Two more new Alstom electric trains, delivered to Bulgaria under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), enter service on Saturday, Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) said. They will operate on the Sofia-Vidin and Vidin-Sofia routes, as well as between Sofia and Burgas in both directions. The first two»»»

Bulgaria joined a declaration backed by 51 UN member states calling for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine and substantive peace talks, with ruling Progressive Bulgaria saying it appreciated Ukraine’s recognition of Bulgarian diplomacy. The declaration was adopted during the a»»»

Traffic grinds to a halt and shelters open as floodwaters swamp Bangkok Several areas of Thailand's capital city Bangkok were inundated by continuous rain from Thursday afternoon to Saturday morning that has disrupted traffic and forced some residents to evacuate. Major canals in Bangkok filled wit»»»

Nagoya, Japan: Japan's 11-year-old eSports prodigy Yuki Kurihara won Asian Games gold on Saturday in style after thrashing a series of opponents up to three times his age. The bespectacled primary school student, believed to be the youngest competitor at the Games in Aichi-Nagoya, won the Puyo Puyo»»»

Ordinary people license likenesses for AI dramas, ads, games in unusual new side hustle Would you let an artificial intelligence company use your face for money? In China, a growing number of ordinary people are doing exactly that, licensing their appearance to AI content producers who can turn the»»»

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Bulgaria’s credit rating at ‘BBB+’ and upgraded the outlook from stable to positive, citing lower political uncertainty after the formation of a government supported by a single-party parliamentary majority. The agency said the more stable political environment could prov»»»

Bangkok: Bangkok authorities declared on Saturday a disaster across all 50 districts of the Thai capital after heavy rain for a third consecutive day caused heavy flooding. The disaster designation, which gives local organisations authority to take action, came after the governor said almost 300 mi»»»

The Pentagon has added 37 more wounded service members to its public casualty database for the Iran conflict — 29 sailors and eight Marines — bringing the total to 861, The Washington Post reported. US officials have provided no public explanation of when or how the newly listed personnel were woun»»»

In January—July 2026, Kyrgyzstan exported 227.1 tonnes of natural honey worth $780,300, exceeding imports by more than 650.25 times. The trade surplus amounted to $779,100, data from the National Statistical Committee say. In July, honey exports to Kuwait began, with 5.9 tonnes worth $62,000 suppli»»»

A Pakistani Muslim cleric honored by Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally has been accused of protecting an alleged extortion gang linked to abductions and torture, The Telegraph reported on Thursday. The head of the Church of England withdrew an interfaith award from Tahir Ashrafi, Pakistan’s s»»»

Off-plan sales made up 89% of H1 value, while Saadiyat and Yas led property price gains Abu Dhabi's residential market has spent 2026 defying the usual script. The city posted its strongest first half on record, with direct foreign investment surging 309 per cent year on year to Dh13,8 billion and »»»

Capital under strain as relentless rain floods homes, roads and canals Bangkok authorities declared on Saturday a disaster across all 50 districts of the Thai capital after continuous rain caused heavy flooding. The designation, which gives local organisations authority to take action, came after t»»»

Old Abu Dhabi market traditions guide a Danish chef’s modern dishes ‘Every time we doubt the quality of vegetables from the hypermarkets, we get the chance to come here and pick out each one ourselves,’ says Clara Ida Jensen, sous chef at Restaurant Blue, describing her story at the Mina Zayed (Min»»»

Trump rejects Iran’s seven-day Hormuz plan, keeping key trade route in limbo Iran has proposed a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore normal maritime traffic, but reports say US President Donald Trump has rejected the proposal, leaving the key shipping route at the centre of th»»»

The annual horse race in the Israeli-occupied West Bank had been suspended for two years Dubai: The thunder of hooves and clouds of dust returned to the hills west of Hebron as Palestinian riders raced Arabian horses through Al-Majd village, drawing cheers from residents. The annual race in the Isr»»»

Controversy erupts over Karnataka CM Shivakumar’s claim that some MLAs have two marriages Dubai: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has sparked a political controversy after saying that around a dozen MLAs who came to Bengaluru from other parts of the state had married twice. Shivakumar remark»»»

Two-day event focuses on knowledge and skills for the next career move Gulf News LevelUP opens today, bringing universities, professional education providers and industry experts together with graduates and working professionals for two days focused on advanced education, specialist skills and care»»»

Police activated 80km/h limits on major roads after fog sharply reduced visibility Abu Dhabi: Fog spread across parts of the UAE early on Saturday, reducing visibility and prompting Abu Dhabi Police to cut speed limits to 80km/h on a series of major roads across the emirate. The National Centre of »»»

Dubai community rallies online to fund life-saving transplant for toddler Ayaan Dubai: On September 10, Abbie Kadom posted a message on the Hope Amel Instagram page about a two-year-old boy named Ayaan and his urgent need for a bone marrow transplant. Within three days, Dh390,000 had been pledged. »»»

Houthi official calls attacks a rehearsal as Saudi defences foil strikes Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed two drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement towards the Riyadh area, the Saudi-led coalition said on Saturday. Major General Turki Al Malki, spokesman for the Coalition to Suppor»»»

Crowds of displaced Lebanese from the country’s south have gathered outside the United Nations offices in Beirut to protest Israeli attacks that have led to the destruction of homes, towns, and villages. The protest on Thursday came amid a major escalation in Lebanon that began in early March, afte»»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s humiliating run of regional election defeats has reignited a bitter fight over his unpopular pension reform, with his Social Democratic coalition partners pushing back against plans that could make Germans work longer, national media have reported.Merz’s Christian»»»

Vladimir Zelensky put his personal interests first when he breached an agreement with Seoul not to disclose the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war captured in Russia, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has said. Zelensky touted the arrangement during his speech to the UN General Assemb»»»

New Delhi: India’s foreign exchange reserves fell by $14.881 billion to stand at $765.901 billion, according to the latest figures released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This was the second consecutive week when the country's forex reserves had declined. The previous week, they fell by 4.92 b»»»

In an interview with FRANCE 24 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Anwar Gargash, senior diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said Iran "has dragged us into this conflict", after the UAE was "the target of 3,300 missiles and drones" fired by Iran. After US President Donald Trump said h»»»

Armed with paper fortune-tellers and pop worship songs, young French Catholics from the Anuncio movement fanned out into the crowds awaiting Pope Leo XIV's arrival in Paris on Friday, hoping to bring strangers closer to God in one of Europe's most secular countries.    A group gathers aro»»»

Attacks on Ukrainians in Poland have continued to rise as public attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees deteriorate, Kiev’s ambassador to Warsaw, Vasily Bondar, has said. His remarks came a day after a Ukrainian man was detained over a deadly knife attack at a Catholic abbey in southeastern Poland. Po»»»

Doha, Qatar, 25 September 2026: Faith, identity, leadership, and the challenges of today’s ever-shifting world have been explored by over 1,300 young Muslims from across Qatar alongside scholars, educators, thought leaders, and other inspiring voices, as the second edition of Qatar Foundation’s QIY»»»

Nor’easter threatens flooding, power outages and travel chaos across region New York: More than 40 million people in the northeastern United States braced Friday for heavy rain and strong winds as an unusually powerful storm for the season was forecast to crash into the region. New York, Boston and»»»

Pope Leo rode his "popemobile" through the heart of Paris and celebrated vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral on Friday as he opened a four-day state visit to France. The head of the Roman Catholic Church raised existential concerns about scientific progress in speeches at UNESCO heaquarters and the Ély»»»

The European Union on Friday said it will pursue a €120 million fine against the X social network after the US Justice Department said it supported the efforts of X owner Elon Musk to have the case annulled. The bloc fined the platform in 2025 for breaching EU online transparency rules, notably wit»»»

Former accountant accused of setting textile goods ablaze after dispute with employer A dispute over ₹10,000 in unpaid salary allegedly led a former accountant to set fire to textile goods in India’s Surat city, causing an estimated ₹240 million in losses, according to police. The fire broke out at»»»

Doha, Qatar,: Themes of resilience in the face of challenges, unlocking creativity, and how changing our behaviors can have broader impact on the world were placed in the spotlight for young Muslims to discuss and reflect on during the first day of Qatar Foundation’s QIYADA conference. In a talk ti»»»

NEW YORK - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says he will resign from his post in the evening of Sunday, September 27. "Sunday will be a busy day, I will resign on Sunday evening, I think around 8 pm," Vucic told reporters in New York on Thursday evening, adding that he would also provide an expla»»»

Loik Le Priol, one of the main suspects in the 2022 murder of Argentine rugby player Federico Martin Aramburu, asked forgiveness from the victim's family in a Paris court on Friday. Verdicts in the trial of four suspects – including Le Priol and Romain Bouvier, who both have links to France’s »»»

Australian health educator recounts late-night questioning before joining husband in Dubai Dubai: Australian naturopath and health educator Barbara O’Neill has said she was questioned by authorities in Qatar before being allowed to continue her travels and return to Dubai. O’Neill, who has an inter»»»

President Donald Trump told President Volodymyr Zelensky that he had made a "final decision" to grant Kyiv the licence to produce Patriot air defence missiles, the Ukrainian leader said Friday. The assurance came during the last meeting between the two leaders, Zelensky said, capping a period of un»»»

The EU has gone through seven waves of enlargement since 1973, but there has not been one since Croatia joined in 2013. Indeed, there are not likely to be any new members in the club before 2028 – some 15 years after Croatia entered. But 2026 undeniably has momentum, and is on track to be a record »»»

Hungary has joined a major international declaration expressing solidarity with Ukraine and calling on Russia to accept a ceasefire and enter meaningful peace negotiations. The move comes after a turbulent period in Hungary-Ukraine relations and shortly after Budapest and Kyiv became embroiled in a»»»

The Bulgarian government has set a target of keeping the budget deficit at no more than 3% by 2027, alongside restoring a sustainable financial system and maintaining predictable tax policy, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at a conference organized by the Ministry of Finance and the European Stabil»»»

Nagoya: Qatar's 3x3 basketball team won the silver medal at the 20th Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026) in Japan after falling to South Korea (10-19) in the final match. The Qatari squad, comprising Mohammed Hashim, Hamad Yassin, Nizar Mahmoud, and Mubarak Jama, delivered an impressive tournament run.»»»

Saudi Arabia is facing mounting security and economic pressures as the conflict in the Middle East threatens its oil infrastructure and shipping routes, while its longtime security partner, the United States, appears increasingly unwilling or unable to provide the protection Riyadh has historically»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday that he expects two more meetings with US President Donald Trump this year and invited the US leader and his wife to visit China to attend the APEC summit. "We expect two more meetings with Mr. President this year. One at the APEC s»»»

The Economist magazine stated in an editorial that the United States appears to be stuck in the Middle East, with no easy way out. However, the current war may signal something completely different: a moment of American withdrawal from the region, meaning that Washington is finally abandoning its d»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Tehran will take measures in response to Colombia’s hostile approach after it severed diplomatic relations with Iran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Friday. Colombia said on Thursday that it had severed diplomatic relations with Iran. Among the reasons for this decision, Co»»»

Iran has offered the US a new deal aimed at ending the months-long conflict before the midterm election in November, directly challenging President Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran is deliberately waiting until after the election to reach an agreement. Trump claimed in a speech at the UN on Tuesday»»»

Parliament has given final approval to a zero excise duty rate on natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used as motor fuel for the period from October 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026. The amendments to the Excise Duties and Tax Warehouses Act were adopted at first and second reading in a sing»»»

BusinessBulgariaBulgaria's battery boom: From zero to global leaderMihail Ivanov in SofiaIn under two years, Bulgaria has become one of the world's most battery-intensive energy markets. Can the surge last — and what will it mean for conventional power generators? https://p.dw.com/p/5NGvRPowerhouse»»»

The forum, held from September 24–26 under the theme “United Cultures — Common Values,” brings together more than 2,000 participants from over 70 countries to discuss cultural cooperation, heritage, and international dialogue. Sputnik is live from St. Petersburg, where Russian President Vladimir Pu»»»

Viral video shows adventurous pair tackling rugged Himalayan roads in three-wheeler Forget the SUV or adventure motorcycle. Two British tourists exploring one of India’s most spectacular mountain regions have chosen a rather more unconventional ride — an auto-rickshaw. The pair have attracted atten»»»