As missiles light up the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions, most shipowners are rerouting fleets and hunkering down. One billionaire magnate defies the chaos — sailing straight into the firestorm. While his critics accuse him of profiteering, George Prokopiou, 79, the unyielding Greek tycoo»»»

The Tenir-Too Development Fund has accumulated approximately 2 billion soms, formed through contributions from Kumtor Gold Company. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov announced this at the Nooruz celebrations in Naryn region, emphasizing the company’s contribution to the region’s economy. Accord»»»

Stock markets in the United Arab Emirates declined on Monday as the ongoing regional conflict has driven sharp increases in energy prices, disrupted air travel, and severely impacted shipping operations through the Strait ⁠of Hormuz. Dubai's main share index tumbled 2.7% in early trade, dragged dow»»»

China warned on Monday that further attacks on the Middle East risk creating an "uncontrollable situation" in the war-torn region, after US President Donald Trump threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants. Trump gave Tehran a 48-hour deadline on Saturday to end its partial blockade of the Stra»»»

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa received in Damascus on Saturday a Kurdish delegation on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz. The event was attended by the governors of Aleppo, Raqqa and Hasakeh, as well as a presidential envoy overseeing the implementation of a January 29 agreement with the Ku»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe IEA Chief Warns World Could Face Worst Energy Crisis in Decades 23-03-2026 10:17 AM Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the Internationa»»»

Tunis, March 23 (TAP) — The weather, on Monday, will be cloudy across Tunisia.In the afternoon, rainfall will extend to the northern and eastern regions, at times accompanied by thunderstorms, according to the National Institute of Meteorology...»»»

Sharjah: Sharjah City Municipality has ramped up preparations to tackle anticipated weather conditions, including expected rainfall, activating a comprehensive emergency response plan to ensure swift action across the emirate. The Higher Committee for Rain Emergencies, along with its field teams, h»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police have urged delivery motorcycle riders to suspend riding and delivery services during periods of unstable weather, particularly during rainfall, as part of efforts to enhance road safety and reduce accident risks. The Traffic and Patrols Directorate stressed the importanc»»»

State-owned enterprise Dan is resuming operations and undergoing modernization with government support. The Ministry of Water, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan reported. Pasta production began at the enterprise in December 2025. The reconstruction of the mill, with a capacity of 1»»»

Nearly 19,000 people visited Ala-Archa National Park over the weekend, the Presidential Affairs Department told 24.kg news agency. According to the department, the highest number of visitors over the past three days was on March 20, the day of Orozo Ait celebration. Attendance statistics are as fol»»»

Bucur S.A. shares, a Romanian company with over seven decades of activity in the trade and logistics sector, are trading as of March 16, on the Regulated Market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), following their transfer from the AeRO market. Bucur has been present on the capital market since .»»»

For years, Romania has been grappling with one of the most significant structural problems in its tax system: poor tax collection. For years, public debate has focused on the VAT gap, where Romania has the largest shortfall in the European Union. However, another issue has received far less attenti»»»

Visa, a global leader in digital payments, is launching Visa Agentic Ready, a program designed to help financial institutions and partners in the payments ecosystem prepare for commercial transactions initiated by AI-powered agents. Initially launched in Europe, the program will provide issuing par»»»

Allianz-Tiriac Asigurari closed 2025 with solid financial results and new record levels across its key business indicators, strengthening its position in the Romanian insurance market in an economic environment marked by volatility and financial pressures. The company’s total sales volume reached n»»»

Salt Bank is rolling out a cashback campaign on fuel payments at the end of March, as fuel prices continue to increase across Romania. The offer applies during two promotional periods, March 19–22 and March 27–29, 2026. Customers who pay with a Salt-issued card at fuel stations in Romania receive c»»»

The National Credit Guarantee Fund for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (FNGCIMM) announced the launch of direct cooperation with credit brokers, an initiative aimed at creating a more efficient financial ecosystem for the business environment.According to a press release, by concluding cooperati»»»

Digital payments in Romania continue to accelerate, registering an increase of approximately 20% in 2025, a pace expected to be maintained in 2026, and this evolution reflects the rapid expansion of the use of online payments beyond e-commerce, to more and more services in everyday life, according »»»

The Ministry of Finance (MF) attracted, in March, RON 534mn and EUR 126mn (values totaling RON 1.17bn – EUR 231mn), through the third offer for selling government bonds dedicated to the retail investors (FIDELIS) held this year through Bucharest Stock Exchange’s (BVB) systems. The offer was carried»»»

In January 2026p, the balance-of-payments current account posted a deficit of EUR 977 million, compared with EUR 1,032 million in the same year-ago period. The breakdown shows that the deficit on trade in goods declined by EUR 414 million, the surplus on services went down by EUR 12 million, the pr»»»

Abu Dhabi: Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, has questioned the response of Arab and Islamic institutions to the Iranian aggression against Gulf countries, calling attention to the lack of collective regional action. In a post on the social media platform X, Gargash asked w»»»

Thirty-six people are set to face charges as a major trial opens Monday in the central city of Larissa, three years after Greece’s deadliest railway disaster killed 57 people and injured dozens. Due to the large number of participants, the trial has been relocated to a specially configured hall at »»»

Nearly 60% of adult Bulgarians living in the country say they intend to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections. This translates to around 3.1 million citizens expected to head to the polls on April 19, according to a survey by the Trend polling agency. The data were co»»»

A quarter of North Korean defectors from regions near the Punggye-ri nuclear test site have shown chromosome mutations, data showed Monday. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo A quarter of North Korean defectors from regions near the northeastern Punggye-ri nuclear test site have shown»»»

Singapore: Oil prices stabilized Monday as investors balanced US and Iranian threats to target energy facilities, which could escalate the war, against the release of millions of barrels of seaborne Iranian oil into global markets after Washington temporarily lifted sanctions. Brent crude futures f»»»

The sixth edition of Romanian Creative Week (RCW), the largest event dedicated to the creative industries in the European Union, which will take place from 13 to 24 May, will be held under the High Patronage of the Presidential Administration.According to the RCW organisers, this distinction not on»»»

Almost half of the companies in Romania expect that their employees come into the office 3-4 days a week, in 2026, as the hybrid working model becomes better structured, shows a survey made by a real estate consultancy and investment management company.According to the data analysed by Colliers, ap»»»

The intensive use of social networks negatively affects the well-being of young people worldwide, emphasizes the annual report on happiness published on Thursday under the auspices of the UN, in which Finland ranks first for the ninth consecutive year. Romania climbed one place in the top, compared»»»

The shock from the U.S./Israel-Iran war, which has sent the oil and gas markets into turmoil—literally in some cases—will push inflation higher this year, according to the latest ING Bank forecast. In the currency market, although the Romanian leu appears stable, trading volumes have been significa»»»

Parliament adopted on Friday the 2026 draft state budget and the state social security budget.The budget bill passed with 319 votes in favor, 104 against and one abstention, while the social security budget received 314 votes in favour, 105 against and 12 abstentions.The Alliance for the Unity of R»»»

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan discussed on Friday with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Energy the issue of rising fuel prices, later announcing that a new meeting with those responsible in the field will take place next week to finalize solutions that "will produce the maximum possible be»»»

Defence Minister Radu Miruta says that the MApN budget for 2026 is RON 49.426 billion, up 19% from 2025.Of this amount, which is 2.45% of GDP, about RON 18.8 billion (38%) go to acquisitions , the minister wrote on Friday in a social media post."Romania's budget for 2026 is, at the same time, a bud»»»

Romanian troops deployed in Iraq returned home on Saturday, following a decision prompted by recent developments in the regional security situation, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) said."All 117 Romanian troops deployed in the Iraq theatre of operations returned to Romania on Saturday, 21 M»»»

President Nicusor Dan had a meeting in Brussels on Friday with King Philippe of Belgium, whom he thanked for the Belgian contribution to the NATO Battle Group at Cincu, ''a gesture of solidarity that Romanians appreciate''.''An honor and a joy to meet today, in Brussels, with His Majesty King Phili»»»

When oil begins flowing again through the Druzhba pipeline, the loan for Ukraine will be unblocked, President Nicusor Dan said on Friday at the end of the European Council meeting."Yes, I stand by what I said, and many others said today in the debate on Ukraine: it is unacceptable for a decision th»»»

President Nicusor Dan announced on Friday that Romania joins the statement of Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan on ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.''We have decided to join the statement of Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands »»»

The European Commission has put forward a 30 billion euros proposal to optimise energy networks, President Nicusor Dan said on Friday.The head of state took part in the European Council meeting.He explained that, at leaders' level, discussions on energy prices are focused on investments that would »»»

An official delegation of Romania will attend the inaugural summit of a global coalition ("Fostering the Future Together") dedicated to children's digital education in Washington D.C., organised at the initiative of the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump, who extended an invitation to M»»»

Security and sectarian concerns are fueling opposition in Lebanon to plans for a displacement center in central Beirut, as ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah drives new waves of displaced people. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has called for tighter security measures, amid growing political »»»

Geologists have unearthed the world’s oldest known water, hidden deep beneath the surface of a Canadian mine for around 2.64 billion years. The find, which was detailed in a 2016 study published in Nature, has profound implications not only for understanding the planet’s history but also for the po»»»

This photo, taken Monday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in central Seoul as South Korean stocks plunged more than 6 percent and the won fell to a 17-year low over Middle East concerns. Photo by Yonhap South Korean stocks plummeted over 6 percent Monday, as the Middle East crisis does not show»»»

An Air Canada plane was involved in a collision late Sunday at new York City's LaGuardia Airport. Photo by Graham Hughes/EPA March 23 (UPI) -- An Air Canada regional jet with nearly 80 people onboard collided with an emergency vehicle at LaGuardia Airport, prompting federal officials to halt air tr»»»

The regional war is imposing heavy economic costs across the Arab region, with preliminary estimates pointing to about $63 billion in regional losses within two weeks, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) warned in a recently issued policy brief. Under the titl»»»

Canberra, March 23 (SANA) International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol warned Monday, in remarks at the National Press Club in Canberra, that the war in the Middle East could plunge the world into its worst energy crisis in decades, describing the situation as “very severe.” Acc»»»

Finance Minister Georgi Klisurski said that the trajectory of prices across the economy will largely depend on developments in fuel costs, stressing that if they stabilize around €1.60 per liter, a sharp rise in the prices of other goods is unlikely. Speaking in a morning interview on Nova TV, he n»»»

On March 23, 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law. 1 of 5 | U.S. President Barack Obama signs the Affordable Care Act surrounded by Marcelas Owens (L) of Seattle, Vice President Joe Biden, Vickie Kennedy (behind the president), House Speak»»»

Kyrgyzkomur state enterprise has begun independently performing stripping operations at its mines. Rustam Sadyraliev, the company’s Deputy General Director, announced on Birinchi Radio. According to him, this was made possible through the acquisition of new equipment, as previously, excavation and »»»

An Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a ground vehicle upon landing at New York's LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24, in an incident that closed the airport. The CRJ-900 plane, which was coming from Montreal, struck the vehicle at a speed»»»

Hamas is moving toward freezing its leadership election process as the US-Israeli war against Iran reshapes the region’s political and security landscape, senior sources in and outside Gaza said. The Palestinian militant group had been preparing to elect a new head of its political bureau, but mult»»»