Stocks soared and oil plunged in early trade in Asia on Wednesday after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with Tehran temporarily to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. On oil markets, the US crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) tumbled 16.56 percent to $96.39 per b»»»

Dubai: Amid the widespread cancellation of school board examinations in the UAE amid regional tensions, universities in the country have responded swiftly, pivoting admission processes online and rolling out a raft of student-friendly measures to ensure no one loses their place in higher education.»»»

Universities are often seen as places of discovery, intellectual growth, and personal transformation. Yet their true value becomes most visible during times of crisis. Wars, regional tensions, and global disruptions test not only governments and institutions, but also the resilience of individuals »»»

MANILA: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a multi-partner fund to finance critical project preparation work for cross-border energy and transmission infrastructure within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) — the first such fund in the region. The Regional Connectivity Fu»»»

Oil futures tumbled sharply Wednesday as President Donald Trump announced a two-week suspension of US attacks on Iran and progress toward a long-term peace agreement, easing fears of prolonged disruption to Middle East energy supplies. West Texas Intermediate crude for near-term delivery fell $18.9»»»

The U.S. has agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran proposed by Pakistan, U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday night. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed Tehran's acceptance and said Iran would allow "safe passage" of the Strait of Hormuz during those two weeks "via coordination»»»

Iran’s foreign minister confirmed that passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be permitted for the next two weeks under Iranian military management, following the acceptance of a temporary ceasefire. Also Read: Trump agrees to two-week ceasefire: Full statementThe Supreme National Security Counc»»»

US President Donald Trump says he agrees to suspend bombing and attacks on Iran for a period of two weeks. This is a developing story...»»»

Israel has agreed to participate in the two‑week ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump just 90 minutes before his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face escalated strikes on civilian infrastructure, a senior White House official told CNN. Get updated faster and for FREE»»»

US President Donald Trump said he is scaling back threats to target bridges, power plants, and other civilian infrastructure in Iran, contingent on Tehran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. In a social media post Tuesday evening, Trump stated that Iran could consen»»»

April 7 (UPI) -- Law enforcement officials in Maryland announced Tuesday that they seized "significant quantities" of illegal drugs, weapons and money as part of a lengthy multi-agency investigation into a drug-trafficking ring. They also reported 12 arrests, with more possible in the future. Wilco»»»

President Donald Trump has suspended his looming attack on Iran’s energy infrastructure, announcing a two-week ceasefire to negotiate a long-term peace agreement based on a “workable” 10-point proposal from Tehran. Just hours after warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran refuse»»»

Following the promotion of more Greek destinations in Northern Italy by the Greek National Tourism Organization – which participated in two professional workshops organized by the airports of Venice and Verona on March 24 and 25 – a new direct flight is to connect Karpathos with Verona this summer.»»»

Sohni Dharti Forum, a prominent volunteer-driven social organisation representing the Pakistani community in Al Khor, has officially announced its Executive Committee for 2026, reaffirming continuity in leadership and a sustained commitment to community service. The announcement reflects stability »»»

He noted that disruptions in the strait have already affected multiple countries and international partners, with Qatar placing top priority on the safety of its gas tanker crews operations, he said, would not proceed without clear security assurances. Dr Al Ansari stressed that the Strait of Hormu»»»

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad did not immediately release a comment on the release of American journalist Shelly Kittleson. File Photo by Maj. Charlie Dietz/U.S. Army | License Photo April 7 (UPI) -- An Iranian-backed militia freed an American journalist it kidnapped last month in a prisoner exchange»»»

Khaled Al Hameidi Doha Dr Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), has reaffirmed that Qatar’s position on mediation remains unchanged, expressing full support for ongoing negotiations led by Pakistan despite D»»»

The conflict involving the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other has intensified sharply as a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for Tehran to accept U.S. demands approaches, with escalating threats targeting critical infrastructure and limited signs of de-escalation. »»»

Doha: Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, honored 14 winners of the 2026 Akhlaquna Awards at a ceremony held on Tuesday, recognising the outstanding ethical values reflected in their initiatives and conduct. Akhlaquna Day, held at the Multaqa in Education City was attende»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe White House spokesperson: President Trump has been briefed on Pakistan’s proposal for a two-week ceasefire, and a response will be forthcom»»»

Egypt plans to drill more than 100 exploratory wells by 2026 as part of an ambitious strategy to enhance domestic oil and gas production, Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi said on Tuesday. Speaking during a roundtable meeting with members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo (AmCham), chaired»»»

Bassel Rahmy, CEO of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), held talks with Amr Abdel Moneim, CEO of the Upper Egypt Development Authority, to strengthen institutional cooperation and support economic development across Upper Egypt governorates. The discussions focused »»»

Mokhtar Abdel Latif, Chairperson of the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI), held talks, on Tuesday, with Jules Banza Mwilambwe, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to explore avenues for strengthening cooperation across industrial, defence, and dev»»»

Lucky, Egypt’s fast-growing financial technology company, has raised $23m in a Series B round combining equity and debt, as it accelerates its expansion into North Africa’s consumer credit market. The round drew support from Disruptech Ventures and DPI Venture Capital via the Nclude fund, alongside»»»

Maya Morsy, Minister of Social Solidarity, held a meeting with the team overseeing the Strategic Financial System for Economic Empowerment at the Ministry, in the presence of Hala El-Said, Economic Adviser to the President, to review the programme’s progress. The discussions underscored that econom»»»

Dubai: Global market volatility tied to tensions involving Iran triggered one of the sharpest short-term swings in billionaire wealth this year, wiping out more than $100 billion from the world’s richest individuals in March before a rapid rebound in April restored most of those losses. Data from F»»»

A woman holds a placard with a picture of Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris during a rally for Kohler's birthday at Place de la Nation in Paris in September 2025. The couple has been released, French authorities announced. File Photo by Mohammed Badra/EPA April 7 (UPI) -- Two French people held in Ir»»»

Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk stated that spending priorities in the state’s general budget for the fourth quarter (Q4) of the current fiscal year 2025/26 have been adjusted in response to ongoing exceptional conditions. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Kouchouk said all state entities are commi»»»

Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif said Tuesday that "diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future," despite the unprecedented tensions in th»»»

Damascus, Apr.7 (SANA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on Tuesday hosted a joint workshop bringing together the Syrian government and the United Nations Country Team, with the participation of donor countries, diplomatic missions, civil society organizations, and the Minister of Eme»»»

Bulgaria needs investment and better governance across all areas of healthcare to achieve top-level results, scientific breakthroughs and reliable access to medical services nationwide, President Iliana Iotova said at a ceremony marking the Day of Research and Teaching Activity at the Medical Unive»»»

Sharjah: His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has instructed the employment of 603 Emirati citizens in the Sharjah Government during May and June 2026. The directive demonstrates the emirate’s continued dedication to supporting national »»»

Sofia's Medical University has reaffirmed its position as a leading scientific and educational centre with strong public impact, Rector Prof. Boycho Landzhov said at a ceremony marking the university's research and teaching activities on International Health Day. He noted that the university ranked»»»

At a church in the mountains outside Beirut, Raymonda Mouawad raged as she buried her brother, killed by an Israeli strike in a war against Hezbollah that he had nothing to do with. "We shouldn't be forced to bear the guilt of others' mistakes," she said, her voice filled with anger and sorrow. "We»»»

Erbud signed a new contract in the building construction segment for a residential project in Warsaw worth over PLN 50 mln net. The agreement, signed on April 7 with Malory Investments, covers the construction of a residential building with ground-floor services and an underground garage at Świdnic»»»

Public equity offerings in Poland rose by 59.2% y/y to PLN 20.4 bln in 2025, driven by large transactions such as Allegro, Zabka Group, and Santander Bank Polska. The number of offerings increased to 507 (+16.6% y/y), with Allegro’s PLN 2.56 bln deal the largest. At the same time, the number of lis»»»

Since April 2025, Poland’s foreign trade data have shown no fuel imports from Russia, marking the end of Russia’s long dominance in this area and a major improvement in Poland’s energy security. Diversification accelerated after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, supported by the LNG terminal in Świnouj»»»

Labor unions at JSW hope the company can benefit from SAFE, while the government has not ruled out that option. The idea is to make JSW part of a new Polish steel program serving the defense industry, which could open access to some EU-backed funding. This fits a broader effort to reshape JSW’s bus»»»

Doha: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari reaffirmed that the State of Qatar’s position regarding mediation has not changed, noting its full support for the ongoing mediation efforts led by the Islamic Republic»»»

Eni has discovered an estimated 2 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas and 130 million barrels of associated condensates in Egypt’s Eastern Mediterranean, the company announced. The find was made through the successful drilling of the Denise W 1 exploration well in the Temsah Concession. Preliminary es»»»

Progress has been made in the past 24 hours in the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, though reaching a ceasefire deal by U.S. President Donald Trump's 8pm ET deadline still looks like a long shot, a U.S. official, an Israeli official and two other sources with knowledge of the talks told U.S.»»»

1 of 2 | Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, attends a dinner hosted by President Donald Trump with U.S. tech leaders at the White House in Washington D.C., on September 4. Gates agreed to an interview with the House Oversight Committee related to its Jeffrey Epstein investigation. File Photo by W»»»

At the Hungarian-American Friendship Day rally at the MTK Stadium, joined by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and, briefly by phone, President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán cast the coming vote as a historic choice between national sovereignty and submission to foreign pressure. Opening his»»»

GERB does not make promises but shows what it has achieved while in government, party leader Boyko Borissov said at a campaign event in Varna, on the Black Sea, on Tuesday. He highlighted that the Black Sea Motorway project is at an advanced stage and will be completed, with the key question being »»»

DOHA: Qatar Tourism participated in the extraordinary meeting of the ministers responsible for tourism in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries held virtually. The meeting, attended by Chairman of Qatar Tourism (QT) Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, discussed the latest developments in the region and »»»

According to Al Jazeera, the White House has denied that it has any plans to use nuclear weapons against Iran as a deadline imposed by President Donald Trump for Tehran to make a deal or face a massive onslaught looms. The denial from Washington came on Tuesday, as the president employed apocalypti»»»

Israel has partially severed Beirut from Damascus after shutting the main border crossings between the two countries, following a warning that it would strike the Masnaa crossing. The move has disrupted trade and travel, funneling movement through a single crossing in Lebanon’s far northeast, far f»»»

Meeting with residents of Samokov Municipality on Tuesday, Progressive Bulgaria leader Rumen Radev said the greatest challenge is to overcome fear. He said he had travelled across almost the entire country to see what is happening in mixed population regions and elsewhere. People are afraid to atte»»»

Dubai: Saudi authorities have temporarily suspended traffic on the King Fahd Causeway connecting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as a precautionary measure amid heightened regional security alerts. The move followed warnings issued by the National Early Warning Platform in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province,»»»

At a church in the mountains outside Beirut, Raymonda Mouawad raged as she buried her brother, killed by an Israeli strike in a war against Hezbollah that he had nothing to do with. "We shouldn't be forced to bear the guilt of others' mistakes," she said, her voice filled with anger and sorrow. "We»»»