Barcelona: Brazil’s president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called on the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to change course over the failure to stop conflict in the Middle East, AlJazeera reports. “We cannot wake up every morning and go to bed every night with a tweet from a presid»»»

Lebanon's president and prime minister discussed on Saturday preparations for the first direct negotiations with Israel in decades, as southerners headed home after the ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war. In a statement, the office of President Joseph Aoun said he and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam »»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Foundation (QF) said schools within its Pre-University Education ecosystem continue to foster a stable and supportive learning environment, placing student wellbeing and reassurance at the heart of the educational experience. In a statement, QF said, "Across the schools, leaders »»»

In a message on Saturday marking Iran’s Army Day, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei hailed the country’s army for courageously defending the nation in the recent imposed war, just as it did in previous imposed wars. He said the army of the Islamic Republic of Iran h»»»

DOHA: Qatar Foundation (QF) said schools within its Pre-University Education ecosystem continue to foster a stable and supportive learning environment, placing student wellbeing and reassurance at the heart of the educational experience. In a statement, QF said, "Across the schools, leaders are foc»»»

Abu Dhabi: More than 25,000 people from across society took part on Saturday in the “Your Nation Is Fortified” race in Abu Dhabi, in a strong show of unity, cohesion and social solidarity across the UAE. The race began at Wahat Al Karama and ended at Erth Abu Dhabi (Armed Forces Officers Club & Hot»»»

PoliticsGlobal issuesRecord fuel prices: How are governments responding?Jan D. WalterIn Germany, a liter of diesel costs up to 40% more than before the Iran war and other countries have seen even bigger price jumps. What are governments around the world doing to combat record fuel prices? https://p»»»

Hamas is facing its strongest pressure yet from mediators and other parties to agree, even in principle, to the “Peace Council” document before negotiating its terms, particularly the plan to disarm factions operating in the Gaza Strip, especially its armed wing, the Qassam Brigades. Two Hamas sour»»»

Munich, Germany: Flavio Cobolli ended top seed Alexander Zverev's Munich Open title defence on Saturday, April 18, 2026, as the Italian breezed past the world number three in straight sets to book his spot in the final. Fourth seed Cobolli downed the home favourite 6-3, 6-3 in just under 70 minutes»»»

No date has been set for the next round of Iran-US 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 d»»»

Dubai: Daniel Joseph Kinahan, one of the most powerful cocaine traffickers in the world, was arrested in the UAE yesterday, authorities said, a major step in a years-long effort to bring one of the continent’s most influential crime figures to justice. The Irish fugitive, widely identified by Irish»»»

The statei had said it planned to sue fossil fuel companies over climate change impacts. A judge on Friday blocked a lawsuit filed last year by former Attorney General Pam Bondi that attempted to prevent the state of Hawaii from filing suit against oil companies for their effects on climate change.»»»

Dubai: Calling all fans of Global Village! After weeks of maintaining it would remain closed until further notice, good news finally landed on April 18, Saturday, with the popular destination set to welcome visitors again soon. It will open again on April 20th, 5pm. The attraction had remained shut»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States and Iran would jointly remove uranium from Tehran's nuclear sites with excavators under any peace deal, before the material is transferred to U.S. territory. Trump's comment came despite Iran's foreign ministry saying earlier that the I»»»

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 broken a »»»

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 broken a »»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has activated its highest level of readiness across the transport and logistics system ahead of the 1447 Hajj season, mobilising air, land, rail and maritime networks to ensure the safe and seamless movement of millions of pilgrims. The Ministry of Transport and Logistics said t»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - The Iranian armed forces have restored military control over the Strait of Hormuz due to the US blockade, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for the Khatam Al-Anbiya central headquarters of the Iranian military command, said on Saturday. "Unfortunately, the US … continues to engage »»»

Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani on Friday rejected a recent political agreement in Iraq’s northern Kirkuk province that led to the appointment of a new governor, describing the process as the result of “suspicious deals”. Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said the move amounted t»»»

Tehran: Although the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the world's oil supply, has been declared fully open for commercial vessels, its operational status remains contested. Both Washington and Tehran confirmed on Friday that the strait had been completely open for all commercial vessels. Howe»»»

Sydney: Japan agreed on Saturday on a deal to provide Australia's navy with the first of almost a dozen stealth frigates, part of a wider military build up by Canberra aimed at boosting its long-range firepower to deter China. Under the deal announced last year and billed as one of Japan's biggest »»»

The crescent moon marking the start of Dhu Al Qadah 1447 AH was photographed from Abu Dhabi on Saturday morning by the International Astronomy Center. The image was captured at 10:00am UAE time on April 18, 2026, from the Khatm Astronomical Observatory, with the moon located 11.7 degrees from the s»»»

Global markets moved sharply on Friday after Iran said it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial vessels, prompting investors to rapidly reassess geopolitical supply risks. Iran’s foreign minister said the strait was fully open to all commercial shipping for the duration of the ceasefi»»»

Dubai: Dubai Police has reviewed its financial sustainability plans as part of ongoing efforts to improve efficiency, strengthen governance and support long-term stability. The discussion took place during the second meeting of the Financial Sustainability Council, chaired by Dr Major General Ahmad»»»

Dubai: Dubai Police have launched a community drive to celebrate national identity by distributing UAE flags to residents across several neighbourhoods. The initiative is part of the “Proud of UAE” campaign, introduced under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice»»»

Las Vegas: Paramount Skydance was on a charm offensive at CinemaCon this week, trying to convince theater owners that its megabucks deal to swallow Warner Bros. would be good for the industry. A glitzy promotional film narrated by Tom Cruise ended with the world's most bankable movie star sitting a»»»

During President Sadyr Japarov’s visit to Osh region, he received over 1,800 complaints from residents. Their implementation has been taken under control, the Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the region reported. Following the visit, a meeting was held with the heads of law enforcemen»»»