WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna vowed to hold Ukrainian officials accountable for church seizures. "This morning I received a video appeal from Orthodox Christians in Kuzmyn, Ukraine asking for protection as the local authorities move to seize their church, a church built »»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said Washington will get billions, and possibly trillions, of dollars from selling Venezuelan oil. "We're taking billions and billions of dollars worth of oil, and it'll be hundreds of billions of dollars. It'll be trillions of dollars, but we're goi»»»

Maksat Kocherov, Director of the Department of Chemicalization, Plant Protection, and Quarantine at the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan, conducted an unscheduled inspection of Ak-Tilek and Kant phytosanitary control points, located near the Kyrgyz-Kaz»»»

An earthquake occurred in Tajikistan and was felt in Kyrgyzstan, the Institute of Seismology of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. According to the institute, underground tremors measuring 6.5 in magnitude were recorded at 3:14 a.m. The epicenter of the earthquake was»»»

A mountain of rubbish collapsed at a landfill in the central Philippines on Thursday, killing a 22-year-old woman and leaving 38 people missing, athorities said. Rescuers pulled 12 injured sanitation workers from debris at the Binaliw Landfill in Cebu City, who were later hospitalised. Many of the »»»

Dubai: Commuters in Dubai and Sharjah are facing a dense start to the weekend this Friday morning, January 9, 2026. Real-time data from Google Maps and Waze indicate that the morning rush is particularly heavy as residents navigate the tail end of a busy week. Ongoing infrastructure projects, coupl»»»

Only death can separate my friendship with Sadyr Japarov. The head of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) of Kyrgyzstan, Kamchybek Tashiev, stated in the documentary film President, when speaking about his relationship with President Sadyr Japarov. According to him, their relationship »»»

A section of Alymbek Datka Street in Osh has been closed to traffic since 8 a.m. The City Hall reported. The closure involves the section from Aitiev Street to Asylkan. Traffic will reopen at 8 p.m. The section is closed due to irrigation infrastructure development work on the road. Residents and v»»»

Manila: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spearheaded the grand inauguration of the Camalaniugan Bridge in Cagayan on Thursday, hailing it as a milestone that will supercharge connectivity and economic growth across Northern Luzon. Spanning the mighty Cagayan River, this 1.4-km marvel links the bustli»»»

On January 3, 2026, officers from Kurshab rural police department of Uzgen district police department, abusing their official position, illegally detained two citizens and used physical violence without drawing up the appropriate procedural documents. As a result, citizen A.B. suffered serious bodi»»»

Contacts regarding a potential security agreement between Israel and Syria were renewed this week following several prior rounds of talks. Delegations from both sides, along with senior American officials, met in Paris and agreed on their “commitment to strive toward security arrangements and stabi»»»

The muftiyat of Kyrgyzstan has called on citizens planning to perform Umrah, as well as tour companies, to consider potential risks and organize the pilgrimage responsibly. The Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan (SDMK) noted that in recent days, sudden changes in weather conditions, fog»»»

The EU is set to pass a trade deal with South American trade bloc Mercosur after Brussels unveiled new concessions this week. HSBC has agreed to pay nearly 268 million euros to the French treasury to settle up a case over fraud on dividend tax payments. And, protest from hundreds of UK pubs over hi»»»

The UK and France are in the grip of Storm Goretti, a powerful "weather bomb" bringing intense winds, heavy rain, and thundersnow. As of January 9, 2026, the storm has started to unleashed chaos, knocking out power lines, shuttering schools, closing rail lines. rail and roads. Central Britain bears»»»

Over the past 50 years, Iran has been shaken by a series of protests. Beginning with the demonstrations that led to the founding of the Islamic Republic to now, here's a brief look at the protests and what fueled them. Also In This Package Iran: How economic protests have played out before Latest i»»»

President Lee’s sudden announcement of a visit to Japan from January 13 signals a renewed effort by Seoul and Tokyo to stabilise a relationship that has oscillated between pragmatic cooperation and deep mistrust. While officially framed as a routine diplomatic engagement, the timing – on the back o»»»

Washington’s military operation in Venezuela has reverberated far beyond Latin America, unsettling assumptions about restraint, sovereignty and the limits of international law around the world. By prioritising access to Venezuelan energy and signalling a readiness to use force against a much weaker»»»

President Lee’s sudden announcement of a visit to Japan from January 13 signals a renewed effort by Seoul and Tokyo to stabilise a relationship that has oscillated between pragmatic cooperation and deep mistrust. While officially framed as a routine diplomatic engagement, the timing – on the back o»»»

President Lee’s sudden announcement of a visit to Japan from January 13 signals a renewed effort by Seoul and Tokyo to stabilise a relationship that has oscillated between pragmatic cooperation and deep mistrust. While officially framed as a routine diplomatic engagement, the timing – on the back o»»»

President Donald Trump has intensified his administration’s retreat from global cooperation by announcing the US will withdraw from 66 international organisations, including several key institutions responsible for coordinating global climate action. »»»

President Lee’s sudden announcement of a visit to Japan from January 13 signals a renewed effort by Seoul and Tokyo to stabilise a relationship that has oscillated between pragmatic cooperation and deep mistrust. While officially framed as a routine diplomatic engagement, the timing – on the back o»»»

India’s bank credit growth strengthened in November 2025, supported by improved lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), a pickup in vehicle loans and a recovery in credit to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), even as retail and parts of the services sector showed signs of mode»»»

President Donald Trump has intensified his administration’s retreat from global cooperation by announcing the US will withdraw from 66 international organisations, including several key institutions responsible for coordinating global climate action. »»»

President Lee’s sudden announcement of a visit to Japan from January 13 signals a renewed effort by Seoul and Tokyo to stabilise a relationship that has oscillated between pragmatic cooperation and deep mistrust. While officially framed as a routine diplomatic engagement, the timing – on the back o»»»

Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela's Interior Minister, has claimed that 100 people died in the US military operation that extracted Nicolás Maduro from Caracas on January 3, a figure that vastly exceeds confirmed casualty counts and appears designed to construct a martyr narrative for a regime now negoti»»»

Washington’s military operation in Venezuela has reverberated far beyond Latin America, unsettling assumptions about restraint, sovereignty and the limits of international law around the world. By prioritising access to Venezuelan energy and signalling a readiness to use force against a much weaker»»»

Venezuela's National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez announced on January 8 the release of "a significant number" of political prisoners, both Venezuelan and foreign, in a calculated move demonstrating the interim government's willingness to meet US demands following Nicolás Maduro's ouster. »»»

Washington’s military operation in Venezuela has reverberated far beyond Latin America, unsettling assumptions about restraint, sovereignty and the limits of international law around the world. By prioritising access to Venezuelan energy and signalling a readiness to use force against a much weaker»»»

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed legislation on January 8 that would have substantially shortened the prison term of his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of coup plotting last year. The vet»»»

Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela's Interior Minister, has claimed that 100 people died in the US military operation that extracted Nicolás Maduro from Caracas on January 3, a figure that vastly exceeds confirmed casualty counts and appears designed to construct a martyr narrative for a regime now negoti»»»

Venezuela's National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez announced on January 8 the release of "a significant number" of political prisoners, both Venezuelan and foreign, in a calculated move demonstrating the interim government's willingness to meet US demands following Nicolás Maduro's ouster. »»»

President Donald Trump has intensified his administration’s retreat from global cooperation by announcing the US will withdraw from 66 international organisations, including several key institutions responsible for coordinating global climate action. »»»

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed legislation on January 8 that would have substantially shortened the prison term of his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of coup plotting last year. The vet»»»

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold an extraordinary meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers on Saturday (January 10) to discuss escalating political developments in Somalia, the organisation’s General Secretariat said. »»»

India’s bank credit growth strengthened in November 2025, supported by improved lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), a pickup in vehicle loans and a recovery in credit to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), even as retail and parts of the services sector showed signs of mode»»»

India’s bank credit growth strengthened in November 2025, supported by improved lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), a pickup in vehicle loans and a recovery in credit to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), even as retail and parts of the services sector showed signs of mode»»»

President Donald Trump has intensified his administration’s retreat from global cooperation by announcing the US will withdraw from 66 international organisations, including several key institutions responsible for coordinating global climate action. »»»

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold an extraordinary meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers on Saturday (January 10) to discuss escalating political developments in Somalia, the organisation’s General Secretariat said. »»»

Mass demonstrations in Tehran continued into early morning on January 9, with large crowds answering an 8pm call to protest by the country's exiled former crown prince. Fresh clashes in some districts have been captured on video by bne IntelliNews, along with reports of expanding strikes »»»

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has advised all Ukrainian nationals to leave Iran due to the deteriorating security situation, the ministry's press service said on January 8. Iran has faced sustained economic pressure from curr»»»

Iran has imposed a near-total internet shutdown and disrupted telephone services across large parts of the country as nighttime protests escalated in Tehran and other cities early on January 9. Data from monitoring group N»»»

Iran has been shaken by its largest anti-government demonstrations in years overnight, with vast crowds filling streets in Tehran and a number of other major provincial cities, according to verified videos circulating online. »»»

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold an extraordinary meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers on Saturday (January 10) to discuss escalating political developments in Somalia, the organisation’s General Secretariat said. »»»

Turkey’s Treasury on January 7 raised $3.5bn from the sale of two eurobonds, the finance ministry said on January 8. A seven-year $2bn paper (US900123DT49) will pay a 6.30% coupon and offers a yield-to-inves»»»

Turkey’s Treasury on January 7 raised $3.5bn from the sale of two eurobonds, the finance ministry said on January 8. A seven-year $2bn paper (US900123DT49) will pay a 6.30% coupon and offers a yield-to-inves»»»

The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) has moved decisively beyond its origins as a cultural and linguistic forum, increasingly positioning itself as a regional platform for defence and security cooperation. The October 2»»»

The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) has moved decisively beyond its origins as a cultural and linguistic forum, increasingly positioning itself as a regional platform for defence and security cooperation. The October 2»»»

ED – this is part of bne IntelliNews annual series of OUTLOOK 2026 for the upcoming year, where we make a forward-looking assessment for all of the major Global Emerging Markets in Emerging Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, drawing on insightful reporting from our bureaus aro»»»

Western Balkan countries need to move faster to wean themselves off Russian energy, integrate more deeply into the European Union’s electricity market and accelerate the shift away from coal if they are to strengthen their security and advance their EU ambitions, according to a new report published»»»

ED – this is part of bne IntelliNews annual series of OUTLOOK 2026 for the upcoming year, where we make a forward-looking assessment for all of the major Global Emerging Markets in Emerging Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, drawing on insightful reporting from our bureaus aro»»»