The National Assembly passed at first reading on Thursday all three bills amending the Judicial System Act, introduced by Progressive Bulgaria, Democratic Bulgaria, and Continue the Change. The Progressive Bulgaria bill was approved unanimously with 189 votes in favour by all parliamentary groups. »»»

Bulgaria's Constitutional Court on Wednesday declared unconstitutional a March 13 National Assembly resolution instructing the Council of Ministers to take urgent measures to mitigate the adverse economic impact of high crude oil and natural gas prices, the Court said on its website. The Court open»»»

New Delhi: India's capital announced fuel-saving measures on Thursday, including work-from-home days for government employees, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for reduced consumption as the Middle East war disrupts supply chains. India is one of the few countries in the region that has no»»»

Solaren Power has expanded its renewable energy footprint across the Philippines with the rollout of a broad portfolio of solar installations spanning industrial, commercial, institutional, agricultural, and residential segments, reflecting accelerating adoption of distributed solar solutions acros»»»

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Tim Scott, R-S.C., and ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., are among 24 senators who will vote on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, a bill to set a framework for regulating cryptocurrency, on Thursday. Photo by Bonnie »»»

Oil prices dipped on Thursday after Iran's state media said about 30 vessels had crossed the Strait of Hormuz in recent hours while the semi-official Fars news agency cited a source saying Iran had begun allowing transit for some Chinese vessels. Meanwhile, the White House, speaking of US President»»»

KARNEI SHOMRON SETTLEMENT, Palestinian Territories: From her home in an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, Anna Sloutskin yearns to expand her country’s borders and one day move to southern Lebanon. And she is not alone. With fighting between Israel and Hezbollah displacing more than a m»»»

DHAKA: When Sharif Sheikh spoke to his Lebanon-based younger brother Karim Miah over the phone in the early hours of Monday, discussing his safety amid Israel’s war on the country was inevitable. “He said everything was fine with him despite the war situation. But that ‘fine’ didn’t last for him,” »»»

REGGIO EMILIA, Italy: The Princess of Wales’ visit to Italy has put the spotlight on an Italian early childhood educational model that helped revolutionize how toddlers learn in school. The Reggio Approach, used in public daycare centers and preschools in the northern city of Reggio Emilia, values »»»

Rescuers at work at the scene of Russian strike on a nine-storey residential building in Kyiv on Thursday where four people were killed and at least 10 remain missing. Photo by Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA May 14 (UPI) -- A major aerial assault by Russian forces on Kyiv overnight killed at least five peopl»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron greets Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina at the Elysee Palace in Paris in 2025. Silina resigned Wednesday. File Photo by Maya Vidon-White/UPI | License Photo May 14 (UPI) -- Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina resigned Wednesday after a political battle stemming f»»»

Israel and Lebanon opened a new round of peace talks in Washington on Thursday as their latest ceasefire -- considered to still be in place despite hundreds of deaths in Israeli strikes -- nears its end. The two sides started discussions just after 9 am (1300 GMT) at the State Department and will m»»»

Tehran: Iran's football federation chief on Thursday said no visas had yet been issued for the national team to participate in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, state media reported. "Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we will have a decisive meeting with FIFA. They must give us guarantees,»»»

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced the gravest threat yet to his leadership on Thursday as unrest within the Labour Party spilled into open rebellion, with potential successors manoeuvring for position after the party’s bruising local election losses. The crisis deepened after Health Secreta»»»

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) said customs inspectors at Zayed International Airport have foiled an attempt to smuggle cocaine into the country after a passenger arriving from an African country was found carrying narcotics concealed inside his bod»»»

Rome, Italy: Jannik Sinner reached the semi-finals of the Italian Open on Thursday after seeing off Andrey Rublev and establishing a new record of consecutive wins in Masters 1000 tournaments. Another straight-sets victory, this time 6-2, 6-4 over Rublev, moved Sinner up to 32 straight wins in the »»»

Rabat, May 14 (SANA) Syria and Morocco announced steps to restore full diplomatic engagement and expand bilateral cooperation during talks between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Rabat on Thursday. Speaking during a joint press confer»»»

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday pledged to press ahead with reforms within the Palestinian Authority, saying he was prepared to hold long-delayed presidential and parliamentary elections. Abbas's Fatah party began a three-day conference to elect a new central committee, its highest »»»

The continuing rise in food prices and the decreasing purchasing power of Bulgarian citizens is becoming a real challenge that requires adequate and timely measures, said Prime Minister Rumen Radev during a meeting at the Council of Ministers on Thursday. The meeting focused on government measures »»»

RIYADH: Students from kindergarten age up to year 11 came together on stage at Beech Hall School in Riyadh for an orchestra and choir performance celebrating Saudi Arabia’s rich history, thriving present, and ambitious future. Youngsters from a variety of nationalities performed “From Desert Sands »»»

US President Donald Trump’s counterterrorism director has suggested that two of the president’s loudest critics – Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes – are considered potential left-wing threats by the White House. The White House released its National Strategy for Counterterrorism last week, which lab»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates at the height of the US-Israeli war on Iran, his office revealed on Wednesday. The visit coincides with the UAE receiving Iron Dome air defense batteries from Israel. Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mo»»»

Sharjah: Marine rescue teams from the Sharjah Civil Defence Authority rescued a driver after his vehicle plunged into Khalid Lagoon opposite the Sharjah Courthouse on Thursday morning, with the operation completed in less than eight minutes. The incident occurred at 7.04am on May 14 while marine re»»»

Beijing: Donald Trump paid a visit to the Temple of Heaven in the Chinese capital on Thursday, but the US president had a face like thunder. Standing stiff and unsmiling next to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump appeared unmoved by the former imperial temple in Beijing where emperors once prayed »»»

For much of his political career, V.D. Satheesan was regarded as one of the Congress party’s brightest political minds in Kerala — a leader admired for his sharp Assembly performances, command over detail and relentless preparation — yet somehow always just short of the very top. That long wait is »»»

Dubai, UAE: One person was killed and 19 others injured on Thursday after a truck collided with a bus on a major road in Dubai, local media reported. The accident occurred on Al Yalayis Street near the Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Bridge heading toward Emirates Road, according to Dubai Police. Among the»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi is cementing its reputation as a world-class destination with the announcement of Sphere Abu Dhabi, a landmark entertainment venue to be built on Yas Island at an estimated construction cost of US$1.7 billion. Developed through a partnership between the Department of Culture an»»»

The National Assembly passed at first reading on Thursday all three bills amending the Judiciary System Act, introduced by Progressive Bulgaria, Democratic Bulgaria, and Continue the Change. The amendments relate to the criteria for selecting members of the judiciary. All three bills provide for li»»»

Share: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, listens to Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad speak along with US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, during a meeting between the ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon in the Oval Office at the White House, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (A»»»

DUBAI: It’s hard to know what to make of “Gary.” This hour-long “special” episode of the (initially, at least) critically acclaimed series “The Bear” dropped May 5 without fanfare and is presented as a standalone episode streaming separately from the rest of the show’s catalogue. It’s a flashback t»»»

A monument to surgeon, professor, and academician Kakish Ryskulova was unveiled at Bishkek City Clinical Hospital No. 1. Doctor of Medical Sciences Nurlan Brimkulov announced. Kakish Ryskulova was born on October 15, 1918, in the village of Chetindi, Issyk-Ata district of Chui region. She dedicated»»»

Cuba's energy minister said Wednesda that Havana, the capital, was without electricity for as much as 22 hours a day because the country had run out fuel. File photo by Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA-EFE May 14 (UPI) -- Cuban Energy Minister Vincente de la O Levy said the country's diesel and fuel oil sto»»»

Ukraine's anti-corruption court on Thursday ordered the arrest of President Volodymyr Zelensky's ex-chief of staff Andriy Yermak on money-laundering charges, placing the president's former right-hand-man in pre-trial detention for a period of 60 days. A Kyiv court on Thursday detained a powerf»»»

An international flotilla carrying over 500 activists is set to depart from Turkey on Thursday in a renewed attempt to defy Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, despite prior interceptions and ongoing threats. Organizers of the Global Resilience Flotilla announced in Marmaris, southwestern Turkey, t»»»

Former Nigerian minister sentenced to 75 years in rare corruption verdict 7 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMakuochi OkaforBBC Africa, Lagos Nigeria's power ministryJust weeks before he was sentenced, Mamman announced he intended to run for state governor Saleh Mamman, a former Nigeri»»»

Dubai: More than 100 people were killed after violent dust storms, heavy rain and lightning tore through India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, flattening homes, uprooting trees and plunging large areas into chaos, according to reports by Reuters, AP News and NDTV. The powerful storm system »»»

In a significant move to secure long-term energy supplies, Turkish energy company Boru Hatları ile Petrol Taşıma AŞ (Botas) has signed a 10-year agreement with France’s TotalEnergies to purchase 16 billion cubic metres of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The landmark deal, set to commence in 2027, was »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Criminal Court of First Instance issued a sentence of four years imprisonment to a Qatari employee and four individuals of Arab nationalities, while acquitting one defendant for bribery, abuse of power and money laundering. This comes following the Public Prosecutor's referral of t»»»

Conservationists are preparing eleven young Egyptian vultures for release into the wild, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) announced on Thursday. This is the largest group of young Egyptian vultures that is about to start a new life in freedom. Two of the birds were donated t»»»

DUBAI: In recent weeks global headlines have focused on a cluster of hantavirus cases diagnosed on the trans-Atlantic cruise ship the MV Hondius. For many, the spread of the rare disease on the ship and the subsequent quarantining of its passengers induced flashbacks of the global pandemic years pr»»»

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday condemned Norway’s move to revoke the export license for a naval missile system for Malaysia’s navy, warning it could damage confidence in European defense suppliers. Anwar said he raised Malaysia’s “vehement objection” during a phone»»»

DUBAI: Iran ‌has begun allowing some Chinese vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz following an understanding over Iranian management protocols for the waterway, the semi-official Fars news agency said on Thursday, citing an informed source. The Fars report came as US President Donald Tru»»»

Daily water consumption in the Iranian capital Tehran has climbed to nearly three billion litres before the start of summer, with reservoirs sitting at just 22% of capacity, according to newly released information on May 14 by state media. »»»

Iran's judiciary has defended the detention of American oil tankers in Iranian waters as a legitimate act backed by domestic law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, its press service said on May 14. »»»

Iran's judiciary has defended the detention of American oil tankers in Iranian waters as a legitimate act backed by domestic law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, its press service said on May 14. »»»

Iran's judiciary has defended the detention of American oil tankers in Iranian waters as a legitimate act backed by domestic law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, its press service said on May 14. »»»

As geopolitical instability redraws Eurasian trade routes, the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) says the South Caucasus is emerging as an increasingly important transit bridge between Europe and Asia. Yet while Georgia currently dominates this east-west corridor, mounting political tensions with We»»»

As geopolitical instability redraws Eurasian trade routes, the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) says the South Caucasus is emerging as an increasingly important transit bridge between Europe and Asia. Yet while Georgia currently dominates this east-west corridor, mounting political tensions with We»»»

The US signalled a major shift in its approach to Bosnia & Herzegovina’s international oversight on May 12, saying the next international peace envoy should have a reduced mandate, a stance that exposed growing differences among Western powers over how quickly the Balkan country should be left »»»

At the Hungarian National Bank's (MNB’s) FX swap tender providing euro liquidity, the central bank of Hungary has reduced the maximum allowable swappoints, effectively lowering the annualised forint yield by around 50bp to 5.25%, MBH Bank said in a note on May 13, according to financial website&nbs»»»