Through the new trade deal with the European Union, Mercosur would strengthen its role as a supplier of food, meat, grains, oilseeds, fruit and wine. File Photo by Sebastiao Moreira/EPA BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Paraguay will host the signing of a free trade agreement between the European Unio»»»

GERB supports the proposed amendments to the Election Code introducing voting with scanning machines, party leader Boyko Borissov said in a post on Facebook on Wednesday. According to him, the aim is to eliminate the human factor in order to avoid errors in vote counting. Borissov added that if a c»»»

The National Assembly has approved at first reading a bill to amend and supplement the Direct Citizen Participation in State and Local Government Act. Some of the draft provisions foresee making it easier to collect signatures and submit proposals for holding referendums. The bill was submitted by »»»

Anthony Larkin, meat manager of the Richmond Heights Schnucks Market, stocks the freezer section with Thanksgiving turkeys on the first day of sales in Richmond Heights, Mo., in November 2022. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Wholesale inflation rose by 0.2% in Nov»»»

The scheduled meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs was cancelled, according to information published on the website of the National Assembly. The meeting had been set for Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. MPs were expected to consider at first reading proposed amendments »»»

Cars light the way in an almost totally blacked-out downtown Kyiv on Tuesday night as the Ukrainian capital is gripped by severe power outages from Russian drone and missile strikes targeting its energy infrastructure that have intensified in recent days. Photo by Maxym Marusenko/EPA Jan. 14 (UPI) »»»

Vice President JD Vance was due to host the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland on Wednesday to discuss the Arctic island's future. Vance has a particular interest in Greenland and visited there in March. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Jan. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. Vice President JD V»»»

Bulgaria’s National Assembly on Wednesday rejected a bill that would have removed National Security Service (NSS) security from members of parliament. The legislation, proposed by Ivaylo Mirchev and several MPs from “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB), aimed to limit NSS protectio»»»

Moscow: Russian police have arrested the chief physician and the acting head of intensive care at a Siberian hospital where nine babies died this month, prosecutors said Wednesday. The case, which has shone a spotlight at chronic staff shortages and funding gaps in the country's medical system, has»»»

The National Assembly opened on Wednesday the new plenary session of the 51st Parliament, widely expected to be its last, with 216 MPs registering as present at the start of the sitting. Parliament Chair Raya Nazaryan urged MPs to keep a constructive and respectful tone ahead of the election campai»»»

Dubai: Students who graduate from 34 UAE-based universities can now get their educational qualification recognised automatically, thanks to a new initiative of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR). The ministry on Wednesday announced that 34 UAE-based universities have »»»

Temporary caps on mark-ups for essential goods and services during the period of euro adoption in Bulgaria are envisaged in a bill on measures for price control of essential goods and services, adopted at first reading by Parliament on Wednesday. The bill was tabled by BSP - United Left MP Nina Dim»»»

After a re-vote and a vote flip by There Is Such a People (TISP), Parliament Wednesday rejected a bill amending the National Service for Protection (NSP) Act, that would have stripped MPs of NSP security detail. The bill was submitted by Ivaylo Mirchev and a group of deputies from Continue the Chan»»»

Western European nations are “vassals” of the US and will inevitably submit if President Donald Trump moves to annex Greenland, American journalist John Varoli has told RT. The US president has renewed his push for Denmark to relinquish control of the Arctic island, arguing that Copenhagen is too w»»»

The Islamic Republic of Iran has viewed the January 2026 events as a direct extension of what was known as the “12-Day War” in June 2025, relying on an in-depth analysis of the operational and technical lessons revealed by that war. The US and the Zionist entity’s reliance on “hybrid networks” comb»»»

Outgoing Minister of Labour and Social Policy Borislav Gutsanov told a press conference here on Wednesday that he will sign a bill that his Ministry drafted to the National Assembly that is related to social assistance. The bill proposes that financial assistance to disadvantaged citizens ahead of »»»

A draft law proposing amendments to the Law «On Guarantees of the President’s Activities and the Status of a Former President» has been submitted to the Zhogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan for consideration. The bill proposes allowing the allocation of land plots within the territory of the state preside»»»

After a re-vote, MPs Wednesday rejected a bill amending the Law on the National Service for Protection (NSP), that would have stripped MPs of NSP security detail. The bill was submitted by Ivaylo Mirchev and a group of deputies from Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB). The proposal woul»»»

Dubai: Pakistan’s federal government has signed a memorandum of understanding with SC Financial Technologies LLC, an affiliate of World Liberty Financial, to explore the potential use of World Liberty’s dollar-linked stablecoin in cross-border transactions. Sign up for our daily business newsletter»»»

On Wednesday, Bulgarian media focus primarily on the upcoming snap parliamentary elections and changes to the electoral process. Coverage highlights last-minute proposals for the Electoral Code, including active voter registration and the introduction of optical scanners, as well as debates over fu»»»

Ukrainian veteran politician Yulia Tymoshenko's party offices were searched by National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) as part of an expanding parliamentary vote-selling corruption investigation on January 14. “T»»»

Ukrainian veteran politician Yulia Tymoshenko's party offices were searched by National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) as part of an expanding parliamentary vote-selling corruption investigation on January 14. “T»»»

In a declaration for the opening of Parliament's new plenary session, BSP - United Left said that they have contributed to the stability of the State and the peace of mind of Bulgarian citizens in the last months. The declaration was read out by BSP - United Left Floor Leader Dragomir Stoynev. BSP »»»

The head of Iran’s judiciary signaled Wednesday there would be fast trials and executions ahead for those detained in nationwide protests despite a warning from US President Donald Trump. The comments from Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei come as activists had warned hangings of th»»»

“This is likely the last session of this National Assembly,” Parliament Chair Raya Nazaryan said at the opening of the meeting, wishing MPs success in the new year. “Let us show a constructive spirit and diligence in the remaining time; I believe you can, and I wish you successful work,” she added »»»

Nadezhda Yordanova of Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), the second largest group in Parliament, returned an exploratory mandate to form a government as unfulfilled immediately after receiving it from President Rumen Radev on Wednesday. On January 12, outgoing Prime Minister Rosen Zhe»»»

Dubai: Dubai Airport is getting a major parking upgrade – and if you already use Salik, you may never need to tap a ticket machine again. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.From January 22, 2026, Salik’s e-wallet will be introduced across all paid parking at Dubai Interna»»»

A demonstration calling for the restoration of the Bulgarian lev took place outside the National Assembly on the first working day of MPs for the year, coinciding with the political process of the president handing over the second mandate to form a government. Supporters of the “National Unity” mov»»»

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the prosecution of 24 humanitarian workers ahead of the resumption of their trial, calling the case a “perverse misrepresentation of life-saving humanitarian work” and urging Greek authorities to drop the charges. The trial, set to resume on Thursday on the ea»»»

Doha, Qatar: Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Visit Qatar H E Saad bin Ali Al Kharji affirmed that Doha’s winning of the title of GCC Tourism Capital did not come by chance, but rather as recognition by the GCC’s General Secretariat of the great efforts exerted by Qatar in dev»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Dubai: the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has imposed fines totalling more than SR1.7 million on 10 pharmacies for violating the Kingdom’s electronic drug tracking system, in a move aimed at strengthening oversight of the pharmaceutical supply chain. The SFDA said the penalties were linked to»»»

A majority of the nine justices on the US Supreme Court appear inclined to uphold state bans on transgender women and girls competing in female school sports. During oral arguments on Tuesday, the court considered cases from students in two different states who are challenging bans on participation»»»

Europe is too weak to stand up to US President Donald Trump’s ambitions to bring Greenland under American control, journalism professor Greg Simons has said. Trump stated last week that the US must annex Greenland – a Danish self-governing island – to contain Russia and China, claiming the two coun»»»

India has risen to 80th place in the Henley Passport Index 2026, tied with Algeria, granting passport holders visa-free access to 55 countries. The jump from 85th last year reflects steady progress in diplomatic outreach and expanding international travel opportunities. With this access, Indian tra»»»

Manila: Can your property be taken by the government, even if you don't want to sell it? Under Philippine law, "eminent domain" is the State's inherent power to take private property for public use. It's protected by the Constitution. This requires payment of "just compensation" and adherence to du»»»

Dubai: Dubai resident, let’s call him Ravi, thought he knew all the rules before his annual trip to India last December. He’d booked family visits, holiday outings, and even a new sealed iPhone 17 Pro Max he’d bought in Dubai as a surprise for his brother. Sign up for our daily business newsletter,»»»

A young male elephant with one tusk has killed at least 20 in a forested area in northeast India from January 1 through 9 and will be tranquilized and returned to the wild. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Indian officials are hunting a wild elephant with a single »»»

Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., introduced “The Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act,” which passed on U.S. Senate on Tuesday. If signed into law the bill would give victims of deepfake pornography legal recourse against the people who create and distribute it. File Phot»»»

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., holds a binder of prepared research after former President Bill Clinton did not appear for a closed-door deposition in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License P»»»

Bill and Hillary Clinton have refused to testify in a Republican-controlled congressional committee's investigation into convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, accusing Republican chair James Comer of leading a partisan campaign against them.  Former US President Bill Clinton and former Sec»»»

The Trump administration is ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali immigrants, making it easier to deport thousands of people from the US. "Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law's requirement," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sa»»»

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that Somalis in the United States with temporary protected status must leave the country by March 17. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Jan. 13 (UPI) -- The Trump administration said Tuesday it's ending the temporary prot»»»

The Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) presented part of its 2025 annual awards at a ceremony held on Tuesday at the Chamber’s headquarters. A bronze statuette of Hermes by sculptor Stavri Kalinov, a plaque and a diploma were awarded to a foreign ambassador, a foreign trade represent»»»

Doha, Qatar: Under the patronage of Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the State of Qatar will host the joint tactical exercise of the security agencies of the Gulf Cooperation Council states, (Arabian Gulf»»»

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the Argentine repayment of $2.5 billion in a post on X. “Stabilizing a strong ally and generating tens of millions in gains for Americans is a major achievement of the America First initiative,,” he wrote. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo BUENOS AI»»»