Oil prices jumped in early trading Monday, with US and global benchmarks climbing sharply amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and investor concern over potential supply disruptions through key shipping lanes. As of 7:19 a.m. (Asia time) on April 13, West Texas Intermediate crude traded at $»»»

Share: On the eve of the anniversary of the outbreak of the Civil War on April 13, 1975, how dire is our need today to learn from our past—not to conjure it up for the purposes of intimidation and fear-mongering, nor to turn it into a weapon to wield against one another. in that war—which wrought i»»»

The US military said Sunday it would begin a blockade of all Iranian ports within hours, after peace talks in Pakistan collapsed with Washington blaming the Islamic republic's refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions. The announcement came despite a ceasefire agreed on Wednesday aimed at pausing th»»»

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. Red Cross vehicles hitThe Lebanese Red Cross said in a statement that one of its paramedic»»»

Iran has said it was "inches away" from a deal with the United States in high-stakes negotiations in Islamabad. The talks ended without an agreement. Iran’s foreign ministry has publicly said Tehran entered the talks in Islamabad in “good faith” and came close to an agreement with US officials. But»»»

Ashraf Siddiqui Islamabad Pakistan, which hosted and mediated the talks in Islamabad talks between the United States and the Iran, has urged both sides to respect the ceasefire and pursue dialogue. On the sidelines of the event, seasoned Pakistani diplomat Sardar Masood Khan told Qatar Tribune that»»»

The US Department of War has announced that American forces will begin enforcing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports from 10 am ET (2 pm GMT) on April 13, after US-Iran talks in Pakistan ended without a deal. The US Central Command said the blockade would apply to »»»

Viktor Orban will most likely win the upcoming parliamentary elections in Hungary on April 12; however, for the ruling party, this will be an extremely difficult and hard-fought victory. The issue is not the loss of charisma by the bright and skillful long-standing leader of Fidesz, nor even the 25»»»

Capitals, April 12 (SANA) – Concerns are mounting within Europe’s aviation sector over a potential crisis in jet fuel supplies as the ongoing war in the Middle East disrupts global energy supply chains, particularly shipments passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. According to data compile»»»

The centre-right opposition Tisza Party of Péter Magyar won the parliamentary election in Hungary with a two-thirds majority, while prime minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz suffered a devastating defeat. With more than 50 percent of votes counted, Tisza had already secured 136 out of 199 seats in parli»»»

The Ministry of Defence has announced the launch of the “Leadership Competency Assessment,” targeting male Emirati high school students for the 2025–2026 academic year. This initiative forms part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to develop a specialised training ecosystem that meets the highest st»»»

Capitals, April 12 (SANA) – The war in the Middle East has forced Europe to rethink how it manages natural gas storage, with energy security now taking priority over the traditional profit-driven model based on seasonal price differences. Recent market analysis shows the conflict and disruptions li»»»

The UAE National Program for Readiness and Response, Jahiziyah, on Saturday launched the country’s first specialised national program to train surgeons in emergency management and disaster preparedness. This strategic initiative reflects the United Arab Emirates’ commitment to strengthening nationa»»»

Lebanese official media reported extensive Israeli strikes across the country's south on Sunday as the health ministry said at least five people were killed and the war's overall toll rose to 2,055 dead. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli attacks on around 30 locations in the»»»

President Donald Trump on Sunday said that the U.S. Navy would block the Strait of Hormuz to prevent Iranian ships from transiting it unless Iran opens the Strait and agrees to a peace deal with the United States. File Photo by Ali Haider/EPA-EFE April 12 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Sunday s»»»

Iran's Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher ⁠Ghalibaf said on Sunday ⁠that his country's delegation raised "forward-looking" initiatives during negotiations in Pakistan's Islamabad, but the US failed to gain the trust ⁠of ⁠the delegation in the talks. The most likely option in the coming days is “»»»

Poland will co-host an international Ukraine recovery conference in Gdańsk in June, aiming to position itself as a key partner in rebuilding war damage. Polish officials are already discussing participation of domestic firms in major projects. Reconstruction may cost hundreds of bln euros, but succ»»»

In the highly orchestrated world of Hungarian politics, where government ministers rarely stray from the safety of state-controlled media, reality sometimes bypasses the gatekeepers. On election day, while waiting in line to vote with my family, I found myself standing just paces away from Gergely »»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday that he was ready to help mediate efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East, the Kremlin said, AFP reported. "Vladimir Putin emphasized his readiness to further facilitate the search for a political and dipl»»»

Iran and the United States failed to strike a deal Sunday to end the war in the Middle East, but there was no immediate return to hostilities and world leaders quickly urged both sides to pursue the diplomatic route to peace. U.S. Vice President JD Vance left Pakistan after the talks -- the highest»»»

Hezbollah denied on Sunday any link to a cell accused by Syrian authorities of planning an attack on a religious figure in Damascus, saying it conducts no activity in the country. Syria's interior ministry said Saturday that security forces had arrested a woman attempting to plant an explosive devi»»»

Pope Leo XIV expressed his closeness to the people of Lebanon on Sunday, saying there was a "moral obligation" to protect them while calling on warring parties to seek peace. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last month as Israel pursues Hezbollah, with Lebanese authorities reporting more »»»

The Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters has called on the public not to organise any celebratory marches or gatherings unless they are pre-approved by the relevant authorities. The force emphasised the importance of adhering to applicable laws and regulations to safeguard public safety and preven»»»

Dubai: Bahrain’s Ministry of Education has announced that students in public schools will be given the option to continue remote learning or return to in-person classes from April 19. The decision applies to all educational stages, with schools set to contact students and parents this week to confi»»»

The US and Israel are facing “severe political and military problems” and looking for a “pause” in hostilities “to reload and regather, refocus and try again” against Iran. That’s not what Tehran is after, says Daffodil University journalism professor Greg Simons. The June 2025 war and the current »»»

Dubai: Fresh figures shared on Sunday by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber point to a sharp escalation in disruptions across the Strait of Hormuz, with at least 22 ships attacked, 10 crew members killed and close to 800 commercial vessels now stranded, including almost 400 oil tankers. Sign up for our daily»»»

Wrapped in bloodied bandages, Aline Saeed, seven, barely survived the Israeli strike on her home in south Lebanon last week. She was there to bury her father as hopes of a truce spread across the region, but a new strike killed her infant sister and other relatives. The strike on the Saeed family h»»»

Iran is wary of further talks with the US and right to be so, Daffodil University professor Dr. Greg Simons told Sputnik, commenting on the impasse hit in negotiations in Islamabad on Saturday. "The fact that the US tried to run the Strait of Hormuz with its naval vessels during the negotiations ju»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States would soon start the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to prevent Iran from using what he described as "extortion." "The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade," Trump w»»»

President Donald Trump on Sunday said the US Navy would “immediately” begin a blockade to stop ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement. Trump sought to exert strategic control over the waterway responsible for the transpo»»»

Dubai: The United States has begun a high-stakes operation to clear suspected Iranian sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, deploying warships, underwater drones and specialised helicopters to reopen one of the world’s most critical energy routes. Two US Navy guided-missile destroyers — the USS Frank »»»

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of the Board of the Watani Al Emarat Foundation, praised the pivotal role played by influencers, content creators, and podcasters in conveying the noble message of the “Our Life in the UAE” forum to audiences bo»»»

Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV expressed his closeness to the people of Lebanon on Sunday, saying there was a "moral obligation" to protect them while calling on warring parties to seek peace. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last month as Israel pursues the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, with »»»

Russia will not extend a truce with Ukraine over Orthodox Easter unless Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accepts its terms, the Kremlin said in an interview aired Sunday. "Sustainable peace can come when we secure our interests and achieve the goals we set from the very start. This can be don»»»

Pope Leo XIV expressed his closeness to the people of Lebanon on Sunday, saying there was a "moral obligation" to protect them while calling on warring parties to seek peace. "I am closer than ever, in these days of sorrow, fear, and unconquerable hope in God, to the beloved Lebanese people," the p»»»

The drone attack took place as the spaceport in northern Russia was preparing to launch a rocket, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov reportedly told Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin. State propaganda agency RIA Novosti reported that the Ukrainian drone attack was discussed during a recent meeting between B»»»

London: UK government minister Wes Streeting on Sunday April 12, 2026, said it was "disappointing" that negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad had stalled, adding that US President Donald Trump's earlier social media comments had been "incendiary". "It's obviously disappointin»»»

The drone attack took place as the spaceport in northern Russia was preparing to launch a rocket, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov reportedly told Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin. State propaganda agency RIA Novosti reported that the Ukrainian drone attack was discussed during a recent meeting between B»»»

Dubai: If the 21-hour US–Iran talks revealed deep divisions at the negotiating table, the reactions that followed showed an equally sharp divide in how both sides see the path forward. From Washington, the message was firm. US Vice President JD Vance said the United States had made its position cle»»»

Top finance officials from around the world will convene in Washington this week under the shadow of the war in the Middle East, which has delivered a third major shock to the global economy after the COVID pandemic and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Top International Monetary Fun»»»

The speaker of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has expressed deep gratitude to Pakistan for its role in facilitating negotiations, calling it a friendly and brotherly country. He extended his regards to the people of Pakistan for their support. Mohammad Bagher G»»»

Dubai: After 21 hours of negotiations stretching into the early hours, US–Iran talks did not so much fail as expose the scale of the challenge ahead — laying bare deep divisions over nuclear limits, regional power and control of the Strait of Hormuz. The outcome was not unexpected. Both sides enter»»»

Lebanese authorities said on Saturday that Israeli strikes have killed 2,020 people since the start of the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah last month. The new toll from the Lebanese health ministry includes 248 women, 165 children and 85 medical and emergency personnel killed, along wi»»»

Saudi Arabia has emerged as a key stabilizing force in global energy markets during the crisis triggered by the US-Israeli-Iranian war that disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, helping contain what experts describe as an unprecedented supply shock. While pessimistic forecasts had pointed to oil prices s»»»

Syria's interior ministry said Saturday that five people had been arrested over a plot to attack an unidentified religious figure in Damascus, alleging the cell was linked to Hezbollah. In a statement, the ministry said security forces observed a woman as she attempted to "plant an explosive device»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran had succeeded in "crushing" the Islamic republic's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Netanyahu's comments came as Iranian and U.S. officials held two rounds of face-to-face talks in Pa»»»

Pakistan's foreign minister insisted on Sunday Washington and Tehran must uphold a ceasefire agreement, after marathon talks between the two sides to end the war in the Middle East ended without an agreement. "It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to ceasefire," said»»»

At 6AM, polling stations opened in Hungary and its high-stakes parliamentary elections began. Voters will decide whether, after 16 years of an increasingly authoritarian government, prime minister Viktor Orbán and his rightwing party, Fidesz, will stay in power, or the leader of the centre-right Ti»»»

The negotiations between Iran and the United States have come to an end without striking a deal after 21 hours of discussions in the Pakistani capital. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Sunday that the two sides reached a consensus on some issues but held different views rega»»»