It’s effectively impossible for the Pentagon to force the critical waterway open “because Iran has the longest shoreline in the Persian Gulf” and the missile and drone capability to control it, says Ankara-based security analyst Dr. Hasan Selim Ozertem. If the US puts boots on the ground, even in s»»»

With the initial months following the introduction of the euro, institutional oversight in Bulgaria is gradually shifting from intensive inspections to a more systematic and long-term monitoring framework. Authorities, including the National Revenue Agency (NRA) and the Consumer Protection Commissi»»»

Beijing, China: Chinese tech giant Tencent has launched a 24-hour streaming channel for pets, offering content to keep cats and dogs entertained while their owners are away. The service, called “PetTV”, is available on Tencent Video and features curated clips such as ducklings swimming and dogs pat»»»

It has been more than 50 years since millions of people huddled around black and white TVs to witness Neil Armstrong take ‘one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’. Those lunar astronauts had never opened a laptop, they hadn’t logged on to the worldwide web and they definitely didn’t kno»»»

US President Donald Trump's White House ballroom won final planning approval on Thursday, but construction remains in limbo following a court order that he needs congressional approval. The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), which has several Trump appointees on its board, greenlit the pl»»»

Iraq is in talks with Gulf countries to use their pipeline networks to secure alternative oil export routes beyond the Strait of Hormuz, the state oil marketer SOMO said Thursday. The move is part of an emergency strategy by the oil ministry to tap regional infrastructure and bypass maritime chokep»»»

The issue of voting rights for people with sensory disabilities is a sensitive one that has long been neglected, Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva said at a forum on the electoral rights of people with visual and hearing impairments, held at the Ombudsman Institution in Sofia on Friday. The event focuse»»»

Bulgaria has the highest out-of-pocket payments in healthcare, Supervisory Board member Grigor Dimitrov of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) said at the 13th National Health Forum on Friday. He said the philosophy behind the management of the healthcare system needs to change. At the forum,»»»

Manila: Operations were briefly disrupted at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 after a section of the ceiling partially collapsed on Good Friday (April 3), prompting authorities to immediately cordon off the affected area. At least seven people were injured, the Department of Tra»»»

Saint Petersburg: Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, affirmed that the accelerating geopolitical developments, particularly in vital maritime corridors, are creating a new reality for the global trade system. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balan»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) has warned investors against dealing with several companies and online platforms found to be conducting financial activities without the required licences, stressing that the entities do not fall under its regulatory supervision. Sign up for our d»»»

Doha, Qatar: American rider Kristen Vanderveen opened the Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF) Cup in style, claiming victory in the CSI5* 1.50m Faults & Time class on the opening day of the competition, part of the Doha Equestrian Tour at Al Shaqab. Riding Starbucks 27, Vanderveen delivered a flawles»»»

HANOI: Vietnam’s exports remained resilient in the first quarter of 2026, reaching nearly $100 billion, up more than 17 percent year-on-year. According to Vietnam News Agency (VNA), export performance stayed robust, with total turnover hitting nearly $97 billion by mid-March, marking a 17.1 percent»»»

This photo, taken Friday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in central Seoul as South Korean stocks jumped nearly 3 percent on hopes that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen. Photo by Yonhap South Korean stocks soared by nearly 3 percent Friday, as Iran's discussions with Oman on a protocol to moni»»»

A year ago this week, Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable power for a full day for the first time ever. Wind, solar, and hydro met all the peninsula’s electricity demand on April 16. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW of instantaneous power – covering 78.6% of demand a»»»

A year ago this week, Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable power for a full day for the first time ever. Wind, solar, and hydro met all the peninsula’s electricity demand on April 16. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW of instantaneous power – covering 78.6% of demand a»»»

A year ago this week, Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable power for a full day for the first time ever. Wind, solar, and hydro met all the peninsula’s electricity demand on April 16. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW of instantaneous power – covering 78.6% of demand a»»»

A year ago this week, Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable power for a full day for the first time ever. Wind, solar, and hydro met all the peninsula’s electricity demand on April 16. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW of instantaneous power – covering 78.6% of demand a»»»

A year ago this week, Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable power for a full day for the first time ever. Wind, solar, and hydro met all the peninsula’s electricity demand on April 16. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW of instantaneous power – covering 78.6% of demand a»»»

Calculations by the Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania show that, due to negative demographic factors alone, Lithuania’s economy could be up to 7.2% smaller over the next 20 years than it would be under stable demographic conditions, the Economy and Innovations Ministry announced on Ap»»»

A year ago this week, Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable power for a full day for the first time ever. Wind, solar, and hydro met all the peninsula’s electricity demand on April 16. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW of instantaneous power – covering 78.6% of demand a»»»

A year ago this week, Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable power for a full day for the first time ever. Wind, solar, and hydro met all the peninsula’s electricity demand on April 16. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW of instantaneous power – covering 78.6% of demand a»»»

A year ago this week, Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable power for a full day for the first time ever. Wind, solar, and hydro met all the peninsula’s electricity demand on April 16. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW of instantaneous power – covering 78.6% of demand a»»»

Bulgarian authorities have seized more than €0.5mn suspected of being used to influence the outcome of upcoming elections scheduled on April 19, caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov said, according to Novinite. In a»»»

Doha, Qatar: More ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz, says the maritime intelligence firm Windward. It said the number of transits through the critical waterway increased to 16 on Wednesday – the third consecutive daily rise. Meanwhile, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have»»»

Skopje, 31 March 2026 (MIA) - The country needs its young engineers. They are facing a dilemma - to leave or stay in the country. This is a reality we should not ignore. If we want them to stay here, we must create a supportive environment in which they are motivated to develop their ideas and inno»»»

Rumen Radev, speaking during meetings with citizens in the towns of Krumovgrad and Momchilgrad, declared that cooperation with Boyko Borissov and Delyan Peevski is completely out of the question. The remarks were made in the context of discussions about political alliances and future governing arra»»»

Iran warned the UN Security Council against any "provocative action", ahead of a scheduled vote on a draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz that ended up being postponed. "Any provocative action by the aggressors and their supporters, including in the UN Security Council regarding the situation i»»»

US President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping new pharmaceutical tariffs on Thursday that could reach 100 percent unless drugmakers strike pricing deals with his administration. The move escalates his trade strategy and could reshape global supply chains and raise costs. President Donald Trump signed»»»

The Russian Embassy in Sofia has circulated a warning issued by the Foreign Ministry in Moscow, cautioning its citizens about what it describes as a heightened risk of detention abroad at the request of US authorities. Among the countries mentioned as posing such a risk is Bulgaria, alongside a bro»»»

A Japanese water plant is harnessing the natural process of osmosis to generate renewable energy that could one day become a common power source. The possibility of generating power from osmosis -- when water molecules pass from a less salty solution to a more salty one -- has long been known. But »»»

A forum on the electoral rights of people with visual and hearing impairments will be held at the Ombudsman Institution in Sofia on Friday, the institution said. Organized by Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria Velislava Delcheva, the event will focus on accessible information, technological solu»»»

Doha, Qatar: There is little room left for hesitation in the top-flight Qatar Stars League (QSL). With three rounds remaining, every point now carries weight for places in the top four, for survival and for momentum heading into the closing days of the season. That urgency frames today’s meeting be»»»

A year ago this week, Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable power for a full day for the first time ever. Wind, solar, and hydro met all the peninsula’s electricity demand on April 16. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW of instantaneous power – covering 78.6% of demand a»»»

Industrial producer prices overall (domestic and external markets) fell by 1.1% in February this year compared to January 2026, while rising by 3% compared to February 2025, according to data published on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).On the domestic market, the industrial »»»

Current discussions about state interventions in market mechanisms, such as price caps in various fields, bring uncertainty to the market and make companies more reluctant about future investments, claim representatives of the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Romania)."We have »»»

Romania represents a direct gateway to the European Union, having a special importance for Uzbekistan, stated on Thursday, Amirsaid Agzamhodjaev, the ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Romania with residence in Warsaw, at an event organized by the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry»»»

The Sfantu Gheorghe branch of the Danube on Thursday hosted an inter-institutional training exercise that dealt with the management of a refugee crisis in the Danube Delta area and prisoners of war, an event that was part of a wider Sea Shield exercise.The military exercise designed to secure the i»»»

Romania is not a military target for Iran, but it will feel the impact of the collapse of the energy market and the disruption of fertilizer transport - effects that will drive up prices for basic goods - says Ioana Constantin Bercean, researcher at the "Ion I.C. Bratianu" Institute of Political Sc»»»

Japan’s cabinet has approved a shift towards a demand-driven rice production policy, alongside new measures to address supply shortages, as prices of the staple have risen sharply in recent years. The government of Sanae T»»»

Doha, Qatar: Aneed Al Shahania clinched the H H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani Trophy while Basalt emerged the Ebraz Cup winner to light up the Al Rayyan Racecourse, which hosted major races last evening. Competing in the Local Purebred Arabians, Aneed Al Shahania returned to winning form for»»»

Doha, Qatar: England’s Andrew Sanders fired an opening round of 72 to take the first-round lead at the 40th Qatar Open Golf Championship, which got underway at Doha Golf Club yesterday. In a field of 90 players competing over three days, Sanders set the early pace in the singles stroke-play format,»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un petted puppies and kittens with his delighted daughter as they toured a new Pyongyang housing district, state media said Friday. The Hwasong area, formerly mostly farmland, is a newly developed residential district with about 40,000 housing units built through a seri»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), in cooperation with Qatar Development Bank (QDB), held a coordination meeting yesterday bringing together major suppliers in Qatar and a number of relevant local companies to enhance the resilience and sustainability of supply chains at the»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index ended the week’s trading up by 0.66 percent, raising its balance by 66.85 points to reach 10,227 points, supported by the positive performance of five sectors, particularly the industrial sector, which recorded an increase of 1.62 percent. In this c»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai edged slightly higher on Friday morning, offering a pause after the sharp declines seen through much of March. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and India.) Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Chequ»»»

Berlin: The German government announced the implementation of new regulatory measures to curb frequent fuel price fluctuations by limiting the number of price increases to once per day. Price increases are permitted once at midday, whereas price decreases may be made at any time without limit. The »»»

Doha, Qatar: Surging global oil and gas prices are creating a new set of economic challenges for countries worldwide. The most prominent of these challenges is the fight against stagflation, with major fears of stagflation, central banks are now facing a dilemma over raising interest rates to contr»»»

North Korea will hold a ceremony this month to bury the remains of its soldiers killed while fighting overseas alongside Russia against Ukraine, state media said Friday. Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops -- as well as missiles and munitions -- to support Russia's war in Ukraine. Seoul estimate»»»

Doha, Qatar: Hamad, Doha, Ruwais Port handled over 291,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in first quarter (Q1) of 2026, along with around 237,000 tonnes of general cargo and more than 200,000 tonnes of bulk cargo. The ports also processed nearly 25,000 RoRo units and 75,779 heads of livestock»»»