Dubai: Oil markets are entering a critical phase in the coming days, with the next directional move in crude prices likely to hinge on the outcome of a two-week ceasefire window tied to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global supply artery. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the »»»

Dubai: For years, the conversation around enterprise AI focused on assistance. The technology was presented as a way to help employees write faster, search faster, analyse faster, and make better decisions. That was an important step, but it did not change the basic structure of work. In most organ»»»

Pope Leo XIV denounced the “social and environmental disasters” linked to a “logic of extractivism” on Saturday, the first day of his visit to Angola, a country marked by decades of exploitation of its vast resources. Pope Leo XIV challenged Angola’s leaders to break the "cycle of interests” that h»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US decision to extend the license for Russian oil sales was made after the G20 meeting in Washington, as global bankers asked the US to do so, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday. "G20 conference was here, we had bankers from around the world, basically making»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran has not yet made a decision on sending a delegation for negotiations with the United States, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported on Sunday. The Iranian side also reportedly stressed that talks with Washington will not take place as long as the maritime blockade imposed by the»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) has announced the provision of technical support and a comprehensive assessment aimed at identifying structural, regulatory, institutional, and operational gaps within the financial sector of the Syria. The initiative is being carried out in cooper»»»

Light rain is expected to affect parts of the UAE’s coastal areas and islands over the next four days, starting Monday, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said. The forecast comes as the country is influenced by weak surface pressure systems, accompanied by an upper-air high-pressure extensio»»»

Doha: The Qatar Football Association Disciplinary Committee has reshaped the Qatar Stars League title race, ruling in favour of Al Shamal SC after confirming a player eligibility violation by Qatar SC in their April 13 clash. In its official decision, issued after reviewing Al Shamal’s protest (No.»»»

Dubai: The Ministry of Economy and Tourism has launched an “Essential Goods Price Platform”, an innovative digital tool designed to enhance consumer awareness of smart shopping practices and provide full transparency on the prices of key goods and products listed on the platform. The initiative for»»»

Iran’s leverage over Hormuz Strait and the ~20% of global energy that flows through it was made possible “not by drawing red lines,” but “immediately hitting the heads and wallets of the global elite, hitting where it hurts most,” Institute of Middle East Studies expert Sergei Balmasov says. Washin»»»

There has been no increased cyber activity against strategic objects, administrative websites, or denial-of-service attacks since the beginning of election day, the Ministry of Electronic Governance (MEG) said on Sunday. The temporary cyber security situation centre at the ministry is monitoring th»»»

The UAE Council for Fatwa has announced that today marks the first day of Dhu Al Qadah 1447 AH, the 11th month of the Islamic Hijri calendar. In a statement, the council said the decision was made after reviewing scientific data related to moon sighting, in coordination with specialised scientific »»»

Syria's interior ministry said Sunday that security forces thwarted an alleged cross-border attack from the country's territory planned by remnants of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad and cells linked to Iran-backed Hezbollah. From March 2 until a 10-day ceasefire went into force on April 17, Hezbolla»»»

Around one-third of global fertiliser production comes from the Gulf region, making the area’s stability crucial for global food supply chains. With the Strait of Hormuz, an essential transit route for energy and commodities, facing repeated disruptions, concerns are growing over the impact on fert»»»

US President Donald Trump made seven claims in one hour after Tehran announced the temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and all of them are untrue, Iranian parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said. On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declar»»»

Three people were killed and three others injured after part of an old residential building collapsed in Egypt’s coastal city of Alexandria, authorities said. According to local media reports, the incident occurred in the Gharbal area of Moharram Bek, in the central district, when the ceiling of a »»»

Dubai: Subsequent to the recent "Work from Hotel" trend, Dubai has launched the “Work from Park” initiative that is said to provide tech-enabled environments that will break the traditional office mould. Dubai Municipality on Sunday announced the initiative, marking a strategic step towards redefin»»»

Casting his vote in Sunday's parliamentary elections, Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Krum Zarkov said he voted for a fairer Bulgaria, for a Bulgaria in which no one is above the law, but also for a Bulgaria that fairly distributes the wealth. "I am confident of a good result and I am sure that bet»»»

Dubai: Saudi security authorities arrested 14,487 illegal residents during a week-long nationwide crackdown, the Ministry of Interior has said. The arrests were carried out during joint inspection campaigns conducted by security forces in coordination with relevant government agencies between April»»»

Casting his vote in Sunday's parliamentary elections in Montana, Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) leader Rumen Hristov said he is voting for the well-being of the Bulgarian people, for higher incomes and higher pensions. He noted that there should be an increase in the country's gross domestic prod»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanese Army says dismantled 5 bombs left over by Israeli aggression in Beirut’s southern suburb (Dahiyeh) 19-04-2026 13:10 PM Latest News»»»

Washington, 18 April 2026 (dpa/MIA) - The United States issued another temporary sanctions waiver for Russian oil amid higher energy prices linked to the Iran war, the US Treasury Department said on Friday. The waiver authorizes the delivery and sale of Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum produc»»»

FRANCE 24’s guest Mehran Kamrave, Director of the Iranian Studies Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, analyses Iran’s strategy towards the United States, highlighting three key levers the regime can rely on: sanctions, the nuclear programme, and control over the Strait of Hormu»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

Hungary is preparing for a new era, after the centre-right Tisza party of Peter Magyar won a landslide victory over longtime nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Magyar says he'll seek to repair Hungary's confrontational relationship with the European Union, something that could unlock much-nee»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

MOSCOW 19 (Sputnik) - Russia's response to NATO's challenges in the Arctic will not take long as it has "enough opportunities," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview with Sputnik. "Our response to these challenges will not be long in coming. We have enough opportuni»»»

BRATISLAVA (Sputnik) - Slovakia may block Ukraine's accession to the European Union if the energy conflict between Kiev and Bratislava escalates, Tibor Gaspar, the Slovak parliament's deputy speaker, told Sputnik. "Ukraine does not risk 'automatically losing EU support,' but it may face specific pr»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine lost over 315 soldiers in combat against Russia's Battlegroup Tsentr over the past day, in addition to losses in manpower and equipment on other fronts, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "The Ukrainian armed forces suffered losses of over 315 service members, s»»»

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»»»

Skopje, 18 April 2026 (MIA) - Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska during the 2026 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) met with WB Vice President of the Europe and Central Asia region, Antonella Bassani, WB Group Executive Director repres»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»