BEIRUT (Sputnik) - Russia, due to its relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and its strong ties with many Arab countries and Lebanon, could play an important role in the region, Mahmoud Kamati, deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, told Sputnik. “Today, Russia, thanks to its relations»»»

A senior military spokesperson said Iran will firmly enforce control over the Strait of Hormuz and could jeopardize regional port security if its own maritime interests are threatened, while accusing the United States of illegal interference in international waters. Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command»»»

South Korea's exports jumped 36.7 percent in the first 10 days of April on strong overseas demand for semiconductors, data showed Monday. This photo shows containers stacked at a port in Pyeongtaek on April 1. Photo by Yonhap South Korea's exports jumped 36.7 percent from a year earlier in the firs»»»

London, April 13 (SANA) Oil prices exceeded $100 a barrel on Monday as tensions escalated in the Strait of Hormuz following the failure of negotiations between Iran and the United States, according to Reuters. Brent crude futures rose by $7.11, or 7.47 percent, to $102.31 per barrel, reversing a 0.»»»

Dubai: Oil prices climbed at the start of the week while global equities and bonds came under pressure, after the US confirmed plans to impose a blockade around Iranian ports, raising concerns over energy supply and market stability. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Bre»»»

A new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) during a military parade celebrating the 80th founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea at the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea. File. Photo by KCNA / EPA April 12 (Asia Today) -- South Korea and Japan are entering a period of in»»»

President Lee Jae Myung (R) and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk shake hands after a summit at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Monday. Photo by Yonhap President Lee Jae Myung and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk agreed to upgrade the bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and bolster c»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Sheikh Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center has organised a series of educational lectures on the blessing of safety and security at West One School and Ebla International School, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote religious awareness and strengthen educationa»»»

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked his 100th day in office on Sunday with a rally to tout early successes and vow to follow through on his unabashedly "socialist" agenda. "I know there are many who use 'socialist' as a dirty word, something to be ashamed of," the 34-year-old told a packed room in»»»

Tokyo: Japan hopes a "final agreement" will be concluded swiftly between the US and Iran to de-escalate the Middle East situation, after Washington-Tehran weekend peace talks failed to reach a deal. "What is most important is that de-escalation, including securing the safety of navigation through t»»»

Croatia expects a fierce competition for European tourists this summer as war and global instability disrupt travel patterns, even as the Adriatic destination leans on its reputation for safety to sustain visitor numbers. »»»

Serbia’s foreign exchange reserves fell in March, as outflows linked to government debt repayments and central bank interventions outweighed inflows, the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) said on April 9. Gross foreign exchang»»»

When the US and Israel waged war on Iran on 28 February 2026, killing its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, two global powers watched intently from afar: China and Russia. Both had signed a trilateral strategic pact with Tehran just weeks earlier, pledging to deepen economic and defence ties (though off»»»

Doha, Qatar: LuLu Hypermarket announced the launch of its highly anticipated ‘Half Pay Back’ promotion, running until May 2, 2026. Crafted to deliver exceptional value, the campaign gives customers the opportunity to enjoy significant savings across selected fashion categories. Shoppers can explore»»»

President Donald Trump returns to the White House in Washington, D.C., from Miami, Fla., on Sunday, the same night he chastised Pope Leo for criticizing the war in Iran. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 13 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump lashed out at Pope LeoXIV over his critici»»»

The Middle East war will dominate global finance officials' talks this week in Washington, but World Bank President Ajay Banga is sounding the alarm about a bigger, looming crisis: a huge gap in jobs for the 1.2 billion people who will reach working age in developing countries in the next 10 to 15 »»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Jazeera Media Network has announced the launch of its new service, “Al Jazeera 2,” aimed at delivering broader and more in-depth coverage of pressing regional and global issues. The new service, introduced yesterday by Al Jazeera Arabic, dedicates seven hours of daily programming to»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Embassy of India and IBPC, Qatar, jointly organised a Business Interaction with H E Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, on Friday, April 10, 2026, at Al Daibel Hall, Four Seasons Hotel, Al Corniche / West Bay, Doha. The event featured a n»»»

Doha, Qatar: More than 14,500 building permits were issued in 2025, marking a 6.1 percent increase compared to the previous year. The growth reflects continued momentum in the construction sector, driven by sustained demand and ongoing development initiatives across key segments. The construction s»»»

Doha, Qatar: Dukhan Bank convened its Ordinary Annual General Meeting (AGM) yesterday via video conferencing through the Zoom application. The meeting was chaired by Sheikh Abdulla bin Fahad bin Jassim Al-Thani, Chairman of the Board of Directors, in the presence of 86.46% of the Bank’s shareholder»»»

Dubai: There are ideas that take years to develop and there are ideas that arrive fully formed, urgent and impossible to ignore. The We Love Dubai initiative was the second kind. It started with a conversation. Marta Paniagua, Creative Director at Multilem Middle East, turned to her colleague Dorot»»»

Gold prices touched a near one-week low on Monday, pressured by a stronger dollar, while a surge in oil prices following failed US-Iran peace talks fueled inflation worries and dampened expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year. Spot gold was down 0.7% at $4,716.70 per ounce, as»»»

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro ‌Sanchez on Monday said China should take on a more substantial role with issues including climate change, security, defense and the fight against inequality, adding that Europe will also have to redouble its efforts as the US withdraws from leadership roles on many fro»»»

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday Australia had not received any request from the United States to help with its ‌planned blockade ‌of the Strait ‌of ⁠Hormuz, according to Reuters. "They have done ⁠that in a unilateral way, and we haven't been asked to participate. We've ⁠received no ‌»»»

The US military said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian ports on Monday, after talks between the warring sides in Pakistan collapsed with President Donald Trump blaming Tehran's refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Trump had announced on social media he would blockade the strategic Strai»»»

Four years ago it was Viktor Orbán who inflicted a humiliating defeat on the then Hungarian opposition; this time his party, Fidesz has been beaten just as badly. We sum up the lessons of Sunday’s Hungarian elections in 10 points. After 16 years, the Orbán system has fallen and Viktor Orbán is leav»»»

Dubai: Companies across the UAE and global markets continue to expect export growth in 2026, even as the Middle East conflict begins to tighten financial conditions and raise concerns around payments and counterparty risk. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The agreement »»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Shamal will look to revive their title challenge when they face Qatar SC in a postponed Week 17 clash of the Qatar Stars League at Al Bayt Stadium today, with the race for the championship, top-four places and survival intensifying. Al Shamal, second on 37 points and trailing leader»»»

Doha, Qatar: Captain Hassan Al-Haydos said Al Sadd are confident as they prepare to face Al Hilal SFC in the AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah tonight. Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal start as favourites in the one-legged knockout tie after »»»

Euro ‌zone government bond yields rose on Monday after the United States and Iran failed to reach a peace deal, heightening concerns that higher oil prices could fuel inflation and support expectations for European Central Bank rate hikes. Oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel ‌as the ‌US Navy pre»»»

Malaysia's Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said it has detained two tankers for allegedly conducting an illegal ship-to-ship transfer of about 700,000 liters of diesel off the island of Penang over the weekend. Malaysia has been cracking down on fuel smuggling amid mounting shortages and supply »»»

Doha, Qatar: Director of the Banking Supervision Department at Qatar Central Bank Ali Hamad Al Marri has underscored the importance of the decision to defer loan instalments and interest payments for three months, describing it as a proactive step to maintain financial stability and support both in»»»

Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots are willing to lie, cheat and steal to “protect their own kind,” according to a new experiment. Researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz asked Google’s digital assistant, Gemini, to clear up space on a computer server. This would involve deleting one of its»»»

A Hamas delegation, led by Khalil al-Hayya, held talks on Sunday with Egyptian mediators in Cairo to address Israeli violations of the Gaza ceasefire, two officials from the Palestinian group said. The ceasefire took effect last October. But both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of breachin»»»

US President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian ports starting Monday afternoon, after ceasefire talks collapsed in Pakistan. The move triggered an oil price surge and warnings of escalation, as both sides traded threats and blamed each other for the breakdo»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s passport has climbed to 45th place in the latest Henley Passport Index, underscoring the country’s growing diplomatic influence and enhanced global mobility for its citizens. According to the latest official ranking published on its website, Qatari passport holders can now acce»»»

Lebanese 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 t»»»

Kuwait’s Official Gazette Al-Kuwait Al-Youm has published Decree-Law No. (52) of 2026 in Supplement (2) of issue (1786), introducing amendments to the country’s citizenship law under Amiri Decree No. (15) of 1959, according to KUNA. The decree, comprising five articles with explanatory notes, aims »»»

A 32-hour Easter truce between Russia and Ukraine expired on Monday, with both sides accusing each other of thousands of violations despite a brief lull in air and missile strikes along the 1,200-kilometre front line. The ceasefire period still saw ongoing drone and artillery activity, officials sa»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has launched the second edition of the 2026 guidance document regulating student admission and registration procedures in private schools and kindergartens. Issued by the Private Schools Licensing Department, the updated document i»»»

The US military said Sunday that it blew up two boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of five people and leaving one survivor, as the Trump administration pursues its campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America while preparing a naval blockade of I»»»

Lebanon will hold direct negotiations with Israel at the US State Department on Tuesday amid concerns that they will be a failure with each party clinging to their conditions. The success of the negotiations will also have implications in Lebanon because Hezbollah opposes any agreement that would r»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai edged lower on Monday morning, tracking a cautious global market mood shaped by rising geopolitical tensions and renewed inflation concerns. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.At 9:19am, 24-karat gold was priced at Dh569 per gram, down from Dh5»»»

Iranians reacted with a mixture of disappointment and defiance on Sunday after 21 hours of talks between the US and Iran ended without an agreement, casting fear over the future of a fragile two-week ceasefire and the possible comeback of military escalation, according to AP and AFP. US officials s»»»

Oil prices surged and stocks sank Monday after US-Iran peace talks fell apart and Donald Trump announced a blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, adding to fears of energy supplies from the Middle East. Negotiations in Islamabad at the weekend fell apart with the US delegation -- led by Vice P»»»

Millions of people in Sudan are surviving on just one meal a day, as the country's food crisis deepens and threatens to spread, according to a report published on Monday by a group of non-governmental organizations. Sudan's war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which enters it»»»

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced the suspension of his California gubernatorial campaign after several women accused him of sexual misconduct. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo April 13 (UPI) -- Eric Swalwell, the Democratic congressman running for California governor, announc»»»

President Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night, saying he didn't think the US-born global leader of the Catholic Church is “doing a very good job” and that “he's a very liberal person," while also suggesting the pontiff should “stop catering to the »»»

Dubai: Gold’s sharp March decline has caught investors off guard, coming at a time when geopolitical tensions and inflation risks would typically support prices, yet the move was driven less by fundamentals and more by a rapid unwind of leveraged positions across markets. (Check latest UAE gold pri»»»

Australia on Monday said a woman would lead its army for the first time in history, as part of a reshuffle of the country's defense force leadership. Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, the current chief of joint capabilities, will become chief of army in July, the government said in a statement. She w»»»