Venezuela opens for business, but investors weigh promise against reality
The months since Nicolás Maduro's capture have brought Venezuela closer to the global economy than at any point in a generation. New laws, a US sanctions rollback and a resumption of international engagement have redrawn the investment landscape with striking speed. Yet for many of the large Wester»»»
BALKAN BLOG: The connection between the Middle East conflict and Slovenia’s closely fought election
Allegations of foreign interference involving an Israeli private intelligence firm cast a shadow over Slovenia’s closely contested parliamentary election, highlighting how geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are increasingly impacting domestic politics in Europe. »»»
Armenian PM strikes assertive tone in talks with Putin
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan adopted an assertive tone during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on April 1, with sharp differences emerging over elections, security ties and Armenia’s geopolitical direction. »»»
Pavela Mitova Is Top-of-the-List Candidate of There Is Such a People for Sofia 23rd and Stara Zagora 27th Constituencies
BTA will publish the names of the top-of-the-list candidates of every party/coalition for all constituencies for the April 19 parliamentary elections. The information about the candidates is provided by the respective political entity, the candidates themselves and other official sources. Pavela Mi»»»
Korneliya Ninova Is Top-of-the-List Candidate of Defiant Bulgaria National Movement for Sofia 25th and Blagoevgrad 1st Constituencies
BTA will publish the names of the top-of-the-list candidates of every party/coalition for all constituencies for the April 19 parliamentary elections. The information about the candidates is provided by the respective political entity, the candidates themselves and other official sources. Korneliya»»»
Boyko Borissov Is Top-of-the-List Candidate of GERB-UDF for Sofia 25th and Plovdiv City 16th Constituencies
BTA will publish the names of the top-of-the-list candidates of every party/coalition for all constituencies for the April 19 parliamentary elections. The information about the candidates is provided by the respective political entity, the candidates themselves and other official sources. Boyko Bor»»»
Ventsislav Asenov Is Top-of-the-List Candidate of There Is Such a People for Sofia Region 26th Constituency
BTA will publish the names of the top-of-the-list candidates of every party/coalition for all constituencies for the April 19 parliamentary elections. The information about the candidates is provided by the respective political entity, the candidates themselves and other official sources. Ventsisla»»»
Valeri Zhablyanov Is Top-of-the-List Candidate of BSP-United Left for Shumen 30th Constituency
BTA will publish the names of the top-of-the-list candidates of every party/coalition for all constituencies for the April 19 parliamentary elections. The information about the candidates is provided by the respective political entity, the candidates themselves and other official sources. Valeri Zh»»»
Delyan Peevski Is Top-of-the-List Candidate of Movement for Rights and Freedoms for Blagoevgrad 1st and Kardzhali 9th Constituencies
BTA will publish the names of the top-of-the-list candidates of every party/coalition for all constituencies for the April 19 parliamentary elections. The information about the candidates is provided by the respective political entity, the candidates themselves and other official sources. Delyan Pe»»»
Ivelin Mihaylov Is Top-of-the-List Candidate of Velichie for Sofia 25th and Pleven 15th Constituencies
BTA will publish the names of the top-of-the-list candidates of every party/coalition for all constituencies for the April 19 parliamentary elections. The information about the candidates is provided by the respective political entity, the candidates themselves and other official sources. Velichie »»»
Ust-Luga and Primorsk to their lowest levels since pre-war time
Russia has lost over $1bn in oil export revenues Ukraine’s week-long attacks on its two most important Baltic Sea ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk. Weekly shipments through both ports have fallen by two-thirds. However, as U»»»
Armenian PM strikes assertive tone in talks with Putin
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan adopted an assertive tone during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on April 1, with sharp differences emerging over elections, security ties and Armenia’s geopolitical direction. »»»
Spotlight - Death penalty 'a deep stain on the law books of the state of Israel'
François Picard welcomes Dr. Gershon Baskin, a former hostage negotiator and Middle East Director of the International Communities Organisation. Drawing on his deep involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Baskin argues that recent developments – including the death penalty law passed on Mo»»»
'Strategy of ecological terror. Desalination as a weapon of war' in the Middle East
Eve Irvine is pleased to welcome Dr. Michael Christopher Low, Associate Professor of History and Director of the Middle East Center at the University of Utah. As a historian of infrastructure and environmental systems in the Middle East, his work examines how seemingly technical systems, like desal»»»
Suit fights Gulf drilling exemption tied to national security claim - UPI.com
A court battle has begun after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared offshore oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico necessary for national security and received an exemption from endangered species protections. File Photo by Tannen Maury/EPA April 1 (UPI) -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth de»»»
Iran’s President to US People: Choosing Confrontation Will Affect Future Generations
The Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian sent on Wednesday a message to the American people, stressing that the Iranian people harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighboring countries. Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futi»»»
Mucunski, Haddad meet in Paris for talks on faster, merit-based EU integration
Paris, 1 April 2026 (MIA) — Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski met Wednesday with France's Minister Delegate for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad for talks on strengthening bilateral ties, deepening political dialogue and boosting economic cooperation as well as the count»»»
Report: US and Iran discussing ceasefire for reopening strait
The U.S. and Iran are discussing a potential deal that would involve a ceasefire in exchange for Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, three U.S. officials told U.S. news portal Axios on Wednesday. The officials did not say whether those discussions had taken place directly or only through mediators»»»
Caretaker Government Drafting Regular Budget for 2026
The caretaker government is drafting a regular budget proposal to be submitted if the next parliament fails to form a governing majority, caretaker Minister of Finance Georgi Klisurski said on Wednesday. Speaking in a television interview, Klisurski said the draft had not yet been completed, but wo»»»
UK to host 35-nation meeting on Hormuz as Starmer vows Britain will not be ‘dragged’ into war
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that the Middle East conflict is “not our war” and announced that the United Kingdom will host a 35-nation meeting this week to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at Downing Street, Starmer confirmed that Foreign Sec»»»
Japan, France agree to coordinate on reopening Strait of Hormuz as Trump says US will have ‘no role’
Japan and France agreed on Wednesday to coordinate closely on efforts to end the war in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas tankers, as US President Donald Trump said Washington would play no role in securing the vital waterway. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said after talk»»»
Progressive Bulgaria Leader: "Since Joining the 'Club of the Rich', Shop Debts in Villages Are Now in Euro"
"For ten years I have been travelling across Bulgaria, stopping in villages and visiting small shops. What has changed in the last three months is that debts in shopkeepers' notebooks are now in euro," Progressive Bulgaria leader Rumen Radev said at a meeting in Dupnitsa, quoted by the party. He cr»»»
Interior Ministry Secretary General Kandev: Police Leadership Will Not Be Drawn into Election Campaigns
Acting Interior Ministry Secretary General Georgi Kandev said on Wednesday in a Facebook post that he would not allow the professional leadership of the Ministry to be drawn into election campaigns. "While I hold this position, the law will be applied equally to all citizens of the Republic of Bulg»»»
How ghost robotic kamikaze boats broke the back of Iran's 'swarm' tactics in Hormuz: What happens next
For decades, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) built a strategy around one narrow stretch of water — the Strait of Hormuz, just 33km (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point, yet carrying nearly a fifth of the world’s oil every day. It was designed as a trap. Mines seeded beneath the surfa»»»
What Bulgaria and Ukraine Actually Signed in Kyiv
The political noise around the agreement signed by Acting Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov and President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 30 in Kyiv has largely drowned out what the document actually says. The caretaker government has since published the full text, and the picture it paints is considerably »»»
Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Kandev: Police Leadership Will Not Be Drawn into Election Campaigns
Acting Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Georgi Kandev said on Wednesday in a Facebook post that he would not allow the professional leadership of the Ministry to be drawn into election campaigns. "While I hold this position, the law will be applied equally to all citizens of the Republic of Bulgar»»»
How ghost robotic kamikaze boats broke the back of Iran's 'swarm' tactics in Hormuz: What happens next
For decades, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) built a strategy around one narrow stretch of water — the Strait of Hormuz, just 33km (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point, yet carrying nearly a fifth of the world’s oil every day. It was designed as a trap. Mines seeded beneath the surfa»»»
Khamenei Message to Hezbollah Chief Reaffirms Ties, Sends Political Signals
A message from Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, to Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem, thanking him for condolences over the death of his father, “leader of the Islamic Revolution,” came at a pivotal moment of regional escalation, giving it clear political weight and signaling messages»»»
Organization Urges Parties to Prioritize Media Literacy
The Media Literacy Coalition (MLC) on Wednesday called on all political parties taking part in the April 19, 2026 parliamentary elections to include media literacy as a national priority in their programmes. "Regardless of who wins the elections, we urge parties to unite around the importance of me»»»
How many times has the EU screwed itself over in the past year?
Hey, good news! The EU has found a new source of desperately needed gas amid the current energy crunch. The bad news? It’s in the US. So it will serve America, first. With Europe getting any sloppy seconds that Daddy Trump feels like overcharging it for when he isn’t threatening to invade. It’ll be»»»
Bulgarian Central Bank Warns Geopolitics Now Shapes Inflation Outlook
Bulgarian National Bank Governor Dimitar Radev has warned that inflation risks are increasingly driven by geopolitical developments, stressing that Bulgaria remains firmly anchored within the European institutional and political framework. He made the remarks during a meeting with heads of diplomat»»»
GTA introduces excise tax warehouse licensing service
DOHA: As part of its efforts to enhance the implementation of excise tax and streamline related procedures, the General Tax Authority (GTA) launched the excise tax warehouse licensing service, with plans to expand the scope of the service at a later stage to include other eligible entities. This se»»»
Hormuz hangs in balance as Trump eyes quick Iran exit
Dubai: Signs are growing that Donald Trump may be preparing to wind down the war with Iran — even as the fate of the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved — raising the risk that a quick exit could translate into a strategic setback. According to CNN, US officials have indicated Washington may not ta»»»
Caretaker PM Gurov Meets Head of OSCE Election Observation Mission
The caretaker government's commitments to organizing fair elections were the focus of a meeting between Prime Minister Andrey Gurov and Dunja Mijatovic, head of the election observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), the government press servic»»»
Caretaker Finance Minister Klisurski Says State Is Preparing Regular Budget Draft
The caretaker government is drafting a regular budget proposal to be submitted if the next parliament fails to form a governing majority, caretaker Minister of Finance Georgi Klisurski said on Wednesday. Speaking in a television interview, Klisurski said the draft had not yet been completed, but wo»»»
Polish deficit greater than during pandemic
Poland has entered a fiscal shock with a public finance deficit exceeding pandemic levels despite solid economic growth. In 2025, the deficit reached 7.2% of GDP and public debt rose to 59.7%, nearing the critical 60% threshold. Unlike during COVID-19, the deficit is not driven by crisis support bu»»»
Socialist Party Leader Says Parliament Sitting Failed to Address Fuel Prices
Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Chairman Krum Zarkov described Wednesday's sitting of the National Assembly as a failure in its primary task of addressing the key concern for Bulgarian citizens: fuel prices. Speaking at a briefing with journalists in Ruse, Zarkov said the BSP had taken the initiati»»»
France expects green light for €70bn nuclear expansion despite EU probe
France expects its plans for a €70bn expansion of its nuclear energy industry will be a “major contributor” to the EU’s electricity production, Paris said after the EU Commission announced a state aid probe into the project on Tuesday (31 March). “France’s new nuclear energy sector will, in the com»»»
Liberation of LPR Marks Shift to Tougher Russian Demands in Ukraine Talks - Analyst
By liberating the Lugansk People’s Republic, Russia is signaling that it has lost faith in negotiations with Zelensky, who offers “nothing but empty talk and publicity stunts," military analyst Alexei Leonkov, editor of Arsenal of the Fatherland, tells Sputnik. There will be new demands from Russia»»»
Opposition Seeks International Monitoring of Key Supreme Court Hearing
Democratic Party parliamentary group has sent an official letter to foreign embassies in Tirana, calling for close monitoring of an upcoming Supreme Court hearing scheduled for 9 April. In the letter, signed by Gazment Bardhi, opposition lawmakers express concern over a potential review of the long»»»
Britain to host summit on managing the Strait of Hormuz - UPI.com
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a news conference on the situation in the Middle East, at Downing Street in London, England, Wednesday. Pool Photo by Betty Laura Zapata/EPA April 1 (UPI) -- Britain will host a virtual summit Thursday to find ways to open the Strait of Hormuz after»»»
Israel rejects French defense ties amid dispute over blocked ammo flight
Israel’s Defense Ministry has announced retaliatory steps against France after US President Donald Trump openly criticized the European NATO member for refusing to allow access to its airspace for arms shipments being delivered to the Middle East. Posting on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump described»»»
Trump: Iran asked for cease-fire, will address nation on war - UPI.com
President Donald Trump said Wednesday morning that Iran has asked for a cease-fire. He said he told them only if the Strait of Hormuz is open. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo April 1 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump said on Truth Social Wednesday that Iran asked for a cease-fire, but he »»»
US troops would take heavy casualties capturing Iran’s Kharg Island – ex-officer Krapivnik tells RT
US President Donald Trump has deployed thousands of troops to the Middle East and said he wants to seize Iran’s foremost crude export hub, Kharg Island, to “take the oil.” However, such an assault promises heavy losses and a logistics quagmire for Washington, according to former US Army officer Sta»»»
Starmer Says UK to Host Multi-nation Meeting on Hormuz Shipping
Britain will this week hold a meeting of about 35 countries to discuss how to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz which has been crippled by the Middle East war, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Wednesday. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will host the discussions, Starmer told reporters d»»»
State Should Free Private Initiative to Raise Incomes, Blue Bulgaria Leader Says
To make Bulgarians wealthier, develop society and raise incomes, the State should not create regulations and obstacles but should free private initiative through fewer regulations and equal rules for all, Blue Bulgaria Coalition leader Petar Moskov said in Kardzhali on Wednesday at a meeting with l»»»
Mali: EXPO 2027 Serbia's biggest growth opportunity
MADRID - EXPO 2027 Belgrade is our biggest growth opportunity and we will present Serbia in the right way at the event, Serbian First Deputy PM and Finance Minister Sinisa Mali has told the Spanish El Mundo daily in an interview. Speaking about Serbia's EU accession, Mali said a decision on the mat»»»
Iran war: Strikes on steel deal painful blow to economy
ConflictsAsiaIran war: Strikes on steel deal painful blow to economyDaniel AmeriThe US-Israeli strikes on Iran's two biggest steel mills will likely harm Tehran's ability to wage war, but could also cripple Iran's economy in irreversible ways. https://p.dw.com/p/5BUjfIran's Mobarakeh Steel company »»»
Zelensky's Words on Easter Ceasefire Resemble PR Campaign for Truce - Moscow
"Zelensky's favorite approach is another PR campaign. And he needs it not as a desire for long-term peace, but as another step on the advice of his Western European allies in order to get a one-month, two-month truce in order to make up for losses, regroup and prepare the armed forces of Ukraine fo»»»