The President will hand over a government-forming mandate to the prime minister designate of this National Assembly's second-largest parliamentary group, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the head of State's press centre said. The previous mandate - to GERB-UDF - w»»»

Doha, Qatar: Ahlibank has announced the official opening of its new branch at Doha Oasis, marking a strategic step in the Bank’s ongoing efforts to enhance accessibility, elevate customer experience, and strengthen its presence within key lifestyle and commercial hubs across the State of Qatar. The»»»

Doha, Qatar: Dukhan Bank announced its financial results for the year-ended December 31, 2025 reporting another record annual net profit of QR1.41bn, representing a 5% growth compared to the last year. Commenting on the Bank’s achievements, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani Executive Bo»»»

Doha, Qatar: The United States said Qatar is set to play a central role in shaping the emerging artificial intelligence-era (AI) economic order, citing the country’s growing investments in advanced technology, secure energy systems, and resilient supply chains. The assessment came as Washington wel»»»

Doha, Qatar: Spaniard Nani Roma headed a Ford one-two with compatriot Carlos Sainz to take the lead in the Dakar Rally car standings as overnight leader Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah dropped to third following a demanding ninth stage in the Saudi Arabian desert yesterday. Despite losing the overall lea»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar bowed out of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 after a 0-2 defeat to defending champions Japan in their final Group B game yesterday. Qatar, coached by Ilidio Vale, were playing for a consolation win after exiting the knockout race with defeats to the United Arab Emirates »»»

Rabat: Three years after they last appeared together, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah meet again today on opposing sides as Senegal and Egypt clash for a place in the Africa Cup of Nations final. The last-four showdown in the Moroccan city of Tangiers will be the first time the former Liverpool teamma»»»

At least 22 people were dead in northeastern Thailand on Tuesday after a crane collapsed onto a passenger train. Photo courtesy of State Railway of Thailand/Facebook Jan. 14 (UPI) -- A construction crane collapsed Tuesday on a train with nearly 200 people aboard in northeastern Thailand, killing at»»»

The latest postponement of the deposit system for beverage packaging waste to 2029, which is the deadline under the EU regulation, will be paid for by everyone in Bulgaria, Modern Trade Association Executive Director Nikolay Valkanov told BTA. "The truth is that we are already behind schedule," he »»»

A Palestinian source from the Fatah movement told Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday that “indirect” meetings among Palestinian factions have begun in Cairo to discuss advancing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, particularly the formation of the committee to run the enclave, ahead of a broa»»»

Doha, Qatar: Al Sadd endured a shaky start by their standards to their Qatar Stars League (QSL) title defence, losing three of their first seven matches at the beginning of the season. Defeats to Qatar SC, Al Shahania and Al Arabi pushed the Wolves down the standings early on, raising questions ove»»»

Speaker of the Zhogorku Kenesh Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu has called for a complete abolition of tender procedures in the implementation of construction projects. He made the statement at a parliamentary session. According to him, the current public procurement system significantly delays the start o»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai climbed to a fresh all-time high on Wednesday morning, extending a rally that has gathered pace since the start of the year as investors seek safety amid geopolitical tension and uncertainty around US monetary policy. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices »»»

Dubai: Salary-Calculator.ai, a financial technology platform focused on cross-border income transparency, has officially launched its global net salary calculator designed for professionals in the Gulf considering overseas employment opportunities. The platform enables users in the UAE, Saudi Arabi»»»

Doha, Qatar: Japan has reaffirmed the strength of its strategic partnership with Qatar and expressed strong appreciation for Doha’s growing role as a key international mediator, as senior officials from both countries convened in Doha for the Third Qatar–Japan Strategic Dialogue. The dialogue, co-c»»»

Donald Trump is the only world leader capable of stopping Vladimir Putin from threatening Europe, according to Poland's President Karol Nawrocki. In an interview with Radio 4's Today programme he said the Russian leader was not to be trusted, but that Europe needed to do everything it could to supp»»»

President Donald Trump has said the US will take "very strong action" against Iran if it executes protesters, as rights groups say more than 2,400 anti-government demonstrators have been killed in a violent crackdown by Iranian authorities. Relatives of 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, who was detained l»»»

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef said on Tuesday the Kingdom is intensifying its efforts, through the Future Minerals Forum and by reshaping long-standing negative perceptions of the sector, to encourage investors worldwide to reassess the value of mining investmen»»»

Dubai: Filipino indie folk-pop sensation Ben&Ben will perform on the Main Stage at Global Village on Saturday, 7 February 2026 at 9pm. The band, known for their emotionally-charged lyrics, has captured audiences across the Philippines and internationally, establishing themselves as one of the regio»»»

President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov has signed amendments to the Law «On the Rules of Procedure of the Zhogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic,» the presidential press service reported. The law was adopted by Parliament on December 24, 2025, and is aimed at optimizing the work of the Parl»»»

More than 1,500 citizens of Kyrgyzstan are currently serving prison sentences abroad, with about 1,000 of them held in correctional facilities in Russia. Deputy of Parliament Baktiyar Kalpaev stated at a parliamentary session. «They need to be brought back to Kyrgyzstan, as there is a risk that the»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Environment and Climate Change H E Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie launched the State of the Environment Report for Qatar 2025 yesterday. The report dealt with the current environmental conditions in Qatar, highlighting key challenges and achievements, as wel»»»

The new plenary session of Parliament begins on Wednesday. On the agenda are draft amendments submitted by various parliamentary groups. The MPs will review draft revisions to the National Service for Protection Act and to the Judiciary Act, tabled by Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria. Mora»»»

Since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump has tightened trade policy. He imposed tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, raised them for China, and then announced tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automobile imports, including those from the EU. China-US trade fell by 18.7% yea»»»

Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Riyadh has emerged as the “global capital of mining” by hosting the fifth ministerial roundtable of the Future Minerals Forum 2026. The meeting was not merely a forum for discussion, but a platform to launch a new p»»»

A fire broke out at Choluk Ata market in Naryn. The regional department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported. According to preliminary reports, the fire started in one of the rooms of a hair salon located on the market premises. Fire crews from Naryn city and district departments of the»»»

The India Blockchain Alliance (IBA) and TheBlock. today announced the launch of a strategic partnership and to set up the UAE–India Web3 & AI Business Corridor, a strategic cross-border initiative aimed at deepening technology collaboration, accelerating innovation, and unlocking long-term economic»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Museums, in collaboration with Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), yesterday launched the Lusail Museum Conversations, and the first season of the series will explore lesser-known stories from the late Ottoman period and how they shaped the modern Middle East region. The event»»»

A senior Iranian official responded Tuesday to US President Donald Trump’s latest threat to intervene in deadly protests, saying that the US and Israel will be the ones responsible for the death of Iranian civilians. Shortly after Trump’s social media post urging Iranians to “take over” government »»»

Family Medicine Centers in Osh have begun operating seven days a week due to a rise in cases of acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) and pneumonia. The regional office of the Ministry of Health of Kyrgyzstan reported. According to it, the enhanced work schedule was introduced to ensure timely »»»

Three flights arriving from Sharm el-Sheikh, Istanbul, and Moscow were delayed at Bishkek’s Manas International Airport due to dense fog. Currently, visibility near the airport is 175 meters, while the minimum required is 800 meters. According to the airport’s press service, the flight from Egypt w»»»

US President Donald Trump warned of unspecified "very strong action" if Iranian authorities go ahead with threatened hangings of some protesters, with Tehran calling American warnings a "pretext for military intervention". International outrage has built over the crackdown that a rights group said »»»

Police officers have detained suspects in the kidnapping of a woman for the purpose of marriage, the press service of the Main Department of Internal Affairs of Chui region reported. According to the department, the crime occurred in the village of Kozhomkul (Voenno-Antonovka). On the night of Janu»»»

The Kyrgyz Republic’s economy will continue to grow in 2026, driven by domestic demand, investment, and government spending. Bakyt Dubashov, Senior Economist at the World Bank Group, stated. According to him, domestic economic stimulus will be the key driver of growth. Specifically, private consump»»»

It's crunch time. The US Vice President, JD Vance, is hosting the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers, as well as their US counterpart, Marco Rubio, in the White House on Wednesday. The focus of the talks: the future of the world's biggest island, Greenland. There is a large digital news ticke»»»

Greece ranked fourth worldwide among the most powerful passports, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, using data from the International Air Transport Association. Greek passport holders can travel without a visa to 185 destinations, placing the country in a shared fourth position with ni»»»

Kyrgyzstan is introducing average speed control on its roads. It was announced at a meeting of the parliamentary committee on law and order. Deputy Interior Minister Oktyabr Urmambetov reported that a pilot testing of the average speed monitoring system is underway on Bishkek—Tokmok highway. Accord»»»

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates welcomed the announcement by the administration of US President Donald Trump designating several branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt as terrorist organisations. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that the »»»

Dubai: Parkin is introducing several digital enhancements designed to make parking more efficient for residents, visitors, and businesses. The company’s latest update integrates multiple permit services directly into the Parkin app, allowing customers to manage parking access through one unified pl»»»

The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) published new data on demographics, migration levels and life expectancy in the EAEU countries in its report «Demographics in Figures. Statistics of the Eurasian Economic Union.» According to the study, Russia has the largest population among the five member s»»»

Senators Murkowski (R-AK) and Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the NATO Unity Protection Act, prohibiting the use of Pentagon or State Department funds to blockade, occupy, annex, or control any NATO ally’s sovereign territory without their consent. The bill is a direct bipartisan rebuke of Trump administ»»»

Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies conducted searches targeting David Arakhamia, head of Zelensky’s parliamentary bloc, over allegations of bribery for votes on legislation, Obozrevatel website reported. The leader of the Ukrainian party Batkivshchyna, Yulia Tymoshenko, and the head of Volodymyr Zele»»»

At least four civilians, including a four-year-old child, were injured in the Russian southern city of Rostov-on-Don as a result of a Ukrainian air attack, the Rostov Region’s acting Governor Yury Slyusar said. "As a result of the air strike, four residents of Rostov and the Myasnikovsky district w»»»

The press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision has reported an improvement in the environmental situation at Issyk-Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan. According to the ministry, the environmental and technical supervision service continues its round-the-clock monitor»»»

Dubai: Trust Ajith Kumar to turn a Abu Dhabi 24H endurance race at the Yas Marina Circuit earlier this week into a glorious reunion. What caught our eye was how music composer Anirudh Ravichander dropped in to meet the actor during the race weekend. Photos of the Vidaamuyarchi collaborators togethe»»»

US President Donald J. Trump told those in attendance Tuesday at the Detroit Economic Club that he is freezing all federal funds to so-called sanctuary jurisdictions. Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI | License Photo Jan. 13 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he plans to freeze federal funds to »»»

An Abu Dhabi commercial court has ordered an insurance company to pay Dh602,296 to another insurer, ruling that the amount represents outstanding claims linked to 73 road accidents caused by drivers insured by the defendant company. The court said the claimant insurer had settled compensation payme»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Federal Supreme Court has rejected an appeal filed by a bank customer who sought to overturn a ruling allowing the enforcement of a cheque worth Dh2.3 million in favour of the bank. The customer had challenged an earlier decision that placed an enforcement formula on the cheque, argu»»»

The government has dropped plans requiring workers to sign up to its digital ID scheme in order to prove their right to work in the UK, the BBC understands. By 2029, right to work checks will be done digitally – for example by using biometric passports – but registering with the new digital ID prog»»»

Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat on a segregated Alabama bus in 1955, months before Rosa Parks, has died aged 86, her foundation said on Tuesday. Colvin was 15 at the time. Her foundation said she left a legacy of courage that helped change American history. Claudette Col»»»