145 private-sector firms benefit from remote work — Labour Ministry
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»»»
INTERVIEW: After Orbán, can Hungary reclaim its media?
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»»»
Italian deputy PM calls for return to Russian energy imports
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»»»
Russia offers to take Iran’s uranium as US-Iran talks hit impasse
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 children dead in mass shooting after domestic dispute in Louisiana - UPI.com
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»»»
Bulgarian Politicians Comment on Snap Parliamentary Elections
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 dead in US domestic violence shooting: police
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»»»
Iranians Expect No Post-War Respite Under Military Rule
Iranians striving to maintain a semblance of normal life after weeks of US and Israeli bombing and a deadly crackdown on protesters in January remain daunted by the future as damage from airstrikes and internet cuts take a toll. With Iran and the US wrangling over a truce extension and an agreement»»»
South Korea's chainsaw artist carves a name for herself at 91
Paju, South Korea: South Korean sculptor Kim Yun Shin wields a chainsaw with a quiet focus, refining a craft the 91-year-old has honed over decades spent far from home. Long overlooked in her home country, Kim has more recently gained recognition as a pioneering artist, featuring in a sweeping retr»»»
We’re not afraid of war with US – Cuban President Diaz-Canel to RT
Cuba is a peaceful nation, but it will use all means to defend itself in case of US aggression, the Caribbean country’s president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, has told RT. US President Donald Trump imposed an oil blockade on Cuba in February, while also repeatedly hinting at a possible regime change operati»»»
Spain Urges EU to End Association Agreement with Israel
Spain will ask the European Union to end its association agreement with Israel over alleged violations of international law, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Sunday. "On Tuesday, Spain's government will present a proposal to the EU that the European Union break off its association agreement with I»»»
Iran rules out resuming US talks while naval blockade remains in place
Iran will not send a negotiating team for a second round of talks with the United States as long as the US naval blockade on Iranian ports remains in place, an informed source told Tasnim News Agency on April 19. Message e»»»
Iran rules out resuming US talks while naval blockade remains in place
Iran will not send a negotiating team for a second round of talks with the United States as long as the US naval blockade on Iranian ports remains in place, an informed source told Tasnim News Agency on April 19. Message e»»»
Iran rules out resuming US talks while naval blockade remains in place
Iran will not send a negotiating team for a second round of talks with the United States as long as the US naval blockade on Iranian ports remains in place, an informed source told Tasnim News Agency on April 19. Message e»»»
Trump threatens to strike Iranian power plants and bridges over Strait of Hormuz incident
US President Donald Trump has threatened to "knock out every single power plant and every single bridge in Iran" if Tehran does not accept a US-proposed deal, following an incident in the Strait of Hormuz that Washington said involved Iranian vessels firing at French and British ships. »»»
Spain to formally ask EU to break Israel association agreement, Sanchez says
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain will formally request the European Union suspend its association agreement with Israel at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on April 21 in Luxembourg, El Pais reported on April 19. »»»
Iran rules out resuming US talks while naval blockade remains in place
Iran will not send a negotiating team for a second round of talks with the United States as long as the US naval blockade on Iranian ports remains in place, an informed source told Tasnim News Agency on April 19. Message e»»»
Trump threatens to strike Iranian power plants and bridges over Strait of Hormuz incident
US President Donald Trump has threatened to "knock out every single power plant and every single bridge in Iran" if Tehran does not accept a US-proposed deal, following an incident in the Strait of Hormuz that Washington said involved Iranian vessels firing at French and British ships. »»»
Iran rules out resuming US talks while naval blockade remains in place
Iran will not send a negotiating team for a second round of talks with the United States as long as the US naval blockade on Iranian ports remains in place, an informed source told Tasnim News Agency on April 19. Message e»»»
Spain to formally ask EU to break Israel association agreement, Sanchez says
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain will formally request the European Union suspend its association agreement with Israel at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on April 21 in Luxembourg, El Pais reported on April 19. »»»
Spain to formally ask EU to break Israel association agreement, Sanchez says
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain will formally request the European Union suspend its association agreement with Israel at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on April 21 in Luxembourg, El Pais reported on April 19. »»»
Trump threatens to strike Iranian power plants and bridges over Strait of Hormuz incident
US President Donald Trump has threatened to "knock out every single power plant and every single bridge in Iran" if Tehran does not accept a US-proposed deal, following an incident in the Strait of Hormuz that Washington said involved Iranian vessels firing at French and British ships. »»»
US Energy Chief Says Gas Prices Could Stay Above $3 per Gallon Until Next Year
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday he believes gas prices have peaked but predicted that they may stay above $3 per gallon until next year. Gas prices have risen during the US and Israeli war on Iran and Iranian attacks on nearby countries, creating political headwinds for President D»»»
Fire at India firecracker factory kills 20: police
New Delhi: A blaze broke out at a firecracker factory in southern India on Sunday, killing at least 20 people and injuring six others, police said. Local police chief N. Shreenatha told AFP that "20 people are confirmed dead" after the incident at a licensed factory in Tamil Nadu state's Virudhunag»»»
Trump Says US Negotiators Will Head to Pakistan on Monday for Talks with Iran
President Donald Trump said US negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for another round of talks with Iran, raising hopes of extending a fragile ceasefire set to expire by Wednesday even as Washington and Tehran remain in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran did not immediately confirm t»»»
Pope Leo XIV condemns 'logic of extractivism' in Angola visit
Pope Leo XIV denounced the “social and environmental disasters” linked to a “logic of extractivism” on Saturday, the first day of his visit to Angola, a country marked by decades of exploitation of its vast resources. Pope Leo XIV challenged Angola’s leaders to break the "cycle of interests” that h»»»
US Extended License for Sales of Russian Oil After G20 Meeting – Energy Secretary
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US decision to extend the license for Russian oil sales was made after the G20 meeting in Washington, as global bankers asked the US to do so, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday. "G20 conference was here, we had bankers from around the world, basically making»»»
US Ambassador to UN Says Washington Considering All Options Regarding Iran
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz on Sunday said that Washington is considering all options regarding possible actions against Iran, including destroying its infrastructure. "Unlike his predecessor, [US] President [Donald] Trump doesn't publicly take options off »»»
Bomb experts try to defuse WWII bomb near Paris
Colombes, France: Authorities evacuated thousands of residents of a Paris suburb Sunday as experts sought to defuse a World War II bomb, police said. Nearly 800 police cordoned off the site in the northwest suburb of Colombes as specialists tried but failed in one bid to remove the detonator from t»»»
'No Red Lines': The Real Secret of Iran's Newfound Geographic Power
Iran’s leverage over Hormuz Strait and the ~20% of global energy that flows through it was made possible “not by drawing red lines,” but “immediately hitting the heads and wallets of the global elite, hitting where it hurts most,” Institute of Middle East Studies expert Sergei Balmasov says. Washin»»»
Hormuz, not nukes, now defines Iran’s deterrence strategy
Dubai: Iran may not have a nuclear weapon — but it has shown it can disrupt the world’s most critical energy chokepoint, even as international bodies insist such waterways must remain open to global navigation. That tension — between capability and legitimacy — is now at the heart of how deterrence»»»
'They are stealing the election': How Armenia became the next Russia-EU battlefield
Armenians are set to head to the polls in June for their parliamentary elections, which the EU and Russia are closely watching. With support for joining the bloc at an all-time high, this could be a sign that the former Soviet country is moving away from Moscow, one of its closest allies. But forei»»»
Bulgaria heads to the polls for eighth general election in five years
Voters in Bulgaria headed to the polls Sunday for an eighth general election in five years, with ex-president Rumen Radev tipped to win on anti-corruption pledges. The election comes after unrest toppled Boyko Borissov’s rule and left the pro-European GERB party trailing. Bulgarians began head»»»
Fit in fatigues: German army presses recruitment drive
Cologne, Germany: Wearing a gas mask, a young man performs a rapid series of push-ups, jumps and squats at the German military's recruiting booth at FIBO, the world's largest fitness expo, held in Cologne. Germany hopes to grow its armed forces, winning tens of thousands of new volunteers -- a toug»»»
Slovakia May Block Ukraine's Accession to EU - Parliament's Deputy Speaker
BRATISLAVA (Sputnik) - Slovakia may block Ukraine's accession to the European Union if the energy conflict between Kiev and Bratislava escalates, Tibor Gaspar, the Slovak parliament's deputy speaker, told Sputnik. "Ukraine does not risk 'automatically losing EU support,' but it may face specific pr»»»
Voter Turnout at 12.12% as of 11:00, Central Election Commission Says
Voter turnout across the country stood at 12.12% as of 11 am on Sunday, Central Election Commission Deputy Chair and spokesperson Rositsa Mateva told a briefing. Turnout was highest in Vratsa at 17.13% and lowest in Kardzhali at 7.80%, Mateva added. /DD/»»»
Crisis-hit Bulgaria votes in eighth election in five years
Sofia: Bulgaria on Sunday, April 19, 2026, held its eighth legislative election in five years, with ex-president Rumen Radev's grouping tipped to win on a pledge to fight corruption, after an anti-graft movement triggered a long political crisis. The European Union's poorest member has been through»»»
UK Ministers Back Starmer Amid Fresh Calls to Quit
British government ministers on Sunday backed embattled premier Keir Starmer as he struggles to shake off a scandal over long-time Jeffrey Epstein associate Peter Mandelson. Starmer is due to face lawmakers in parliament on Monday to explain how Mandelson was appointed Britain's ambassador to the U»»»
IMF, World Bank Meetings Show Limits in Mitigating Shocks, Reliance on US for Solutions
Global finance leaders, whipsawed by Middle East war news, came to grips this past week with their inability to mitigate the economic damage from increasingly frequent geopolitical shocks, and a realization that counting on US leadership to resolve crises is no longer the guarantee it had long been»»»
Fire razes 1,000 'stilt' homes in Malaysia's Sabah, thousands displaced
Kuala Lumpur: A huge fire destroyed about 1,000 makeshift homes, many of them built on stilts over water, and displaced thousands of people in a coastal village in Malaysia's Sabah state on Sunday, authorities said. The blaze broke out early on Sunday morning in a "water village" in Sandakan distri»»»
Displaced Lebanese hesitant to return home as lasting truce uncertain
After the ceasefire in Lebanon took hold, Samah Hajoul headed back to her apartment in Beirut's southern suburbs -- but only long enough to grab fresh clothes, feeling safer in her tent as she wonders whether the truce will last. "I am afraid to return to my home because the situation is not stable»»»
Australian Soldier Charged with War Crimes Vows to Clear His Name
An Australian former soldier charged with committing war crimes in Afghanistan vowed on Sunday to clear his name, saying he had never "run from a fight" in his first public comments since his arrest. "For the past 10 years, my family and I have been subject to a campaign to convince Australians tha»»»
Hormuz turns into gunboat bargaining table as escalation risks mount
Dubai: The Strait of Hormuz is no longer a shipping lane — it is now a gunboat-enforced negotiating table. What unfolded over the past 36 hours has stripped away any lingering illusion that the waterway is returning to normal. A brief window of optimism — sparked by Iran’s signal that the strait wa»»»
Barghouti Remains Central Figure in Palestinian Politics After 24 Years in Prison
Twenty-four years after the arrest of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, now 67, and after long stretches in solitary confinement, he remains a central figure in Palestinian politics. His influence has outpaced that of other officials in decision-making roles, and he has topped Fatah elections in»»»
President Iotova Votes "to Have Working Parliament Soon, and for Strong Government"
As she wen 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 and skip th»»»
Election Day Off to Normal Start, Central Election Commission Says
Election day has started normally across the country, Central Election Commission (CEC) Chair Kamelia Neykova told a briefing on Sunday, noting that any issues with absent section election commission members have been resolved. Some voting sections in Sofia and elsewhere opened late, but the proble»»»
Iran says final deal still far off as Hormuz Strait shuttered
The strategic Strait of Hormuz was again closed on Sunday in the stand-off between Iran and the United States, with Iran's powerful parliament speaker signalling a final peace deal remained "far" off despite some movement in negotiations. As mediation efforts continued following high-level talks in»»»
As Iran War Strains Ties with Trump’s US, UK Looks to Europe
Britain's government is set to announce legislation next month to move the country closer to the European Union, as the Iran war sours the UK's so-called special relationship with the United States. President Donald Trump's unpredictability and stream of insults towards America's historic ally is a»»»
Foreign Ministry: No Reports of Problems with Voting Abroad
Deputy Foreign Minister Radi Naidenov told a briefing on Sunday that no problems with voting abroad had been reported. The Foreign Ministry aims to organize fair elections, he said. There are 493 voting sections for Bulgarians in 55 countries. The most numerous voting sections abroad have been open»»»
Saudi Food Self-Sufficiency Shields Economy from Hormuz Crisis
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed global energy and food security to the brink. Saudi Arabia responded by positioning itself as a stabilizing force, turning its western coastline into a lifeline that not only protected its domestic market but also helped offset shortages in neighboring»»»