Bulgaria has recorded the sharpest increase in the cost of building new homes among all European Union member states over the past decade, according to data cited from Eurostat and included in the 2026 edition of the report Key European Business Indicators. The figures show that between 2015 and 20»»»

Dubai: If you lived in Dubai in the late 2000s or early 2010s, chances are you woke up to Malavika Varadan's voice. For nearly 13 years, she was one of the UAE's best-known radio hosts, chatting effortlessly with listeners, interviewing celebrities and becoming a familiar part of people's morning r»»»

The Bulgarian government presented its draft budget for 2026 on Wednesday, setting a deficit of 5.7% of GDP, the highest figure in three decades, and immediately drew fire from opposition parties who accused the cabinet of repeating the same fiscal practices it once condemned. Deputy Prime Minister»»»

Dubai: Dubai’s hotel sector is expected to see visitor numbers recover before room rates return to pre-war highs, according to Accor. The company’s regional leadership said that like other regional markets, Dubai had been affected by the recent disruption to travel demand but expects international »»»

Dubai: Every investment opportunity comes with a trade-off. At one end of the spectrum sit traditional bank deposits, valued for safety, liquidity and capital preservation. At the other end sit equities, private markets and alternative investments, where higher returns often come with higher volati»»»

An EU watchdog is investigating European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over a secret group chat involving Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several other European leaders, according to Dutch outlet Follow the Money (FTM). The probe follows a complaint by FTM after the European Commission »»»

Dubai: Two schools from the UAE have been named among the world's top 10 shortlists in the World’s Best School Prizes 2026, earning international recognition for initiatives focused on student wellbeing and community engagement. Applied Technology School (ATS) Sharjah and Nord Anglia International »»»

DUBAI: Just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Zein Izzat Sajdi was preparing to move from Amman to London to work for a PR firm in the UK capital. However, when lockdowns meant that her move was postponed, Sajdi started posting song covers on her Instagram account. They quickly became extremely pop»»»

Bulgaria's Ministry of Finance on Wednesday published on its official website an updated medium-term budget forecast for the 2026-2028 period, which is presented as an explanatory report reasoning the 2026 State Budget Bill. The three-year budget framework takes into account the European Commission»»»

Ten years ago, I was on a business trip in Brussels on the day of the Brexit referendum. Voting was already underway across the Channel, but in the European Quarter, the mood was almost serene. Journalists kept asking EU officials about Brexit, and the officials waved the questions away with jokes,»»»

Student debt relief activists march near the U.S. Capitol on June 30, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court on blocked President Joe Biden's student loan debt relief plan from taking effect, delivering rulings in a pair of cases challenging the program. File Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License »»»

Dubai: At six-foot-seven, Dyuti Parruck is hard to miss. When we meet at Dubai's Grand Hyatt for an exclusive interview, he towers over almost everyone in sight. But it isn't just his height that makes the setting significant. Long before the flamboyant designer jackets and capes, luxury cars and N»»»

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday warned of "serious consequences" if governments fail to step up regulation of artificial intelligence as he addressed the World Economic Forum in Dalian, known as the "summer Davos". The world risks "losing control" of frontier technology such as artificial int»»»

A North Korean soldier was taken into custody after crossing the heavily fortified Military Demarcation Line separating the two Koreas, Seoul's military said Wednesday. This February 2021 photo shows a South Korean military guard post near the DMZ in Paju. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License»»»

President Donald Trump enters the White House North Portico on Tuesday, the same day the Republican-controlled Senate passed a resolution ordering the end of U.S. hostilities with Iran unless he receives Congress' approval for the war. File Photo by Allison Robbert/UPI | License Photo June 24 (UPI)»»»

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., questions Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee hearing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on September 14, 2022. On Monday, Paul issued a subpoena to Fauci»»»

The EU has reached a deal on compensation for delayed flights and carry-on luggage, as part of efforts to update the bloc’s rules on air-passenger rights and airline liability, which started back in 2013. Air traffic has expanded quickly since recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought tr»»»

RIYADH: Inside an industrial warehouse located 150 km north of the Saudi capital, automated systems now lead storage and retrieval operations, replacing the forklifts and manual labor that once managed day-to-day activities. Storage capacity within the same floor space has risen significantly compa»»»

London: The man who appears destined to be Britain's next Labour prime minister received a hero's welcome in parliament on Monday, after incumbent Keir Starmer announced his resignation. Veteran politician Andy Burnham, fresh from his UK by-election victory last week, was sworn in as an MP. Afterwa»»»

Ten years after Brexit, data shows that the decision to leave the European Union has made people in Britain up to 8 percent poorer. Experts predict the economic damage is set to continue, and YouGov polling now finds nearly 60 percent of Britons say it was wrong to leave the EU.  When the UK v»»»

LONDON: Brexit fractured the European Union, and broke British politics. The UK is about to get its seventh prime minister since June 23, 2016, a decade ago Tuesday, when the country voted 52 percent-48 percent to leave the EU after more than four decades of membership. Conservative Prime Minister »»»

Dubai: Indian comedian and YouTuber Samay Raina has found himself at the centre of yet another viral social media storm. This time, claims surfaced online suggesting that his US visa had been revoked after a Donald Trump parody featured in the upcoming season of his controversial comedy show, India»»»

Dubai: UAE travellers are still planning summer holidays, but rising airfares are changing how and when they book, with travel agents reporting ticket prices up by around 30 to 40 per cent compared to the summer of 2025. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.While summer is »»»

LONDON: The man who appears destined to be Britain’s next Labour prime minister received a hero’s welcome in parliament on Monday, after incumbent Keir Starmer announced his resignation. Veteran politician Andy Burnham, fresh from his UK by-election victory last week, was sworn in as an MP. Afterwa»»»

It may seem contradictory, but as more Americans opt to pack heat the crime rates are slowly going down. Is America returning to the days of the duels at high noon? Martin Daley and his girlfriend were walking along a forested footpath on the outskirts of Athens, Georgia one evening when they were »»»

Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) affirmed that the 'Dubai-it' initiative, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, embodies the UAE’»»»

Dutiful rather than dynamic, Keir Starmer was elected to be a safe pair of hands after years of chaos under Britain’s Conservatives. His term ended less than two years later amid corruption allegations, policy U-turns, and after links were revealed between his choice for US ambassador and Jeff»»»

Dubai: Andy Burnham has spent much of his political life being seen as a contender rather than a winner. Now, following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s resignation, the Greater Manchester mayor believes his moment may finally have arrived. The 56-year-old Labour politician has confirmed he will seek »»»

Kamakura, Japan: Sticky, translucent strings dangle from Wesley Smith's chopsticks as the American tourist relishes his natto, the loved-and-hated Japanese fermented soybean superfood going global one slimy mouthful at a time. The latest trade statistics show Japan's exports of the highly nutritiou»»»

Andy Burnham is a political insider turned outsider who is the current frontrunner to replace Keir Starmer as Britain’s next prime minister. After losing two bids for the Labour Party leadership, Burnham focused on Greater Manchester, where he served as mayor and earned a “King of the North” monike»»»

Doha, Qatar: Sovereign bond yields have increased significantly across major advanced economies in recent months, marking a clear shift from the declining interest rate environment that had taken hold following the post-Covid pandemic tightening cycle. What was shaping up as a gradual normalisation»»»

NEW DELHI: Supporters of India’s viral Cockroach Janta Party banged steel plates with spoons in a protest Saturday to demand the resignation of the education minister over allegations of examination irregularities and repeated paper leaks. The protest near Parliament in New Delhi by hundreds of stu»»»

MANILA: Filipino hoteliers and businesses gathered on Saturday for the Philippines’ first halal and Muslim-friendly tourism forum in Manila, as they seek to capture the growing Muslim travel market. Tourism is a key sector for the Philippines, contributing more than 8 percent to its gross domestic »»»

The Nord Stream saga has taken a turn for the absurd, with a new book claiming that the star saboteur who blew up the gas pipelines was a Ukrainian erotic model-turned-deep sea diver. This detail is the latest addition to an ever-shifting story – while one key coincidence has completely flown under»»»

MADRID: A Spanish court has ordered the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Begona Gomez, to stand trial by jury for corruption and banned her from leaving the country, according to a court order released Saturday. The case is one of several corruption affairs that have embroiled the Socialist le»»»

Western Europe sweltered under a punishing heatwave on Friday with temperatures expected to climb further in the coming days, prompting authorities across the continent to issue warnings and brace for prolonged extreme weather. In France, hundreds of schools were forced to tweak their timetables to»»»

Anthony Fauci used his position as the leading Covid-19 adviser under two US administrations to steer scrutiny away from the so-called lab leak theory and protect himself from possible accountability, outgoing US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has alleged. She claimed the effort in»»»

Dubai: There’s a very short list of places or companies that have become verbs. Google it. Uber it. Now, apparently, 'Dubai-it'. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, this week launched a campaign called Dubai-it, a bold»»»

The US pharma industry "has literally gotten away with murder" during the COVID pandemic, Professor Alfred de Zayas, retired UN independent expert, tells Sputnik. "The courts in the US were activated and instrumentalized to bring frivolous and vexatious claims against China for responsibility in re»»»

The start of a new heatwave in France has prompted multiple schools to announce changes to their opening hours from Thursday onwards. As climate change makes high temperatures an annual – and increasingly early – phenomenon, France and other countries in southern Europe are debating »»»

PARIS: Much of Western Europe was sweltering in a gruelling heatwave on Friday with the mercury expected to continue rising in the coming days, shattering temperature records. France was hit hard, forcing hundreds of schools to tweak their timetables to cope. Forecasters warned of an “intense and l»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Friday before leaving her post that she had released documents detailing the actions of former top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, including matters related to the funding of research at a laboratory in Wuhan»»»

No single topic dominates Friday's media. POLITICS The Trud tabloid daily frontpages an article titled „The era of the Crusades is over“, quoting Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who on Thursday, ahead of a European Council meeting of EU heads of state or government, said that Bulgaria will veto the Eur»»»

Dubai: More than 100 days of regional conflict tested the Gulf but the UAE held steady. Now, with the United States and Iran having signed an initial interim peace agreement, a sense of calm is returning, and with it, the families who had temporarily stepped away. Some left to be close to loved one»»»

DHAHRAN: In a quiet corner of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, a group of Ph.D. candidates is working to solve some of the most pressing technological challenges of the modern era. Among them are Asma Yamani and Linah Ali Abuhajar, two researchers operating at the intersection of art»»»

ROME: Stronger-than-expected results from Ramadan and Hajj visitors helped ease the impact of the disruption caused by the war in Iran, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb said on Thursday at the FII Priority Europe summit in Rome. Discussing the status of the country’s tourism sector, Al-Khate»»»

The death rate in US immigration detention centres have more than doubled during President Donald Trump's second term, a Reuters analysis found, as authorities expanded arrests. Advocates linked the rise to overcrowding and strained medical services. A Vietnamese man with cardiovascular problems co»»»

The New Development Bank (NDB), the multilateral lender established by the original BRICS bloc members, is providing South Africa with a $1bn loan to help finance infrastructure upgrades in the country's eight largest so-called metropolitan municipalities. The funding will be used to improve water »»»

BusinessGermanyProtests target private equity industry at Berlin summitVanessa Guinan-BankActivists gathered to protest the SuperReturn private equity summit in Berlin, accusing the industry of driving inequality, job cuts and rising costs as investors representing trillions gather to seek high ret»»»

SYDNEY: Australia’s immigration levels fell last year, official data showed on Thursday, as its center-left government seeks to combat an ascendent far-right riding a wave of public discontent over soaring housing prices and cost of living. Net overseas migration added 301,000 people to Australia’s»»»