Bulgaria ranks first in the number of people evacuated from the conflict zone in the Middle East, caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov said on Friday at a ceremony honouring Foreign Ministry officials for their contribution to the successful evacuation of Bulgarian citizens from the Middle East an»»»

Hartwig Löger, CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board of Vienna Insurance Group, on the Group’s performance: “VIG achieved an outstanding Group result in 2025, once again driven by strong growth and high levels of profitability in all countries. Based on this result and our strong capital position,»»»

HEADLINES Trud’s top story is about measures the Cabinet plans to introduce to soften the impact of rising fuel prices on low-income individuals. 24 Chasa also covers the issue on its front page. Duma leads with the headline “There Is No Matter That Can Be Solved Through War,” quoting Krum Zarkov, »»»

Kumtor Gold Company reported the amount of gold produced for 2025, its production costs, and other aspects of its production and financial performance. This is the company’s response to claims that production at Kumtor mine has declined and the cost of gold mined has increased. According to Kumtor »»»

Dubai: Luxury hotel rooms that often sell for thousands of dirhams during peak seasons are now appearing on booking platforms for a lower price — as UAE hotels pivot toward residents with sharply discounted Eid staycation offers. Stay updated: Get the latest faster by downloading the Gulf News app »»»

The Bulgarian Government is preparing for the worst-case scenarios in the development of the conflict in the Middle East, caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov said during a briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here on Friday. Earlier, a ceremony was held to present honorary awards to Minist»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s economy is showing steady growth and may surpass previously projected indicators. Choro Seitov, First Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan, announced at a briefing. According to him, the country’s GDP was initially projected to reach $30 billion by 2030, but preliminar»»»

The National Accord Bloc of the High State Council issued a written statement, dated 9 March 2026 but only made public yesterday, calling on all relevant Libyan authorities to take the necessary steps against Arkenu Oil Company’s ‘‘corrupt’’ and ‘‘illegal’’ export of Libyan oil. Arkenu is a private»»»

Russia is not concerned at this point that the Iran crisis will reduce US interest in mediating ‌peace talks ‌on Ukraine, ‌Kremlin ⁠spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ⁠on Friday. "No, there are no such concerns at ⁠this time; our ‌contacts with ‌our American ‌counterparts provide ‌no grounds for such dou»»»

The situation regarding the bases for medical helicopters is worrying, even scandalous, acting Health Minister Michail Okoliyski told reporters on Friday. According to him, there is a risk of failure of the investment under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and a loss of funds: aroun»»»

Beijing: A train from North Korea arrived in Beijing on Friday, China’s railway authority said, as rail service between the two neighbouring countries resumed this week after a six-year pause. China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and political su»»»

An April summit of the D-8 bloc of Muslim-majority developed countries that includes Iran has been postponed due to the war in the Middle East, host Indonesia said Friday. No new date was announced for the meeting that was to have stretched over four days, culminating in a leaders' summit on April »»»

Students from Smolyan Municipality aged 7 to 18 will get free lift passes for the Pamporovo ski resort from March 20, the press centre of the City Hall announced Thursday. The free passes will be valid to the end of the winter season. The initiative is being implemented by Pamporovo AD in partnersh»»»

The Bulgarian Ambassador to Moldova is not defending Bulgaria’s national interests, Vazrazhdane said in a declaration on Friday. Speaking from the parliamentary rostrum, the Vazrazhdane Floor Leader Kostadin Kostadinov said that they had prepared a declaration aimed at defending the rights of Bulga»»»

Australia has ordered all non-essential officials in Lebanon to leave, Canberra's foreign minister said Friday, after issuing the same command to diplomats in Israel and the United Arab Emirates. In a post on X, top diplomat Penny Wong said they had been ordered to depart due to the "deteriorating »»»

We rarely articulate our love for home, not unless someone asks. Most of the time, the feeling resides in the background of our lives, built from years of routine and small, ordinary moments: Greeting the familiar faces at the grocery store, wandering through the neighbourhood park, stopping to pla»»»

Located in a prime position within the capital’s Central Business District, Victoria Center comprises approximately 8,600 square metres of Class A office space and holds a BREEAM In-Use certification with an Excellent rating. The integration of this concept further strengthens the building’s positi»»»

Thus, 17,923 residential units were completed in 2025 in Bucharest and Ilfov, according to the data of the National Institute of Statistics, up 1.8% compared to the result recorded in 2024. SVN Romania estimated in the annual market report issued at the beginning of 2025 that about 18,000 homes cou»»»

Sydney, Australia: Australia's energy minister warned on Friday against "dangerous" price gouging of petrol as he relaxed rules on how much fuel companies needed to hold in stock in a bid to boost supply. The country -- reliant on oil imports for fuel -- has seen petrol prices spike due to panic bu»»»

As part of a planned salary increase for medical workers and teachers in Kyrgyzstan, authorities intend to introduce a presidential compensation payment added to the base salary. At a joint meeting of deputy groups Ishenim and Ala-Too, First Deputy Minister of Health Tilek Mamadaliev recalled that »»»

Abu Dhabi: Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, stressed that Iran’s growing international isolation reflects a clear global stance against its recent attacks, pointing to the unprecedented support for a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning the actions. Stay u»»»

Iran expects to receive financial compensation for the damage caused during the conflict by the US and Israel, the Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said earlier. The US will have to compensate Iran with billions of dollars for all the destruction and deaths it is bringing there via attacking the nat»»»

One-fifth of Australian teenagers under 16 were still using social media two months after the country banned platforms from allowing minors, industry data showed, raising questions about the effectiveness of their age-gating methods. The number of 13-to-15-year-olds using TikTok and Snapchat, among»»»

High-energy lasers are increasingly being viewed as a potential game-changer in defending oil facilities, military bases and critical infrastructure against the growing threat of drones and missiles in the Middle East. Unlike traditional interceptor systems such as Patriot missiles — which can cost»»»

The Snow Leopard EcoFest — Kemin 2026 Festival will be held in Chon-Kemin on July 11. The press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. According to the press service, the festival aims to raise public awareness about the pro»»»

Stoicism is an ancient Greek and Roman philosophy founded all the way back around 300 BCE. While ancient in its formation, it has never felt more relevant to me. It is based on an inner calm from understanding what we can and can not control. Resilience, logic, ethics and wisdom are among the main »»»

Mumbai, India: Nepal has started selling half-filled cooking gas cylinders to curb hoarding and panic buying, officials said Friday, following import disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict. The landlocked Himalayan nation of 30 million relies almost entirely on India for its fossil fuel nee»»»

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The Ministry of Defense of Saudi Arabia announced Friday the interception of three drones in different areas across the country. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted Major General Turki bin Saleh Al Malki, the official spokesperson for the ministry, as saying in two consecutive»»»

On March 12, in Tashkent, with the assistance of the Trade Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic under the Ministry of Economy and Commerce in the Republic of Uzbekistan, a $500,000 export contract was signed between the domestic company Alaiku Organics LLC and the Uzbek firm Alaiku LLC. Such agreements b»»»

A second week of intense fighting has unfolded across Iran, Israel and parts of the wider Middle East after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets. Images from the ground capture the human impact of the conflict — smoke rising above cities, damaged buildings, e»»»

A Sumolok Festival will be held at the Burana Tower Historical and Archaeological Complex in Chui region. Elnura Kulueva, the event’s organizer, told 24.kg news agency. According to her, 10 cauldrons will be set up during the festival, in which participants will jointly prepare the traditional dish»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) closed this week down 1.99 percent, losing 213.34 points to settle at 10,485 points, driven by pressure from six sectors, led by the insurance sector, which suffered the largest losses at 5.64 percent. The telecommunications sector was the only gainer thi»»»

Gold prices were on track for a second consecutive weekly drop, despite edging up on Friday, as surging energy prices due to the Middle East war dimmed prospects for near-term US interest rate cuts. Spot gold was up 0.3% at $5,095.55 per ounce, as of 0633 GMT on Friday. US gold futures for April de»»»

Growing public unease in Israel over the war with Iran has prompted mounting calls for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to clarify the conflict’s objectives and trajectory. The demands follow conflicting statements about when the war might end, coupled with Netanyahu’s continued refusal to answer »»»

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the US wants to "divide Europe" and doesn't "like the European Union" in an interview published by the Financial Times on Friday, after more than a year of turmoil in transatlantic relations. "What I think is actually important for everybody to u»»»

The Iran war has sparked growing concern in Egypt over its potential impact on navigation through the Suez Canal, one of the country’s most important sources of national income. Experts say the conflict has already begun affecting traffic through the strategic waterway as security risks for ships i»»»

Dubai: The Singapore government has assisted 24 Filipinos who have been stranded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, by facilitating their transit through Singapore on their travel back to the Philippines. The group, nine men and 15 women, arrived in Singapore on March 13 aboard a Singapore-chartered evacuati»»»

The Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP) construction project is of strategic importance for the energy sector of Kyrgyzstan and all of Central Asia. Hugh Riddell, World Bank Group Country Manager for the Kyrgyz Republic, said at a meeting with Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibraev. The Ministry of Energy»»»

Etihad Airways has released an updated limited commercial flight schedule connecting Abu Dhabi with key international destinations. Passengers with existing bookings will be accommodated, and new tickets are available for purchase at its website. Stay updated: Get the latest faster by downloading t»»»

Tunis, March 13 (TAP) - Weather conditions on Friday morning will be characterised by local mist and occasionally dense clouds over northern coastal areas, and by scattered rain, extending during the afternoon to the rest of the northern and...»»»

RAF Typhoon jets have been in action over Bahrain as part of the UK's contribution to the defence of its Gulf Arab allies, the BBC has been told. Two jets out of the four sent to Qatar have been allocated specifically to help Bahrain intercept incoming drones, as the US-Israel war with Iran has ent»»»

Rescue operations are under way after a US military refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, US Central Command (Centcom) has said. Neither hostile nor friendly fire were involved in the downing of the KC-135, which occurred over western Iraq, Centcom said. The tanker had been involved in ongoi»»»

On 9 April 2003 a statue of the leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, was pulled down in the centre of Baghdad. The metal plaque at the base of the statue was torn off and the statue's marble plinth attacked with a sledgehammer. Iraqi civilians initially tried to pull it down, scaling the statue to secur»»»

A bit over half of Romanians (50.4%) believe that, amid the ongoing tensions between the European Union and the American Administration led by Donald Trump, Romania should strike a balance between the EU and the U.S., according to the Informat.ro Barometer - INSCOP Research, eighth edition, conduct»»»

Hungary's President Sulyok Tamas will attend on Sunday, 15 March, the events organised in Targu Secuiesc for the Day of Hungarians Worldwide and the commemoration of the 1848-1849 Revolution, the leadership of the Covasna County Council (CJ) announced on Thursday.According to the quoted source, the»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the Victoria Palace on Thursday, where he is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan.The two high-ranking officials will have a meeting, with topics on the agenda of the discussions including bilateral and European cooperation, the»»»

Romania's President Nicusor Dan and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed on Thursday in Bucharest opening new border crossings, as well as participation in the upcoming B9 Summit in May in Bucharest."We are also working on opening new border crossings between the two countries. W»»»

Romania was safe, is safe and once U.S. capabilities, equipment and troops are in the country, it will be even safer, President Nicusor Dan said on Thursday."Romania was safe, Romania is safe and once the U.S. capabilities, equipment and troops are in Romania, Romania will be even safer. So, it is »»»

President Nicusor Dan on Thursday said that it is not acceptable for a decision taken by the European Council in the formula of 27 on a loan to Ukraine to be challenged later, noting that Romania will support any kind of legal option to break the deadlock."It is not acceptable that a decision taken»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Bucharest on Thursday, said the United States as well as more than ten other countries in Europe and the Middle East have asked Ukraine for assistance in shooting down drones after the war in the Middle East began."Now, after the start of a new war in the»»»