With the French presidential election just a year away, most parties are conducting internal polls to decide on their candidate. Les Républicains, led by Bruno Retailleau, are meeting this weekend to decide whether to hold a primary, amid criticism, particularly from Laurent Wauquiez, over reluctan»»»

With an estimated population of 1.4 billion, India—the world’s most populous nation—is launching the first phase of what is set to be the largest census ever conducted. More than three million officials are involved in updating figures from the last count in 2011, when the population stood at 1.21 »»»

Voters in Bulgaria headed to the polls Sunday for an eighth general election in five years, with ex-president Rumen Radev tipped to win on anti-corruption pledges. The election comes after unrest toppled Boyko Borissov’s rule and left the pro-European GERB party trailing. Bulgarians began head»»»

Around 99.5% of voting machines are functioning without issues on election day, the Ministry of Electronic Governance said on Sunday. The Ministry reported that faults have been recorded in fewer than 1% of all devices, with technicians from Ciela Norma, the contractor responsible for machine maint»»»

DOHA: Attorney General HE Dr Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi inaugurated a refresher training course entitled 'Practical Criminal Investigation', which is organised by the Public Prosecution in cooperation with the Public Prosecution of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The course, which is held over f»»»

Dubai: UAE economic growth accelerated in the early months of 2026, driven by expanding banking activity, rising foreign trade flows, and sustained investment momentum, according to official data and international reports. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply cli»»»

Planning and Economic Development Minister Ahmed Rostom confirmed that economic reform has enhanced the state’s ability to manage the repercussions of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and stressed that the government is continuing reforms to achieve macroeconomic stability and development f»»»

Kuala Lumpur: A huge fire destroyed about 1,000 makeshift homes, many of them built on stilts over water, and displaced thousands of people in a coastal village in Malaysia's Sabah state on Sunday, authorities said. The blaze broke out early on Sunday morning in a "water village" in Sandakan distri»»»

Dubai: Dubai Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department has expanded the emirate’s religious infrastructure in the first quarter of 2026, with the opening of 13 new mosques at a total cost of Dh162 million, in an effortto meet growing demand in newly developed communities. The new mosques»»»

Dubai: The Strait of Hormuz is no longer a shipping lane — it is now a gunboat-enforced negotiating table. What unfolded over the past 36 hours has stripped away any lingering illusion that the waterway is returning to normal. A brief window of optimism — sparked by Iran’s signal that the strait wa»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation organised Survival 1, the opening round of the 2026 Qatar Off Road Championship (QORC), in the challenging dunes of Sealine. The event featured a strong entry list of 42 competitors representing Qatar and several other nationalities, delivering»»»

Doha, Qatar: In many technical projects, failure is not caused by a lack of talent, but by a lack of structure. Despite the availability of skilled professionals across various disciplines, projects can still face delays, misalignment, or incomplete delivery due to the absence of an organized execu»»»

Doha, Qatar: India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and rapidly transforming into an engine of global growth. During the 2000-2025, which includes the volatile years of the Global Financial Crisis and the Covid-pandemic, the average growth rate for the South-Asian giant was 6.3»»»

As the master developer behind The Pearl and Gewan Islands, United Development Company (UDC) is shaping one of Qatar’s most distinctive urban destinations—where premium living, environmental responsibility, and community engagement are fully integrated. Across these flagship developments, UDC is ad»»»

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed global energy and food security to the brink. Saudi Arabia responded by positioning itself as a stabilizing force, turning its western coastline into a lifeline that not only protected its domestic market but also helped offset shortages in neighboring»»»

On April 19, 2021, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter flew for 39 seconds on the surface Mars, the first powered aircraft to take flight on another planet. 1 of 6 | On April 19, 2021, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter flew for 39 seconds on the surface Mars, the first powered aircraft to take flight on another »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has unveiled 20 electronic services to streamline student enrolment in government schools, marking the start of the registration process for the 2026–2027 academic year. Delivered through the Maaref Portal, the initiative enables p»»»

Voting abroad for Bulgaria's 52nd National Assembly began at 10 pm Bulgarian time on Saturday and will conclude on the morning of April 20, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Due to the nine-hour time difference, Bulgarian citizens in Auckland and Christchurch, New Zealand, were the first to cas»»»

Japan's Shiga Bank (TYO: 8366) and Senshu Ikeda Holdings (TYO: 8714), the parent of Senshu Ikeda Bank, have agreed to a capital and business tie-up, marking the latest step in the consolidation trend among Japan’s regional lenders according to Jiji Press. »»»

The FAA is considering bids to develop an artificial intelligence system that could help air traffic controllers predict and correct potential issues hours earlier than they currently can. File Photo by Caroline Brehman/EPA April 18 (UPI) -- The Federal Aviation Administration is working with three»»»

The United States has opted to extend a waiver permitting limited transactions involving Russian oil, despite sustained political opposition from within Washington, Russia’s special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries says. »»»

PARIS, France — Near Singapore, thousands of miles from the Strait of Hormuz, ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil have continued during the Middle East war, helping Tehran evade sanctions and maintain trade with China.Nearly 400 tankers are sanctioned by the United States, the European Union or B»»»

Dubai: The UAE has rolled out updated anti-money laundering and financial crime guidelines, tightening compliance expectations for banks and exchange houses, with a sharper focus on risk monitoring, customer verification and cross-border activity. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques »»»

A life jacket from a survivor of the Titanic tragedy sold at auction on Saturday for $906,000, and was among a collection of other artifacts from the doomed ocean liner. Photo courtesy Henry Aldridge & Sons April 18 (UPI) -- The only life jacket worn by a person who survived the sinking of the Tita»»»

In many respects, despite three years of “orthodox” treatment, Turkey’s economy remains a basket case. But worse than that, from the point of view of the international investor, is that after 23 years of the Erdogan regime, no one trusts the Turkish courts. Make a major investment in Turkey and you»»»

In many respects, despite three years of “orthodox” treatment, Turkey’s economy remains a basket case. But worse than that, from the point of view of the international investor, is that after 23 years of the Erdogan regime, no one trusts the Turkish courts. Make a major investment in Turkey and you»»»

In many respects, despite three years of “orthodox” treatment, Turkey’s economy remains a basket case. But worse than that, from the point of view of the international investor, is that after 23 years of the Erdogan regime, no one trusts the Turkish courts. Make a major investment in Turkey and you»»»

In many respects, despite three years of “orthodox” treatment, Turkey’s economy remains a basket case. But worse than that, from the point of view of the international investor, is that after 23 years of the Erdogan regime, no one trusts the Turkish courts. Make a major investment in Turkey and you»»»

In many respects, despite three years of “orthodox” treatment, Turkey’s economy remains a basket case. But worse than that, from the point of view of the international investor, is that after 23 years of the Erdogan regime, no one trusts the Turkish courts. Make a major investment in Turkey and you»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron announced the death of a French UN peacekeeping soldier Saturday following an attack that also left three people wounded in southern Lebanon, saying that "everything suggests" Hezbollah being responsible for the attack. The Iran-backed group denied involve»»»

Bulgaria’s former president Rumen Radev is on course to win a snap parliamentary election on April 19, according to a new opinion poll, in what could mark a political breakthrough after years of instability. A survey by Ma»»»

There were 33 deaths of ICE detainees in 2025, with 17 so far in 2026 The number of deaths of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees over the last year has skyrocketed amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, which has led to the agency detaining more people that it has since i»»»

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.»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Pretoria: Colombian Brayan Leon was the match-winner again for Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa on Saturday, April 18, 2026, scoring in a 1-0 CAF Champions League semi-final second leg win over Esperance of Tunisia. The 25-year-old, who joined the Pretoria club from Independiente Medellin three mo»»»

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.»»»

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»»»

Tunis, April 18 (TAP)- Tunisia is observing on Saturday the 70th anniversary of National Security Forces under the slogan "Commitment, Belonging and Loyalty." April 18 is a symbolic date to celebrate an institution, established shortly after...»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are feeding through into global macroeconomic expectations, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warning of a broad-based slowdown and renewed inflation pressures that are already shaping Panama’s near-term outlook. »»»

Chile’s President José Antonio Kast has unveiled an ambitious package of more than 40 economic and regulatory reforms aimed at breaking what he described as a decade of stagnation, but the proposal has already triggered political resistance and street protests as it moves towards Congress. »»»