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 »»»

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»»»

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov said in Sliven on Monday that suggestions are being made in the public domain about a possible "Romanian scenario" in the upcoming Bulgarian elections, which, according to him, are intended to mobilize support for Rumen Radev and his Progressive Bulgaria. Rade»»»

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»»»

Washington: The US blockade of Iranian ports took effect Monday evening, April 13, 2026. The US military announced that the blockade includes Iranian ports on the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, east of the Strait of Hormuz, noting that it will apply to all ships regardless of their flags. It cla»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality has announced the administrative closure of a restaurant in the Dukhan area due to food deemed unfit for human consumption. The Jaal Algharya Restaurant will be closed for three days starting April 13, 2026, as per the Ministry’s Administrative Closure Deci»»»

The United Kingdom has halted a plan to hand over the Chagos Islands, an Indian Ocean archipelago, to Mauritius. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed an agreement last year transferring sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius. However, the deal allowed Washington and London to retain control »»»

A dangerous super typhoon in the Pacific Ocean is barreling toward a group of remote US islands. Super Typhoon Sinlaku is expected to make landfall Tuesday in the Northern Mariana Islands and bring destructive winds, widespread heavy rain and flooding, the National Weather Service said Monday. Powe»»»

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»»»

Bulgaria's caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov on Monday congratulated Hungary's Tisza party leader Peter Magyar on their victory in the country's parliamentary elections. "I also congratulated the citizens of Hungary, who expressed their will with record turnout and showed Europe that democracy »»»

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has accused WhatsApp of misleading users about privacy, arguing that Telegram offers stronger protection for sensitive content. The Russian tech entrepreneur has repeatedly criticized Meta-owned WhatsApp’s security model, dismissing claims that the app cannot ac»»»

Many political allies who had endorsed Viktor Orbán have stayed silent or voiced dismay, but some pledged to work with Hungary’s new, pro-EU leader. The list of noisy, far-right Orbán-endorsers who stayed mute on Monday (13 April) after the outgoing Hungarian prime minister’s election drubbing incl»»»

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Increased military preparations of the European Union make it obvious that it is getting ready for a major war against Russia, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said on Monday. "These large-scale military preparations leave no doubt a»»»

Beijing: Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, have discussed ways to further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and advance cooperation across»»»

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»»»

Dozens of people were killed in an air strike on a Nigerian town market by the Nigerian military. Some say around 200 are dead from the attack. File Photo by Justin Lane/EPA April 13 (UPI) -- More than 50 people were killed in an air strike at a Nigerian market by the Nigerian military, and some sa»»»

London: A UK teenager's 2024 frenzied stabbing spree in northwest England which killed three young girls and sparked nationwide anti-immigration riots was "foreseeable and avoidable", a public inquiry concluded Monday. The attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, which seriously wo»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for International Cooperation HE Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad met on Monday with Ambassador of the Republic of Lebanon to the State of Qatar HE Bilal Kabalan. The meeting discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and enh»»»

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 »»»

Dubai: A 23-year-old Gulf national has been fined Dh10,000 and had his driving licence suspended for three months after being convicted of driving under the influence of psychotropic substances, driving against traffic, and possessing drugs for personal use. The case began when a police patrol spot»»»

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 »»»

A slight rise in temperatures, the presence of African dust in western Greece, local showers, and stronger winds are expected to shape Tuesday’s weather, according to meteo. Cloudy skies will dominate, especially in western parts of the country, where local showers are forecast. After midday, rainf»»»

A truck driver who stopped his vehicle in the Vitinya Tunnel on the Hemus Motorway on Monday morning due to a technical malfunction was arrested after disobeying a police order. The acting Secretary General of the Interior Ministry, Georgi Kandev, suspects traffic sabotage. According to the Road In»»»

Doha, Qatar: The National Pavilion of Qatar at the Giardini della Biennale in Venice, Italy, announced today, April 13, 2026, details of its participation in the 61st International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, to be held next month. The pavilion will present the art exhibition 'untitled»»»

New York: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warned that more than 32 million people worldwide could be pushed into poverty due to the economic fallout of the conflict in the Middle East, with developing countries expected to bear the brunt. In a report issued on Monday, the agency sai»»»

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»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has begun issuing electronic entry permits for Mecca ahead of the 2026 Hajj season, with authorities enabling residents and workers to apply online as part of tighter access controls to the holy city. The General Directorate of Passports said applications for Mecca entry permits»»»

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»»»

Kuwait City: Kuwait's Foreign Minister HE Jarrah Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah has received a phone call from his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to discuss the latest regional developments. The conversation focused on ongoing events in the region and the diplomatic efforts being made to addre»»»

Kuala Lampur: Malaysia's palm oil market is expected to see a seasonal rise in production and softer export demand in the coming months, with inventories likely to rebuild gradually despite near-term price support from energy-linked factors, analysts said Monday. Malaysia's palm oil production is e»»»

A potential U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports could trigger an unprecedented shock in global energy markets. Oil prices have already surged, with Brent crude exceeding $103 per barrel after failed diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran. Experts warn that current prices do not reflect a w»»»

Dubai: An Arab man has been ordered to pay Dh968,000 in compensation after being convicted of stealing from and destroying property at a farm inherited by his sister, a Dubai civil court has ruled. The decision follows a final criminal judgment that sentenced the defendant to one month in prison an»»»

Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar has pulled off a stunning victory in the country’s parliamentary election, with his Tisza party beating Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz by more than 16 points. The result is set to dramatically change Hungary’s relations with the EU, Russia, and Ukraine»»»

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 »»»

Manila: Suspended Filipino Congressman Kiko Barzaga surrendered to authorities on Monday (April 13) hours after a Makati court issued an arrest warrant for eight counts of cyberlibel. This marks a dramatic turn in his legal woes. Barzaga, a neophyte lawmaker representing the 4th District of Cavite,»»»

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»»»

Peruvian presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori speaks at a press conference in Lima on Monday. Fujimori, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, is the frontrunner to compete for the Peruvian presidency in a runoff election scheduled June 7. Photo by Renato Pajuelo/EPA April 13 (UPI) -- »»»

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»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has launched its annual awareness campaign aimed at promoting a culture of human rights among students, as part of broader efforts to strengthen public understanding of rights and responsibilities. The initiative targets primary, preparato»»»

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»»»