Muscat, Oman: The main index of Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) posted weekly gains of 174 points on Saturday, April 17, 2026, closing at 8,336, while the market capitalization of listed securities rose to OMR 38.625 billion, marking weekly gains of OMR 657.6 million. The benchmark index saw 48 securit»»»

Seven weeks of war have failed to topple Iran’s theocratic rulers or force them to meet all of President Donald Trump's demands, but for US adversaries and allies it has cast a spotlight on one of his central vulnerabilities: economic pressure. Even with Iran’s announcement on Friday that it was re»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said overnight that "hopefully the situation with Hezbollah will get straightened out quickly." "We will make Lebanon great again. It's about time we did so. The world has forgotten them, and they’re good people who have lived like hell for a long period of time," Trump »»»

Newark, United States: World Cup fans will have to pay $150 -- more than 10 times the normal price -- for the quick round-trip train between New York and Meadowlands stadium when it hosts the tournament's final and seven earlier matches, local officials said Friday, drawing outrage. The 36 miles (5»»»

The Israeli military said Saturday it had established a "Yellow Line" demarcation in southern Lebanon, similar to the one separating its forces from territory still held by Hamas in Gaza, adding that it had already struck suspected militants approaching its troops along the line. "Over the past 24 »»»

Governance, ESG Compliance and Risk Priorities for Qatar's Private Sector," which brought together more than 200 participants from across the business and professional community. The webinar brought together a distinguished group of participants representing banks, law firms, embassies, real estate»»»

Melbourne, Australia: A car ploughed into a group of pedestrians outside Melbourne Showgrounds on Saturday evening, leaving at least one dead and one seriously injured, Victoria Police of Australia said. "It is believed a grey Toyota mounted a kerb on Langs Road and struck two pedestrians just befo»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe An Israeli soldier was killed and five others were wounded after a roadside bomb exploded in southern Lebanon yesterday: Zionist media 18-0»»»

No date has been set for the next round of Iran–U.S. peace talks brokered by Pakistan following the failure of an initial round, Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Saturday. "Until we agree on the framework, we cannot set a date," Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on the sidelines of an annual»»»

Iranian gunboats fired on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a British maritime security agency reported, after Iran's military reversed a pledge to open the route to shipping. The tanker's captain reported being approached 37 kilometers (23 miles) northeast of Oman by two gunboats of Ir»»»

In a major plot twist most people probably did not see coming for 2026, cabbage is trending, taking the spotlight on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Pinterest even named it this year’s "it” vegetable, predicting cabbage steaks, kimchi cocktails and other cabbage-forward recipes»»»

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»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iran Says It Reasserted Control of Strait of Hormuz, Citing US Piracy and Blockade 18-04-2026 13:38 PM The spokesperson for the Khatam al-A»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

Tehran: 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 b»»»

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»»»

The Iranian military has once again closed free passage through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, citing what it described as US ‘piracy.’ On Friday, Tehran initially declared the waterway completely open for commercial vessels for the remaining period of the ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Leba»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

Displaced Lebanese continue to return to Beirut’s southern suburbs following the cessation of Israeli aggression and the implementation of a ceasefire, after weeks of offensives that subjected the area to hundreds of airstrikes. During the offensive, the southern suburbs were hit by hundreds of air»»»

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»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - The Iranian armed forces have restored military control over the Strait of Hormuz due to the US blockade, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for the Khatam Al-Anbiya central headquarters of the Iranian military command, said on Saturday. "Unfortunately, the US … continues to engage »»»

Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization has announced the partial reopening of the country’s airspace from 7:00 a.m. on April 18, following security and safety assessments. International transit routes through Iran's eastern airspace have now reopened, allowing foreign flights to pass through Iranian sk»»»

Antalya, Turkiye: Turkiye's foreign minister on Saturday accused Israel of using security as a pretext to acquire "more land". "Israel is not after its own security. Israel is after more land. Security is being used by the Netanyahu government as an excuse to occupy more land," Hakan Fidan told the»»»

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. »»»

Sharjah: The American University of Sharjah has announced that faculty and staff will return to campus from April 20, while classes and assignment submissions for students will continue online throughout the spring term, in a hybrid approach aligned with current sector flexibility. Middlesex Univer»»»