Colombo, Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan anti-graft officials said Friday they had arrested the former head of the national airline on charges of conspiring to accept bribes from Airbus over a multi-million-dollar deal. Kapila Chandrasena, who was CEO of SriLankan Airlines during a 2013 deal to purchase 10 a»»»

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 Turkish-owned ship that had been waiting near Iran was allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after authorities received permission from Tehran, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir ‌Uraloglu was reported ‌as saying by ‌local ⁠media. Ankara was continuing ⁠contacts with Iranian officials r»»»

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»»»

Dubai: When Jumar Donayre Fabroa received the call that a kidney had become available, it was a moment he and his family had been hoping for after years of living with chronic kidney disease. With support from Al Jalila Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dubai Health, the 38-year-old resident fro»»»

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»»»

Officers of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) detained lawyer A.K.A., a former military judge, on suspicion of systematic extortion. The security services reported. According to the investigation, the suspect, using his personal connections and status, organized a schem»»»

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»»»

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»»»

The Government approved, during the extraordinary meeting held on Thursday evening, the draft law on the state social insurance budget for 2026.According to a press release from the Executive, the social insurance budget for 2026 is built on total revenues of 159,129.5 million lei, of which 158,743»»»

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»»»

The Government approved on Thursday the signing by the National Registry Office for Classified Information (ORNISS) of a Security Assurance document required under the Maritime Multi-Purpose Corvette Programme.According to a press release, the Government approved a memorandum on the signing by the »»»

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»»»

Foreign minister Oana Toiu met deputy premier for Moldova's reintegration Valeriu Chiveri. The latter's visit to Bucharest over March 9-10, 2026, is part of the coordination between Romania and Moldva on regional security topics. Minister Toiu reiterated Romania's support for a comprehensive, peace»»»

The Minister of National Defense, Radu Miruta and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky paid a visit on Thursday to the 86th Air Base "Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociornita", in Borcea, Calarasi County.On this occasion, the two officials met with the staff and cadets of the F-16 Training Ce»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is on a visit to Bucharest on Thursday, said Iran is an ally of Russia and has supplied it with hundreds of thousands of drones and shells."We know very well how they were launched. The Russians did not have operators. They were from another country, the»»»

”The consumer price index in February 2026 compared to January 2026 was 100.59%. The inflation rate since the beginning of the year (February 2026 compared to December 2025) was 1.5%. The annual inflation rate in February 2026 compared to February 2025 was 9.3%. The average rate of change in consum»»»

In Bulgaria, energy experts are calling for greater transparency in fuel pricing, focusing on the role of Lukoil Neftochim, which dominates the country’s oil market. Speaking on Nova TV, Elenko Bozhkov and Ivan Hinovski highlighted the monopoly’s influence and the distortions it creates in fuel cos»»»

SEOUL (Sputnik) - North Korea condemns Japan's plans to deploy long-range missiles, warning such moves heighten regional tensions and threaten security, North Korean state-run news agency KCNA reported on Friday. Tokyo has already stationed an upgraded Type-12 anti-ship missile with extended range »»»

DOHA: Qatar has rejected claims in sections of Israeli media that it had stopped its LNG production to affect energy prices in the US, calling such accusations an attempt to “drive a wedge” between Qatar and the US. In a statement on Thursday, a senior Qatari official told Al Jazeera that “Qatar wi»»»

Sandwiched between social housing blocks and busy train tracks in south London is Britain's most urban riding school, where children from disadvantaged backgrounds learn to ride horses as part of a project aimed at improving their well-being. About 160 children each week attend the Ebony Horse Club»»»

Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the country's military, warned on Friday that any new protests against the authorities would be met with a stronger response than in January, when several thousand people were killed. "The evil enemy, failing to achieve its field battle goals, is »»»

Sydney: 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 “deteri»»»

Dubai: Shareholders of Abu Dhabi National Energy Company confirmed a new board of directors at the company’s annual general assembly, marking a leadership update at one of the region’s largest listed utilities groups while approving dividends that will return around Dh5 billion to investors. Sign u»»»

Dubai: When regional airspace closures swept across the Middle East due to the US-Israel-Iran war at the end of February, thousands of UAE residents found themselves stranded far from home. For some, the journey back meant days on buses through desert highways. For others, it meant hopping across t»»»

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 »»»

Washington, March 13 (SANA) The United States announced the release of 172 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve on Monday, aiming to curb rising oil prices amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to global energy supplies, Reuters reported. The move is coordinate»»»

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»»»

The Integrated Transport Centre, an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, has expanded commercial operations of Level 4 autonomous taxis on Yas Island, marking another step in the emirate’s push toward smart and sustainable mobility. The initiative is being implemented under »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Press Center welcomes the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2817, which condemns the Iranian attacks on several countries in the region. The resolution clearly emphasises the necessity of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and rejects»»»

Britain's economy stagnated unexpectedly in January and expanded weakly in preceding months, according to official data on Friday that showed only tepid growth during the lead-up to the US-Israeli war in Iran. The figures mean British gross domestic product has been essentially flat since June, end»»»

Air freight rates have risen by as much as 70% on some routes since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, data shows, as the conflict limits flights, blocks some ocean shipments and pushes up jet fuel costs. Rates on routes between South Asia and Europe have been the most affected by Middle East»»»

Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez said Thursday that the conflict in the Middle East and rising fuel costs could ultimately benefit the interoceanic waterway as global shippers adjust routes. In an interview with The Associated Press, Vásquez said that higher energy, fuel and navigation c»»»

Iran launched multiple attacks early Friday on Gulf Arab states, including dozens of drones at Saudi Arabia, following warnings from its new supreme leader about hosting American bases, and US President Donald Trump threatened major new retaliation. “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags to»»»

New York: Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations H E Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani participated in a media stand organised by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) group at the United Nations in New York. The media stand addressed the draft resolution submitted to »»»

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov will visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to congratulate the team of the Ministry’s crisis taskforce on the successful completion of the active phase of the operation to evacuate Bulgarian citizens from the Middle East and Iran, the Foreign Ministry’s press c»»»