Muscat, Oman: The main index of Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) posted weekly gains of 174 points on Saturday, April 17, 2026, closing at 8,336, while the market capitalization of listed securities rose to OMR 38.625 billion, marking weekly gains of OMR 657.6 million. The benchmark index saw 48 securit»»»

Senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qamati said on Saturday that his group was not concerned by Lebanon's planned direct talks with Israel, labelling them a failure, Reuters reported. In a press conference in Beirut's southern suburbs, Qamati said his group was "not concerned with the negotiations bei»»»

In line with ongoing assessments conducted by the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority, in coordination with the Ministry of Education, bus services for private educational institutions in Dubai will resume starting Monday, April 20, 2026, in accordance with the approved safety protoc»»»

Seven weeks of war have failed to topple Iran’s theocratic rulers or force them to meet all of President Donald Trump's demands, but for US adversaries and allies it has cast a spotlight on one of his central vulnerabilities: economic pressure. Even with Iran’s announcement on Friday that it was re»»»

Tunis, April 18 (TAP)- A workshop entitled "APII, Catalyst for the Digital Industry through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)" will take place on April 23 in Tunis, on the initiative of the Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation...»»»

Newark, United States: World Cup fans will have to pay $150 -- more than 10 times the normal price -- for the quick round-trip train between New York and Meadowlands stadium when it hosts the tournament's final and seven earlier matches, local officials said Friday, drawing outrage. The 36 miles (5»»»

The Israeli military said Saturday it had established a "Yellow Line" demarcation in southern Lebanon, similar to the one separating its forces from territory still held by Hamas in Gaza, adding that it had already struck suspected militants approaching its troops along the line. "Over the past 24 »»»

A French soldier was killed and three others wounded in an attack Saturday on U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon that appeared to have been carried out by Hezbollah, French President Emmanuel Macron said. "Everything points to Hezbollah being responsible for this attack," he said on X, urging Lebanese au»»»

Governance, ESG Compliance and Risk Priorities for Qatar's Private Sector," which brought together more than 200 participants from across the business and professional community. The webinar brought together a distinguished group of participants representing banks, law firms, embassies, real estate»»»

Melbourne, Australia: A car ploughed into a group of pedestrians outside Melbourne Showgrounds on Saturday evening, leaving at least one dead and one seriously injured, Victoria Police of Australia said. "It is believed a grey Toyota mounted a kerb on Langs Road and struck two pedestrians just befo»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe An Israeli soldier was killed and five others were wounded after a roadside bomb exploded in southern Lebanon yesterday: Zionist media 18-0»»»

Berlin, Germany: One man was killed and four others seriously injured in a powerful explosion inside a pedestrian tunnel in Volklingen, western Germany. German police said the injured include two men in life-threatening condition. Investigators believe the blast was caused by human action, without »»»

No date has been set for the next round of Iran–U.S. peace talks brokered by Pakistan following the failure of an initial round, Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Saturday. "Until we agree on the framework, we cannot set a date," Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on the sidelines of an annual»»»

Iranian gunboats fired on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a British maritime security agency reported, after Iran's military reversed a pledge to open the route to shipping. The tanker's captain reported being approached 37 kilometers (23 miles) northeast of Oman by two gunboats of Ir»»»

A statement said to have been issued by Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned Saturday that Tehran's navy was ready to defeat U.S. forces, as the foes sparred over the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement carried on his Telegram channel, Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since before th»»»

Ankara, April 18 (SANA) Türkiye ‘s Ambassador in Damascus, Nuh Yılmaz, said on Saturday that Turkiye and Syria are before historic opportunity to enhance their energy market position following the seven-week closure of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy F»»»

Cairo, Egypt: Spanish archaeological mission uncovered a rare tomb dating from 30 BC to 395 AD in Egypt's central Minya province, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Saturday. The find will help shed light on the funerary features during the Roman and Greek periods, the ministry s»»»

In a major plot twist most people probably did not see coming for 2026, cabbage is trending, taking the spotlight on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Pinterest even named it this year’s "it” vegetable, predicting cabbage steaks, kimchi cocktails and other cabbage-forward recipes»»»

New York: The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) participated in the 2026 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Convened under the theme "Innovate, Unite and Transform: Youth Shaping the Road to 2030," the Forum brought together youth, Membe»»»

Amman: Jordanian authorities thwarted an attempt by five individuals to illegally cross the country's southern border, according to the Jordan News Agency (Petra). Border guards detected the infiltrators on Saturday, applied rules of engagement, arrested them, and referred them to the competent aut»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar National Bank (QNB) expects the Indian economy to maintain robust growth despite global challenges and geopolitical volatility, projecting that strong domestic fundamentals will keep expansion above 6%, reinforcing its position among the world's fastest-growing major economies. I»»»

Doha, Qatar: The National Cyber Security Agency, NCSA, issued the Individuals’ Rights Guidelines that provide information to help understand rights under the Personal Data Privacy Protection Law. It urged individuals to know their rights, how to exercise these rights and their roles in the protecti»»»

School transport operations will resume across Sharjah and Ajman from Monday, April 20, 2026, following coordination between education and emergency authorities. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.In Sharjah, the decision was taken in light of an ass»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iran Says It Reasserted Control of Strait of Hormuz, Citing US Piracy and Blockade 18-04-2026 13:38 PM The spokesperson for the Khatam al-A»»»

Tunis, April 18 (TAP)- The National Company Register (RNE) will operate 100% online as of H2 of 2026 ,the agency said on Saturday. This will help further simplify procedures, shorten processing times and do away with the physical submission...»»»

Washington, United States: US President Donald Trump's administration on Friday issued a month-long sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products that are at sea, extending an earlier move to soften surging energy prices. The license, issued by the Treasury Department, co»»»

Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC) said that the Palestinian cause today faces a growing gap between the clarity of principle and the hesitation of international will to implement it, noting that this gap lies at the heart of the conflict as it reflects the disparity betwee»»»

Residents of the seaside settlement of Xifia near Monemvasia are raising concerns over a major tourism investment that they say will double the size of their sparsely built community and alter its character. The project began drawing attention a year and half ago, when a fenced worksite appeared on»»»

Bangkok, Thailand: The Thai government is closely monitoring the melioidosis situation amid the ongoing concern over the rising trend of infections, as a total of 732 cases have been recorded nationwide from Jan. 1 to April 16, with 23 deaths, an official said on Saturday. Deputy Government Spokesp»»»

Dubai: Several Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have raised concerns over mounting risks to global food supplies, calling for a coordinated international action to safeguard supply chains amid ongoing global disruptions. The call has come during a meeting held at the Philippine Embassy in Rome»»»

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, GCC Secretary-General, welcomed the resolution adopted by the Legal Committee of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) during its 113th session, which strongly condemned Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as its attacks, threats against vessels in the r»»»

Paris, France: French film star Nathalie Baye, a multi-Cesar Award winner who starred in Steven Spielberg's "Catch Me if You Can," has died at the age of 77, her family told AFP on Saturday. Baye, a stalwart of French cinema, starred in some 80 films and took home the best actress Cesar -- France's»»»

A man has been arrested in Melbourne after a car mounted a kerb and struck two pedestrians, killing one and leaving another with life-threatening injuries, according to Victoria Police. According to the BBC, the incident occurred on Saturday in the suburb of Ascot Vale, when a grey Toyota struck th»»»

ANTALYA (Sputnik) - One of the goals of the US operation in Iran was to control the oil that passes through the Strait of Hormuz, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday. "I do not think there really were plans to destroy civilization. I think it is just a figure of speech. But the »»»

ANTALYA, Turkey (Sputnik) - The Strait of Hormuz is open for merchant shipping, with possible technical restrictions due to mines, but there is no blockade and there will not be one, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has said. "There is no uncertainty for us on this issue. I cannot »»»

Doha, Qatar: Media City Qatar and Es'hailSat have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at expanding satellite broadcasting capabilities and strengthening digital media infrastructure for licensed companies operating within Media City Qatar. Under the agreement, Es'hailSat will explore l»»»

Türkiye's top diplomat on Saturday accused Israel of creating an international "illusion" and using security concerns as a pretext to seize "more land," in the latest flare-up in escalating tensions between the two regional powers. Israel and Türkiye have been trading near-daily diplomatic barbs ov»»»

Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said that there are no reforms without challenges, and that Egypt’s economic reform has went through its most difficult phase, and that the government is committed to continue its reform through, backed by the political leadership’s will and support, towards achieving i»»»

Egypt is working closely with Pakistan on a framework aimed at securing a lasting peace between the US and Iran, ⁠Foreign Minister Badr ⁠Abdelatty said on Saturday. He said Egypt, Türkiye, Pakistan and ⁠Saudi Arabia were coordinating a broader regional effort focused on preventing renewed escalatio»»»

Tehran: Iran's central military command announced on Saturday it would resume "strict management" of the Strait of Hormuz, reversing a decision to unblock the strategic channel as part of negotiations with Washington. In a statement shared on state television, the headquarters said Washington had b»»»

Karachi: Pakistan included four uncapped players in their squad announced Saturday for next month's two Test matches against Bangladesh, and also appointed Sarfaraz Ahmed as head coach. The matches, part of the World Test Championship (WTC) will be played in Dhaka (May 8-12) and Sylhet (12-16). Top»»»

Skopje, 17 April 2026 (MIA) - The Government remains committed to maintaining the macroeconomic and public finance stability, fiscal consolidation, accelerated and sustainable economic growth. It closely follows developments amid the global uncertainty and undertakes measurds to manage the challeng»»»

Rising violence within Yemen’s Houthi movement is highlighting deep internal divisions, as competition over influence and resources intensifies amid growing isolation and public discontent, analysts and local sources say. Recent incidents point to a weakness in managing internal disputes, with clas»»»

The Iranian military has once again closed free passage through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, citing what it described as US ‘piracy.’ On Friday, Tehran initially declared the waterway completely open for commercial vessels for the remaining period of the ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Leba»»»

The Interior Ministry has published on the Public Consultation Portal for public debate until May 14 proposed amendments to the Ombudsman Act assigning the institution responsibility for screening cross-border migration. To exercise these powers, the Ombudsman will be able to carry out periodic and»»»

Jos, Nigeria: Several of 14 people who were kidnapped on Wednesday in Nigeria's central Benue State have been rescued, local police said. Kidnappings for ransom are common in Nigeria, but Africa's most populous country has been faced a surge of such attacks for months, particularly in the northern »»»

Shtip, 16 April 2026 (MIA) — Agricultural experts, professors and students from seven countries convened Thursday at Goce Delchev University for the 5th annual Agroscience and Practice international conference. At the conference, local attendees as well as participants from the Czech Republic, Croa»»»

Vienna: A supplier of baby food jars in Austria is recalling a line saying a lethal substance may have been introduced through tampering. The HiPP brand said it was recalling its "entire line of baby food jars sold at SPAR Austria" as "it cannot be ruled out that a hazardous substance was introduce»»»

Iran has said it is reinstating strict controls over the Strait of Hormuz, reversing an earlier move to ease transit as tensions with the United States escalate over an ongoing naval blockade. Iran’s central military command said on Saturday it would return to “strict management” of the strategic w»»»

The Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) announced last Wednesday (15 April) that it is to revalue its assets. This comes in line with its approved strategy and to reinforce its commitment to good governance principles and transparency and disclosure requirements, it said. This valuation project of it»»»