The US-Iran talks in Islamabad ended exactly as they were bound to end under the current balance of power – without a deal, without a handshake, without even the faintest sense that the two sides have moved closer to a durable peace. Nearly 21 hours of talks, an unprecedented level of representatio»»»

His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has revealed his latest historical project — a book titled Al Kawn wa Anasi Kathiran — which will comprise around 100 volumes, narrating the history of the universe from before the descent of Prophet »»»

"We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world. That’s what they’re doing — they’re really blackmailing the world. We’re not going to let that happen," Trump told reporters, declaring that a US blockade of the Hormuz Strait has begun. The blockade "started 10 o'clock," according to the presi»»»

Liverpool: Luis Enrique has warned Paris Saint-Germain to avoid falling into a "trap" against Liverpool as the Champions League holders aim to reach the semi-finals on Tuesday. PSG head to Anfield protecting a 2-0 lead from last week's quarter-final first-leg in Paris. Liverpool failed to record a »»»

All five members of Bangladesh's autonomous human rights commission resigned on Monday in protest over the newly elected government's failure to renew beefed up authorities for the body. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) members said the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), which won a landsl»»»

Bulgarian politicians commented on Sunday's elections in Hungary, reflecting over governance, democracy, and Europe’s direction. Hungary's Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar, won the parliamentary elections with a decisive lead over Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party, according to near-»»»

Hezbollah will not abide by any agreements that may result from the direct Lebanon-Israel talks in the United States, negotiations it firmly opposes, a senior Hezbollah official said Monday. Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah's political council, spoke on the eve of the talks expected i»»»

Paris, France: Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez, said Monday that no country has the right to close the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic. During a press conference, Dominguez added, "Under international law, no country has the right to prohibi»»»

The pro-EU Tisza party’s victory over Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Hungarian election means that the country has essentially been taken over by the Soros network, Elon Musk has said. In a post on X on Monday, Musk lashed out at Alexander Soros – the son of Hungarian-American billionaire Georg»»»

Brussels, Belgium: Brussels investigators were raiding the premises of a chocolate maker in two EU countries Monday over concerns the firm may have violated the bloc's antitrust rules, the European Commission said. The surprise inspections targeted a "company active in the chocolate confectionery s»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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.»»»

President Joseph Aoun on Monday told visiting Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani that "Lebanon hopes that the upcoming meeting tomorrow in Washington between the ambassadors of Lebanon, the United States, and Israel will result in an agreement on a ceasefire in Lebanon, paving the way for dire»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Dubai: “We don’t stand still.” As Basmah El Bittar, director of Alserkal Avenue, says these words, we’re walking through Alserkal Avenue on a windy April afternoon in Dubai's industrial-chic Al Quoz neighbourhood. She’s giving Gulf News a tour of the vibrant cultural district she oversees. It's a s»»»

Protesters gather outside Liverpool Crown Court in Liverpool in January 2025 where then-18 year-old Axel Rudakubana was sentenced to 52 years in prison for the Southport child killings. File photo by Adam Vaughan/EPA-EFE April 13 (UPI) -- The official inquiry into the killings of three young girls »»»

Dubai: Pope Leo XIV has declined to engage directly with criticism from Donald Trump, emphasizing that the Church’s stance on global conflicts is guided by moral responsibility rather than politics. Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria for his first visit to Africa as po»»»

Germany's Hapag-Lloyd said on Monday that it is difficult to assess what effect US President Donald Trump's plans to block the Strait of Hormuz would have on shipping. "What's important is that passage through the Strait of Hormuz be restored as soon as possible," said a company spokesperson in an »»»

Bulgarian political parties have expressed positions following the recent elections in Hungary, reflecting over governance, democracy, and Europe’s direction. Hungary's Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar, has won the parliamentary elections with a decisive lead over Prime Minister Viktor Orban and hi»»»

Dubai: A Florida man’s death after an intense and increasingly delusional relationship with Google’s AI chatbot Gemini is raising urgent questions about the psychological risks of human-like artificial intelligence. At the centre of the case is 36-year-old Jonathan Gavalas, described by his family »»»

1 of 2 | Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced the Kids Online Safety Act in 2022. It is endorsed by 62 senators. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 13 (UPI) -- Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are considering more than a dozen bill proposals to »»»

Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in collaboration with Dubai Police, has launched a new road safety campaign aimed at addressing everyday driving behaviours that contribute to congestion and road safety risks across Dubai. Rather than focusing solely on major traffic violations, the »»»

The Strait of Hormuz has once again returned to the centre of regional and international attention, not only because of the renewed media debate surrounding its legal status, but also due to the broader geopolitical tensions shaping discussions around it. A key point of dispute remains the strait i»»»

Doha, Qatar: The General Tax Authority has recently announced the new law on excise tax, introducing new measures targeting sugary drinks and revising how taxes on sweetened beverages are calculated. The authority stated that the changes aim to curb the consumption of high-sugar products and promot»»»

Dubai: Women’s roles within the home are being re-examined across the region, with schools updating Arabic language teaching to better reflect their influence in shaping both families and wider society. The change comes amid growing conversations in the UAE about recognising women not simply as “ho»»»

Ongoing military escalation in the Middle East puts tens of millions of people at risk of falling into poverty across 162 countries, according to new projections released today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). While the impacts are concentrated in countries directly affected by t»»»

A statement by members of the Yes, Bulgaria party, released on Monday, comments on recent political developments in Hungary, arguing that the country is undergoing a historic turning point and a shift away from what they describe as a “captured state” model. The statement claims that Hungary’s gove»»»

Tehran: The US military said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian ports Monday, after talks between the warring sides in Pakistan collapsed, and despite the Iranian military warning that it would treat any such action as an act of piracy. Trump had announced on social media he would blockade th»»»

Dubai: Jet fuel shortages are fast becoming one of the biggest hidden pressures on global aviation, affecting everything from airline profitability to the price travellers pay for tickets. While passengers may only notice the impact when fares suddenly rise, the causes run much deeper — from refine»»»

Dubai: Actor-turned-politician Vijay, founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), is intensifying his campaign for the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election with high-energy public outreach. As part of his unique campaign style, Vijay has been riding a bicycle through crowded street»»»

“Yesterday, Hungarians chose democracy over authoritarianism, Europe over Russia, and a better economic future instead of remaining the poorest country in the European Union,” the statement of Continue the Change says, referring to the recent election results in Hungary. According to the party, the»»»

Pope Leo XIV has begun an 11-day tour of Africa, a landmark visit that underscores the continent’s growing importance to the Catholic Church — even as it unfolds under the shadow of geopolitical tensions. The trip, covering Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, is the first major interna»»»

Tripoli based Libyan Prime Minister Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba welcomed last Saturday (11 April) the signing of the US-brokered (Unified Development Programme) between the two politically split Libyan western and eastern Libyan administrations. Aldabaiba said ‘‘After 13 years of political deadlock, we h»»»