabilitating the»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Ahli coach Younes Ali yesterday acknowledged a tough challenge against Al Nassr but said his team is ready and eager to put in a strong performance in the AFC Champions League Two semi-final at Zabeel Stadium in Dubai today. Al Ahli, who defeated Jordan’s Al Hussein 3-1 in the quart»»»