MPs are discussing at second reading amendments to the Election Code, tabled by Vazrazhdane, which limit the number of polling stations outside diplomatic and consular missions in non-EU countries to 20. Nadezhda Yordanova of Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) said that this restricts »»»

Dubai: Globalisation is shifting shape, with new trade and investment corridors strengthening links between Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, even as traditional routes face strain. The transaction is being described as a structural change in how growth, capital and influence now mov»»»

On February 4, the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic hosted a meeting dedicated to cybersecurity issues in the judicial system. At the meeting, Supreme Court judge Inara Gilyazetdinova, chair of the working group on the digitization of the judicial system, outlined a set of systemic issues relat»»»

Saudi Arabia has announced plans to issue official passports for camels, a move aimed at better regulating and managing one of the kingdom’s most culturally and economically significant assets. In a statement this week, Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture said the initiative would »»»

There Is Such a People (TISP) Deputy Floor Leader Stanislav Balabanov told reporters in Parliament on Thursday that it is clear that there will be no regular budget, as the budget extension remains in place. He specified that a regular government may have to consider a new state budget, since "haph»»»

The forthcoming closure of the paediatric surgery ward at St Anna Hospital in Varna on March 1 is yet another example of the crisis affecting state and municipal hospitals, Vazrazhdane MP Kosta Stoyanov said on Thursday, reading out a declaration from the parliamentary rostrum on behalf of the part»»»

Vazrazhdane's claim that the euro would be adopted at a rate other than the fixed rate has now been proven false, said Yavor Bozhankov, MP for the Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria parliamentary group, in a statement in Parliament on Thursday. This is the first week that Bulgaria has used t»»»

A walled compound in Lebanon housing hundreds of people who fled their homes in Syria after the fall of Bashar Assad over a year ago has drawn allegations that the residents are Assad loyalists, which they deny. The attention on the compound in Hermel town highlights the sensitivities around Syria'»»»

Authorities in northern Greece have concluded an enforcement campaign targeting negligent pet owners across several municipalities, resulting in dozens of fines for legal violations. The operation, led by officers from the Kordelio-Evosmos precinct in cooperation with the Municipal Police and Thess»»»

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a request for the trial into the deadly 2023 Tempe rail disaster to be moved from its current venue in the central Greek city of Larissa. In petitions to Greece’s highest court, eight relatives of victims had asked for the proceedings to be moved to Thessaloni»»»

Dubai: India’s Rouble Nagi, an art and social science teacher from Mumbai, has won the $1-million Global Teacher Prize 2026 at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. The award was presented by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, alongside Sunny Varkey, founder of GEMS Education and t»»»

Ambassador Theon Ali joins the 2026 World Governments Summit in Dubai, held from February 3–5, as part of the Antigua and Barbuda delegation led by Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Minister of Housing and Public Works Maria Browne. At the summit, Ambassador Ali will emphasise the importance of tran»»»

Skopje, 3 February 2026 (MIA) – Formalizing the informal economy is among the government’s top strategic goals and a key segment of the reform agenda, as it directly impacts economic growth, public finance stability and protection of workers. State Statistical Office data show that in 2024 there we»»»

KOLLAM: An aided school headmistress was allegedly barred from entering her workplace for wearing a churidar instead of a saree, triggering police intervention and protests by teachers’ organisations on Wednesday, a Times of India report said. The incident took place at EVHSS, Neduvathur, in Kottar»»»

The Anti Financial Crimes, Money Laundering, and Terrorist Financing Unit (AFCMLTF) has referred the case file concerning the embezzlement of more than 6.8 million dinars of pensions and benefits of retirees. The AFCMLTF says this is one of the largest embezzlement cases uncovered in the social sec»»»

Heavy rain and flooding is expected in the Republic of Ireland with Status Orange weather warnings in place for three counties. These warnings come after weeks of heavy rain and flooding in some areas of Ireland, including Kilkenny and Wexford. A Status Orange rain warning will be in place for Dubl»»»

The dollar climbed to a two-week high on Thursday as fresh volatility gripped stocks and precious metals, while traders counted down to rate decisions from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England. The US dollar index, which measures the greenback's strength against a basket of six currenc»»»

Copenhagen: Danish shipping giant Maersk said Thursday that it would cut 1,000 corporate positions as it reported lower revenue for 2025 and warned of continued overcapacity in the shipping industry this year. Maersk said that to "maintain strong cost discipline" it was taking steps to "simplify th»»»

President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping before a bilateral meeting at the Gimhae International Airport terminal, on Thursday, October 30, 2025, in Busan, South Korea. The two leaders held a lengthy phone call on Wednesday in which they discussed a number of topics, including Taiw»»»

Gold and silver prices fell sharply in a broader market selloff on Thursday, as an advance in the dollar to a near two-week high and signs of easing US-China trade tensions added further pressure on the precious metals. Spot gold declined 2.5% at $4,838.81 per ounce, as of 0535 GMT, retreating from»»»

Over 300,000 Bulgarians living with cancer were registered in the National Health Information System in 2025, marking an increase of 15,000 cases compared to 2024. The most frequently diagnosed cancers include breast, colorectal, prostate, and cervical cancer. Authorities have yet to release offici»»»

Dubai: Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta has said he would nominate UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the Nobel Peace Prize, praising the UAE’s contributions towards global peace and humanitarian causes. The comment came during a wide-ranging conversation at the»»»

Dubai: You won’t be holding a 6G phone before 2030, the CEO of e& said at the World Government Summit in Dubai, urging consumers to temper expectations around the next generation of mobile technology. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.“You probably will not have a phone »»»

Sewing workshops can now recycle their fabric waste. A facility has been opened in Tokmok. Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Daniyar Amangeldiev announced at a meeting of the Zhogorku Kenesh. He noted that burning sewing workshop waste is harmful to the environment. «Employees from the Mi»»»

Hong Kong: Stocks mostly fell Thursday to track more losses on Wall Street, where tech firms were again under pressure as fears over vast AI investments and extended valuations gained momentum. While the extreme volatility that greeted the start of the week has calmed, traders remained on edge over»»»

Jack Lang, who served as French culture minister under the late President François Mitterrand, has defended his links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Lang refused to resign from his post as president of the Paris-based Arab World Institute after being challenged over revelations from the Epstein d»»»

Indian actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) President Kamal Haasan delivered his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha (Upper house of the Parliament) on Wednesday during the Budget session’s debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address. Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Haasan reflected on his journ»»»

The upcoming Artemis II mission is dubbed a huge leap in human space exploration, building directly on the uncrewed Artemis I success in 2022. Here's why: It proves not only that humans can safely operate these systems far from Earth, but also marks the first time astronauts will venture to the Moo»»»

Ready to whip up a storm at Taste of Dubai? We are almost there – in less than 24 hours, we will be at the annual food fest, full of fun and flavour. But just to make the prep work easier, we’ve got some essential tips for you. For one thing – get your tickets and packages sorted today; at midnight»»»

The state-owned enterprise Kyrgyzfarmatsiya, which is supposed to supply hospitals with vital medications, has failed to fulfill its obligations. Health Minister of Kyrgyzstan Kanybek Dosmambetov announced at a meeting of the Zhogorku Kenesh. He noted that the company’s operations in 2024-2025 were»»»

DOHA: Chancellor of Federal Republic of Germany HE Friedrich Merz arrived in Doha on Thursday for an official visit to the State of Qatar. The chancellor and his accompanying delegation were welcomed upon arrival at Doha International Airport by Minister of Commerce and Industry HE Sheikh Faisal bi»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron’s top diplomat, Emmanuel Bonne, traveled to Moscow on Tuesday to meet with Russian officials, aiming to discuss key issues, with Ukraine at the forefront. According to sources familiar with the meeting, Bonne held talks at the Kremlin, though details of the discussi»»»

Beirut accused Israel of spraying the herbicide glyphosate on the Lebanese side of their shared border, with President Joseph Aoun decrying a "crime against the environment". After collecting samples following the recent spraying, the agriculture and environment ministries said some of them showed »»»

Seoul's Defense Ministry has proposed to the United States that South Korea's military jointly manage parts of the southern half of the DMZ, according to a source Thursday. This 2019 photo shows an area of the DMZ Peace Trail in Goseong. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo The defense »»»

President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that Greenland should become part of the US. The authorities of Denmark and Greenland have warned Washington against any attempt to seize the island, stressing that they expect respect for their territorial integrity. “If the US deploys long-range cruise»»»

Doha, Qatar: Gem Team, the flagship enterprise communication platform developed by Gem Soft, returned to Web Summit Qatar in 2026 for the third consecutive year, reinforcing its long-term commitment to the region’s rapidly evolving digital ecosystem. Gem Soft and Gem Team are participating in Web S»»»

In the early hours of February 4, a fire broke out in the village of Kok-Moinok-2, part of the city of Balykchy, along the roadside where dry grass caught fire. According to rescue services, the fire was fully extinguished by 1.05 a.m. Preliminary reports indicate that the fire affected approximate»»»

The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic participated in the annual World Money Fair in Berlin, Germany. According to its press service, this is the world’s largest exhibition, bringing together coin manufacturers, mints, national banks, technical experts, coin dealers, and numismatists from around»»»

Doha: The Government Communications Office (GCO) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the American Chamber of Commerce Qatar (AmCham) on the sidelines of Web Summit Qatar 2026, the region’s largest and fastest-growing technology event. Director of the GCO and Chairman of the Permanent We»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Public Works Authority, Ashghal, has announced the temporary closure of the left lane at the Pearl Interchange Underpass on Lusail Road, in the direction of Doha. The closure will be in effect from 2am on Saturday, February 7, 2026, until 2am on Sunday, February 8, 2026, to facilit»»»

Doha, Qatar: BMW has been a global partner of Art Basel for over two decades, supporting visionary artistic voices across its shows. To mark the inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar, and as part of the BMW Art Car World Tour, BMW will present David Hockney’s BMW Art Car (1995) in Doha, alongside an»»»

Tunis, Feb. 5 (TAP) – The weather, on Thursday, will be partly cloudy nationwide, according to the National Institute of Meteorology (INM).Winds will blow from the west. They will be relatively strong along the coasts, over elevated areas, and in...»»»

Dubai: Two people were killed and 11 injured after a train collided with a civilian car carrying workers at a railway crossing near the town of Al Muntar in Syria’s Tartous province on Thursday morning, Syrian Civil Defence said. In a statement posted on X, the Syrian Civil Defence said the crash o»»»

Close the cover on the CIA World Factbook: The spy agency announced Wednesday that after more than 60 years, it is shuttering the popular reference manual. The announcement posted to the CIA’s website offered no reason for the decision to end the Factbook, but it follows a vow from Director John Ra»»»

NATO is planning to increase its military presence in the Arctic around Greenland, a spokesperson for the US-led military bloc has announced. The move reportedly comes in response to US President Donald Trump’s effort to annex the Danish autonomous territory, which he claims is under threat from Ru»»»

Officially, five countries—members of the so-called “nuclear club”—currently possess nuclear weapons, including Russia, the US, UK, France, and China. India, Pakistan, and North Korea maintain nuclear arsenals too, with Israel also believed to have such weapons. “A possible full or partial withdraw»»»

KUWAIT, Feb 5 (KUNA) -- The price of Kuwaiti oil went up by USD 1.65 to USD 65.17 per barrel on Wednesday, compared to USD 63.52 the previous day, reported the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) on Thursday.In global markets, the price of Brent crude went up USD 2.13 to reach USD 69.46 per barrel, »»»

Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Daniyar Amangeldiev told the Zhogorku Kenesh that the issues that arose in Kyrgyzstan’s garment industry in 2025 have now been resolved. Answering MPs’ questions, he explained that the problem was linked to accessing Wildberries e-commerce p»»»

Doha, Qatar: Chancellor of Federal Republic of Germany, HE Friedrich Merz arrived in Doha on Thursday for an official visit to the State of Qatar. His Excellency and the accompanying delegation were welcomed upon arrival at Doha International Airport by Minister of Commerce and Industry HE Sheikh F»»»

Iran’s top military official says the country has strengthened its deterrence by upgrading domestically manufactured ballistic missiles. Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi made the remarks on Wednesday during a visit to an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IR»»»