DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani received a phone call from Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany HE Johann Wadephul. During the call, they reviewed developments of the military escalation in the region and its»»»

DOHA: 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 Turkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Arab Republic of Egypt strongly condemned Israeli occupation autho»»»

Iran fired more missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states Thursday, demonstrating Tehran's continued ability to attack even as U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the threat from the country was nearly eliminated and predicted the war would end soon. Iran's strikes on its neighbors along with its cho»»»

Stockholm, Sweden: Sweden's government announced on April, 2, 2026, that it was investing more than $900 million in air and drone defence capabilities. The investment would cover multiple systems, such as radar and anti-aircraft weapons systems as well as electronic warfare platforms. The 8.7 billi»»»

Dubai: Nearly everyone in the UAE knows seat belts save lives. About 95 per cent of residents, in fact. So why are only 24 per cent of rear-seat passengers actually wearing one? A new survey in the UAE has identified what it calls the single biggest opportunity to reduce road fatalities in the coun»»»

The government’s actions are putting Bulgaria’s national security at risk, Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov said during a meeting with party members and supporters in Haskovo on Thursday. He added that the Cabinet “is turning Bulgaria into a military target in a conflict that could escalate i»»»

With sound policies and good organization, Bulgaria can achieve a successful tourism season by presenting itself as a safe destination offering quality services at competitive prices, President Iliana Iotova said at a meeting with caretaker Tourism Minister Irena Georgieva and her team, President's»»»

Dubai: US President Donald Trump’s claim that he no longer “cares” about Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile is raising fresh doubts about why the war was launched at all. For weeks, Trump had framed the conflict as an urgent bid to stop Tehran from building a nuclear bomb, warning Iran was ju»»»

Mumbai, India: An Indian oil painting by celebrated 19th century artist Raja Ravi Varma has sold for a record $17.9 million at auction in Mumbai, the highest price ever paid for a modern Indian artwork. Mumbai-based auction house Saffronart said the painting, "Yashoda and Krishna", depicting the Hi»»»

Caretaker Energy Minister Traicho Traikov held a working meeting with representatives of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (KRIB) and the Bulgarian Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (BFIEC), the Energy Ministry reported here on Thursday. Talks focused on options »»»

The Education Union of the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour supports the introduction of the subject of Virtues and Religion because "Bulgarian schools need to teach not only knowledge, they also need to impart a value system, upbringing, and character," as stated in a position statement from the u»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, received a phone call from HE Johann Wadephul, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany. During the call, they reviewed the developments of the military esc»»»

Since October 2023, the Middle East and North Africa have been set ablaze, with war coming to Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, Syria, and Iran, to name but a few. In large part, Iraqis felt that they had been dodging bullets, miraculously emerging mainly unscathed amidst the mayhem. In recent w»»»

Dubai: Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has published a comprehensive framework setting out minimum quality standards that private K-12 schools must meet during periods of distance and online learning. The guidelines, titled Quality Expectations for Effective Distance Learni»»»

The preservation of the Maritsa East 3 Thermal Power Plant (TPP) is key to the economy of Haskovo Region, said Vazrazhdane's top-of-the-list candidate in Haskovo Georgi Georgiev, as quoted by the party's press centre on Thursday. Energy is a matter of national security and must be safeguarded throu»»»

Washington’s main goal is to stabilize the markets and stop the oil price surge, Turkish expert Faik Bulut told Sputnik. US President Donald Trump claimed in a speech on Wednesday night that the US was "nearing completion" of its "core strategic objectives" in the war on Iran.Bulut called the state»»»

Twenty foreigners, including 19 Chinese citizens and a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, were arrested in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, during a raid on a call center. The Khmer Times reported. According to the media outlet, the foreigners were detained during a search of the call center suspected of f»»»

For Iraq, this is a strange moment both politically and militarily. The state of Iraq has proximity to—but no direct connection to—the fierce battle raging between Iran on one side and Israel and the United States on the other, with Gulf states becoming Iranian targets as a result. That is the stat»»»

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. »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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: -----»»»

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 »»»

Speaking on Nova TV on Thursday, Bulgaria’s caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky said that a note is a normal diplomatic practice in a period of tensions and crises. "It is not a threat but a warning," she added, regarding a note sent by Iran to Bulgaria. "In such diplomatic notes during war»»»

The Israeli enemy army announced that search and rescue forces are combing areas in northern ‘Israel’ following the fall of rocket debris originating from Lebanon. The operations focus on locating scattered fragments and securing affected zones. A powerful explosion rocked northern occupied Palesti»»»

NASA’s Artemis II crewed mission lifted off late on Wednesday (April 1) on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to begin their journey around the Moon. The SLS rocket lifted the Orion spacecraft and its four‑person crew — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hanson — from Nasa's »»»

Hezbollah said its fighters launched drones and rockets at northern Israel on Thursday, with the Israeli military's Home Front Command saying air raid sirens were activated across the border. In separate statements, the group claimed rocket fire targeting Israeli troops in border areas and a drone »»»

Almost three dozen countries will meet Thursday in an effort to exert diplomatic and political pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that has been choked off by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the virtual meeting chaired by Forei»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police have warned motorists of strict penalties for reckless behaviour that endangers lives, flagging dangerous acts such as opening car doors while vehicles are in motion and filming social media videos on the road. The warning is part of the police’s strategic priority of pr»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Press Center (QPC) has expressed its deep concern over the fate of Palestinian journalists detained in Israeli prisons, following the Israeli Knesset’s approval of a draft law permitting the execution of Palestinian prisoners, in a move that represents a dangerous escalation and »»»

Dubai: In just over a month, the global aviation industry has undergone a dramatic shift, with airfares climbing sharply across major routes, including from the UAE. What was once a relatively stable pricing environment has become volatile, as airlines grapple with rising fuel costs, reduced capaci»»»

A mining cage drops deep beneath the Armenian capital, carrying asthma patients in helmets down into a salt cave clinic -- an alternative treatment center whose future is now at risk. State funding for the speleotherapy center in the Avan salt mine was recently cut as the small Caucasus nation roll»»»

The Ombudswoman institution has voiced strong opposition to the proposed increase in heating prices in Sofia, which is expected to approach nearly 30 percent. According to the position sent by Ombudswoman Velislava Delcheva to the Chair of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC), Plamen M»»»

Romania lost in the first instance the lawsuit filed by pharmaceutical company Pfizer in Belgium, following the Romanian Government’s refusal to pay for over 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. This is a first-instance decision obliging Romania to pay €600 million to Pfizer. The amount represents th»»»

The Danube must become the highway of Europe, the port of Constanta represents a real opportunity to create a regional logistics hub, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR) has the legitimacy and operational capacity to catalyse these initiatives, CCIR Chairman Mihai Daraban sai»»»

A senior figure in a Sudanese coalition that formed a government backed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was killed in a strike by the Sudanese army on his home in Nyala, South Darfur, late Tuesday, while Health Minister Alaaeldin Naqd and others survived. Mohamed Hassan al-Taishi, prime minister »»»

Doha, Qatar: Since entering 2026, the global automotive industry has been undergoing a dual cycle of structural adjustment and technological restructuring. In this complex market environment, Chery has demonstrated robust growth resilience and strategic focus. According to the latest data released »»»

Doha, Qatar: Director General of Qatar Press Centre (QPC), Sadiq Mohammed Al-Amari met with Ambassador of Sudan to Qatar H E Badreddine Abdullah Mohammed Ahmed. They discussed ways to enhance media cooperation and reviewed the most prominent challenges facing Sudanese journalists amidst the ongoing»»»

In a wide-ranging conversation with Al Majalla, Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin gave a measured yet unwavering assessment of where the Palestinian cause stands—and where it must go. She argues that Israel's conduct since the 1993 Oslo Accords has not only strained the peace pr»»»