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. »»»

RIYADH: Students looking for an American higher education in Riyadh can now apply for a place at the first accredited US university in the Kingdom. At 106 years old, the University of New Haven is officially the first American university to receive a foreign branch campus license from the Ministry »»»

RIYADH: Officials and institutions continued their extensive preparations on Thursday for the upcoming Hajj season which is expected to host more than 1.5 million pilgrims from abroad. Prince Saud bin Mishaal, the deputy governor of the Makkah Region, and Gov. of Jeddah Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin»»»

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»»»

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping shook hands ahead of bilateral talks in Beijing on Thursday, marking the first visit by a US president to China since 2017. In his opening remarks, Xi said he had always believed that the two countries “have more common interests than differences.” “A stable b»»»

DUBAI: The Red Sea Film Foundation gathered actors, filmmakers and industry executives on the French Riviera on Wednesday for its annual Women in Cinema luncheon and press day, held alongside the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The event celebrated women creatives from the Arab world, Asi»»»

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 »»»

BELGRADE - The first Business Summit, to be held in Belgrade on Friday, will bring together top Serbian and international leaders in business, politics and banking who will address key economic, business, political and tech and innovation topics. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, PM Djuro Macut, »»»

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»»»

KYIV: The International Atomic Energy Agency ​said on Thursday it has been informed of a major increase in ‌drone ‌activity ​near ‌Ukrainian ⁠nuclear ​power plant ⁠sites this week, with more than 160 UAVs recorded ⁠flying in the ‌vicinity ‌of the ​South ‌Ukraine, Chornobyl, ‌and Rivne NPP sites on »»»

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,” »»»

PARIS: France’s health minister said Thursday that 26 people in France identified as close contacts of hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship had tested negative for the illness. Dutch authorities said that all people who arrived in the Netherlands on evacuation flights from the ship»»»

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 »»»

Havana: Cuba was hit by worsening power outages on Thursday as the island's government said oil reserves had run out and rare protests broke out around the capital Havana. Eastern Cuba was plunged Thursday into the latest of regular electricity shutdowns affecting the whole country, while people pr»»»

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»»»

A total of 2,063 reports about children at risk were registered in 2025 by the State Agency for Child Protection. The National Child Helpline at 116 111 received 25,356 calls, which led to 13,078 psychological support consultations, said Deputy Chair Ivayla Kasarova on Thursday during a conference »»»

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»»»

Dozens of ships set sail from southwestern Türkiye as part of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla on Thursday, an organizer told AFP. "Around 50 ships sailed from Marmaris around an hour ago," Gorkem Duru, a member of the Türkiye branch of the Global Sumud Fleet said. "They will be joined by four or five shi»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Transport is taking part in the UK Rail 2026, which concludes today at the NEC, Birmingham. In a statement by the Ministry, the MOT’s participation comes within the framework of its approach that aims at solidifying its successful partnerships and constructive dialogues»»»

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 »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia must independently produce critically important goods, all modern challenges have proved this, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. "Life itself, the challenges we faced, proved the correctness of the thesis that we need to independently produce critically im»»»

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 »»»

Paris, France: France's health minister said Thursday that 26 people in France identified as close contacts of hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship had tested negative for the illness. Dutch authorities said that all people who arrived in the Netherlands on evacuation flights from »»»

In the past, Pakistan was heavily dependent on the Middle East, but the recent crisis has underscored the urgent need for economic diversification. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed government ministries and other bodies to develop plans for sourcing fertilizer imports from Cen»»»

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»»»

S. Carfil SA, MATE-FIN, and the British company Alford Technologies signed at BSDA 2026 – Black Sea Defense, Aerospace and Security, a Memorandum of Understanding that establishes the framework for strategic cooperation in specialized fields relevant to defense, security, and technical intervention»»»

JEDDAH: Saudi entrepreneur Nada Malki is giving consumers the option to experience classic art in a whole new way. With her brand Atheera, a concept born from a lifelong connection to literature and art, Malki is transforming classic paintings into handcrafted wooden clutches that carry art beyond »»»

Dubai: Behind every intricate cake design is a story of long hours, bold dreams, and unwavering determination. For Filipino expatriate Michael Segundo, success did not come in a snap, it has been carefully layered through years of hard work, creativity, and the courage to start fresh far from home.»»»

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»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, received the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Her Excellency Amina Mohammed, during her visit to the country. During the meeting, they reviewed coopera»»»

RIYADH: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday accused the United Arab Emirates of playing what he called an active role in the US-Israeli war against Iran. "The UAE is an active partner in this aggression, and there is no doubt about it," Araghchi said while attending the BRICS summit »»»

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused Hezbollah on Thursday of "bringing back" the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon. He said that the group's leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, can take whatever stance he likes but cannot "obstruct" the direct negotiations with Israel. Geagea added that Speaker N»»»

Speaking during his visit to Smolyan on Thursday, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov told journalists that the landslide was probably due to overwetting. Shishkov is in the town in connection with the landslide that swept away a section of the Smolyan-Pamporovo road on »»»

Head of State Iliana Iotova awarded distinguished cultural figures with the President's Badge of Honour during a ceremony here on Thursday. Long-standing secretary of National Community Centre “Zaria 1858” in Haskovo, Southern Bulgaria, Aleksander Milushev was awarded for his contribution to develo»»»

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»»»

Donald Trump is in China, where he is set to take part in talks with President Xi Jinping. Major American businessmen are also joining the talks – including Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The two sides are to discuss trade, the war in Iran, and Taiwan. Story by Liz»»»

RAMALLAH, Palestinian: 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, during an address to his party congress.“We renew our full commitment to»»»

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»»»