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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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, »»»

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: 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»»»

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.»»»

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»»»

Dubai: Now, you can even get gold delivered home to you. The Dubai Gold District rolled out a new home-delivery service on Wednesday, allowing buyers to browse, select, and purchase gold without visiting the market. Under the new service, buyers can arrange private consultations with participating »»»

The Central Bank of the UAE has issued a warning to licensed financial institutions in the country—including banks, insurance companies, reinsurance firms, and other financial entities—granting them a 90-day period to comply with the newly introduced “Telemarketing Regulation.” The Central Bank cir»»»

Fred Fleitz, former chief of staff of the NSC, predicted Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump could meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for a summit sometime this fall. Fleitz made the comment at the Asan Plenum in Seoul. Photo courtesy of Asan Institute of Policy Studies A former Trump»»»

Times have been a bit tough, of late. But chin up, chin up, as Dubai-based Shraddha Mishra, a homemaker insists on telling her children. "There's always a way forward, and that's what we do." Indeed, in the past one month, she along with other residents have looked to make changes in their lives, c»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The use of the Northern Sea Route in the current international situation will be of particular importance, and its reliability will increase, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. "In the situation that has been developing literally in recent days, in recent h»»»

Kyrgyzstan and JICA plan to scale up One Village — One Product project. The press service of the Ministry of Economy of Kyrgyzstan reported. According to the press service, Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce Benazir Nurlanova met with Yuka Sonoyama, Deputy Director of the JICA Central Asia and»»»

OVERVIEW No single topic dominates all media on Wednesday. POLITICS An op-ed by economist Boyan Durankev published by Trud lists the strategies implemented by the various political forces that have nominated candidates for the snap parliamentary elections scheduled for April 19. The text reads: "Th»»»

This photo, taken Wednesday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in central Seoul as South Korean stocks jumped nearly 7 percent after the United States and Iran agreed on a two-week ceasefire. Photo by Yonhap South Korean stocks spiked nearly 7 percent after the United States and Iran agreed on a »»»

Dubai: In the UAE, a new kind of economy is flourishing, one powered not just by money, but by generosity. Small businesses have been turning their success into support for local communities, who have been both their customers and partners in giving. What started as simple forms of assistance have »»»

Pope Leo on Wednesday praised the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, hours after calling US President Donald Trump's threat against the population of Iran "unacceptable". The pope, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of ‌the war in recent ‌weeks, said he welcomed ‌the ⁠announcement of the cease»»»

Dubai: Airlines are facing rising fuel costs, supply risks and operational pressure, but the global aviation sector is holding steady for now, with strong travel demand helping offset the crisis, said IATA Director General Willie Walsh. Carriers are increasing fares and cutting capacity as oil pric»»»

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, seen here leaving No. 10 Downing Street in London in January, is leaving for the Gulf on Wednesday following the announcement of a cease-fire in the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo April 8 (UPI) -- Prime Minister Keir S»»»

Two French nationals arrived in Paris on Wednesday after spending more than three years in an Iranian prison on espionage charges, with President Emmanuel Macron hailing "the end of a terrible ordeal." Cecile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72, arrived on a commercial flight, landing at Charles de G»»»

Romania’s central bank, the National Bank of Romania (BNR), decided to keep the monetary policy rate unchanged at 6.5% at its April 7 board meeting, opting for caution amid a rapidly shifting macroeconomic environment shaped by both domestic fiscal uncertainties and external shocks stemming from th»»»

In the current context in Romania, it is becoming increasingly clear that we need strong anchors. These strategic directions have a common element: the need to strengthen the economy’s resilience in the face of external shocks and structural uncertainties. Opinion by Leonardo Badea, First Deputy Go»»»

US Vice President J.D. Vance has met with Viktor Orban in Budapest in a high-profile visit ahead of a critical parliamentary election. The Hungarian prime minister’s party is trailing that of his pro-EU opponent in the polls, and he has accused Brussels of interfering in the vote. Vance touched dow»»»

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar has expressed its welcome of the ceasefire announcement between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran, considering it an initial step toward de-escalation. It stressed the need to build on this development urgently to prevent further escalatio»»»

The office of former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is seen in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. On Tuesday, voters in Georgia elected her replacement, Republican Clay Fuller. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 8 (UPI) -- Republic»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has added five more universities to its automatic recognition scheme for domestic higher education qualifications, bringing the total number of participating institutions to 38 as part of efforts to streamline procedures and reduce»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced the implementation of alternative assessment procedures for the mid-term exams of the second semester of the 2025-2026 academic year. The Ministry, represented by the Assessment Affairs Sector, said this decision applies to stude»»»

Dubai: Oil markets are signalling that prices will remain elevated despite a sharp pullback recorded on Wednesday, as a temporary ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran eases immediate fears but leaves deeper supply risks unresolved. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - si»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Culture has launched the fifth edition of the National Grant Programme for Culture and Creativity, one of the UAE’s flagship national initiatives dedicated to supporting creative Emiratis and enabling them to develop impactful cultural and creative projects. The launch re»»»

Not only did Iran fiercely repel US–Israeli aggression, but “it may lock in de facto control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz,” Yury Lyamin, senior researcher at the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, tells Sputnik. Nevertheless, the two-week ceasefire deal agreed bet»»»

Banking and ‌airline stocks led a more than 4% rise in Turkish shares and the lira was on track for a rare daily gain on Wednesday, as the two-week Middle East ceasefire sparked a relief rally across global markets. At 0823 GMT, Türkiye's blue-chip BIST 100 index was up 4.3%, while the banking inde»»»

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has persisted despite the two-week US-Iran ceasefire announced on April 7. US President Donald Trump suspended military operations against Iran hours after his own deadline »»»

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has persisted despite the two-week US-Iran ceasefire announced on April 7. US President Donald Trump suspended military operations against Iran hours after his own deadline »»»

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has commenced exports of a new crude oil grade, Cawthorne, as it seeks to boost production and strengthen its position in global markets. The maiden cargo of the new »»»

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has persisted despite the two-week US-Iran ceasefire announced on April 7. US President Donald Trump suspended military operations against Iran hours after his own deadline »»»

Iran has put forward a sweeping 10-point plan to secure an end to its war with the United States and Israel, centring on a permanent halt to hostilities, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of sanctions, as both sides agreed to a fragile two-week ceasefire to allow negotiations. T»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union has begun secretly working on the issue of creating its own nuclear weapons production potential, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said on Wednesday. "In the endless corridors of the European Union headquarters, they have already begun secretly wo»»»

Stock markets in the Gulf region jumped on Wednesday in line with global equities after US President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday. Trump said the last-minute deal was subject to Iran's agreement to pause its blockade of oil and gas supplies through the Strait of »»»