The Swiss canton of Valais has banned pyrotechnic devices in all indoor public venues following the devastating fire at a bar on New Year's Eve where 40 people were killed and 116 were injured. Authorities said each of the victims would get a 10,000 franc ($12,500; £9,200) emergency payment, with a»»»

Actress Beverley Callard has swapped one iconic soap opera for another as it has been announced she is joining the cast of Fair City. Callard, best known for her role as Liz McDonald on Coronation Street, will play a new character called Lily. She joined the cast of the cobbles with her on screen h»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia strongly condemns Ukraine's attack on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) oil tankers, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. "On January 13, oil tankers chartered to transport Kazakh oil in the interests of foreign consumers were attacke»»»

The majority of Palestinian factions and the presidency offered their support for the Palestinian technocratic committee meant to govern Gaza, after mediator Egypt announced on Wednesday that all parties had agreed on its members. In a statement, Palestinian factions including Hamas and Islamic Jih»»»

Dubai: Iran’s protests, which began as demonstrations over worsening economic conditions, have intensified into one of the most serious challenges to clerical rule in decades, drawing a deadly response from security forces and pushing the country toward a broader confrontation with the outside worl»»»

GERB supports the proposed amendments to the Election Code introducing voting with scanning machines, party leader Boyko Borissov said in a post on Facebook on Wednesday. According to him, the aim is to eliminate the human factor in order to avoid errors in vote counting. Borissov added that if a c»»»

A man arrested in connection with the current wave of protests in Iran has been sentenced to death and told he faces imminent execution, his family and a human rights group say. Erfan Soltani, 26, was arrested last Thursday in the city of Fardis, just west of Tehran. Days later, authorities informe»»»

Skopje, 14 January 2026 (MIA) — Wednesday's almost three-hour meeting of political party leaders initiated by Prime Minister and VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski was surprisingly constructive, Levica leader Dimitar Apasiev told a press conference Wednesday. According to Apasiev, this was the fi»»»

Cairo: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Wednesday that Cairo would take all necessary measures to preserve Sudan's unity, as the neighbouring country approaches its fourth year of war between the army and its paramilitary rivals. Speaking at a press conference with the UN secretary-»»»

Doha: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a written message from President of the Republic of Guinea HE Mamady Doumbouya, pertaining to enhancing bilateral relations and ways to support and develop them. Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul»»»

President Donald Trump’s first choice to serve as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia is defending her use of the title despite a judge ruling she was unconstitutionally appointed. File Pool Photo by Al Drago/EPA Jan. 14 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump's first choice to serve as U.S.»»»

Supporters of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni canvas for votes in Kampala, Uganda, Tuesday. Eight presidential candidates, including Museveni and Bobi Wine, are vying for the presidency in Uganda. Museveni seeks a seventh term after four decades in power. Photo by Isaac Kasamani/EPA Jan. 14 (UPI)»»»

Inventor Michael Wallhead said his motorized trash can, which holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest wheelie bin, can now reach a speed of 66 mph. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records Jan. 13 (UPI) -- A British inventor said his tricked-out trash can that broke the Guinness World Recor»»»

Jan. 13 (UPI) -- A Connecticut family's Great Dane, named Minnie, is officially the tallest female dog in the world, standing at 3 feet and 2 inches from floor to withers. Minnie arrived at the North Stonington home of owners Ken and Lisa Nogacek when she was just 2 months old, and quickly started »»»

The White House has defended US President Donald Trump after he aimed an offensive gesture at a heckler during his appearance at a Ford factory in Detroit on Tuesday. Footage of the incident published by TMZ appears to show the president responding to a man who shouted at him from afar. The White H»»»

An investigation by open-source researcher Ahmad Baydoun highlights Israel's use of white phosphorus munitions during the recent conflict with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon between October 2023 and November 2024. Although not explicitly prohibited by international law, the use of white phosphorus i»»»

Until 1984, there was no road connecting the oasis of Siwa and its 8,000 Bedouin residents with the rest of Egypt. Lost deep in the desert near the Libyan border, the country's most remote oasis was long unknown to tourists. But over the past decade, videos of visitors floating in turquoise salt la»»»

Iran's judiciary chief on Wednesday called for fast-track trials for detained protesters, despite US President Donald Trump's threat of "very strong action" if the Islamic republic goes ahead with executions. It came as the verified death toll of people killed in a crackdown on protesters passed th»»»

Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Ports and Borders Security Council, participated in the World Safety Summit 2026, convened in Dubai. The event, by the General Command of Dubai Civil Defense, gathered representatives spanning 64 countries alongside 31 organis»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs HE Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi issued a decision regulating the Preliminary Real Estate Register, defining its data and procedures, as part of the executive measures of Law No. (6) of 2014 regulating the real estate sector »»»

A big stress test for the West's rules-based order, or will French judges take it all in their stride? It's the opening day of Marine Le Pen's appeal against a corruption conviction that for now bars the far-right frontrunner from the 2027 presidential race. With the verdict expected in July, that'»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a telephone conversation today with Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan HE Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. During the call, they discussed the latest regional and international developments of mutual concern, particularly ways to»»»

There were 928,839 migrants identified in Libya by the IOM Libya’s DTM Round 59 covering August to October 2025. These migrants were across 663 assessed communities. There were migrants from 44 different nationalities with 66 percent originating from the MENA region. The top nationalities were Suda»»»

Riyadh: The Follow-Up Committee stemming from the Joint Qatari-Saudi Business Council held a meeting in Riyadh, chaired by Hamad bin Ali Al Shuwair, Chairman of the Joint Qatari-Saudi Business Council, and Eng. Ali bin Abdullatif Al Misnad, Qatar Chamber Board Member and Member of the Qatari-Saudi »»»

According to an EU climate monitor, 2025 ranked as the third hottest year on record, with no significant cooling expected this year. In its annual report, the Copernicus Climate Change Service said the past 11 years have been the warmest ever recorded, with 2024 the hottest and 2023 close behind. D»»»

Hours before Election Code amendments would be considered by the parliamentary Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs on Wednesday, politicians commented on ideas concerning possible changes to election rules. Machine voting and its possible abolition, preservation or transformation were the»»»

The National Assembly has approved at first reading a bill to amend and supplement the Direct Citizen Participation in State and Local Government Act. Some of the draft provisions foresee making it easier to collect signatures and submit proposals for holding referendums. The bill was submitted by »»»

A group of US senators has introduced legislation that would prohibit naming or renaming federal buildings, land, and other government property after sitting presidents. The move aims to counter US President Donald Trump’s efforts to link his personal brand to public infrastructure and programs. US»»»

France is growing increasingly concerned over Germany’s military buildup, fearing it will tilt the military and political balance in Europe and undermine its influence on the continent, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing sources. According to the agency, France is “watching with both awe and une»»»

Doha, Qatar: Metrolink announced service updates affecting several bus routes on January 15 and 16, 2026, according to a post shared on its X account. Under the first update, routes M143 and M144 will operate from alternative starting points throughout the day on January 15,16. M143 will operate fr»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, during which they discussed the situation in Venezuela, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. "The leaders exchanged views on current international issues, with a focus on the »»»

Anthony Larkin, meat manager of the Richmond Heights Schnucks Market, stocks the freezer section with Thanksgiving turkeys on the first day of sales in Richmond Heights, Mo., in November 2022. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Wholesale inflation rose by 0.2% in Nov»»»

A large sinkhole opened Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of two downtown streets in Pangrati, central Athens. Traffic police quickly arrived on the scene, closing Vasileos Georgiou B’ from Spyrou Merkouri Street and Iophon from its junction with Ergotimou. Relevant municipal crews have cordo»»»

A German teenager who went missing last week in southern Greece has been seen at an Athens jeweller’s unsuccessfully trying to raise money by selling jewellery, according to new testimony police have received. State ERT television reported Wednesday that 16-year-old Laura, reported missing on Janua»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plane has returned to Israel following a flight to Crete. Benjamin Netanyahu's plane, the Wing of Zion, flew to the Greek island of Crete on Wednesday as tensions rose over a possible military clash with Iran, according to FlightRadar24 flight tracking da»»»

Dubai: The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai on Wednesday released a new set of images captured by MBZ-SAT, coinciding with the anniversary of the satellite’s launch. The region's most advanced satellite was launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, on 14 Jan»»»

DOHA: The National Sports Day 2026 Committee has announced details of the upcoming edition of the events, which will launch across the country in February under the slogan 'I Chose Sport'. The aim is to reinforce awareness of the importance of practising sports as a lifestyle and for sustainable he»»»

A portrait of President Donald Trump is on display at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery on Monday. The museum removed reference to Trump's two impeachments during his first term from the accompanying portrait plaque when replacing the portrait of him in the "America's Presidents" exhibit. P»»»

The Sirte-based National Development Agency (NDA) reported yesterday that it had received a high-level government delegation from the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Oman Investment Authority, accompanied by representatives from leading Omani companies, including Oman Aviation Investment Comp»»»

On Thursday, Bulgaria will enjoy mostly sunny weather, though clouds are expected to increase from the northeast as the day progresses, according to the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH). In the morning, fog may reduce visibility, particularly along the Danube. Winds will be li»»»

BELGRADE - National Bank of Serbia (NBS) gross FX reserves stood at 29,008.3 mln euros at end-December 2025, down by 358.3 mln euros m-o-m and by 286.2 mln euros y-o-y. In a statement, the NBS said the reserves "covered 155.8 pct of money supply M1 and 6.8 months’ worth of the country’s import of g»»»

Washington: Apple launched its new bundle, Apple Creator Studio, featuring creative apps in one service. The bundle includes notable apps in photo and video editing, such as Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro, available in Mac and iPad, in addition to a special content and AI-supported fe»»»

Dubai: Dubai Chamber of Commerce said its members’ exports and re-exports reached a record Dh356.5 billion in 2025, the highest annual total in the chamber’s history, as trade volumes and business registrations rose across multiple sectors. The chamber said the performance highlights sustained mome»»»

The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says he has been informed that Elon Musk's X is "acting to ensure full compliance with UK law" over sexualised deepfakes produced by its AI tool, Grok. There has been a fierce backlash to the images made using Grok and widely shared on X. It prompted the regulato»»»

Cars light the way in an almost totally blacked-out downtown Kyiv on Tuesday night as the Ukrainian capital is gripped by severe power outages from Russian drone and missile strikes targeting its energy infrastructure that have intensified in recent days. Photo by Maxym Marusenko/EPA Jan. 14 (UPI) »»»

Ten British "far-right activists" have been banned from France after engaging in actions to stop migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, the French interior ministry said on Wednesday. It said the activists, who belonged to a group called Raise the Colours, had been searching for and »»»

Some personnel have been told to depart the United States' Al Udeid military base in Qatar, two diplomatic sources told AFP on Wednesday, after Washington threatened to respond to a government crackdown on protests in Iran. A number of personnel were asked to leave the base by Wednesday evening, on»»»

Iran's deadly crackdown on protesters and U.S. warnings of intervention are being closely watched by neighboring countries in the Middle East. Here is how the crisis is regarded by some of the region's key players: - Israel - Iran's long-time foe Israel has openly backed the protesters and expresse»»»

Health experts in Bulgaria are advocating for the introduction of a tax on sweetened soft drinks as part of a broader effort to curb non-communicable diseases. According to specialists from Health Metrics, a company that collects and analyzes health, social, and economic data to guide policy decisi»»»