Damascus, April 19 (SANA) Experts and industry representatives said adopting ISO quality standards is essential to enhancing the competitiveness of Syrian industrial products and expanding their access to regional and international markets amid the country’s economic opening phase. They said compan»»»

South Korea’s real GDP per capita is projected to fall more than $10,000 behind Taiwan’s within five years, according to the International Monetary Fund, underscoring a widening divergence between the two export-led economies. »»»

Bulgaria’s former president Rumen Radev is on course to secure a parliamentary majority in the country’s snap election, according to parallel vote counts, in what would be the first single-party majority since 1997. With a»»»

South Korea’s real GDP per capita is projected to fall more than $10,000 behind Taiwan’s within five years, according to the International Monetary Fund, underscoring a widening divergence between the two export-led economies. »»»

Four or five parties and coalitions have cleared the 4% barrier for entry in the legislature. The parallel count results show that Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria coalition is the clear winner in Bulgaria's snap parliamentary elections on Sunday, with around 45% of the votes, according to pollin»»»

Jakarta: Indonesia has announced that it will stop importing diesel starting July 1, the date the country launches its B50 biodiesel program. The announcement was made by Indonesia's Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran in a press statement on Sunday. This marks the country's shift towards using B50,»»»

Four or five parties and coalitions have cleared the 4% barrier for entry in the legislature. The parallel count results show that Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria coalition is the clear winner in Bulgaria's snap parliamentary elections on Sunday, with around 45% of the votes, according to pollin»»»

Eight children died in a domestic-related mass shooting Sunday in Shreveport, Louisiana. The victims' ages ranged from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in domestic violence shootings at two different»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Culture marked World Heritage Day 2026 with a series of cultural events and activities aimed at showcasing the richness of Qatari folklore and highlighting national efforts to preserve and sustain cultural heritage. The event was held in the presence of Undersecretary of the M»»»

Bulgaria’s former president Rumen Radev is on course for a decisive victory in the country’s snap parliamentary elections, with the latest parallel vote counts pointing to an unexpected outright majority that would allow him to form a government without coalition partners. »»»

Customs and Border Protection's website to refund Trump administration tariffs that were ruled illegal by the Supreme Court is set to go live on Monday. File Photo by Angelina Katsanis/UPI | License Photo April 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expected to launch a website on Monday»»»

Rumen Radev delivered a brief statement following exit poll results indicating a strong lead for his Progressive Bulgaria coalition in Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections, thanking voters and calling the outcome "a victory of hope over mistrust, of freedom over fear and ethics". "We defeated apat»»»

Damascus countryside, April 19 (SANA) Syria’s national gene bank is reinforcing its strategic role in protecting agricultural biodiversity and supporting food security by preserving thousands of plant genetic resources, many of them linked to crops historically rooted in the region and adapted to h»»»

Dubai: A string of unusually timed oil trades totalling over $1 billion is drawing scrutiny from U.S. regulators and lawmakers, after they were placed just before major war-related announcements that sent global prices sharply lower. These were not routine trades. They were large, high-risk predict»»»

The leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), Delyan Peevski, thanked his supporters after the end of election day in a statement distributed by the party’s press office. MRF is expected to have 20 to 25 seats in the next Parliament, according to the parallel count, down from 29 in the »»»

Manchester, United Kingdom: Pep Guardiola said that Manchester City's vital 2-1 victory over Arsenal has only given his side "hope" in the Premier League title race as they look to hunt down the Gunners. City are three points behind the leaders but have a game in hand and would go top for the first»»»

AMMAN — Around 145 private-sector companies have adopted the flexible work system introduced under Articles 2 and 140 of Labour Law No. (8) of 1996, integrating it into their internal policies during 2025 and 2026, including 45 companies in 2026 alone, the Ministry of Labour reported.Secretary-Gene»»»

The US has seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman as it tried to pierce the American naval blockade around Iran, President Donald Trump has announced. DETAILS TO FOLLOW»»»

Rumen Radev delivered a brief statement following exit poll results indicating a strong lead for his Progressive Bulgaria coalition in Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections, thanking voters and calling the outcome "a victory of hope". According to exit polls, Progressive Bulgaria gets over 38% of t»»»

Five parties and coalitions have cleared the 4% barrier for entry in the legislature. 50% parallel count results show that Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria coalition is leading by a wide margin in Bulgaria's snap parliamentary elections on Sunday, with nearly 44%, according to polling agency Alph»»»

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket launched on Sunday morning with the AST SpaceMobile BlueBird-7 satellite on board from Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This was Blue Origin's third New Glenn launch but its first attempt at launching a previously flown booster. Photo b»»»

The leaders of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) held a briefing for the media, following the announcement of the first results from polling agencies on the early parliamentary elections. "Bulgarian citizens came out, voted, and left GERB and Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) i»»»

Bulgaria’s former president Rumen Radev took a commanding lead in snap parliamentary elections on April 19, exit polls showed, putting him on course to win but likely short of an outright majority. Exit polls from fiv»»»

It took Viktor Orbán 16 years of relentless, meticulous work to morph Hungary's media ecosystem into a formidable organism designed to perpetuate his unchecked power and serve the interests of his associates. Now, incoming»»»

Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi has underscored the pivotal role of the Egyptian Drilling Company (EDC) in delivering the government’s five-year plan to boost domestic oil and gas production, highlighting its central role in executing well drilling programmes. He called on »»»

The Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) said non-banking financing extended to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by companies and associations under its supervision reached EGP 25bn in January 2026, up from EGP 16.2bn a year earlier, an increase of EGP 9.8bn. The number of beneficiaries ro»»»

The National Veal Project, chaired by Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, has approved new financing worth EGP 154m for 110 beneficiaries, including small-scale breeders and young graduates, to support the rearing of 2,200 head of livestock. The move falls within the framewor»»»

Egypt’s real estate market continues to demonstrate resilience despite ongoing regional uncertainty, according to Savills Egypt. While geopolitical tensions persist, market activity remains largely unaffected, with developers maintaining project pipelines and demand holding steady. Savills notes th»»»

Wadi Degla Developments recorded total sales of EGP 5.6bn in 2025, alongside the delivery of 1,500 residential units, maintaining a steady execution pace of around three units per day. This marks the third consecutive year the company has sustained this delivery rate, standing out in a market where»»»

Madaar Developments has officially launched its latest residential project, The Hillage, in the heart of Sheikh Zayed City, positioning it as one of the final prime land opportunities in the area. The project comes with total investments exceeding EGP 15bn and introduces a boutique, low-density com»»»

Precision Consulting Engineering (PCE) has announced a strategic partnership with RECS Architects to expand integrated architectural and consultancy services across Egypt and Gulf markets. The agreement, signed by PCE Chairperson Waleed Sweida and Pier Maria Giordani, aims to establish a cross-bord»»»

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has reaffirmed Egypt’s full support for Kuwait’s security and stability, rejecting any violation of its sovereignty and stressing that the security of Kuwait and other Arab states is integral to Egypt’s national security. According to the Egyptian presidency, »»»

The US has renewed a sanctions exemption allowing Russian crude and petroleum products already loaded onto tankers to be delivered and sold freely, the US Treasury Department has announced. The move came despite a pledge by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made two days prior that the waiver would »»»

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has called on the EU to resume imports of Russian oil and gas, arguing that the bloc should prioritize energy security. The war in the Middle East has exacerbated Europe’s energy crisis, as disruptions to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz – a key r»»»

MOSCOW, April 19 (Sputnik) - Iran has refused to participate in the second round of negotiations with the United States, Iran's IRNA news agency reported Sunday. Earlier in the day, Donald Trump said his representatives were heading to Islamabad to take part in a new round of negotiations on Iran.S»»»

GERB leader Boyko Borissov, in a Facebook post, following the announcement of the first results from polling agencies on the early parliamentary elections, thanked voters for their support for the party and congratulated the election winner. GERB would not take part in coalitions or alliances that »»»

Shortly after the end of the election say on Sunday, acting Interior Minister Emil Dechev announced what parties were featured in alerts for election-related irregularities, including vote buying and provided detailed data about the results of the Ministry efforts to ensure fair elections. The Move»»»

Washington, April 19 (SANA) The crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz overshadowed discussions at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring Meetings, which concluded in Washington on Sunday after six days of deliberations amid growing concern over energy markets and global econo»»»

Manchester, United Kingdom: Manchester City are breathing down Arsenal's necks after Erling Haaland's strike beat the Gunners 2-1 on Sunday to land a potentially decisive blow in the Premier League title race. Pep Guardiola's men close to within three points of the leaders and have a game in hand w»»»

AMMAN — Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply Secretary-General Dana Alzoubi on Sunday said that the launch of the "Digital Trade in the South Mediterranean" project marks a strategic step toward building an integrated digital trade ecosystem that promotes sustainable economic growth and keeps pac»»»

Argentine President Javier Milei declared Sunday that the joint US-Israel war against Iran was the "right thing to do", as he signed on to the so-called Isaac Accords aimed at deepening bilateral ties between Israel and Latin American countries. Making his third visit to Israel as president, Milei »»»

Canada's close ‌ties to the United States were once a strength but have become a weakness, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Sunday, in a video message to his country in which he also praised the heroism of military leaders who fought against US invasion more than two centuries ago. Holding up a s»»»

Russia stands ready to help remove Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, Aleksey Likhachev, CEO of the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, has said. Tehran’s nuclear program remains a key sticking point in talks with Washington. US President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran dismantle its nuc»»»

Eight people died -- all children -- and two adult women were injured in a mass shooting early Sunday morning in Shreveport, La. File Photo by Justin Lane/EPA-EFE April 19 (UPI) -- Eight children were killed, and two more injured, in a mass shooting in Louisiana on Sunday morning that police said s»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, received a telephone call from Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands HE Tom Berendsen. During the call, they reviewed bilateral relations and ways to strengthe»»»

Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, said the Antalya Diplomacy Forum marks the first major international gathering after the Iranian war, as countries seek to understand a reshaped political landscape, stressing that the UAE cannot resume relations without review, ca»»»

As she went to cast her vote in the April 19 snap parliamentary elections Sunday, President Iliana Iotova said her vote went "to have a working Parliament soon, and a strong government". "I voted so that Bulgaria has a working National Assembly soon, which will elect a leadership swiftly, skip the »»»

Eight children were killed in a shooting spree early Sunday in the southern US state of Louisiana, in what police said appears to have been an incident of domestic violence. The gunman, who was not immediately identified, was fatally shot by police after a car chase, officials said. The incident to»»»

In a landmark move poised to redefine Egypt’s urban and economic landscape, Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) has unveiled its most ambitious development to date: The Spine in Madinaty. With investments exceeding EGP 1.4trn and targeted sales of more than EGP 1.7trn, the project signals a transformative »»»

The UAE Ministry of Interior, represented by the Federal Traffic Council, has announced a comprehensive traffic plan to ensure the safe return of students to schools, in coordination with police general commands across the country. The ministry confirmed full readiness to implement the plan, which »»»