Augusta, United States: Defending champion Rory McIlroy was set for an early start on Thursday as golf legends Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson made ceremonial tee shots to begin the 90th Masters. Firm and fast conditions are expected for the field of 91 at Augusta National, where McIlroy »»»

The UAE economy saw a real GDP growth of 5.6 percent in 2025, and is projected to expand at the same pace in 2026, the UAE Central Bank said on Thursday. Releasing its annual report, the regulator said the growth was supported by the growing contribution of non-oil sectors, as well as the success o»»»

Dubai: Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, has called for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened without conditions, warning that continued restrictions are tightening global energy supply and pushing markets toward a critic»»»

Dubai: Islamabad is gearing up to host critical peace talks between the United States and Iran on April 10, with Pakistan taking Centre stage as a mediator in the Middle East conflict. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday assured US Ambassador Natalie Baker of “foolproof security” »»»

Addressing international leaders at the One Health Summit in Lyon, France, the UAE issued a stark warning on the far-reaching global health, environmental, and food system consequences of ongoing illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked attacks in the region. The summit, convened by French President »»»

President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov signed a decree appointing Edil Baisalov as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kyrgyzstan to the United States, the presidential press service reported. Photo Internet According to the decree, Baisalov has been relieved of his previous pos»»»

The Hague: The State of Qatar stressed the importance of coordinated international efforts to eliminate the remnants of the former Syrian regime’s chemical weapons program, praising the cooperation of the fraternal Syrian Arab Republic with the organization and international partners. This came dur»»»

The criminal Zelensky regime, aided by Norwegian Navy specialists, is preparing terrorist attacks on Russian ships navigating the Barents and Norwegian Seas to and from the port of Murmansk, Russian media report, citing a military-diplomatic source. For this purpose, a group of about 50 servicemen »»»

Fuel prices a gas station in Prague after the government of the Czech Republic responded to soaring oil prices with a cap on fuel distributors' margins and a cut in diesel excise duty. A daily cap on maximum diesel and petrol prices which retailers must adhere to was due to follow. Photo by Martin »»»

The new product targets both existing business customers of PPC Energie and companies that have photovoltaic systems installed by any other supplier on the market. For companies that intend to take the first step in increasing energy efficiency and reducing operational costs, PPC Energie offers tur»»»

The Kyrgyz company Medovaya Artel is entering the Uzbek market with government support. The Trade Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic in Uzbekistan reported. The company received comprehensive support, including assistance in establishing a legal entity, business consulting, and adaptation to local legi»»»

THE HAGUE: The State of Qatar affirmed the importance of coordinated international efforts to eliminate the remnants of the former Syrian regime's chemical weapons program, commending the cooperation of the sisterly Syrian Arab Republic with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons »»»

In our ongoing weekly digest, award-winning journalist Veronika Munk summarises and explains the most important political developments in Hungary. This is our final edition of this series before the election. We guide readers on the route to the crunch Sunday (12 April) election — a poll without pr»»»

Dubai: Gulf central banks have rolled out targeted support measures to help banks navigate ongoing geopolitical turbulence, S&P Global Ratings said in a report. Authorities in the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar introduced packages focused on liquidity, capital and asset quality, aimed at ensuring banks can »»»

A new survey by the “Sova Harris” agency indicates that six political formations would enter the next Bulgarian National Assembly, based on data collected between April 2 and 6 among 800 respondents through standardized face-to-face interviews. The study was commissioned by the newspaper “Trud” and»»»

A draft constitutional law proposing amendments to the Law «On the State Language of the Kyrgyz Republic» has been submitted for public discussion in Kyrgyzstan. Such a diploma would be recognized as proof of the highest level of language proficiency. Under the current version of the law, proficien»»»

Dubai: In a city used to big launches, it’s not often that a retail opening morphs into something more shared and communal. But in recent weeks, across Dubai, something has shifted -- with crowds, conversations and social media turning what might have been a routine shopping experience into somethi»»»

Up to 90 percent of construction and renovation workers in Bulgaria are operating outside the legal framework, according to entrepreneur Lozan Lozanov, who raised concerns about the lack of regulation in construction and installation services, particularly in the interior renovation sector. Speakin»»»

In a significant move within the chemicals industry, OCI N.V., backed by Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris, has announced the sale of its global methanol business to Canadian company Methanex Corporation for a total of $2 billion. This strategic transaction is expected to create substantial value»»»

The Abu Dhabi Hazardous Materials Management Centre has introduced 11 guidelines designed to standardise the handling, storage, and transport of dangerous goods across the emirate. The framework, developed in coordination with the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC), marks Abu Dhabi as t»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with the EU's special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Peter Sorensen on Thursday, and said that, during the discussion, he had noted that Pristina's unilateral measures, as well as its enforcement of regulations without taking into account »»»

The Ministry of Finance has released a broad public dataset covering more than 7,000 public procurement contracts with a combined value exceeding 30 billion euros, Acting Finance Minister Georgi Klisurski announced during a briefing. The initiative is presented as a transparency measure intended to»»»

AlUla has recorded the highest improvement in the IMD Smart City Index 2026, advancing from 112th place in 2025 to 85th this year, placing it among the most improved cities globally in this edition of the index. This result reflects AlUla's ambition to become an ideal destination for living, workin»»»

An independent audit firm, Ernst & Young, has completed its audit of the 2025 financial statements of Kumtor Gold Company CJSC. According to the audit results, the company’s financial statements fairly present, in all material respects, its financial position as of December 31, 2025, as well as its»»»

Elvira Surabaldieva, Chair of the Zhogorku Kenesh Committee on International Affairs, Defense, Security and Migration, met with Russia’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Sergei Vakunov, the parliament’s press service reported. The meeting focused primarily on labor migration issues. Elvira Surabaldieva ou»»»

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, seen here in a plenary session at the National Assembly, said Thursday that his ministry plans to reduce the number of troops deployed to border units "gradually" by 2040. Photo by Yonhap Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Thursday that his ministry plans to reduce th»»»

Almazbek Akmatov has been appointed Chairman of the Accounts Chamber. The press service of the Presidential Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. Akmatov has thus been re-elected as head of the Accounts Chamber. According to the newly adopted Law «On the Accounts Chamber,» the number of a»»»

The Ministry of Finance has provided public access via its website to all more than 7,000 active public procurement procedures in the country, with a total value exceeding EUR 30 billion, caretaker Finance Minister Georgi Klisurski announced at a briefing at the Ministry of Finance building in Sofi»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani held a telephone conversation with His Excellency Joseph Aoun, President of the sisterly Republic of Lebanon. During the call, they reviewed the latest developments in Lebanon, particularly in light of the current escalation and its»»»

The United States and Iran suddenly announced a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, and there are myriad open questions about what happens next. Israel has also agreed to the truce, though it reportedly did so reluctantly. Both Washington and Tehran have claimed victory, but it’s too early to declare th»»»

North Korea said Thursday it conducted a series of weapons tests this week, including missiles tipped with a cluster-bomb warhead and electronic warfare systems. This January file photo shows the North's test-fire of a multiple-rocket launcher system. File Photo by KCNA/EPA SEOUL, April 9 (UPI) -- »»»

Legislators from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party and various government representatives claimed on April 8, 2026, that the recent actions of KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun in China have compromised the sovereignty of the nation, Taipei Times reports. These accusations emerged as the »»»

Legislators from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party and various government representatives claimed on April 8, 2026, that the recent actions of KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun in China have compromised the sovereignty of the nation, Taipei Times reports. These accusations emerged as the »»»

Legislators from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party and various government representatives claimed on April 8, 2026, that the recent actions of KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun in China have compromised the sovereignty of the nation, Taipei Times reports. These accusations emerged as the »»»

The Zhogorku Kenesh (Parliament) approved a grant agreement with the Asian Development Bank to support Kyrgyzstan in emergency situations. The decision was made at its meeting. As Deputy Finance Minister Nurbek Akzholov previously noted, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will allocate a grant of $28»»»

New Delhi, India: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday he is pushing a bill to fast-track a law guaranteeing at least one-third of lawmakers are women, and potentially expanding seats by two-fifths. If passed, the measure would sharply increase the number of women candidates and electe»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3774 dinars for one euro on Thursday, which is a slight change relative to Wednesday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is steady against the euro m-o-m, down by 0.2 pct y-o-y and down by 0.1 pct relative»»»

Tirana: The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania HE Ferit Hoxha met on Thursday with the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Albania HE Jabor bin Ali Al Dosari. During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries.»»»

ENERGY - ECONOMY 24 Chasa reports in an extensive article that the Bulgarian caretaker Government is actively managing the impact of global energy tensions on domestic prices, monitoring goods and fuel, and providing targeted support to transport and vulnerable sectors. Ceasefire developments in th»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received a phone call from HE Paulo Rangel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Portugal. During the call, they reviewed the latest developments in the region in light »»»

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, chaired a high-level coordination meeting hosted by the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation at its headquarters in Dubai. The meeting brought together senior executives from leading global shipping companies and representativ»»»

The use of fictitious invoices will be subject to 100 percent penalties. The head of the Tax Service of Kyrgyzstan, Almambet Shykmamatov, said at a meeting with representatives of the construction industry. According to him, changes to legislation, including those in the area of ​​public procuremen»»»

Bulgaria’s transition from the lev to the euro has so far had a limited and largely one-off impact on consumer prices, said experts from the European Central Bank (ECB) in an analysis published on the institution’s blog on Thursday. According to the calculations, inflation in Bulgaria would have be»»»

Yemen’s Ansarullah revolutionary group denounced on Thursday massacres committed by the Israeli enemy against the Lebanese people, saying the attack, which left hundreds martyred and wounded, reflects “extreme savagery” and warned that continued escalation points to a state of confusion and defeat.»»»

Santo Domingo: A child was killed and more than 5,000 people were evacuated as a result of heavy rains and floods that swept through several areas in the Dominican Republic. Local authorities reported that the rains caused damage to more than a thousand homes and disrupted electricity and water ser»»»

Beijing: China launched a new set of Internet satellites on Thursday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shaanxi province, northern China. This group of 21 low-orbit Internet satellites was launched aboard a modified Long March-6 carrier rocket and successfully entered the planned orbit. Th»»»

Gold prices were steady on Thursday as investors remained cautious about the fragile US-Iran ceasefire, with a key US inflation report due later in the day also in focus for interest rate clues. Spot gold was little changed at $4,715.45 per ounce, as of 0716 GMT. US gold futures for June delivery f»»»

The Palestinian health ministry said on Thursday that Israeli forces fatally shot a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank a day earlier, while the Israeli military said an off-duty soldier fired at a stone-thrower. The Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry said 28-year-old Alaa Khaled Moha»»»

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Around 3,000 Palestinian worshippers were able to perform the Fajr prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, 40 days after it had been closed by Israeli occupation forces. The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), citing the Jerusalem Governorate's report, reported that thousands of wors»»»

Caretaker Regional Development and Public Works Minister Nikolay Naydenov announced Thursday that the government halts payments for roadside assistance services currently provided under road maintenance contracts, shifting the activity entirely to the free market. Speaking to journalists at a joint»»»