Tourists shift to last-minute bookings; Easter occupancy in Romania at 70%
International uncertainty, the reduction in the value of holiday vouchers and the earlier calendar timing of Easter have changed tourist behaviour, with travellers no longer booking holidays in advance but opting instead for last-minute deals, Adrian Voican, vice-president of the National Associati»»»
President Dan: Beyond the political battles that are inherent, we need a collaboration between institutions
President Nicusor Dan declared on Wednesday that, beyond the political battles, "which are inherent", Romania needs a collaboration between institutions in order to attract as much money as possible from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).Nicusor Dan was asked, in a press conference, »»»
President Dan: I think it is clear where the activity of the intelligence officers stops in corruption cases
President Nicusor Dan said on Wednesday that "it is clear to everyone where the activity of the intelligence officers stops" and where prosecutors take over in corruption cases.He was asked, at a news conference at the Cotroceni Palace, if there will still be the SRI intelligence service - DNA anti»»»
Russia budget deficit widens as oil revenues slump despite expected windfall
Russia’s federal budget deficit widened sharply in the first quarter as oil and gas revenues fell steeply, with economists warning that a price surge linked to the Iran conflict has yet to feed through into state finances. (chart) »»»
Man Fined $300 for Entering Hippo Moo Deng's Pen
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 -- whose name translates as "bouncy pork" -- has gained global attention thanks to social media videos showing her adorab»»»
US-Iran ceasefire: Why Tehran wants to charge ships for crossing the Strait of Hormuz
As part of its 10-point proposal to end the US-Israeli war on Iran, Tehran is pushing for ongoing control over the vital Strait of Hormuz – including charging what officials suggest could be as much as $2 million per ship to help the country rebuild its bombed-out infrastructure and maintain c»»»
Trial of Syrian Man Accused of Torture during Syria’s Civil War Begins in the Netherlands
A Syrian man accused of crimes against humanity denied dozens of charges of torture and sexual violence in the opening of his trial in the Netherlands on Wednesday, according to AP. The 58-year-old, identified only as Rafiq al Q. due to Dutch privacy regulations, claimed he was being conspired agai»»»
World Bank Slashes 2026 Middle East Growth Forecast, Saudi Arabia Absorbs Shock
The World Bank has slashed its 2026 growth forecast for Middle East economies, saying overall GDP growth in the region is expected to slow from an estimated 3.6% in January to 1.8% for 2026. The closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and destruction of energy and public infrastructure, had d»»»
Bulgaria’s industrial producer prices post fastest rise in SEE in February
Bulgaria recorded the fastest annual increase in industrial producer prices among EU member states in February, Eurostat data showed on April 8, underlining persistent cost pressures in the bloc's newest eurozone member. I»»»
IMF: Wars Impose Deep and Prolonged Economic Costs on Countries
Wars cause large and persistent economic losses in countries where fighting takes place, with output declining by roughly 7% over five years on average, and economic scars lasting for more than a decade, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in research released on Wednesday. The IMF examined »»»
Freezing at work? Why uncertain times are leaving you mentally stuck — UAE experts explain how to break free
I know I have to do this. But I can't. That's the inner monologue that most, have been facing of late. And it could be something as basic as sending an email. Sometimes, it’s almost physically difficult to do it. There's a heaviness that settles on your fingers. You can't finish a task. You’re func»»»
Vance Claims Lebanon Is Not Part of the Ceasefire
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Halting hostilities in Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire agreement reached between the United States and Iran, Vice President JD Vance claimed o Wednesday, further calling the matter a "misunderstanding". US President Donald Trump earlier on Wednesday said ending hostiliti»»»
Trump Questions NATO Reliability After Talks With Rutte
US President Donald Trump said after the meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that the alliance will not help the United States if it needs assistance. “NATO wasn’t there when we needed them, and they won’t be there if we need them again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.The statement comes a»»»
Falling electrotech costs create a fast catch up path for Global South
A new energy pathway is emerging for developing economies, one that challenges the assumption that fossil fuels are a prerequisite for growth, according to a new report by Ember. More than 700mn people still lack access to»»»
Falling electrotech costs create a fast catch up path for Global South
A new energy pathway is emerging for developing economies, one that challenges the assumption that fossil fuels are a prerequisite for growth, according to a new report by Ember. More than 700mn people still lack access to»»»
Falling electrotech costs create a fast catch up path for Global South
A new energy pathway is emerging for developing economies, one that challenges the assumption that fossil fuels are a prerequisite for growth, according to a new report by Ember. More than 700mn people still lack access to»»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
Ukraine’s hope for a peace deal with Russia rekindled by Iran ceasefire
Ukraine’s hopes for restarting peace talks with Russia have been rekindled after a two-week ceasefire deal in Iran was agreed on April 7. »»»
Ukraine’s hope for a peace deal with Russia rekindled by Iran ceasefire
Ukraine’s hopes for restarting peace talks with Russia have been rekindled after a two-week ceasefire deal in Iran was agreed on April 7. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
Ukraine’s hope for a peace deal with Russia rekindled by Iran ceasefire
Ukraine’s hopes for restarting peace talks with Russia have been rekindled after a two-week ceasefire deal in Iran was agreed on April 7. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
Ukraine’s hope for a peace deal with Russia rekindled by Iran ceasefire
Ukraine’s hopes for restarting peace talks with Russia have been rekindled after a two-week ceasefire deal in Iran was agreed on April 7. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
COMMENT: Should the ceasefire fail, we could expect a ‘digital Hormuz’ scenario
In less than three years, the GCC states have quietly built something the world has not fully reckoned with: the most concentrated and strategically significant digital infrastructure outside the continental United States. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait have collectively attracte»»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
Ukraine’s hope for a peace deal with Russia rekindled by Iran ceasefire
Ukraine’s hopes for restarting peace talks with Russia have been rekindled after a two-week ceasefire deal in Iran was agreed on April 7. »»»
Ukraine’s hope for a peace deal with Russia rekindled by Iran ceasefire
Ukraine’s hopes for restarting peace talks with Russia have been rekindled after a two-week ceasefire deal in Iran was agreed on April 7. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
Ukraine’s hope for a peace deal with Russia rekindled by Iran ceasefire
Ukraine’s hopes for restarting peace talks with Russia have been rekindled after a two-week ceasefire deal in Iran was agreed on April 7. »»»
COMMENT: Should the ceasefire fail, we could expect a ‘digital Hormuz’ scenario
In less than three years, the GCC states have quietly built something the world has not fully reckoned with: the most concentrated and strategically significant digital infrastructure outside the continental United States. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait have collectively attracte»»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
Ukraine’s hope for a peace deal with Russia rekindled by Iran ceasefire
Ukraine’s hopes for restarting peace talks with Russia have been rekindled after a two-week ceasefire deal in Iran was agreed on April 7. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
COMMENT: Should the ceasefire fail, we could expect a ‘digital Hormuz’ scenario
In less than three years, the GCC states have quietly built something the world has not fully reckoned with: the most concentrated and strategically significant digital infrastructure outside the continental United States. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait have collectively attracte»»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
Ukraine’s hope for a peace deal with Russia rekindled by Iran ceasefire
Ukraine’s hopes for restarting peace talks with Russia have been rekindled after a two-week ceasefire deal in Iran was agreed on April 7. »»»
Falling electrotech costs create a fast catch up path for Global South
A new energy pathway is emerging for developing economies, one that challenges the assumption that fossil fuels are a prerequisite for growth, according to a new report by Ember. More than 700mn people still lack access to»»»
Bullion sales in Uzbekistan surge eightfold
Uzbek banks sold 661 kg (0.661 tonnes) of gold bars in 2025, recording an eightfold increase on earlier annual averages and an outcome that was 18.4% (or 103 kg) higher than the combined total for 2020-2024, according to a review by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU). »»»
Georgia's economic boom was built on temporary factors and is now fading, analysts warn
Georgia's headline GDP growth figures conceal a more troubling reality: the factors that drove the economy's expansion since 2022 were largely temporary and are already beginning to fade, leaving the country exposed to a period of turbulence that could challenge the political legitimacy of the ruli»»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure that would include Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, former US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. »»»
North Macedonia’s FX reserves up 9.6% y/y in March
North Macedonia’s foreign exchange reserves increased by 9.6% year-on-year in March 2026, reaching €4.249bn (chart), the country’s central bank said on April 7. Compared with February, the Southern European country's »»»