Dubai: NASA’s Artemis II crew made history by flying farther from Earth than any humans since Apollo 13, and along the way, they gave the internet something unexpected to snack on: a jar of Nutella floating in zero gravity. Probably the only jar in the entire universe to be a part of a mission like»»»

Major shipping companies and tanker operators have began moving vessels more freely once the risk of attack diminished following the two-week ceasefire declared by Iran-US ceasefire. While the ceasefire remains fragile, marine traffic has started moving, though it remains far below pre-crisis level»»»

President Iliana Yotova convened a meeting of institutions responsible for the conduct of the early parliamentary elections on April 19, with a focus on assessing preparedness and ensuring that every vote is properly safeguarded. She stressed that it is essential to evaluate whether the country has»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Defence announced that on 8th April 2026, UAE air defence systems successfully engaged 17 ballistic missile and 35 UAVs launched from Iran. Since the onset of these blatant Iranian attacks, UAE air defences have engaged a total of 537 ballistic missiles, 26 cruise missile»»»

Iran’s de facto control of the Strait of Hormuz is giving it a powerful lever to blunt the US’s “maximum pressure” campaign against it, global energy expert Dr. Mamdouh G. Salameh tells Sputnik. While the Hormuz toll system pulls in China’s yuan and stablecoins—chipping away at petrodollar dominanc»»»

The România Eficientă program, implemented by Energy Policy Group (EPG) and supported by OMV Petrom with EUR 15 million, has led to an average 60% reduction in energy consumption across five educational units modernised to nZEB standards. “Education is essential to the development of society, and e»»»

Minister of Health of Kyrgyzstan Damir Osmonov met with Lesslie Viguerie, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the ministry’s press center, the sides discussed the current state and prospects of Kyrgyzstan — U.S. cooperation in healt»»»

The Kyrgyz Republic welcomes the ceasefire agreement in the Middle East, as well as the efforts of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other stakeholders to facilitate de-escalation and promote peaceful dialogue. The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan reported. A»»»

An Israeli strike killed eight people in the Lebanese city of Sidon, the health ministry said Wednesday, as the United States and its allies agreed to a ceasefire with Iran. "The Israeli enemy's strike on Sidon, south Lebanon, resulted in a preliminary toll of eight citizens martyred and 22 wounded»»»

President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, calling the agreement a "very good thing," but said he wishes it will include Lebanon. "We expect, in the coming days and weeks, that it will be fully respected throughout the region and will allow negotiations»»»

Hezbollah on Wednesday told people displaced by war with Israel to refrain from returning to their homes before a ceasefire is announced in Lebanon, while claiming to be nearing a "historic victory". "Today, we stand on the threshold of a great and historic victory," the Iran-backed group said in a»»»

The spa centre at the Olymp Spa Hotel in Velingrad is the only one in the city to offer bioenergetic massage with silver thread gloves, spa centre manager Gergana Popova told BTA. She said that this is a new technology combined with traditional Chinese medicine that has a beneficial effect on inter»»»

The market share of fully electric cars in total registrations in Romania reached 6.5% in March this year, up from 2.8% in the same period of 2025, according to an analysis by the Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers (APIA) cited by Agerpres. Electrified cars, including fully elect»»»

Dubai: US President Donald Trump’s strategy was simple: Escalate to the extreme, force a crisis, then step back. It worked — tactically. But strategically, little appears to have changed. Iran’s leadership remains in place, its security apparatus led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remains»»»

Abu Dhabi: A delegation from the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), led by its Chairman Dr Salem Al Neyadi, has conducted field visits to several locations across the UAE to assess the impact of Iranian attacks that it said directly violate a number of fundamental rights protected under inte»»»

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that the US-Iran-Israel deal to reach a ceasefire also covered the fighting in Lebanon. He said, however, that Israel did not abide by the two-week ceasefire, in violation of the agreement. Berri said the deal clearly include»»»

As part of Resiland project, mudflow protection structures will be built and restored in four regions of Kyrgyzstan in 2026 to protect settlements, roads, and farmland from mudflows. The press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported. The project covers 21 sites in Issyk-Kul, Osh, N»»»

President Joseph Aoun welcomed on Wednesday the two-week ceasefire agreed by the United States and Iran, saying he hoped his country would be included in the regional truce. Aoun said Beirut "continued efforts to ensure that the regional peace includes Lebanon in a stable and lasting manner", accor»»»

Voting machines will be available in 130 polling stations across 20 countries, Central Election Commission (CEC) Chair Kameliya Neykova said during a meeting between President Iliana Iotova and the institutions responsible for organizing the early parliamentary elections. Neykova explained that the»»»

Bangkok: A Thai court has fined a man $300 after he broke into the enclosure of Moo Deng, an endangered baby pygmy hippo and internet sensation, the zoo director said Wednesday. Moo Deng has gained global attention thanks to social media videos showing her adorable antics, drawing tens of thousands»»»

Kolkata, India: India is considering releasing snakes and crocodiles along its frontier with Bangladesh, the Border Security Force said Wednesday, as New Delhi seeks to stave off unauthorised crossings. Senior Border Security Force officer Manoj Barnwal told AFP that "the use of reptiles" was discu»»»

Ankara: Türkiye welcomed the temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran. In a written statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry stressed the need for the full implementation of the temporary ceasefire, expressing hope that all sides would remain faithful to the understanding reach»»»

by Mahmoud Bayoumi A recent report on the environmental status of the new Suez Canal project published in consultation with the Suez Canal Authority and other relevant governmental and non-governmental agencies shows the impact will be minimal. The report is based on scientific studies of the Suez »»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has condemned and denounced in the strongest terms the storming and acts of vandalism targeting the premises of the Consulate General of the State of Kuwait in Basra, as well as the accompanying blatant attacks. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) stressed the »»»

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that “no one negotiates for Lebanon except for the Lebanese state” - in his first comments since the two-week ceasefire was reached between the US and Israel over Iran. Addressing the debate over whether Lebanon was included in t»»»

Two ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since Iran agreed to reopen the waterway as part of a ceasefire deal, maritime monitor Marine Traffic said Wednesday. "The Greek-owned bulk carrier NJ Earth crossed the Strait at 08:44 UTC, while the Liberia-flagged Daytona Beach transited earlier »»»

A total of 1,204 citizens in Kyrgyzstan are currently wanted for failure to pay alimony. Zhyrgalbek Kurmanbekov, Director of the Bailiff Service, said during a session of the Zhogorku Kenesh. He noted that there are 60,720 enforcement proceedings in total. «All alimony recovery cases that had been »»»

At least 55 citizens of Kyrgyzstan are serving sentences in Uzbek prisons. Prosecutor General Maksatbek Asanaliev announced at a session of the Zhogorku Kenesh. According to him, documents on nine of them have already been collected and sent to Uzbekistan. The Prosecutor General’s Office is collect»»»

Baghdad, April 8 (SANA) The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announced the reopening of the country’s airspace and all airports, allowing the resumption of civil flights after recent closures linked to regional tensions. In a statement cited by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the authority said air traf»»»

Change fatigue is becoming a significant challenge for employees at the global level, with one in three reporting that they have gone through more than 15 major changes in the past year alone, driven either by evolving customer expectations or shifts in business strategy and operating models, accor»»»

A massive 26,000 fireworks found in the possession of a shop owner on the southeastern Aegean Sea island of Kos have been confiscated, police said Wednesday, amid an intensified crackdown ahead of Orthodox Easter. While letting off fireworks is traditional in Greece at Easter, it is against the law»»»

The Institute of Space Research and Technology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia held an Open House to mark the International Day of Aviation and Cosmonautics on April 12. The event also celebrated the 65th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s first spaceflight and the 45th anniversary of Bulg»»»

Dubai: The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) has signed an agreement with Emarat EV Charging Stations Company (UAEV) to install electric vehicle charging stations in mosque parking areas across Dubai. The eight-year agreement, with an option to renew, allows UAEV to devel»»»

Dubai: Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has announced that its public bus fleet have surpassed a cumulative operational distance of 2 million kilometres, setting a new international benchmark for asset longevity in public transport. The milestone, achieved over 18 years of continuous service, »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic met with Azerbaijani Finance Minister Sahil Babayev on Wednesday to discuss overall bilateral cooperation, and announced the start of a series of high-level official visits for next month. "I met with Azerbaijan's Finance»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - The truce reached with United States takes into account principles outlined by Tehran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday. "The ceasefire, with the acceptance of the general principles desired by Iran, was the fruit of the blood of our great martyred leader Kha»»»

Kuwait on Wednesday reported Iranian attacks that have been ongoing from 8am local time and damaged power and desalination plants as well as oil facilities, hours after an Iran-US truce came into effect. "Since 8:00 AM (0500 GMT) today, Kuwaiti air defenses have been engaging an intense wave of hos»»»

Doha, Qatar: The annual Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg, held in collaboration with Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and originally scheduled to take place from May 12–14, 2026, will be rescheduled to later this year in Doha. This follows an official statement issued by the org»»»

Doha, Qatar: Kuwait has announced that it was targeted by an intense wave of Iranian attacks beginning at 8am today, April 8, 2026, with 28 drones successfully intercepted. This was confirmed in a statement issued on the same day by Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense official spokesperson, Colonel Saud A»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Public Health has announced the designation of five healthcare facilities under the ‘Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative,’ launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), following their successful compliance with internati»»»

Tunis, April 8 (TAP) – The Tunisian Water Observatory (OTE) recorded 167 water cuts and disruptions in drinking water supply across all governorates during March 2026, reflecting a continued worsening of the water supply crisis in several regions.In...»»»

A criminal network linked to Bulgaria has been accused of defrauding dozens of elderly people in northern Greece through an elaborate telephone scam that resulted in losses exceeding 600,000 euros, according to Kathimerini. Investigators say the operation was active between September 2021 and Augus»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia hopes that US negotiators will have more opportunities to participate in trilateral negotiations on Ukraine in the foreseeable future, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. "We hope that in the foreseeable future they [the US negotiators] will have more time a»»»

DOHA: The State of Qatar has welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran, considering it an initial step towards de-escalation, and stressing the need to build on it urgently to prevent the spread of tension in the region.»»»

Ahead of the annual slaughter of thousands of lambs for traditional Easter Sunday meals, authorities are stepping up policing of measures to contain a highly contagious livestock disease that’s decimated herds in much of the country, officials said Wednesday. The Rural Development Ministry said spe»»»

As of April 7, there were a total of 94 cases of measles in Bulgaria, with 14 new cases reported, according to the Ministry of Health’s website. Of the newly reported cases, 10 are from Vratsa Region, two from Sofia City, and one each from the Pleven and Lovech regions. The newly infected individua»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian troops have struck facilities of Ukraine's fuel and energy complex and port infrastructure, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. "Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops, and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces' battlegr»»»

During their historic lunar flyby, astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission witnessed meteorites striking the rugged surface of the Moon, a sight that has piqued scientists' curiosity. "That was definitely impact flashes on the moon. And Jeremy (Hansen) just saw another one," mission commander Reid »»»

Kyiv on Wednesday called on the United States to pressure Russia into ending its invasion of Ukraine, saying Washington's ceasefire agreement with Iran showed the success of US "decisiveness." "American decisiveness works. We believe it is time for sufficient decisiveness to force Moscow to cease f»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Khulaifi received a phone call on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan HE Muhammad Ishaq Dar. During the c»»»