Many international shipping vessels, such as the one pictured in March, have been anchored and idling in the Middle East after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian traffic after the United States and Israel engaged in a war there. Friday, Iran allowed vessels linked to France and Japan t»»»

Dubai: Dubai’s property market maintained strong momentum in the first quarter of 2026, with total sales reaching Dh176.7 billion across nearly 48,000 transactions, reflecting continued investor appetite and steady price growth. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Data fro»»»

A U.S. fighter jet was shot down in Iran on Friday and one crew member was rescued, officials said, the first aircraft downed since the war began nearly five weeks ago. It marked a major escalation in the conflict just two days after President Donald Trump said in a national address that the U.S. h»»»

Pakistan will cut petrol prices by 80 rupees per litre to 378 rupees ($1.35), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said late on Friday. The reduction will be funded through the government’s petroleum levy. The move comes just a day after it raised fuel prices by at least 43 percent, citing rising global o»»»

The leader of the Bulgaria Can party, Kuzman Iliev, presented certificates to the party's candidates for members of parliament for the Pleven 15th Multi-member Constituency for the early parliamentary elections on April 19. This took place at a campaign meeting in Pleven where the party's prioritie»»»

GRIFID Encanto Beach Hotel in the Golden Sands resort has developed a new detox programme for its guests. The programme offers stays of varying length designed to promote health, balance and body harmony, the hotel manager Anita Atanasova told BTA. Key elements of the GriFit D-TOX programme are thr»»»

Tunis, April 3 (TAP) - Tunisia's Cap Bon is aiming to become the World Capital of Gastronomy 2028. This bid was highlighted during an economic and tourism promotion event held on March 31 in Rome by the Tunisian embassy in Italy, in partnership...»»»

Tunis, April 3 (TAP) - The Tunisian Consulate in Toulouse organised an economic meeting on Thursday in the French city of Toulouse, in cooperation with the "Agence pour le Développement Économique et Culturel Nord-Sud", the Foreign Investment...»»»

Dubai: An Indian national has won the Dh20 million grand prize in Big Ticket’s live draw series 285, held in Abu Dhabi. Shamon Shaji was holding ticket number 229425 which she purchased on March 22. "I am watching live. Thank you so much," said Shaji during the phone call. Show hosts Richard and Bo»»»

BELGRADE - Secretary General at the Serbian MFA Dusan Kozarev met with North Macedonian Ambassador to Belgrade Nikola Tupanceski on Friday to discuss stepping up economic and cultural cooperation, as well as strengthening ties in the infrastructure and energy sectors. "Serbia remains firmly committ»»»

BELGRADE - In Q1 2026, Air Serbia set a new standard for its business operations with 813,188 passengers carried and 3 pct growth y-o-y, the national airline said on Friday. "This is also the first time that the number of 800,000 carried passengers was surpassed in the January-March period. During »»»

Abu Dhabi: Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has said its Al Taweelah site sustained significant damage following recent Iranian missile and drone attacks, with full restoration of primary aluminium production likely to take up to 12 months. In an initial assessment released on Friday, the company co»»»

1 of 3 | Colin McDonald listens as Vice President JD Vance speaks during his swearing in as Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Pool Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo April 3 (UPI) -- Vice President JD Vance is now the government's fra»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East war during a phone call on Friday, the Kremlin said. The war started over a month ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering a conflict throughout the Middle East »»»

The average annual inflation in Bulgaria is expected to reach 4.3% this year, while the annual increase in consumer prices is projected to amount to 5.2% by the end of 2026, according to the spring macroeconomic forecast of the Finance Ministry, published on its website. At the same time, the real »»»

Istanbul: Turkiye's economy is facing mounting pressure from persistently high global energy prices, as the country relies heavily on imports of oil and gas to meet domestic demand. This dependence has exposed it to global market volatility, driving up production costs, increasing the burden on bus»»»

Iran shot down a US warplane on Friday, setting off a search by both sides for surviving crew as the war looked set to intensify with President Donald Trump threatening more attacks on civilian infrastructure. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was combing an area near where the plane came do»»»

Ethiopia has signed investment agreements and memoranda of understanding worth $13.1bn at the Invest in Ethiopia 2026 forum, with the Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia describing the outcome as a boost to investor sentiment, although most commitments remain at an early stage. »»»

Ethiopia has signed investment agreements and memoranda of understanding worth $13.1bn at the Invest in Ethiopia 2026 forum, with the Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia describing the outcome as a boost to investor sentiment, although most commitments remain at an early stage. »»»

Ghana’s central bank governor says a synchronised improvement in key economic indicators reflects coordinated monetary and fiscal policy, as inflation, interest rates, and the currency stabilise after years of crisis. Bank»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed his government to work on securing food supplies to Egypt, particularly grain shipments, as part of efforts to strengthen strategic ties between the two countries, a Kremlin statement said.  »»»

State oil company Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has exported 950,000 barrels of a new Cawthorne blend crude, marking the first lifting from the FSO Cawthorne facility — Nigeria’s first new crude oil terminal in 50 years, The Punch reported. »»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed his government to work on securing food supplies to Egypt, particularly grain shipments, as part of efforts to strengthen strategic ties between the two countries, a Kremlin statement said.  »»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed his government to work on securing food supplies to Egypt, particularly grain shipments, as part of efforts to strengthen strategic ties between the two countries, a Kremlin statement said.  »»»

1 of 2 | President Donald Trump has requested that Congress increase the Pentagon’s budget by $1.5 trillion while cutting funding to domestic programs for fiscal year 2027 on Friday. Pool Photo by Alex Brandon/UPI | License Photo April 3 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump has requested that Congress i»»»

NATO chief Mark Rutte will meet Donald Trump next week on a visit to Washington, as the US president lashes out at the alliance over the Iran war, NATO said Friday. Trump has suggested he is considering quitting the 77-year-old military alliance due to the response by European nations to his war. T»»»

Bansko has the potential to become a year-round spa and wellness destination, said Hristina Mihaylova, manager of the Casa Karina hotel complex in the mountain resort, in an interview for BTA. Hotels that operate throughout all seasons are focusing on investment and development outside the peak sea»»»

Pakistan's economy depends heavily on labor exports to the Gulf, where millions of its citizens work. The Iran war has complicated this, prompting the government to devise a new strategy. In recent years, Pakistan has significantly increased both its labor exports and the volume of remittances that»»»

DOHA: Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi has discussed escalating regional tensions with Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Qatar HE Cao Xiaolin. Friday's talks in Doha focused on developments related to the ongoing military es»»»

Tehran: Iran deployed troops and offered a bounty as it launched a hunt for a US pilot whose jet Iranian media said had been downed by the Islamic republic's air defence systems Friday. US Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for military operations in the Middle East, did not immediately respond»»»

Doha: Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi has discussed escalating regional tensions with Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Qatar HE Cao Xiaolin. Friday's talks in Doha focused on developments related to the ongoing military es»»»

Bulgarian institutions should make more efforts to uphold the national position on the European Union membership of the Republic of North Macedonia. President Iliana iotova and Bulgarian MEPs rallied around the idea during a meeting on Friday, the press office of the head of state said. The meeting»»»

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov said predictability and a clear time horizon are essential in applying measures related to the impact of the Middle East crisis on Bulgaria. He was speaking at a meeting of the task force monitoring and controlling the prices of goods and fuels in response to t»»»

Dubai: Dubai-born Leva Hotels has announced its entry into North Africa with a new project in Casablanca. The brand will launch Leva Casablanca this summer through a management agreement with Ismail Oukrid, COO of the Group, Ares Invest, Oukrid Family Office. The property, formerly known as the Was»»»

Damascus, April 3 (SANA) UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo said Syria is at a pivotal moment, with improved stability and the end of the war and violence opening the door for long-term development and investment. In an interview with SANA at the conclusion of his visit to Syria on Thursday, De C»»»

Dubai: More than 40 million students from 138,000 schools across 60 countries took part in the 10th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge, one of the world’s largest literacy initiatives, it was announced on Friday. In a post on X, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President,»»»

The Seventh Meeting of Heads of Ministries and Agencies of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states responsible for environmental protection concluded today, the press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of Kyrgyzstan reported. As part of th»»»

The caretaker government has submitted to the European Commission the fourth payment request under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), amounting to EUR 900 million, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister for European Funding Maria Nedina told a briefing here on Friday. Caretaker Finance Mini»»»

Islamabad, Pakistan: State-run public transport in Pakistan's capital and most populous province will be free for the coming month, officials said on Friday, after the government drastically raised fuel prices due to spiking global energy prices caused by the Middle East conflict. The announcement »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut chaired on Friday a session of a council coordinating activities and measures for GDP growth, at which it was noted that Serbia continued to register stable macroeconomic results and that March inflation had been at 2.8 pct. The council assessed macroeconomic and o»»»

Al Ain: The UAE’s Minister of Economy has reassured consumers that there are no signs of shortages in food supplies, urging residents to shop responsibly and avoid unnecessary stockpiling. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.During a field visit to the fruits and vegetable»»»

The war in Iran has driven up world food prices, the United Nations reported. Photo by Iranian Red Crescent/UPI | License Photo April 3 (UPI) -- The war in Iran has driven up global food prices and freight costs in March for the second month in a row, according to the United Nations Food and Agricu»»»

Tunis, April 3 (TAP)- The Financial Inclusion Observatory (FIO) announced the launch as of April 6 of the Road Trip of Financial Education as part of the Global Money Week 2026.The initiative is conducted in partnership with several institutional...»»»

Progressive Bulgaria leader Rumen Radev said on Friday that “it is absolutely impossible” for his political force to form a coalition with Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Delyan Peevski and GERB leader Boyko Borissov. Radev spoke at a meeting with citizens in Zlatograd (Southern Bulgaria) a»»»

Filip Pavlov, top-of-the-list MP candidate for the Anti-Corruption Bloc in Vratsa, presented a vision for more sustainable and healthier cities at a meeting with citizens on Friday, he told BTA. In his words, a national programme for rooftop solar panels, funded by the state and EU funds, should be»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Friday his consultations with officials of political parties would be continued on Monday and that, in terms of formal law, early parliamentary elections could be held on May 31 at the earliest, or, potentially, in late March next year, in »»»

The Blue Bulgaria coalition stands for strong Bulgarian agriculture and clean food, Tsveta Kirilova, the coalition's top-of-the-list candidate in Haskovo, said during a meeting with voters, as quoted by her campaign headquarters. “Agriculture is not just a sector of the economy; it is the foundatio»»»

Dubai: As tensions continue in parts of the Middle East, Filipino seafarers operating in regional waters have been urged to remain calm, vigilant, and connected, with authorities rolling out dedicated hotlines to provide immediate assistance. In an advisory, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) »»»

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the commencement of sidewalk maintenance and rehabilitation works across the emirate, covering a total area of 90,000 square metres, in line with approved preventive maintenance plans for 2026. The total area of sidewalks maintained and reha»»»

Milan, Italy: Italy’s budget deficit declined in 2025 but remained slightly above the European Union’s 3 percent threshold, national statistics agency Istat said on Friday. April, 3, 2026. The deficit stood at 3.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), equivalent to €70bn ($81bn), down from 3.4 p»»»