A Nvidia-backed US startup and a Korean conglomerate announced plans on Tuesday to build an artificial intelligence data center that will reportedly be the largest in South Korea. The Trump administration hailed the deal as a win for its AI export program as it races against China for dominance in »»»

As experiential tourism gains momentum worldwide, regions that offer authentic cultural landscapes and meaningful engagement with local communities are increasingly capturing the attention of international travelers. Colinele Transilvaniei / the Transylvanian Highlands have emerged as one of Romani»»»

The Spanish string quartet Casals will perform at the Dohodno Zdanie in Ruse as part of the 65th edition of the international March Music Days festival, festival director Iva Chavdarova said on Wednesday. Chavdarova said that Casals is one of the world’s most prestigious chamber ensembles. The Span»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to110.60 points in February 2026, marking an increase of 0.64% compared to January 2026 and a year-on-year rise of 2.51% compared with February 2025. The index, which measures inflation, comprises 12 main groups covering 737 goods and services. I»»»

Doha, Qatar: The evolving geopolitical developments in the region have reinforced the deep cooperation between Qatar and the United Kingdom, strengthening the partnership further, British Ambassador to Qatar H E Neerav Patel said. In an exclusive interview with The Peninsula, reaffirming London’s l»»»

Authorities in Dubai have confirmed that all air interception operations carried out earlier om Wednesday were successful, neutralising potential threats without causing any injuries. Dubai Media Office on social media said residents across the emirate reported hearing loud sounds, which officials »»»

In tonight's edition: Russia says it will stop recruiting Kenyan nationals to fight in Ukraine. Also, Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine says he has left the country because he fears for his life following January's election. And when Ramadan and Lent overlap in Senegal, this holy period high»»»

Congo-Brazzaville’s incumbent President Denis Sassou Nguesso has been re-elected for a fifth term in a landslide win, provisional results showed Tuesday. Sassou Nguesso, 82, is one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, and has been at the helm for a total of 42 years. The main opposition boycotted t»»»

Chinese state oil majors looking to head off supply shortages caused by the war in the Middle East have resumed seeking Russian crude cargoes after a four-month hiatus, taking advantage of a US sanctions waiver, five trade sources told Reuters. Trading arms under state-run Sinopec and PetroChina ha»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index surged around 60 points or 0.58 percent to close at 10,393.29 points yesterday helped by interest from investors. The index concluded Monday’s trading at 10,333.32 points. During yesterday’s session the volume of shares traded stood at 241,249,200 f»»»

France’s first round of mayoral elections has exposed a deeply fragmented political landscape, with strong performances from both the hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI) and the far-right National Rally (RN) complicating traditional alliances. As candidates gear up for next Sunday’s runoffs, negoti»»»

With the second round of French municipal elections coming up, we take a look at what was a hot-button, campaign issue in many towns and cities: second homes. In some of France’s coastal and Alpine communities, permanent residents are priced out of buying or renting because of vacation homes. We di»»»

Mark Owen is pleased to welcome Renaud Foucart, Economist, Author and Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University. He would argue that these elections should not be read as a clean national barometer of French politics. What they reveal instead is the fragmentation between national narratives and local»»»

A specialized police operation against vote buying is under way in Varna Region on Wednesday, with Gendarmerie units also taking part, checkpoints set up in the area, and three people detained so far. Chief Inspector Plamen Godemanov, head of the Fourth Regional Police Precinct, confirmed the detai»»»

Doha, Qatar: Aaneef Zakhir returned to winning form with an impressive victory in the Dibal Cup, taking out the 1900m Local Purebred Arabian Handicap as racing resumed at Al Rayyan Racecourse on Monday night following a brief interruption. The six-year-old bay, owned and trained by Osama Omer Al-Da»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Arabi came from behind to defeat 10-man Al Sadd 2-1, while Al Duhail and Al Rayyan also staged second-half comebacks in the Qatar Stars League (QSL) yesterday. Al Duhail overturned a first-half deficit to beat Al Shamal 3-1, with Baghdad Bounedjah scoring early before Edmilson Junio»»»

Sydney: Australian tennis player turned coach Marinko Matosevic was slapped with a four-year ban yesterday for breaching anti-doping rules between 2018 and 2020. The former world number 39, who most recently helped coach current Australian players Chris O’Connell and Jordan Thompson, initially deni»»»

The Taliban government in Afghanistan on Monday accused Pakistan’s military of targeting a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul in airstrikes that they say killed 200 people and wounded several others. Pakistan rejected the accusation, saying it had targeted "military installations". The»»»

A Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul killed at least 400 people and wounded more than 250 on Monday night, the Taliban government said Tuesday. Islamabad last month launched a military operation against Afghanistan last month, accusing the government of sheltering extremi»»»

Abu Ali al-Askari, whose death was recently announced by Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah, may not have been a single man, but a full diplomatic apparatus representing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in Baghdad. Most likely, Askari, a covert account on X, functioned as a banner for a group rotating the role of »»»

Veterinary authorities have declared Lesvos island a surveillance zone after confirming a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in cattle, banning all movement of animals, animal products and feed off the island. The Agriculture Ministry said it was working to trace the virus’ origin, with illegal import»»»

The caretaker government will discuss draft decisions on appointing chairs of several consultative bodies to the Council of Ministers, the government press service said on Wednesday. The bodies include the Council for Economic Analyses, the National Council for Prevention and Protection from Domest»»»

Dubai: Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai edged higher on Wednesday morning, with the 24K rate at Dh601 per gram at 9.17am, up slightly from Dh600 a day earlier, while 22K climbed to Dh556.50 from Dh555.50, yet the broader trend shows prices have dropped Dh40 from this month’s peak on March 2, raising the»»»

Amendments to the budget extension law are expected to go to a second reading in the National Assembly chamber on Wednesday, before MPs leave for the election campaign for the April 19 parliamentary vote. National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan said Tuesday the budget extension bill and the legislati»»»

Caretaker Minister of Agriculture and Food Ivan Hristanov will open the Nature, Hunting, Fishing international exhibition and the Colourful Spring specialized exhibition at International Fair Plovdiv, organizers said on Wednesday. A press conference held ahead of the official opening will also feat»»»

Doha, Qatar: Baladna Q.P.S.C., Qatar’s leading dairy and juice company, welcomed His Excellency Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, Minister of Municipality, to its production facilities on March 16, 2026. The visit highlighted the strength of Qatar’s domestic food production capabilities and Baladna’s »»»

Israel’s Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said on Tuesday that Palestinian figures linked to Iran had been killed “inside a safe house they had taken refuge in,” while Israeli military correspondents, citing sources, said the targets were two senior leaders in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The sources id»»»

Oil price benchmarks pulled back sharply on profit-taking and short-term supply optimism, yet prices remain structurally elevated — Brent above $100, Murban holding a premium near $111, and WTI still in the low $90s. As of Wednesday (5.28am GMT, March 18, 2026): WTI crude surged to $93.09 (down $3.»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar's Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has announced that Eid Al-Fitr prayers this year will be held indoors at mosques across the country, citing concern for public safety amid current circumstances. A ministry statement said the decision was taken as a precaution to ensur»»»

Britain has been hit by an “unprecedented” meningitis outbreak, the country’s health minister warned Tuesday after two students died from catching a rare bacterial strain of the disease. So far, 15 cases have been reported. The outbreak has been linked to a Canterbury nightclub. The British health »»»

A British photographer who has spent the last four years living under near-daily attacks on Kyiv has told FRANCE 24 that his nervous system has adapted to the war in Ukraine. Mark Neville says he feels he now has an advantage over people living in the rest of Europe, as his body has naturally adapt»»»

A former Belgian diplomat has been ordered to stand trial over the 1961 murder of Patrice Lumumba, who became the first prime minister of Congo after the country’s independence from Belgium. The 93-year-old suspect is the first person to be prosecuted in the case. All other suspects have passed awa»»»

About 90 ships including oil tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the outset of the war with Iran and it is still exporting millions of barrels of oil at a time when the waterway has been effectively closed, according to maritime and trade data platforms. Many of the vessels that passed »»»

Tesla and LG Energy Solution (LGES, a subsidiary of LG Chem) recently confirmed a major partnership for US battery production — focusing on energy storage rather than vehicle batteries. The US Department of the Interior announced this as part of the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Summit results in Ma»»»

STARKE, Florida: A Florida man was executed Tuesday evening for killing a young mother who frantically called 911 from her attacker's cellphone while tied up in his car. Michael Lee King, 54, was pronounced dead at 6:13 pm following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. He had»»»

Dubai: Tesla has activated free Supercharging across key locations in the UAE and wider Gulf, offering immediate relief to electric vehicle users navigating rising uncertainty across the region. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The move took effect at midnight local tim»»»

Iran sends drones to attack the UAE port of Fujairah in the Gulf of Oman, raising the stakes as Gulf states send their blocked crude through pipelines away from the contested Strait of Hormuz. We take a closer look. Also in this edition: central banks face a dilemma as high oil prices threaten to b»»»

Global oil prices fell sharply on Monday after a Pakistan-bound oil tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz with its transponder on. The decline came even as countries have so far rebuffed Donald Trump's request to send warships to escort vessels through the waterway. Meanwhile, the Interna»»»

The Philippines is currently navigating a perilous and largely overlooked period of economic vulnerability: its national fuel supply could run out in around three to four weeks if international imports don't arrive soon. According to reports from The Manila Times, what was once a distant geopolitic»»»

A leading name in the Taiwanese solar sector, TSEC has seen its valuation on the Taiwanese exchange skyrocket in recent months. As such, Newsbase’s AsiaElec sat down with Assistant Vice President in the Global Sales Department – Keiji Yasukawa – earlier in the month, at the firm’s Taipei HQ to ask »»»

The Philippines is currently navigating a perilous and largely overlooked period of economic vulnerability: its national fuel supply could run out in around three to four weeks if international imports don't arrive soon. According to reports from The Manila Times, what was once a distant geopolitic»»»

The Philippines is currently navigating a perilous and largely overlooked period of economic vulnerability: its national fuel supply could run out in around three to four weeks if international imports don't arrive soon. According to reports from The Manila Times, what was once a distant geopolitic»»»

A leading name in the Taiwanese solar sector, TSEC has seen its valuation on the Taiwanese exchange skyrocket in recent months. As such, Newsbase’s AsiaElec sat down with Assistant Vice President in the Global Sales Department – Keiji Yasukawa – earlier in the month, at the firm’s Taipei HQ to ask »»»

The Philippines is currently navigating a perilous and largely overlooked period of economic vulnerability: its national fuel supply could run out in around three to four weeks if international imports don't arrive soon. According to reports from The Manila Times, what was once a distant geopolitic»»»

Japan’s snack lovers are facing a crunch - and not the good kind. Popular crisp maker Yamayoshi Seika has announced it is being forced to halt production of some of its best-selling potato chips after running into trouble sourcing the fuel needed to cook them. »»»

The Philippines is currently navigating a perilous and largely overlooked period of economic vulnerability: its national fuel supply could run out in around three to four weeks if international imports don't arrive soon. According to reports from The Manila Times, what was once a distant geopolitic»»»

The Philippines is currently navigating a perilous and largely overlooked period of economic vulnerability: its national fuel supply could run out in around three to four weeks if international imports don't arrive soon. According to reports from The Manila Times, what was once a distant geopolitic»»»

India's government has denied reports claiming that Iran has asked for the release of three tankers seized by Indian authorities in February 2026 in exchange for guaranteeing safe passage to Indian flagged vessels through the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by All India Rad»»»