Doha, Qatar: HE Attorney-General Dr. Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi, inaugurated Sunday a refresher training course on practical criminal investigation, organized by the Public Prosecution in cooperation with the Public Prosecution of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The four-day course, attended by »»»

Iran’s parliamentary speaker said Saturday night that talks with the United States to end the war had made progress but remained far from an agreement, as Tehran said the crucial Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until Washington lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports. Follow our liveblog for»»»

With the French presidential election just a year away, most parties are conducting internal polls to decide on their candidate. Les Républicains, led by Bruno Retailleau, are meeting this weekend to decide whether to hold a primary, amid criticism, particularly from Laurent Wauquiez, over reluctan»»»

South Korea’s military said Sunday that North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles, marking the latest in a string of weapons tests in violation of UN sanctions. North Korea test-fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Sunday, South Korea's military said, the latest in a »»»

With an estimated population of 1.4 billion, India—the world’s most populous nation—is launching the first phase of what is set to be the largest census ever conducted. More than three million officials are involved in updating figures from the last count in 2011, when the population stood at 1.21 »»»

Armenians are set to head to the polls in June for their parliamentary elections, which the EU and Russia are closely watching. With support for joining the bloc at an all-time high, this could be a sign that the former Soviet country is moving away from Moscow, one of its closest allies. But forei»»»

US Vice President J.D. Vance faces a classic bind: Loyalty to President Donald Trump ties him to a presidency that is bound to fail, yet distancing himself invites charges of disloyalty. Either course imperils his prospects of becoming the next president. His latest assignment as chief negotiator w»»»

Voters in Bulgaria headed to the polls Sunday for an eighth general election in five years, with ex-president Rumen Radev tipped to win on anti-corruption pledges. The election comes after unrest toppled Boyko Borissov’s rule and left the pro-European GERB party trailing. Bulgarians began head»»»

Abu Dhabi: People of different faiths including Emirati officials joined hands at the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to showcase their deep gratitude, unity, and solidarity with the leadership and people of the UAE in a special UAE flag-raising ceremony. The BAPS Hindu Mandir officially r»»»

The Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai convened the third meeting of the Foster Families Committee, with the participation of representatives from several relevant government entities, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen the alternative care ecosystem and enhance collaborative »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received a written message from HE Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, concerning the bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to support and develop them. The message was received by Minister of Interior and Comma»»»

Around 99.5% of voting machines are functioning without issues on election day, the Ministry of Electronic Governance said on Sunday. The Ministry reported that faults have been recorded in fewer than 1% of all devices, with technicians from Ciela Norma, the contractor responsible for machine maint»»»

Cologne, Germany: Wearing a gas mask, a young man performs a rapid series of push-ups, jumps and squats at the German military's recruiting booth at FIBO, the world's largest fitness expo, held in Cologne. Germany hopes to grow its armed forces, winning tens of thousands of new volunteers -- a toug»»»

DOHA: Attorney General HE Dr Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi inaugurated a refresher training course entitled 'Practical Criminal Investigation', which is organised by the Public Prosecution in cooperation with the Public Prosecution of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The course, which is held over f»»»

Syrian state media said Sunday that security forces thwarted a missile-launching operation by Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah from its territory. From March 2 until a 10-day ceasefire went into force on April 17, Hezbollah was battling Israel after drawing Lebanon into the Middle East war with»»»

Dubai: UAE economic growth accelerated in the early months of 2026, driven by expanding banking activity, rising foreign trade flows, and sustained investment momentum, according to official data and international reports. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply cli»»»

Visit underscores academic programs and a strong focus on values and cultural identity Doha, Qatar: Minister of Education and Higher Education, HE Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater, visited Qatar Foundation’s Qatar Academy Al Khor, where she was welcomed by Dr. Aisha Al Muqbali, Director Ge»»»

Washington, April 19 (SANA) Syria’s finance minister and central bank governor held talks with international financial institutions on steps to support reforms and develop the country’s financial and banking sectors. Finance Minister Mohammed Yasser Barnieh and Central Bank Governor Abdulkader Husr»»»

Dubai: Pakistan has begun its Hajj flight operation, with the first pilgrims departing for Saudi Arabia as authorities roll out enhanced facilities for the annual pilgrimage, Dawn reported. Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf said the government was providing pilgrims with the “best p»»»

Planning and Economic Development Minister Ahmed Rostom confirmed that economic reform has enhanced the state’s ability to manage the repercussions of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and stressed that the government is continuing reforms to achieve macroeconomic stability and development f»»»

Washington: US based company Blue Origin announced on Sunday, April 19, 2026, a mission to launch its New Glenn rocket, its third flight since becoming operational, as part of testing technologies for reusing orbital rockets. The rocket is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station»»»

Nuremberg, Germany: Veteran endurance driver Juha Miettinen was killed in a seven-car pile-up during a race at Germany's Nuerburgring on Saturday. The race, which also featured four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, was halted after the accident with organisers suspending the event. I»»»

After voting in Sofia's Bankya neighbourhood, GERB leader Boyko Borissov said his party will not take part in coalitions and will instead engage in talks on specific issues, particularly in geopolitics and defence, where it will act as a constructive opposition. According to him, the chances of for»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Meteorology Department (QMD) forecasted chances of scattered rain from Tuesday, April 21, 2026, until the end of the week. In a social media update, QMD further stated that weather conditions will also be partly cloudy to cloudy during this period.»»»

Lebanon's military said Sunday it had reopened a road and bridge damaged by Israeli strikes in the country's south, as a 10-day truce holds between Hezbollah and Israel. In a statement, the military said it "fully reopened" a road linking the city of Nabatieh with the Khardali area, and had "partia»»»

Cairo — Egypt is advancing its strategy to localize electronics manufacturing following high-level discussions between Raafat Hindi and executives from HONOR on expanding smartphone production in the country. According to an official statement by the Ministry of Communications and Information Techn»»»

Dubai: Pakistan has placed its twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on high security alert, deploying tens of thousands of personnel and suspending transport services ahead of a possible second round of high-stakes talks between the United States and Iran, according to reports. More than 10,000 »»»

Israeli forces on Saturday carried out demolitions in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, the scene of intense fighting with Hezbollah prior to the recently agreed 10-day truce, Lebanese state media reported. "The Israeli enemy is repeating its house detonating operations in the town of Bint »»»

Israel's military said on Sunday that a soldier died during combat in southern Lebanon, where a temporary ceasefire had come into effect this week. "Lidor Porat, aged 31, from Ashdod, a soldier in the 7106th Battalion, 769th Regional Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon," the Israeli mil»»»

Dubai: Dubai Police have successfully rescued two tourists who became stranded while hiking in the rugged terrain of Hatta, after suffering from severe exhaustion and fatigue. The incident occurred at approximately 11.30am last Tuesday, when the two women contacted the Command-and-Control Centre at»»»

Dubai: Two Indian men were shot dead in northern Italy in what authorities suspect may have been a “coldly planned execution,” shortly after they attended a Vaisakhi gathering at a place of worship, according to reports. The incident took place late Friday night in the town of Covo, in Bergamo prov»»»

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said overnight that the ongoing 10-day truce with Israel cannot be one-sided, vowing that his fighters would respond to Israeli attacks on Lebanon. "A ceasefire means a complete cessation of all hostilities. Because we do not trust this enemy, the resistance fighters wi»»»

Sofia: Bulgaria on Sunday, April 19, 2026, held its eighth legislative election in five years, with ex-president Rumen Radev's grouping tipped to win on a pledge to fight corruption, after an anti-graft movement triggered a long political crisis. The European Union's poorest member has been through»»»

In an astonishing occasion, Egypt came among the 10 finest places for startup businesses around the world, an info-graphic study – conducted by Brighton School of Business- concluded Cairo’s market has been emerging for the past 10 years, where entrepreneurial opportunities are best served to flour»»»

British government ministers on Sunday backed embattled premier Keir Starmer as he struggles to shake off a scandal over long-time Jeffrey Epstein associate Peter Mandelson. Starmer is due to face lawmakers in parliament on Monday to explain how Mandelson was appointed Britain's ambassador to the U»»»

Global finance leaders, whipsawed by Middle East war news, came to grips this past week with their inability to mitigate the economic damage from increasingly frequent geopolitical shocks, and a realization that counting on US leadership to resolve crises is no longer the guarantee it had long been»»»

Skopje, 18 April 2026 (MIA) - The Skopje and Ohrid airports are leaders in the region, as confirmed by international media. Skopje International Airport remains the regional leader with a 32 percent increase compared to the same period last year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Alek»»»

Kuala Lumpur: A huge fire destroyed about 1,000 makeshift homes, many of them built on stilts over water, and displaced thousands of people in a coastal village in Malaysia's Sabah state on Sunday, authorities said. The blaze broke out early on Sunday morning in a "water village" in Sandakan distri»»»

After the ceasefire in Lebanon took hold, Samah Hajoul headed back to her apartment in Beirut's southern suburbs -- but only long enough to grab fresh clothes, feeling safer in her tent as she wonders whether the truce will last. "I am afraid to return to my home because the situation is not stable»»»

An Australian former soldier charged with committing war crimes in Afghanistan vowed on Sunday to clear his name, saying he had never "run from a fight" in his first public comments since his arrest. "For the past 10 years, my family and I have been subject to a campaign to convince Australians tha»»»

Kuala lumpur: A fire that broke out Sunday morning, April 19, 2026, destroyed approximately 200 stilt houses in the Kampung Bahagia water village of Sandankan, Malaysia. Sandakan Fire and Rescue Station chief, Jimmy Lagung, said that firefighting operations are still underway and the blaze has not »»»

Dubai: Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq has issued a royal decree granting Omani citizenship to 226 individuals. The decree, No. 46/2026, was published in the Official Gazette on April 19, listing the names of those approved for citizenship. The decision comes within the framework of Oman’s national»»»

Dubai: The Strait of Hormuz is no longer a shipping lane — it is now a gunboat-enforced negotiating table. What unfolded over the past 36 hours has stripped away any lingering illusion that the waterway is returning to normal. A brief window of optimism — sparked by Iran’s signal that the strait wa»»»

•• Malawi Minister of Health: A new phase of cooperation with EIPICO has now begun, because what we saw in the company exceeds any expectation or perception. •• Dr. Olfat Ghorab: Acdima companies are the strong arm of the state in providing medicine to Africa as well. •• Dr. Ahmed Kilani: An import»»»

Twenty-four years after the arrest of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, now 67, and after long stretches in solitary confinement, he remains a central figure in Palestinian politics. His influence has outpaced that of other officials in decision-making roles, and he has topped Fatah elections in»»»

Routine maintenance work at Islam’s holiest site has been completed to the highest international standards, Saudi authorities said, as the Kingdom simultaneously began welcoming the first wave of pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj season. The General Authority for the Care of the Grand Mosque and the P»»»

Lebanon's president and prime minister have discussed preparations for the first direct negotiations with Israel in decades. In a statement, the office of President Joseph Aoun said he and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam conducted "an assessment of the post-ceasefire phase and the ongoing efforts to con»»»

The Supreme National Security Council of Iran affirmed that Iran’s negotiating delegation will make no concessions in talks aimed at ending the war, underscoring its full commitment to safeguarding national rights and defending the interests of the Iranian people. In a statement, the council said T»»»

Hezbollah on Saturday denied it was involved in a deadly attack on United Nations peacekeepers (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, after France accused the group of being behind the incident. "Hezbollah denies any connection to the incident that occurred with UNIFIL forces in the Ghandouriyeh-Bint Jbeil »»»

The strategic Strait of Hormuz was again closed on Sunday in the stand-off between Iran and the United States, with Iran's powerful parliament speaker signalling a final peace deal remained "far" off despite some movement in negotiations. As mediation efforts continued following high-level talks in»»»