On the first working day of 2026, media coverage in Bulgaria focused primarily on the introduction of the euro in the country and the passing of the legendary football coach Dimitar Penev. EURO, PRICES Mediapool.bg cited Nova TV as reporting alerts about price hikes following the introduction of th»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Greenland is open to dialogue with the United States as long as communication occurs through the proper channels, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in response to US President Donald Trump's repeated claims to the island. Trump told The Atlantic on Sunday that the US "abs»»»

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China supports the request for the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting regarding the US military operation in Venezuela, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Monday. "China supports the convening of a UN Security Council emergency meeting in connectio»»»

With Maduro out, Washington is looking to establish “four kinds of control” in Venezuela. Independent Peru-based geopolitical and economic analyst Nicolas Takayama Constantini outlines the mechanics of these measures for Sputnik. "Operationally, it means that they will have a de facto tutelary admi»»»

Since the appointment of Klodian Braho as head of the Special Prosecution against Corruption (SPAK), Albania’s opposition has shifted its stance toward the institution. A more institutional tone toward the new chief was evident again on Monday, following the appearance of Democratic Party leader Sa»»»

Big Ticket, the region’s longest-running guaranteed raffle draw for cash prizes, is kicking off 2026 in a big way, with 27 prizes up for grabs in January alone. One of its most exciting promotions yet will see six guaranteed millionaires crowned. Also Read: ‘Perfect time’: Indian techie in UAE wins»»»

Dubai: Oman has approved a new schedule of fees for citizenship applications and nationality related requests, according to details published in the Sultanate’s Official Gazette Under the revised structure, the fee for submitting an application to obtain Omani citizenship has been set at OMR 600. T»»»

The Renewable Energy Authority of Libya (REAoL) discussed prospects for cooperation in the clean energy sector with, Liu Jian, the Chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Tripoli. The discussions took place at an expanded meeting held yesterday at REAoL’s Tripoli headquarters. The meeting focus»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Swiss Federal Council ordered on Monday the freezing of any assets held in Switzerland by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and persons associated with him. "On 5 January 2026, the Federal Council decided to freeze any assets held in Switzerland by Nicolas Maduro and other »»»

Timothée Chalamet thanked his girlfriend Kylie Jenner and told her he loved her from the stage, as he won best actor at the 2026 Critics' Choice Awards on Sunday. The 30-year-old won the prize for his performance in Marty Supreme as an ambitious table-tennis player making his name in the 1950s. Els»»»

Dubai: “Even Durandhar… you might call it a very commercial film, which it is, of course, but it’s a very complex film. Every character is very layered,” Chitrangada Singh tells me, leaning into her idea of what makes a role worth taking. “Just because it’s commercial doesn’t mean it’s not complex.»»»

Dubai: Dubai will host the Middle East debut of PropTech Connect in February 2026, bringing one of the world’s fastest-growing real estate technology conferences to the emirate at a time when digital transformation is reshaping property markets globally. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, C»»»

President Joseph Aoun’s latest reassurance that “specter of war has become distant” was based on “information received by the Lebanese official authorities from high-ranking international parties and Western embassies,” a prominent Lebanese official said. “During their Dec. 29 meeting in Florida, U»»»

In Bulgaria, Sofia and Alexander have emerged as the most popular names for newborn girls and boys in 2025, marking a shift in naming trends. For the first time in nine years, Sofia has overtaken Victoria as the preferred choice for girls. Among boys, Alexander retains the top spot. National Statis»»»

The National Center for Wildlife (NCW), in cooperation with the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve Development Authority, has released 124 endangered wildlife species into the reserve as part of programs to breed and reintroduce them into their natural habitats. The release included 100 rhim gaz»»»

New York: Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro is expected to appear in a New York court on Monday, just days after being seized in Caracas in a shock US military operation that paved the path for Washington's plans to dominate the oil-rich country. Maduro, 63, faces narcotrafficking charges»»»

Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to affect large parts of western and northeastern Greece from the early hours of Tuesday through to early Thursday, according to an updated emergency weather bulletin issued by the National Meteorological Service. Forecasters warned that the rainfall will b»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Al-Manar correspondent: Israeli drone strike targets Braiqaa, Nabatieh District, South Lebanon 05-01-2026 12:55 PM Latest News Urgent News »»»

Environmental and sustainability experts explain that, in principle, artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science concerned with designing systems capable of simulating human cognitive abilities such as learning, prediction, decision-making, and interaction with the environment. In »»»

Small gas station owners in Bulgaria are warning that the one-month transition period from the lev to the euro is too brief and could lead to technical difficulties and delays in service. The start of 2026 has already highlighted tensions among both traders and customers as businesses adjust to the»»»

A total of 32 Cuban nationals were killed during the US attack on Caracas that culminated in the capture of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, the government in Havana said Sunday. US forces attacked Caracas in the early hours of Saturday, bombing military targets during a shock snatch-and-grab »»»

Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro, 63, is set to appear before a New York court on Monday on drug trafficking charges after being seized along with his wife and taken out of Caracas in a shock US assault Saturday. The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on Monday at»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met on Monday with the Ambassador of the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt to the State of Qatar, HE Walid Fahmy Al Faqi. During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways »»»

Dubai: Sustainable bio yacht fuel is now flowing at two of Dubai’s busiest leisure marinas, giving yacht owners a cleaner refuelling option made from recycled cooking oil and marking a practical shift toward lower-carbon marine activity in the UAE. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques»»»

BELGRADE - Representatives of the Hungarian oil company MOL have arrived in Serbia to carry out a due diligence analysis of the operations of the Serbian oil firm NIS, Tanjug learns. As planned earlier, the MOL representatives began a tour of key NIS facilities on Monday. Since this morning, they h»»»

In the first days following the euro’s introduction in Bulgaria, taxi operators reported significant issues with their cash register machines, according to the National Taxi Union. Some devices were unable to calculate fares in euros, while others displayed inflated mileage readings. Krasimir Tsvet»»»

Abu Dhabi: The third edition of the UAE–Japan Falconry Programme, organised by the Emirates Falconers’ Club, will begin tomorrow under an agreement with the Japanese INPEX–JODCO Foundation. The programme aims to strengthen friendship initiatives, student exchange schemes and cultural cooperation be»»»

A Paris court on Monday found ten people guilty of the cyber-harassment of France's first lady, Brigitte Macron, for spreading false claims she is a transgender woman who was born a man, French media reported. Brigitte and her husband, French President Emmanuel Macron, ‌have faced ‌repeated false ‌»»»

Farmers at the Nikaia blockade near Larissa on the motorway linking Athens and Thessaloniki are preparing to escalate their protest action over delayed European Union subsidies and other grievances, in line with decisions taken at a nationwide meeting held on Sunday in Malgara, west of Thessaloniki»»»

A multi-storey building under construction has collapsed in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, with at least four people feared trapped beneath the rubble. While the cause is yet to be confirmed, building collapses are common in Nairobi, where poor construction standards and weak regulation have long»»»

Mamady Doumbouya has been confirmed as the winner of Guinea’s presidential election, securing 86.72 percent of the vote, according to official results published by the Supreme Court on Sunday. This confirmation follows provisional results from December 28's election, which saw major opposition figu»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of “cutting-edge” hypersonic missiles to ready the country’s nuclear forces for war, state media said on Monday, citing an urgent “geopolitical crisis” after a US strike on Venezuela. Seoul and Tokyo detected two ballistic launches near Pyongyang. »»»

Dubai: A dispute over a gym operating from a residential property escalated into a shocking act of violence in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar, where a man was brutally assaulted, his wife was allegedly molested, and their son was stripped naked and beaten on the street, police said. The incident, which t»»»

Libya’s state National Oil Corporation (NOC) reported yesterday that, in collaboration with its subsidiaries and in coordination with its specialized committees and company liaisons, it had achieved a significant milestone in reducing flaring by over 100 million cubic feet per day by implementing a»»»

Ten people have been found guilty of cyber-bullying Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, by a Paris court. The defendants were accused of spreading false claims about her gender and sexuality, as well as making "malicious remarks" about the 24-year age gap between the coup»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday three topics had been discussed at a National Security Council session earlier in the day and that certain conclusions had been adopted. Speaking to reporters after the session, Vucic said the global situation was complex, that the UN ord»»»

BELGRADE - Serbia's top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic announced on Sunday evening he had decided to step away from the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), which he has co-founded. "After careful consideration, I have decided to step away completely from the Professional Tennis Pla»»»

MidEuropa, a leading private equity investor in Central and Eastern Europe, announced today the acquisition of a majority stake in Romanian Business Consult (RBC), an IT integrator specialising in the retail, banking, and industrial production sectors in Romania. The company’s founder and CEO, Andr»»»

Dubai: Emirates Post has issued a commemorative stamp on Monday set to mark the formal integration of Artificial Intelligence into the UAE’s national school curriculum. The release follows the nationwide rollout of AI as a core subject across government schools for the 2025–2026 academic year. Stud»»»

China and Pakistan pledged on Monday to further deepen ties and expand cooperation, reaffirming to each other their historically "ironclad" friendship as signs of rapprochement between Islamabad and Washington grow. Pakistan is one of China's closest partners, diplomatically supporting Beijing on a»»»

Israeli authorities have told the Supreme Court that a ban on international media access to Gaza should remain in place, arguing it is necessary for security reasons, according to a government submission filed by the public prosecutor. "Even at this time, entry of journalists into the Gaza Strip wi»»»

Dubai: Pakistani security agencies have foiled a major terrorist attack planned for Karachi, recovering more than two tonnes of explosives and arresting three suspected militants during a series of intelligence-led operations, officials said on Monday. Briefing the media, Counter Terrorism Departme»»»

Israeli authorities have told the Supreme Court that a ban on international media access to Gaza should remain in place, arguing it is necessary for security reasons, according to a government submission filed by the public prosecutor. "Even at this time, entry of journalists into the Gaza Strip wi»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has outlined safety reminders for the public when encountering stray dogs. In a series of infographics shared on social media, the Ministry highlighted important behavioral cues to better understand the body language of stray dogs and to ensure safety. It»»»

Doha, Qatar: As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance tax compliance, the General Tax Authority announced the seizure of a number of retail outlets found in violation of the Excise Tax Law, as part of its regulatory campaigns aimed at combating the illicit circulation of tobacco products The Autho»»»

Widening protests in Iran sparked by the Islamic Republic's ailing economy are putting new pressure on its theocracy. Tehran is still reeling from a 12-day war launched by Israel in June that saw the United States bomb nuclear sites in Iran. Economic pressure, which has intensified since September »»»

Oil prices fell back Monday while the prices of precious metals surged as markets reacted calmly to the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a weekend raid. Asian shares rallied on heavy buying of tech-related stocks after modest gains Friday on Wall Street. The future for the S&P»»»

A 34-year-old man has died after a residential boiler exploded in his home in a village on the island of Crete. The incident occurred shortly before 11 a.m. in Anopoli, in the Iraklio regional unit. According to state broadcaster ERT, eight firefighters were dispatched to the scene with two fire en»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3016 dinars for one euro on Monday, which is a slight change relative to Wednesday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is up by 0.1 pct against the euro m-o-m, down by 0.2 pct y-o-y and steady relative to »»»

Saudi Arabia enters 2026 amid an accelerating transformation driven by Vision 2030 targets, even as global economic growth slows to about 3.1% and global inflation eases to roughly 3.7%, according to IMF estimates. With geopolitical tensions and protectionist policies heightening global uncertainty»»»