India's defense exports "skyrocketed" to an all-time high of more than $4 billion in the last fiscal year, as it looks to boost its arms manufacturing sector, the government said Thursday. The figures mark a rise of more than 60 percent from 2024, the defense ministry said, and provide a shot in th»»»

The Dacian golden helmet of Coțofenești, one of Romania’s most significant archaeological treasures, reportedly stolen during the 2025 heist at the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands, may have been recovered, according to sources close to the investigation. The development was first signaled b»»»

World Bank Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer Paschal Donohoe has expressed strong concerns regarding the impact of the war in the Middle East on the global economy, at a time when a number of countries were already facing difficulties due to a string of global crises, Agerpres reports. »»»

A seven-year-old boy who suffered severe head injuries while playing in a park in northern Greece nearly a fortnight ago has died in hospital. The child had been hospitalized in critical condition in Thessaloniki following the accident in the northern town of Veria on March 20. Reports said he had »»»

OVERVIEW No single issue dominates Thursday’s media, but the note sent by Iran to Bulgaria, the security agreement signed between Bulgaria and Ukraine, and the justice minister’s request for the disciplinary dismissal of the acting prosecutor general, are among the main topics. POLITICS Speaking on»»»

The Ethics Commission at the Prosecutors' Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) opened proceedings on its own initiative following media reports concerning the head of the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, Emilia Rusinova, and requested information from the competent authorities, the SJC pres»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Foreign Ministers of the State of Qatar, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Arab Republic of Egypt strongly condemned the Israeli occup»»»

A general view of the Port of Kharg Island Oil Terminal, 25 kilometers from the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf and 483 kilometers northwest of the Strait of Hormuz, in Iran on March 12, 2017. Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Oil flows through Egypt’s “SUMED” pipeline have surged by 15»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3943 dinars for one euro on Thursday, which is a slight change relative to Wednesday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is steady against the euro m-o-m, down by 0.2 pct y-o-y and down by 0.1 pct relative»»»

Smoke from oil fires from the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran return to the Persian Gulf as acid rain, irreversibly altering the water's chemical balance and destroying flora and fauna, Egyptian expert and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change observer Mustafa Sherbini tells Sputnik. The Gulf’s »»»

Minister of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan Kanatbek Chynybaev introduced two new deputy heads — Almazbek Asanov and Nurbek Zhumaliev — to the central office and personnel of the ministry, the ministry’s press service reported. The minister noted their many years of experience in the civil prote»»»

Interior Minister Emil Dechev has reported a sharp rise in signals related to alleged election crimes compared to the parliamentary vote held in October 2024. Speaking to journalists, he said the number of reports is several hundred percent higher, describing it as an indicator of increased public »»»

Russian forces repelled a drone attack early Thursday on part of the TurkStream gas pipeline connecting Russia and Türkiye, the pipeline's operator Gazprom said in a statement. "The Russkaya compressor station, which ensures the reliable export of gas via the TurkStream pipeline, came under attack »»»

Romanian digital book streaming platform Voxa has secured more than EUR 4 million in a funding round led by Catalyst Romania. The capital is earmarked for regional growth and product development as the company eyes a dominant position in South Eastern Europe. The investment marks the 12th transacti»»»

DOHA: Qatar ports received more than 44,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in March 2026, in addition to handling approximately 31,000 tons of general cargo and over 40,000 tons of bulk cargo. In a post on X, Mwani Qatar reportedthe handling of 2,870 units of vehicles and equipment, and the ar»»»

A criminal case has been opened in Bishkek following a dog attack on a minor, the press service of the Main Internal Affairs Department of Bishkek reported. The case has been registered under Article 134 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic (Causing serious harm to health by negligence). As »»»

Albania’s opposition has raised alarm in Parliament following a statement by the U.S. Embassy warning of potential attacks by groups allegedly linked to Iran. Democratic Party lawmaker Tritan Shehu called on President Bajram Begaj to convene the National Security Council, describing the embassy’s n»»»

Interior Minister Besford Lamallari said authorities have intensified coordination with U.S. officials following a recent security alert issued by the American embassy in Tirana. Lamallari confirmed that he has instructed counterterrorism structures to maintain direct communication with the embassy»»»

Canberra, Australia: Exposure to extreme heat is increasing the risk of babies being born underweight, according to new research led by Australia's Adelaide University. The study analyzed health data from more than 85,000 mothers and babies in Pakistan, combining 10 years of birth records (2008-201»»»

Delegates stand and applaud after the adoption of the text of the High Seas Treaty at the United Nations headquarters in New York on June 19, 2023. File Photo by Justin Lane/EPA April 2 (UPI) -- Delegates were gathered in the busy corridors at United Nations headquarters in New York this week for a»»»

Dubai: As Easter approaches, Christian communities across Dubai are reflecting on the timeless message of the resurrection, reminding the faithful that hope and light can rise even in the darkest moments. Gulf News has reached out to clergies from several churches across the emirate to gather their»»»

Dubai: At least nine people were killed and 17 injured after a fire broke out at a clothing factory and storage facility on the ground floor of a 12-storey residential building in Cairo, officials said. The toll rose from earlier figures of three dead and two injured reported late on Tuesday, as em»»»

Seoul, April 2 (SANA) South Korea said Wednesday that emergency shipments of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates are on their way under a bilateral agreement, as supply concerns grow amid disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Yonhap News Agency, Industry Minister Kim»»»

Baigazy Matisakov, the nephew of former State Committee for National Security (SCNS) head Kamchybek Tashiev, has been released from a pretrial detention center. According to sources, he was freed due to a cooperation agreement with investigators. Matisakov was detained in March 2026 in connection w»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded a Kyrgyzstani for her contribution to holding the Immortal Regiment march. Zulfira Khaibullina, the permanent coordinator of the Immortal Regiment — ​​Kyrgyzstan movement, was awarded the commemorative medal «80 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of»»»

Dubai: Eight people were killed and four injured in a collision between two vehicles on the Sadat Kafr Dawood Road in Egypt’s Menoufia governorate, authorities said on Thursday. According to local media reports, the crash occurred near the Tahrir junction when the two vehicles collided, with emerge»»»

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia will introduce a work-from-home policy for ministries, agencies, statutory bodies and government-linked companies starting April 15 to conserve energy during the Middle East war, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. The premier's announcement late Wednesday comes as the Southea»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - The US and Israeli assessment of Iran's military capabilities is inaccurate, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for the Khatam Al-Anbiya central headquarters of the Iranian military command, said on Thursday amid claims by US President Donald Trump that Iran no longer posed a threat»»»

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - India's arms exports reached a new all-time high in the 2025-2026 fiscal year, totaling $4.1 billion, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday. "India's defense exports set a new historical high, reaching a record 384.2 billion rupees [$4.1 billion] in the 2025-2026 fis»»»

DOHA (Sputnik) - The US Embassy in Baghdad called on US citizens in Iraq on Thursday to leave the country immediately due to threats by pro-Iranian groups to attack central Baghdad, where foreign diplomatic missions are located, according to a statement from the diplomatic mission. "Iraqi terrorist»»»

Dubai: XBASE Virtual Assets Broker & Dealer Services LLC, operating as Relm and a subsidiary of XBD Group, has received its full Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). The license authorises Relm to operate as a regulated virtual asset»»»

Dubai: Elon Musk’s SpaceX has taken a key step toward what could become the largest stock market debut in history, after confidentially filing for an initial public offering in the US. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The company submitted draft registration documents t»»»

April is World Autism Acceptance Month. It is a moment that has shifted from awareness to acceptance – a distinction worth pausing on. Awareness tells us something exists. Acceptance asks us what we do about it. Walk into almost any school staffroom, workplace, or family gathering and ask what peop»»»

This photo, taken Thursday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in central Seoul as U.S. President Donald Trump gives a televised address. South Korean stocks plunged more than 4 percent on Trump's renewed threat of strikes against Iran. Photo by Yonhap Seoul stocks fell sharply Thursday, as U.S. P»»»

Dubai: Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the UAE and across the Middle East have been reminded to stay vigilant online, as authorities have warned that sharing unverified information can carry serious consequences. The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has issued a new advisory urgin»»»

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday warned of the risk of a widening war in Iran, stressing that his government’s priority is to steer the country through the current regional turmoil unharmed and keep it away from escalating conflict. Erdogan placed primary responsibility for the w»»»

A random traffic police road safety operation has led to the seizure of 30 kilograms of marijuana in northern Greece, state ERT television said. ERT said officers stopped a car in the Kastoria area, near the Albanian border, early Thursday as part of a nationwide crackdown on dangerous driving, wit»»»

A six-year-old boy was hospitalized in intensive care unit after being attacked by dogs in Kalys-Ordo residential area of Bishkek on April 1 at around 3.30 p.m. The child is currently in the intensive care unit of Children’s Hospital No. 3, and his condition is reported as stable, the boy’s father,»»»

The second exploration drilling in the Krum-1 area of the Khan Asparuh block in Bulgaria’s Black Sea has also failed to identify commercially significant natural gas deposits, according to OMV Petrom, as reported by BTA. This latest result follows the earlier drilling in the Vineh section, with bot»»»

Israel may have begun by waging war on Gaza, but it didn't end there. In the years that followed October 7 2023, Israel has unleashed its war machine on Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and now Iran, in a systematic attempt to redraw the region’s map by force. Once hypothetical scenarios have become a fast-m»»»

Doha, Qatar: While Australia and Malaysia are taking steps to conserve fuel, several Chinese airlines have raised fuel surcharges on domestic flights. The World Bank has also expressed concern over the impact the war will have on inflation, jobs and food security. Stay tuned for more updates: -----»»»

South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (L) speaks with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (C) and a delegation of U.S. Senators during a meeting at the Defense Ministry on Thursday. Photo courtesy of South Korea Ministry of Defense Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Thursday held talks with a delegation»»»

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez (R) speaks alongside U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in Caracas, Venezuela, on March 4, 2026. On Wednesday, the Trump administration lifted sanctions on Rodriguez. File Photo by. Miguel Gutierrez/EPA April 2 (UPI) -- The Trump administration h»»»

Dubai: Educators in the UAE looking to advance their careers can now apply for Sharjah Education Academy’s (SEA) fall 2026 intake, with admissions open from March 30 to April 30. The academy is offering a mix of academic and professional programmes aimed at advancing teachers’ roles in the educatio»»»

Three people have been detained over the past 24 hours in the Haskovo region on suspicion of vote buying, the press centre of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior in Haskovo reported on Thursday. A 47-year-old woman, owner of a commercial establishment, was detained for up to 24 hou»»»

Firearms, lists of names and sums of cash were seized in Pleven Region during a specialized police operation, announced senior expert Mariana Tsvetkova from the press centre of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior on Thursday. Under the conditions of urgency, a search and seizure wa»»»

A specialized police operation involving the gendarmerie is under way in Lovech region, Gabriela Todorova, spokesperson for the Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry in Lovech, said on Thursday. Police actions are aimed at preventing and countering conventional crime, preventing crimes agai»»»

The security features of Kyrgyzstan’s national currency, the som, are at a high level. Guras Japarov, a Doctor of Economics, said on Birinchi Radio. According to him, the National Bank uses different security elements for each denomination, all meeting required standards. «The som is generally very»»»

Beijing: Several Chinese airlines, including national carrier Air China, said they will raise their fuel surcharges on domestic flights from Sunday as the war in the Middle East drives up oil prices globally. Air China, China Southern and its subsidiary Xiamen Airlines said in statements that they »»»

The Israeli army said it has killed a senior Hezbollah commander, Youssef Ismail Hashem, in a naval strike, as it widened its warnings in Lebanon to include individuals it accuses of handling the group’s finances. The military described Hashem as Hezbollah’s “southern front commander”, adding he ha»»»