Mumbai, India: An Indian oil painting by celebrated 19th century artist Raja Ravi Varma has sold for a record $17.9 million at auction in Mumbai, the highest price ever paid for a modern Indian artwork. Mumbai-based auction house Saffronart said the painting, "Yashoda and Krishna", depicting the Hi»»»

Wolt, the local commerce platform connecting users with restaurants and shops, has announced a leadership restructure in Romania. Alexandru Ștefan, currently Head of Account Management, will take on the additional responsibility of Country Lead for Wolt Romania. The transition aims to ensure busine»»»

The National Institute of Statistics (INS) reports that Romania’s population reached 21.64 million on 1 January 2026, marking a 0.5% decline compared to the same period of last year. The urban and female populations remain the majority, representing 55.2% and 51.2% of the total, respectively. Accor»»»

Caretaker Energy Minister Traicho Traikov held a working meeting with representatives of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (KRIB) and the Bulgarian Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (BFIEC), the Energy Ministry reported here on Thursday. Talks focused on options »»»

Talks with the tourism sector show readiness to maintain the prices of already agreed tourist packages for the summer season, provided there is no sharp increase in fuel and electricity prices, caretaker Tourism Minister Irena Georgieva told journalists on Thursday after a meeting with President Il»»»

Doha, Qatar: Social media users in Qatar have raised concerns over the use of the national warning alert tone as a mobile phone ringtone by some, as it causes confusion and alarm in public places. The issue gained attention after a post on X by Sheikh Salman bin Jabor Al Thani, who raised concerns »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic said on Thursday that, as always, President Aleksandar Vucic would call all political factors to social dialogue and that the leadership of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) would speak with Vucic to ask him to be its candidate for PM. In a»»»

Kyrgyzstan will mark World Health Day on April 7, an annual initiative of the World Health Organization aimed at drawing attention to key health issues and disease prevention. According to the Republican Center for Health Promotion and Mass Communication, the 2026 theme is «Together for health. Sta»»»

The Burj Al Baher project, located on the coast in the Mitiga area of Tripoli, is to restart implementation soon. The news came out of a meeting held Tuesday between Tripoli Prime Minister, Abdel Hamid Aldabaiba, and Mahmoud Ajaj, the new Chairman and CEO of the Libyan Local Investment & Developmen»»»

Blue Bulgaria supports limiting the State’s role in the economy, Tsveta Kirilova, the coalition’s top-of-the-list candidate in Haskovo, said at a meeting with voters on Thursday, quoted by her campaign headquarters. "The State should not be a trader or a major investor, but only a regulator and a g»»»

Authorities on Chios said Thursday they have seized hundreds of home-made fireworks used in the traditional Orthodox Easter “rocket-war” celebrations for which the eastern Aegean Sea island has become internationally famous. A police statement said nearly 500 rockets were found stored in an abandon»»»

The Education Union of the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour supports the introduction of the subject of Virtues and Religion because "Bulgarian schools need to teach not only knowledge, they also need to impart a value system, upbringing, and character," as stated in a position statement from the u»»»

Construction of a new centre for support for children and parents began on Thursday morning with a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony in Sofia. White doves were also released during the event as a message of kindness and peace. The facility will be named House of Children. The project is implemented »»»

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 Johann Wadephul, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany. During the call, they reviewed the developments of the military esc»»»

Fameloop AI, a new technology startup developed in Romania and the United Kingdom, has launched its platform designed to help companies secure their presence within artificial intelligence recommendations. The venture has attracted significant backing from Andrei Vasile and Mihai Vădan, the serial »»»

Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Presidential Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic, met with Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The meeting took place as part of the second meeting of the Heads of Government and Vice Presidents of the»»»

Since October 2023, the Middle East and North Africa have been set ablaze, with war coming to Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, Syria, and Iran, to name but a few. In large part, Iraqis felt that they had been dodging bullets, miraculously emerging mainly unscathed amidst the mayhem. In recent w»»»

Dubai: Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has published a comprehensive framework setting out minimum quality standards that private K-12 schools must meet during periods of distance and online learning. The guidelines, titled Quality Expectations for Effective Distance Learni»»»

Courier firm SAMEDAY has announced that the Competition Council has approved its acquisition of Cargus, the first private courier company in Romania. In the coming period, each of the two companies will prepare the relevant documentation to finalize the transaction, with further details to be provi»»»

Citizens' trust in the work of the new leadership of the Ministry of Interior has increased, said caretaker Minister of Interior Emil Dechev in Balchik, where he attended the opening of the renovated building of the Regional Fire Safety and Civil Protection Service on Thursday. Dechev stated that r»»»

The preservation of the Maritsa East 3 Thermal Power Plant (TPP) is key to the economy of Haskovo Region, said Vazrazhdane's top-of-the-list candidate in Haskovo Georgi Georgiev, as quoted by the party's press centre on Thursday. Energy is a matter of national security and must be safeguarded throu»»»

Dubai: A rare and endangered golden monkey has been born at Pairi Daiza, marking the first such birth in Belgium and a significant milestone for conservation efforts in Europe. The baby monkey, born on March 17, 2026, is reported to be in good health and is being closely cared for by its mother, de»»»

Twenty foreigners, including 19 Chinese citizens and a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, were arrested in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, during a raid on a call center. The Khmer Times reported. According to the media outlet, the foreigners were detained during a search of the call center suspected of f»»»

For Iraq, this is a strange moment both politically and militarily. The state of Iraq has proximity to—but no direct connection to—the fierce battle raging between Iran on one side and Israel and the United States on the other, with Gulf states becoming Iranian targets as a result. That is the stat»»»

Doha, Qatar: The price of gold in the Qatari market rose by 4.12 percent this week, reaching $4,678.80 per ounce today, according to data released by Qatar National Bank. The data showed that the price of gold climbed from $4,493.51 per ounce recorded last Sunday. Meanwhile, other precious metals a»»»

April 2 (UPI) -- A vice mayor of a southeastern Florida city was fatally shot in what police are calling a domestic incident, according to officials and authorities who said the community is grieving. "We are heartbroken to share that Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen has died," the police department »»»

Dubai: The Philippine government has encouraged overseas Filipinos to rethink traditional remittance habits and explore investment opportunities as a way to protect their income against global economic volatility. In its “Peso Sense” financial literacy campaign, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas»»»

Dubai: The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has forecast a notable weather shift across the UAE this weekend, with fog alerts, rising temperatures, and a chance of rain set to affect residents and travellers from Friday through Sunday. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app»»»

India's defense exports "skyrocketed" to an all-time high of more than $4 billion in the last fiscal year, as it looks to boost its arms manufacturing sector, the government said Thursday. The figures mark a rise of more than 60 percent from 2024, the defense ministry said, and provide a shot in th»»»

The Dacian golden helmet of Coțofenești, one of Romania’s most significant archaeological treasures, reportedly stolen during the 2025 heist at the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands, may have been recovered, according to sources close to the investigation. The development was first signaled b»»»

OVERVIEW No single issue dominates Thursday’s media, but the note sent by Iran to Bulgaria, the security agreement signed between Bulgaria and Ukraine, and the justice minister’s request for the disciplinary dismissal of the acting prosecutor general, are among the main topics. POLITICS Speaking on»»»

The Ethics Commission at the Prosecutors' Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) opened proceedings on its own initiative following media reports concerning the head of the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, Emilia Rusinova, and requested information from the competent authorities, the SJC pres»»»

A general view of the Port of Kharg Island Oil Terminal, 25 kilometers from the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf and 483 kilometers northwest of the Strait of Hormuz, in Iran on March 12, 2017. Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Oil flows through Egypt’s “SUMED” pipeline have surged by 15»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3943 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»»»

Smoke from oil fires from the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran return to the Persian Gulf as acid rain, irreversibly altering the water's chemical balance and destroying flora and fauna, Egyptian expert and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change observer Mustafa Sherbini tells Sputnik. The Gulf’s »»»

Minister of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan Kanatbek Chynybaev introduced two new deputy heads — Almazbek Asanov and Nurbek Zhumaliev — to the central office and personnel of the ministry, the ministry’s press service reported. The minister noted their many years of experience in the civil prote»»»

Interior Minister Emil Dechev has reported a sharp rise in signals related to alleged election crimes compared to the parliamentary vote held in October 2024. Speaking to journalists, he said the number of reports is several hundred percent higher, describing it as an indicator of increased public »»»

Romanian digital book streaming platform Voxa has secured more than EUR 4 million in a funding round led by Catalyst Romania. The capital is earmarked for regional growth and product development as the company eyes a dominant position in South Eastern Europe. The investment marks the 12th transacti»»»

A criminal case has been opened in Bishkek following a dog attack on a minor, the press service of the Main Internal Affairs Department of Bishkek reported. The case has been registered under Article 134 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic (Causing serious harm to health by negligence). As »»»

Albania’s opposition has raised alarm in Parliament following a statement by the U.S. Embassy warning of potential attacks by groups allegedly linked to Iran. Democratic Party lawmaker Tritan Shehu called on President Bajram Begaj to convene the National Security Council, describing the embassy’s n»»»

Interior Minister Besford Lamallari said authorities have intensified coordination with U.S. officials following a recent security alert issued by the American embassy in Tirana. Lamallari confirmed that he has instructed counterterrorism structures to maintain direct communication with the embassy»»»

Canberra, Australia: Exposure to extreme heat is increasing the risk of babies being born underweight, according to new research led by Australia's Adelaide University. The study analyzed health data from more than 85,000 mothers and babies in Pakistan, combining 10 years of birth records (2008-201»»»

Delegates stand and applaud after the adoption of the text of the High Seas Treaty at the United Nations headquarters in New York on June 19, 2023. File Photo by Justin Lane/EPA April 2 (UPI) -- Delegates were gathered in the busy corridors at United Nations headquarters in New York this week for a»»»

Dubai: As Easter approaches, Christian communities across Dubai are reflecting on the timeless message of the resurrection, reminding the faithful that hope and light can rise even in the darkest moments. Gulf News has reached out to clergies from several churches across the emirate to gather their»»»

Dubai: At least nine people were killed and 17 injured after a fire broke out at a clothing factory and storage facility on the ground floor of a 12-storey residential building in Cairo, officials said. The toll rose from earlier figures of three dead and two injured reported late on Tuesday, as em»»»

Seoul, April 2 (SANA) South Korea said Wednesday that emergency shipments of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates are on their way under a bilateral agreement, as supply concerns grow amid disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Yonhap News Agency, Industry Minister Kim»»»

DOHA: The volume of real estate trading in sales contracts at the Department of Real Estate Registration at the Ministry of Justice during the period from March 22-26, reached QR231,982,343. Meanwhile, the total sales contracts for residential units in the Real Estate Bulletin for the same period r»»»

Baigazy Matisakov, the nephew of former State Committee for National Security (SCNS) head Kamchybek Tashiev, has been released from a pretrial detention center. According to sources, he was freed due to a cooperation agreement with investigators. Matisakov was detained in March 2026 in connection w»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded a Kyrgyzstani for her contribution to holding the Immortal Regiment march. Zulfira Khaibullina, the permanent coordinator of the Immortal Regiment — ​​Kyrgyzstan movement, was awarded the commemorative medal «80 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of»»»

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia will introduce a work-from-home policy for ministries, agencies, statutory bodies and government-linked companies starting April 15 to conserve energy during the Middle East war, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. The premier's announcement late Wednesday comes as the Southea»»»