DOHA: The the governments of the State of Qatar, the United States of America, the Republic of Togo (as the African Union mediator), Switzerland, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Congo River Alliance (March 23 Movement), have issued a joint statement regarding the meetings held from April »»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers were caught off guard and “stunned” when US President Donald Trump said he would not allow Israel to conduct further strikes in Lebanon, Axios reports, citing two people familiar with the matter. On Friday, Trump said the US had “prohibited»»»

French lawmakers linked to President Emmanuel Macron have withdrawn a controversial bill aimed at expanding anti-Semitism laws in the country, which had been set for debate in parliament on Thursday. The “law to combat renewed forms of anti-Semitism” was drafted in 2024 by a group of MPs led by Car»»»

Slovakia will file a lawsuit with the EU’s Court of Justice challenging the bloc’s decision to ban imports of Russian gas, Prime Minister Robert Fico has said. In January, the EU formally approved a plan to phase out Russian pipeline gas by 2027, overriding vetoes from Slovakia and Hungary. “We obj»»»

Storms tore through the upper midwest, causing damaging tornadoes Friday. Image courtesy of UPI April 18 (UPI) -- Tornadoes swept through several midwestern cities Friday leaving destruction and devastation in their wakes as a massive storm system tore through the area. Rochester, Minn., Lena, Ill.»»»

A 13-year-old Emirati boy has died after rescuing his younger sister from drowning at a beach in Ras Al Khaimah, in a tragic incident that has left the community in mourning. The accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Flamingo Beach, behind the Saudi Institute, where the boy managed to save his »»»

Three people were sentenced to three months in jail and another is awaiting trial in an insurance scam based on staged bear attacks on luxury cars. Photo courtesy California Department of Insurance April 18 (UPI) -- Three people were sentenced this week in an insurance fraud scam that saw them wear»»»

Two Indian-flagged vessels carrying crude oil came under gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday as Iran declared it would control traffic through the vital waterway in retaliation for an ongoing US naval blockade. Following the attack, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs summoned Iran’s am»»»

Tunis, April 18 (TAP) - Trade between Tunisia and Libya posted an 11% increase in 2025 compared to 2024, reaching a total value of 2,892 million dinars, of which 2,469 million dinars represent Tunisian exports to the Libyan market, according to data...»»»

Israeli violations of the US-brokered ceasefire on the Lebanon front continue, as military operations and airstrikes persist against targets Israel claims are affiliated with Hezbollah. This has forced residents who had returned to some southern villages to leave again immediately, fearing a rapid »»»

Tunis, April 18 (TAP) - The weather on Saturday night will be characterized by partly cloudy skies across the country, with the possibility of local fog forming late at night, especially in western regions.Winds will blow from the north, gradually...»»»

Egypt is stepping up the pace of ongoing healthcare projects and has put up an urgent plan to upgrade hospitals in Matrouh ahead of the summer season, the Ministry of Health said. In a statement, the ministry said Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met with representatives of the Interior Ministr»»»

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi stressed on Saturday the importance of adhering to defined timelines for the completion of housing and infrastructure projects, while removing obstacles facing investment in the sector, according to a presidential statement. During a meeting with Housing Mini»»»

Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced a major archaeological discovery at the historic site of El-Bahnasa in Minya, offering new insights into funerary traditions during the Greek and Roman periods. The find was made by a Spanish mission from the University of Barcelona and the »»»

ANTALYA: Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi met separately on Saturday with officialson the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Dr Al Khulaifi met withMinister of Foreign Affairs of the Plurinational State of Bolivia HE Fern»»»

1 of 2 | Pope Leo XIV waves during a welcome ceremony at Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport in Luanda, Angola, Saturday. The Pope is on an 11-day trip to Africa, with stops in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. Photo by Jose Sena Goulao/EPA April 18 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV said h»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Cyber Security Council (CSC) has warned that around 25 percent of publicly accessible files contain sensitive personal data, urging users to adopt secure practices when sharing files online. In its weekly message under the “Cyber Pulse” awareness campaign, the Council highlighted the»»»

Dubai: In Saturday’s Dh30 million UAE Lottery’s Lucky Day draw, many participants have taken home cash prizes. During Draw No. 260418, the winning numbers in the Days section were 17, 11, 1, 20, 15, and 3, while the Months section winning number was 12. Additionally, three residents have each bagge»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has introduced a strict set of measures ahead of this year’s Hajj season, warning that all visit visas, regardless of type, do not permit holders to perform the pilgrimage, as authorities intensify efforts to regulate access to Mecca and protect pilgrims. The Ministry of Interio»»»

Tunis, April 18 (TAP) - President Kais Saied on Saturday chaired at the Carthage Palace, a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the internal security forces.The Head of State delivered an address to senior officials,...»»»

Antalya, April 18 (SANA) – Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Saturday that the new Syria is determined to rebuild its state and avoid entering into any conflict, stressing that countries around the world support Syria’s stability and sovereignty over all its territory. Speaking during»»»

Sofia police have seized over 10 kg of fentanyl since the beginning of the year, the Interior Ministry said. Five investigations are underway and five people have been detained on suspicion of distribution. The seized quantity is equivalent to around 40,000 doses, with one dose averaging 0.25 grams»»»

Kyiv, Ukraine: Five people were killed in Kyiv on Saturday, April 18, 2026, after a gunman opened fire and took hostages at a supermarket in the Ukrainian capital before being killed during an arrest attempt, officials said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that at least 10 people were h»»»

Beijing: An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 jolted south of Kermadec Islands at 1603 GMT on Saturday, the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences said. The epicenter, with a depth of 10 km, was initially determined to be at 32.11 degrees south latitude and 177.91 degrees west longitude.»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem tackles the latest developments in a televised speech tonight at 09:00 PM (Beirut Time) 18-0»»»

Turkmenistan and China broke ground Friday on works to expand production at the giant Galkynysh gas field, strengthening Beijing's already dominant position in the secretive Central Asian nation's energy sector. The former Soviet republic, which holds the world's fourth-largest gas reserves, has ex»»»

Annual urban headline inflation accelerated to 15.2% in March 2026, up from 13.4% in February, according to the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). The increase was driven by rising food and non-food inflation, with food inflation climbing to 5.8% from 4.6%, while non-food inflation rose to 21.5% from 19.»»»

Suez Canal Bank has signed a tripartite cooperation protocol with eHealth and eAswaaq—both affiliates of eFinance Investment Group—with the aim of supporting and developing Egypt’s healthcare sector by providing integrated financing solutions and accelerating digital transformation. The agreement w»»»

The Federation of Egyptian Banks (FEB), chaired by Mohamed El-Etreby, has approved the appointment of Ahmed Fouad as head of its SME Committee, in a move aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of specialised committees and renewing their leadership. The appointment comes as part of ongoing efforts to»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday that a French ​soldier who ​was part of international forces stationed in southern Lebanon ​was killed, adding that evidence suggests ⁠Hezbollah was responsible. Earlier, Iranian patrol boats fired at an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, accordi»»»

Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial shipping during the Lebanon ceasefire, triggering a sharp drop in oil prices, while Donald Trump welcomed the move but kept a US naval blockade in place. At the same time, Emmanuel Macron and the UK are leading plans for a neutral mission to secu»»»

The United States and Israel announced on Thursday evening that a ceasefire agreement had been reached in Washington between Lebanon and Israel, following historic direct talks between the two countries. Dany Moudallal, a journalist at the Lebanese daily L’Orient-Le Jour, spoke to France 24 to anal»»»

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz triggered by the war in the Middle East hasn't just affected oil prices. Despite a provisional reopening during the current 10-day ceasefire, global supplies of jet fuel, fertilisers, industrial CO2 and naphtha have already been affected, potentially leading to s»»»

H. A. Hellyer, senior fellow in geopolitics at the Royal United Services Institute, was France 24’s guest and analysed the renewed tensions between the United States and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz as a strategy of mutual pressure amid ongoing negotiations. While talks are set to continue in Islam»»»

Egypt's Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) will build a new 1.4 trillion Egyptian pound ($27 billion) mixed-use city east of Cairo, CEO and Managing Director Hisham Talaat Moustafa said at a press conference on Saturday. The project, called The Spine, is to be developed in partnership with ⁠the National B»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran will seek full control over the Strait of Hormuz either through negotiations or on the battlefield, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said on Saturday. "Iran will pursue the right to control the Strait of Hormuz either at the negotiating table or on the battlefield,"»»»

Gavin Lee is pleased to welcome former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Italy's former head of state offers an in-depth, insightful and thought-provoking reading of contemporary geopolitics, European cohesion, and leadership ethics. Speaking from the vantage point of a former leader of a major »»»

The Trump administration on Friday issued a one-month sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products already loaded at sea, despite the treasury secretary indicating two days earlier that Washington would not renew the measure. The move comes amid efforts to ease global en»»»

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are set to co-chair a gathering of left-wing leaders in Barcelona on Saturday aimed at countering the rise of the far right and strengthening democratic institutions. The meeting brings together figures from acro»»»

A week of escalating tensions has unfolded between Donald Trump and the Vatican, after Trump insulted the Pope on social media following remarks on peace in the Middle East. His behaviour shocked audiences worldwide and reignited debate over his mental health. The feud has further exposed divisions»»»

Dubai: Filipino workers in parts of the UAE whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the ongoing situation in the Middle East are set to receive temporary financial relief, following a new advisory issued by the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Under the programme, q»»»

Damascus, April 18 (SANA) Natural perfume production in Syria is expanding through home-based projects led by women who have turned traditional skills into small businesses, combining heritage craftsmanship with economic necessity. The craft of perfume-making involves extracting and blending scents»»»

Berlin: Bayern Munich moved closer to the Bundesliga title after Borussia Dortmund fell to a 2-1 loss at Hoffenheim on Saturday, while pioneering Union Berlin coach Marie-Louise Eta lost on her debut in the dugout. Second-placed Dortmund's defeat leaves Bayern, who host Stuttgart on Sunday, 12 poin»»»

Doha: The Arab Book Award announced that submissions for its fourth edition will remain open until May 28 via its official website. Launched by Qatar in March 2023, the award honors authors, publishers, and institutions contributing to Arabic book production. This year's categories include linguist»»»

1 of 3 | President Donald Trump signs an executive order on researching the effects of psychedelic drugs in mental health treatment on Saturday, in the Oval Office. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., podcast host Joe Rogan, Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, and retired Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell were»»»

Dubai: Long before Dubai’s transformation into a global hub, British officials were already documenting the emergence of a young Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as a “born leader,” according to official records dating back to the late 1960s. The papers, produced by government departments in L»»»

Thousands of trucks bound for the countries of Central Asia are stuck in the Caspian Sea port town of Alat in Azerbaijan because of border closures applied by war-hit Iran. Truckers normally enter northern Iran from Turkey»»»

Energy giant Canada has emerged as the leading driver of efforts to build a formal middle-power coalition among like-minded Commonwealth nations, with Prime Minister Mark Carney using his first year in office to push the long-dormant CANZUK concept and a broader variable-geometr»»»

Thousands of trucks bound for the countries of Central Asia are stuck in the Caspian Sea port town of Alat in Azerbaijan because of border closures applied by war-hit Iran. Truckers normally enter northern Iran from Turkey»»»

Exactly 24 hours before the first US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, Middle East Eye (MEE) posted an article on its homepage titled: “China has sent attack drones to Iran, as it discusses ballistic missile sales” highlighting Beijing’s increasing support of the regime in Tehran in the i»»»