The parliamentary committee, leader by socialist, Fatmir Xhafaj has advanced discussions on reinforcing legislative oversight, placing institutional accountability and transparency at the center of its agenda. It formally addressed proposals aimed at strengthening parliamentary supervision over the»»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz refused to back Spain while US President Donald Trump trashed Madrid over its refusal to host American planes for the ongoing war in the Middle East. Instead, Merz fell into NATO talking points, criticizing Madrid for not committing to the military bloc’s target of »»»

Europe has reacted cautiously — and in some cases critically — to the escalating conflict with Iran, as several leaders express concern over the widening war and the continent struggles to present a united response. When the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on Saturday, “very fe»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE Cyber Security Council has warned of the dangers of circulating rumours and unverified news, saying the rapid spread of misleading information during crises can increase confusion and fuel public anxiety. In a statement, the council urged the public to verify information and rely»»»

MIDDLE EAST CRISIS Former Bulgarian deputy defence minister Rumen Kanchev described the situation in the Middle East as a “regional conflict” in an interview with Bulgarian National Radio on Wednesday. “America has concentrated colossal power in the area,” Kanchev said. He quoted statements in Wash»»»

Dubai: When the Gulf airspace was disrupted and flights began cancelling one after another, many residents found themselves stuck abroad, far from the city they had built their lives in. For some, that meant days of uncertainty, rerouting through multiple countries, and scrambling for any flight th»»»

Dubai: Iran’s expanding missile and drone campaign across the Gulf is testing the patience of Arab states, with Qatar warning that “all red lines have already been crossed” as Tehran’s retaliation against US-Israeli strikes begins spilling across the region. Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed»»»

Manila: The Philippines does not lack leaders. It lacks alignment. In a nation of 7,641 islands — fragmented by geography, up to 187 languages, history and politics — no single party, alliance, or strongman can carry the weight of national transformation alone. Also In This Package Philippine passp»»»

Oil prices rose about 1% on Wednesday as US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupted Middle East supplies, but the pace of gains slowed from past sessions after President Donald Trump suggested the US Navy could escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent rose 91 cents, or 1.1%, to $82.31 a barrel »»»

There is no increased migration pressure on Bulgaria in connection with the conflict in the Middle East, Deputy Interior Minister Ivan Anchev said here on Wednesday. “There is no reason for us as a state to worry about any increased immigration pressure in connection with the conflict in the Middle»»»

Dubai: As the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippines has noted that it is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East, particularly its impact on millions of Southeast Asians living and working across the Gulf. Officials have mentioned that assis»»»

US President Donald Trump has said the country's navy will protect ships in the Middle East "if necessary" in a bid to stop the energy supply crunch sparked by the US-Israel war with Iran. A fifth of the world's oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway wedged between Iran a»»»

Russia's transport ministry on Wednesday accused Ukrainian naval drones of attacking a Russian liquefied natural gas carrier, the Arctic Metagaz, which caught fire in the Mediterranean a day earlier. If confirmed, it would ⁠be the first ⁠time that Ukraine has attacked a Russian LNG carrier. The Sec»»»

Dubai: Indian rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh has reassured fans globally that he is safe and continuing to work and 'chill' in Dubai amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. He posted a series of images on his stories to underline how resilient and normal his current life in Dubai remains amid escal»»»

Over 60% of Burgas residents are overweight, 30% of which are obese, the Burgas Hospital said on Wednesday citing data from observations of the hospital's Department of Endocrinology. Similar trends are evident at the national level, which are above the European average, said Dr. Stefka Stefanova, »»»

The US will suspend all trade with Spain over Madrid’s decision to deny the US permission to use its joint military bases to attack Iran, President Donald Trump has announced. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has condemned Trump’s “unjustified and dangerous” intervention against Iran. Speaking »»»

The march to the US midterm elections, which will determine which party controls both chambers of Congress for the second half of Donald Trump's presidency, is officially under way. Voters in a handful of states headed to the polls on Tuesday to pick the Democratic and Republican candidates for the»»»

Madrid: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hit back on Wednesday at US President Donald Trump’s criticisms of Madrid’s refusal to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran. “The position of the government of Spain can be summed up in four words: no to war,” he said in a televised address, a day »»»

Dubai: Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has emerged as the leading candidate to succeed his father as the country’s next supreme leader, according to Iranian officials familiar with internal deliberations cited by The New York Times. Senior clerics in»»»

France is planning a meeting of G7 finance ministers on the Middle East crisis, with central bankers also in attendance, the country's Economy and Finance Minister, Roland Lescure, said on Wednesday. "I have spoken with various counterparts, in particular Scott Bessent, who is the US Treasury Secre»»»

In 2025, the volume of gross domestic product (GDP) in the construction sector of Kyrgyzstan reached 438.5 billion soms. The figure was announced by Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev at a meeting of the Ministry of Construction, Architecture, Housing and Communal Services of t»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has announced the official Eid Al Fitr holiday for employees in the private and non-profit sectors, setting the break to begin at the end of the working day on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. The ministry said the holiday will star»»»

Bulgaria faces heightened risks from the escalating conflict in the Middle East, particularly the strikes on Iran, which former President Rumen Radev has described as a direct threat to national security. In a post on his Facebook page, Radev criticized the caretaker government under Prime Minister»»»

“I believe the Government is failing the state and its citizens because at this stage it is acting more like a tour operator company,” said Borislav Gutsanov, MP from the parliamentary group of BSP – United Left, commenting on the caretaker Cabinet’s actions regarding the situation in the Middle Ea»»»

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hit back on Wednesday at US President Donald Trump's criticisms of Madrid's refusal to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran. "The position of the government of Spain can be summed up in four words: no to war," he said in a televised address, a day after Tr»»»

Rep. Cheon Jun-ho (R) of the ruling Democratic Party and Rep. Yoo Sang-beom of the main opposition People Power Party shake hands during their talks at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Wednesday. Photo by Yonhap The ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (P»»»

Approximately €630 million will be available in 2026 for those applying to the EIC Accelerator, a Horizon Europe funding program that provides support to startups and SMEs, says Ovidiu Mihăilă, founder of fundingloop, a consulting company for deep-tech businesses interested in accelerating innovati»»»

Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov stated at the start of the government meeting that Bulgaria’s fuel deliveries remain uninterrupted despite the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The country imports oil and petroleum products from regions not currently affected by hostilities, and there is no phys»»»

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov told the media before the start of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday that Bulgaria has sufficient fuel reserves in the State Reserve, and fuel station owners have also confirmed that they have adequate supplies and that the market remains calm. According to»»»

US President Donald Trump’s order to attack Iran has drawn mixed reactions among Americans, with polls showing a clear public split and statements from lawmakers exposing divisions within both the Republican and Democratic parties. Trump claimed the joint US-Israeli military campaign, launched on S»»»

Strikes against Iran pose a real risk to Bulgaria's security, and the passive behaviour of the caretaker government, which downplays the risks and fails to take the necessary measures in such situations, is a cause for concern, former President (2017–2026) Rumen Radev wrote on Facebook on Wednesday»»»

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has delivered a strong rebuttal to US President Donald Trump's threat to end trade with Spain by declaring his opposition to war and what he called the "breakdown of international law". In a 10-minute televised address Sánchez reflected on the wars in Ukraine an»»»

Abu Dhabi: The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate in Dubai have been closed, and services cannot be provided in those facilities until further notice, the US Embassy announced in a social media post on Wednesday. The announcement comes amid the blatant Iranian aggression on the country. F»»»

So far, 12 parties and 10 coalitions have submitted registration documents, said Rositsa Mateva, spokesperson and deputy chair of the Central Election Commission (CEC), speaking on Bulgarian National Television (BNT) on Wednesday. A total of eight parties and five coalitions have so far been regist»»»

DOHA: Qatar Airways announced the continued temporary suspension of its flights due to the ongoing closure of Qatari airspace. The airline explained in a post on its official X platform that operations will resume as soon as the Civil Aviation Authority announces the airspace is safe to reopen. Qat»»»

The Strait of Hormuz is no longer merely an international waterway. In a decisive moment, it has turned into a tightly sealed bottleneck choking the global economy. As plumes of smoke rise from critical energy facilities following military confrontations between Iran on one side and Israel and the »»»

Chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) Kelemen Hunor said that the draft budget could be sent to Parliament next week and debated in the plenary meeting between 15 and 17 March if the coalition reaches an agreement on this matter on Wednesday.Asked in Parliament whether, if ta»»»

Fuel prices in Romania could reach RON 10 per litre if the barrel of oil exceeds USD 120 and if the price per tonne of diesel increases further, Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan said on Tuesday.He was asked about what can be expected now in terms of fuel prices, given that some days ago it was claimed t»»»

The Irish government has said it will charter a flight from Oman in the coming days for Irish citizens to return from the Middle East. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee, said her department will be contacting Irish citizens in the Middle East on Wednesday to travel home on a charter f»»»

A student has unraveled a long-standing cosmic enigma concerning some of our solar system’s most peculiar objects: icy “snowmen” that populate its outer reaches, according to The Independent. Astronomers have long debated the origins of these 'contact binaries' – objects comprising two connected sp»»»

Washington is considering relocating advanced missile defence systems stationed in South Korea to the Middle East as its military campaign against Iran stretches on, raising concerns in Seoul over the potential impact on the Korean peninsula’s security posture. »»»

Washington is considering relocating advanced missile defence systems stationed in South Korea to the Middle East as its military campaign against Iran stretches on, raising concerns in Seoul over the potential impact on the Korean peninsula’s security posture. »»»

Washington is considering relocating advanced missile defence systems stationed in South Korea to the Middle East as its military campaign against Iran stretches on, raising concerns in Seoul over the potential impact on the Korean peninsula’s security posture. »»»

Washington is considering relocating advanced missile defence systems stationed in South Korea to the Middle East as its military campaign against Iran stretches on, raising concerns in Seoul over the potential impact on the Korean peninsula’s security posture. »»»

Washington is considering relocating advanced missile defence systems stationed in South Korea to the Middle East as its military campaign against Iran stretches on, raising concerns in Seoul over the potential impact on the Korean peninsula’s security posture. »»»

Washington is considering relocating advanced missile defence systems stationed in South Korea to the Middle East as its military campaign against Iran stretches on, raising concerns in Seoul over the potential impact on the Korean peninsula’s security posture. »»»

A deputy has announced the need to build a new waste landfill in Chui region. Mederbek Sakkaraev made this statement at a meeting of the Zhogorku Kenesh. According to him, the current landfill in the village of Iskra in Chui region has almost exhausted its capacity, as it is 90 percent full. «It oc»»»

Rising geopolitical tensions are clouding the outlook for growth, inflation and capital flows across the Middle East, raising questions about the region’s ability to absorb fresh shocks. Instability is not good for any region, World Bank President Ajay Banga told Asharq Al-Awsat, saying the scale o»»»

In China, red lanterns could guide a traveler to safety in cold winter alleyways, be symbols of power outside an imperial hall, or act as a call to religious devotion when hung in a temple. They are also absolutely synonymous with lunar new year celebrations right across the vast country and link t»»»

Iranian Kurdish militias have consulted with the United States in recent days about whether, and how, to attack Iran's security forces in the western part of the country, according to three sources with knowledge of the matter. The Iranian Kurdish coalition of groups based on the Iran-Iraq border i»»»