Rome, April 13 (SANA) – The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned Monday that continued tensions in the Strait of Hormuz could lead to a global crisis affecting food and agriculture, due to disruptions in energy and fertilizer supplies. According to Reuters, FAO Chief Economist Maximo T»»»

A man being held for his wife's disappearance must be released or charged today by Bahamian police. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 13 (UPI) -- Authorities in the Bahamas are facing a deadline to charge or release a man being held in connection with the disappearance of his wife»»»

The US-Iran talks in Islamabad ended exactly as they were bound to end under the current balance of power – without a deal, without a handshake, without even the faintest sense that the two sides have moved closer to a durable peace. Nearly 21 hours of talks, an unprecedented level of representatio»»»

US President Donald Trump has shared an AI-generated image of himself as a robed, Christ-like figure healing a bedridden man, flanked by eagles, fighter jets, and US service members, with the Statue of Liberty and the US flag in the background. The post triggered backlash, with some users suggestin»»»

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, has received Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, to discuss regional developments and security challenges. The meeting addressed regional development»»»

"We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world. That’s what they’re doing — they’re really blackmailing the world. We’re not going to let that happen," Trump told reporters, declaring that a US blockade of the Hormuz Strait has begun. The blockade "started 10 o'clock," according to the presi»»»

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Monday urged the Lebanese state to cancel a planned meeting with Israel in Washington the following day, reiterating his group's rejection of direct negotiations with Israel. "We reject negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity... We call for a historic and heroi»»»

Hezbollah will not abide by any agreements that may result from the direct Lebanon-Israel talks in the United States, negotiations it firmly opposes, a senior Hezbollah official said Monday. Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah's political council, spoke on the eve of the talks expected i»»»

Paris, France: Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez, said Monday that no country has the right to close the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic. During a press conference, Dominguez added, "Under international law, no country has the right to prohibi»»»

Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said on Monday, April 13, 2026, that the ceasefire between the US and Iran is holding, adding that Islamabad continues its efforts to facilitate dialogue and promote lasting peace in the region. In a speech to the Pakistani cabin»»»

The head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, said on Monday he hopes another oil stockpile release is not needed but "we stand ready to act" if the energy shock resulting from the war with Iran requires ‌it. The 32-member ‌IEA agreed last month ‌to ⁠release 400 million barrels of ⁠oil »»»

Israel is effectively “held hostage” by the Netanyahu government, and the war in Lebanon is another distraction action designed to divert the public’s attention from the mounting problems he personally and the country as a whole face, Tel Aviv-based national security observer Dr. Simon Tsipis told »»»

BusinessGermanyLufthansa pilots strike for 2 days, cabin crew will followMark Hallam with AFP, dpaPilots who are members of the Vereinigung Cockpit trade union are striking on Monday and Tuesday. As hundreds of flights were canceled, the UFO cabin crew union said it would also strike on Wednesday a»»»

President Donald Trump looks out the window with Eric Trump, executive vice president of Trump Organization Inc., left, and Natalie Harp, executive assistant to President Donald Trump, center, aboard Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House Friday. Trump's $10 billion suit against the Wall S»»»

Israel summoned Italy's ambassador Monday to protest after Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani condemned Israel's "unacceptable attacks" on civilians in Lebanon during a visit to Beirut, an Italian diplomatic source said. Tajani, a senior member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government, visited Be»»»

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Monday condemned US President Donald Trump's criticism of Pope Leo XIV as "unacceptable", after the US pontiff spoke out against the Middle East war. "The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal for him to call for peace and to co»»»

BusinessGermanyLufthansa pilots strike for 2 days, cabin crew will followMark Hallam with AFP, dpaPilots who are members of the Vereinigung Cockpit trade union are striking on Monday and Tuesday. As hundreds of flights were canceled, the UFO cabin crew union said it would also strike on Wednesday a»»»

Rome, Italy: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned on Monday, April 13, 206, that the current and upcoming agricultural seasons could be affected if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and fertilizer shipments are disrupted. According to FAO estimates, between 20 »»»

Washington, United States: US President Donald Trump warned Monday that any Iranian attack boats that approach the naval blockade he has ordered around the country's ports will be destroyed, despite international calls for a ceasefire to be respected and negotiations to resume. The US military said»»»

Pakistan has officially launched a new transit corridor connecting its ports to Central Asian markets through Iranian territory. Pakistan just opened a new trade route to Central Asia through Iran. The first shipment, frozen beef, left Gwadar Port for Tashkent on Monday. Here's what you need to kno»»»

Israeli troops launched an attack on Monday to seize a key town in south Lebanon from Hezbollah fighters holed up there, pressing the war on the Iran-backed group on the eve of rare talks between Israeli and Lebanese government envoys. With the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States »»»

Maintaining a ceasefire in the Middle East war is an "immediate priority" for resolving the conflict, China's top diplomat told his Pakistan counterpart in a phone call on Monday. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran was »»»

Israeli forces fired tear gas at Palestinian schoolchildren staging a sit-in on Monday in the occupied West Bank, AFP footage showed, after settlers blocked access to their school. The Israeli military confirmed to AFP it had dispersed an "unusual gathering", but did not specify whether its troops »»»

Israel's military said Monday that a massive wave of strikes in Lebanon last week killed five Hezbollah commanders, as well as more than 250 of the Iran-backed group's fighters. The Lebanese health ministry has said Wednesday's attacks killed more than 350 people in total and wounded more than 1,20»»»

Péter Magyar promised during the election campaign that he would dismantle Viktor Orbán’s entire political system “brick by brick” — a system with which he had close ties until very recently. Over the past two years, Magyar has travelled almost constantly around the country, saying he would curb co»»»

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Sunday he was working to stop the Israel-Hezbollah war, even as Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu told troops in south Lebanon that the fight there was far from over. The Lebanese Red Cross said in a statement that one of its paramedics had been killed in the south.»»»

1 of 2 | The price of oil again climbed over the $100-per-barrel threshold on Monday after President Donald Trump announced U.S. forces will form a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 13 (UPI) -- The price of oil again climbed over the $100-per-barrel th»»»

What will be the consequences for the United States of refraining from taking extreme measures against Iran? It is too early to say what kind of lasting order, if any, will emerge in the Middle East after the failure of the US and Israel’s campaign against Tehran. Yet the decision to avoid escalati»»»

Pakistan has sent troops and fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to boost security, the Gulf nation has said. Pakistani military personnel and fighter jets arrived at King Abdulaziz Air Base on Saturday, the Saudi Defense Ministry said in a statement. The deployment is aimed at boosting military coordinat»»»

An Israeli general linked to a controversy over the use of a teenager in an online influence campaign has been appointed as the next director of the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, currently serving as »»»

Washington, United States: President Donald Trump said US forces would destroy any Iranian "fast attack ships" that approach the American naval blockade of Iranian ports that came into effect on Monday. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here."Warning: If»»»

Israel has condemned Spain after a fireworks-filled effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up during an Easter festival in the southern town of El Burgo. The long-strained ties between Madrid and West Jerusalem have deteriorated even further in light of the US-Israeli attack on Iran,»»»

A dispute over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is fast becoming a global economic concern. Iran’s threat to charge vessels for passing through the narrow waterway — combined with ongoing disruptions to traffic — has unsettled energy markets and raised fresh questions about the rules governing inte»»»

The head of the UN maritime agency said Monday no country had a legal right to block shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a trade passage paralysed by the US-Iran war. The International Maritime Organization's Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez addressed a news conference as access to the strait rema»»»

Dubai: “We don’t stand still.” As Basmah El Bittar, director of Alserkal Avenue, says these words, we’re walking through Alserkal Avenue on a windy April afternoon in Dubai's industrial-chic Al Quoz neighbourhood. She’s giving Gulf News a tour of the vibrant cultural district she oversees. It's a s»»»

Every step Washington has taken in the conflict with Iran to date has worsened its own strategic position, and the blockade of Iranian oil exports is no exception, says Center for Contemporary Iranian Studies director Rajab Safarov. "This is a very foolish move on the part of the United States. Wit»»»

Dubai: Pope Leo XIV has declined to engage directly with criticism from Donald Trump, emphasizing that the Church’s stance on global conflicts is guided by moral responsibility rather than politics. Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria for his first visit to Africa as po»»»

Jakarta: Indonesia's economy minister said Monday the Southeast Asian nation can outlast the impacts of Middle East conflict-fuelled oil price hikes for as many as 10 months without cutting fuel subsidies. Minister Airlangga Hartarto told foreign media in Jakarta his government "is ready for five, »»»

More than 32 million people worldwide could be plunged into poverty by the economic fallout from the Iran war, with developing countries expected to be hit hardest, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) warned. In a report issued amid doubts over a fragile ceasefire, the UNDP said the world»»»

Dubai: A Florida man’s death after an intense and increasingly delusional relationship with Google’s AI chatbot Gemini is raising urgent questions about the psychological risks of human-like artificial intelligence. At the centre of the case is 36-year-old Jonathan Gavalas, described by his family »»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, received a phone call from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran HE Dr Abbas Araghchi. During the call, the latest developments related to the ceasefire were»»»

The United States' NATO allies said on Monday they would not get involved in President Donald Trump's plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, further ratcheting up tensions within the increasingly fragile alliance. Trump said the US military would work with other countries to block all maritime traf»»»

Berlin: Germany on Monday unveiled 1.6 billion euros ($1.9 billion) in fuel price relief for households and businesses struggling with the energy shock unleashed by the Middle East war. The announcement came after oil prices surged again following the collapse of US-Iran peace talks and US Presiden»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Shura Council held its regular weekly sitting on Monday at the Tamim bin Hamad Hall, under the chairmanship of HE the Speaker Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim. The Council welcomed a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, expressing its hope the deal underpin stabilit»»»

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain during a fraternal visit to the country. The two sides discussed the close ties and cooperation between the UAE and Bahrain, as well as ways to further strengthen relations in a»»»

Dubai: The UAE and China have signed 24 agreements to expand trade, investment and sector collaboration, marking a further step in strengthening economic ties between the two countries. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The agreements were announced during the UAE-China »»»

The commander of the IRGC Quds Force said the United States and the Zionist regime will have to leave the region without any achievements. “The integrated front of resistance has a powerful and effective presence throughout the region and is waiting for the enemies of humanity,” Brigadier General E»»»

The Strait of Hormuz has once again returned to the centre of regional and international attention, not only because of the renewed media debate surrounding its legal status, but also due to the broader geopolitical tensions shaping discussions around it. A key point of dispute remains the strait i»»»

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel supports US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a naval blockade on Iran, adding that his government is in full coordination with Washington on the matter. "Iran violated the rules (of the peace talks in Pakistan), President Trump de»»»

Ongoing military escalation in the Middle East puts tens of millions of people at risk of falling into poverty across 162 countries, according to new projections released today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). While the impacts are concentrated in countries directly affected by t»»»