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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Skopje, 16 April 2026 (MIA) - The Government measures have managed to soften the impact of the crisis as much as possible, said Deputy PM and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski on Thursday. Deputy PM Nikoloski expressed hope that the crisis would soon end, considering the positive news coming »»»

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 »»»

President Donald Trump said on Friday that the US would work alongside Iran, using “a lot of excavators” to recover Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and bring it to the United States. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, however, reiterated that Iran would not give up the stockpi»»»

Pakistan's powerful military chief and prime minister on Saturday concluded separate visits aimed at ending the Iran war, with Field Marshal Asim Munir leaving Tehran and premier Shehbaz Sharif headed home from Turkey. Munir met Iran's top leadership and peace negotiators during a three-day visit t»»»

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»»»

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said the global economy’s ability to withstand crises depends on adopting a “unified strategic vision and swift reforms,” warning that excessive market optimism may be masking serious geopolitical risks, particularly conflicts that threaten supply security.»»»

Dubai: The UAE’s drive to develop homegrown tax expertise has gained momentum with the rollout of the first phase of the Emirati Tax Agent Programme, as authorities move to strengthen national capabilities in the sector supporting the country’s economy. The initiative, announced at the Emaar Square»»»

Khoms Port reported last Wednesday (15 April) that it had held an expanded meeting with the Regional Director of the global shipping line, Grimaldi Group. The port said this is part of the strategic vision to develop maritime performance and enhance the efficiency of logistical operations at the po»»»

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»»»

Iran’s parliament speaker has categorically refuted successive false claims made by US President Donald Trump regarding the Strait of Hormuz and the rules set by the Islamic Republic concerning transit through the strategic waterway. In a post on X on Friday, Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf wrote, “The US p»»»

A solar power plant will be built in Konorchok area of Kochkor district of Naryn region and will begin generating energy in 2027. It was announced during a meeting between Energy Minister of Kyrgyzstan Taalaibek Ibraev and World Bank Vice President and Chief Financial Officer John Gandolfo, which t»»»

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said the Golan Heights are “occupied Syrian land” and that any recognition of Israeli sovereignty there would be “null and void,” stressing that the international community does not accept Israel’s claim. Speaking at the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Sharaa said Is»»»

Speaking to Tunisian media last Tuesday (14 April), Mohamed Habib Sassi, Chargé d’affaires a.i. at the Embassy of Tunisia in Tripoli highlighted the strategic importance of the Ras Jedir crossing, as a pivotal crossing point as a transit corridor for transit towards the depth of landlocked Africa. »»»

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 »»»

Three young men have been detained in Kemin district of Chui region on suspicion of inflicting grievous bodily harm resulting in death, the Main Internal Affairs Department of the region reported. At approximately 9:42 p.m. on April 15, police received a call about the discovery of a man’s body at »»»

Audio guide systems have been installed at the national historical and archaeological museum complex Sulaiman-Too in Osh. The complex’s director, Mederbek Aparkhanov, reported. He said that QR code signs have been placed at each cultural site, including the main and cave museums, as well as key loc»»»

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»»»

Israel's military said Saturday that a suspected militant carrying a knife had been "neutralized" at a settlement in the occupied West Bank. "Following the alert that was activated regarding a suspected terrorist infiltration in the community of Negohot, a terrorist armed with a knife was identifie»»»

Australia and Japan signed contracts on Saturday launching their landmark A$10 billion ($7 billion) deal to supply Australia with warships, Tokyo's most consequential military sale since ending a military export ban in 2014. Defense Ministers Richard Marles and Shinjiro Koizumi signed a memorandum »»»

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»»»

The UAE has announced that school bus operations will resume across all public and private schools starting Monday, April 20, 2026. The decision follows ongoing assessments carried out by the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority in coordination with the Ministry of Education and local»»»

Tehran: Iran partially reopened its airspace on Saturday to international flights crossing the eastern part of its territory, the country's Civil Aviation Authority said. "Air routes in the eastern section of the country's airspace are open for international flights transiting through Iran," it sai»»»

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»»»

The International Monetary Fund will likely provide Venezuela with a financial support program as part of its re-engagement with the South American oil exporter provided that certain conditions can be met, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday. Georgieva told a press conference »»»