Author: staff
By Chaima Chihi & وكالات Published on 08/05/2026 – 13:38 GMT+2•Updated 13:40 The Iraqi Ministry of Oil has announced the discovery of a large oil field in the southern province of Najaf, near the border with Saudi Arabia. The discovery is considered one of the most important in the Iraqi energy sector in recent years, as initial estimates indicate that one of the exploration patches contains reserves exceeding 8.8 billion barrels of crude oil. The Qurnain block is located in southwestern Iraq in Najaf province, about 180 kilometres from Baghdad, along the Iraqi-Saudi border. It is one of the most promising areas for…
Former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev was formally named Bulgaria’s new prime minister on Thursday, cementing a landslide election victory that shattered the country’s long-fractured political order. Radev’s newly formed Progressive Bulgaria party secured the first outright parliamentary majority since 1997 in the April 19 vote, ending years of unstable coalitions and repeat votes in the EU member state. The country’s parliament on Thursday approved his appointment as prime minister and signed off on his cabinet lineup. The former president and air force commander campaigned on anger directed at Bulgaria’s political establishment, blaming traditional parties for years of corruption, instability and…
Published on 08/05/2026 – 13:22 GMT+2•Updated 13:23 The European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned Europe’s aviation sector on Friday that potential shortages of domestic aviation fuel could force airports and airlines to adapt to a different type of fuel across regions — a scenario that would require heightened safety measures. The warning followed alerts from European airlines that fuel shortages could take place within weeks if disruptions in the Middle East persist. In response, the EU is considering contingency plans, such as importing more jet fuel from the United States, which uses a different fuel specification from Europe. At…
Candlelight vigils were held across Australia to honour a 5-year-old girl whose death has deeply shaken communities nationwide. Known as Kumanjayi Little Baby due to Indigenous naming customs, the child was found dead last week after allegedly being abducted near Alice Springs. People gathered in cities including Sydney and Alice Springs, lighting candles and laying flowers in her memory. A suspect has been charged with murder, while the case has also sparked unrest, including a riot outside a hospital where the accused was being treated.
Published on 08/05/2026 – 12:11 GMT+2 According to HD Hyundai Oilbank, a major South Korean petroleum and refinery company, the Malta-flagged vessel named Odessa reached waters near the port city of Seosan on Friday morning, concluding a journey that began in the Strait of Hormuz around mid-April. The cargo consists of one million barrels of crude intended for processing at one of the country’s largest refineries, highlighting the persistent reliance of East Asian economies on the volatile shipping lanes of the Persian Gulf. This specific delivery is estimated to represent between 35% and 50% of the daily crude consumption of…
Published on 08/05/2026 – 12:26 GMT+2 Getting between Dublin and Belfast is set to get much quicker. A major investment of nearly €700 million will cut rain journey times on the cross-border Enterprise service to under two hours, with brand-new trains, more frequent departures and upgraded onboard facilities all planned by 2028. By the end of that year, there will be eight new intercity Stadler trains on the route, which will assist the existing fleet in running up to 16 daily services between Ireland’s two capital cities. The plans were unveiled this week during a ceremony at Belfast Grand Central…
Published on 08/05/2026 – 12:26 GMT+2 The Edinburgh Fringe, the world’s biggest and most open-access arts festival, will have a theatre inside of a sauna this year. The festival, taking place from 7 to 31 August, draws almost 3 million visitors every year. For the 2026 edition of the Fringe, the Sauna Sessions Art Club is bringing the UK’s first purpose-built “Sauna Theatre” to life at the Summerhall Arts venue. This will be the first theatre and arts centre of its kind in the UK, while also being the country’s biggest sauna. Founded by Lucy Osborne and James Grieve, the…
It is the second time in nine months that D66’s offices have been targeted. In September 2025, the building was pelted with stones during an anti-immigration demonstration that turned violent. Speaking to reporters in The Hague Friday morning, Jetten said D66 is not the only target of political violence. “Almost every week something happens because people think they can intimidate council members, mayors, politicians … and ambulance workers with violence,” he said. “But fortunately, you also saw last night that most Dutch people make it very clear that we absolutely do not accept this in our country,” he added. “This…
Updated: 08/05/2026 – 11:27 GMT+2 Disarming Hezbollah will require a lot of “will, courage and decision” from Lebanon. A difficult mission, as the country has “no state” and the Lebanese are “paying the price” of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, MP Nadim Gemayel said in an interview on Euronews’ morning show Europe Today. … More
Iranians living near the border with Iraq’s Kurdistan region are crossing into neighbouring territory or gathering at the frontier just to get online, as the Tehran regime’s months-long internet blackout has cut tens of millions of people off from the outside world. The Islamic Republic officials have justified the restrictions by citing “security considerations” and the need to counter “cyber warfare”. Citizens say the blackout has cut them off from independent news sources, made it impossible to reach family members abroad, and in many cases destroyed their livelihoods. Authorities have also outright criminalised many of the tools Iranians have turned…