It’s been a week marked by major geopolitical, legal and public health developments across several fronts. In Washington, the Trump administration has indicted 94-year-old former Cuban president Raúl Castro over alleged murder and conspiracy to kill US nationals, linked to the 1990s downing of two »»»

Kolkata: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday opened a visit to India that will include talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, looking to renew ties with a usually like-minded partner a week after Washington's warm summit with China. Rubio, a devout Catholic, began his four-day, four-cit»»»

BEIJING: A gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China has killed at least 82 people, state media reported on Saturday, in one of the country’s biggest industrial disasters of recent years. The blast occurred at 7:29 p.m. (1129 GMT) on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province, accord»»»

Sunny Beach, Bulgaria’s largest seaside resort, is heading into the summer season facing significant operational challenges, with many hotels still closed and those already open struggling with severe staff shortages just days before the first expected tourist arrivals. Industry representatives tol»»»

Wizz Air, the largest airline operating in Bulgaria by market share, has officially launched a new direct connection between Varna and Warsaw (Modlin), with the inaugural flight taking place on May 21. The route will operate three times per week throughout the summer season, with flights scheduled »»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has approved new measures aimed at improving the system of protection against domestic violence and strengthening coordination among government agencies. According to the resolution, Kyrgyzstan will officially introduce a «one-stop shop» mechanism to assist vi»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov has signed a decree introducing amendments to the regulation on the international presidential scholarship El Umut. Under the new rules, the scholarship will be awarded to the most talented young citizens of Kyrgyzstan for master’s and PhD studies at foreign un»»»

Tens of thousands of people were ordered to leave their homes in California on Friday after a huge chemical tank began to leak, sending toxic fumes over a heavily populated area and posing the risk of an explosion. The tank contained 7,000 gallons (26,000 liters) of methyl methacrylate, a volatile »»»

Beijing: A Hong Kong astronaut will join a Chinese space mission for the first time as part of a three-person crew launching on Sunday, as Beijing edges closer to its goal of landing people on the Moon. The Tiangong space station -- crewed by teams of three astronauts that are typically rotated eve»»»

TEHRAN: Tehran accused the United States of “excessive demands,” Iranian media said on Saturday, as US media reports raised the prospect that Washington was mulling new strikes and leaders of the Islamic republic considered the latest peace proposal. Pakistan’s powerful army chief arrived in Tehran»»»

LOS ANGELES, United States: Tens of thousands of people were ordered to leave their homes in California on Friday after a huge chemical tank began to leak, sending toxic fumes over a heavily populated area and posing the risk of an explosion. The tank contained 7,000 gallons (26,000 liters) of meth»»»

The General Authority of Civil Aviation has issued a new circular to all airlines operating at the Kingdom’s airports, updating regulations governing the carriage of portable chargers, commonly known as power banks, and other electronic devices onboard aircraft. The authority announced the updated »»»

Dubai: The UAE and the Philippines are exploring the development of a “formal system” that would allow Filipino workers in the UAE to benefit from medical coverage under the national insurance programmes of both countries. “The target is to develop a formal system for the national insurance system »»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has introduced amendments to the regulation governing the use of funds allocated for epidemic control and preventive measures. According to the document, the list of permitted expenditures now officially includes the purchase of vaccines and epidemiological re»»»

Tehran accused the United States of "excessive demands,” Iranian media said on Saturday, as US media reports raised the prospect that Washington was mulling new strikes and Iranian leaders considered the latest peace proposal. Pakistan's powerful army chief arrived in Tehran on Friday to bolster me»»»

At least 80 people have died and dozens are trapped underground after a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China, state media reported on Saturday. The blast occurred at 7:29 pm (1129 GMT) on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province, according to state news agency Xinhua. Get upda»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged more support for US efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, relaying Trump's "disappointment" at NATO allies and European partners for failing to step up their efforts to end the Iran war.  Rubio made the comments ahead of the arrival of Pakistan’s army »»»

Two earthquakes occurred in Kyrgyzstan on May 22, the Seismology Institute of the National Academy of Sciences reported. The first was recorded at 10:22 a.m., and the second at 1:34 p.m. The focus of the morning earthquake, with an intensity of approximately magnitude 3.5, was located in China, 175»»»

President Iliana Iotova will take part in celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising in the town of Apriltsi, the head of State’s Press Secretariat said. This year also marks 50 years since Apriltsi was officially declared a town. On Saturday evening, the President and Command»»»

The death toll from a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China's Shanxi province has jumped to at least 82, state media Xinhua reported on Saturday, with nine still missing. The gas explosion occurred late on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, with 247 workers on duty underg»»»

WASHINGTON: US arms sales to ‌Taiwan take years to process and are unrelated to the war with Iran, a source familiar with the matter said, ​after a senior US official suggested there was a pause due to the need to have enough arms for the conflict. Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, ha»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Department of Meteorology has warned of strong winds and poor horizontal visibility in some inshore areas, along with rough seas and strong winds offshore on Saturday. In its daily weather report, the Department said inshore conditions until 6:00 pm will be hot and slightly dusty t»»»

Tulsi Gabbard resigned Friday as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence, saying she is stepping down to support her husband after his diagnosis with a rare bone cancer. Her departure marks the fourth Cabinet-level exit of Trump’s second term and comes amid growing tensions over »»»

For mango lovers, few things signal summer quite like that first bite of a perfectly ripe mango, and in the UAE, the choices are endless. Ranging from Indian Alphonsos and Pakistani Sindiris to Yemeni Kalabathoor and Colombian Baby Mangoes, retailers across the country say shoppers are treating man»»»

The credit rating agency Moody’s has affirmed Saudi Arabia’s credit rating at “Aa3” with a “stable” outlook. The agency said Friday that the affirmation at Aa3 reflects Saudi Arabia’s large and wealthy economy, supported by its vast hydrocarbon endowment, and highly competitive position in global e»»»

A Tunisian court sentenced the former head of the national anti-graft body to 10 years in prison over charges including forging documents, his lawyer said on Friday. Chawki Tabib, who is also a prominent lawyer and the former head of the Tunisian bar association, was arrested last April. Defense la»»»

New York: A US jury found Friday that aerospace giant Boeing was not liable for lost revenue in a lawsuit involving its 737 MAX jets, which were grounded for 20 months following two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019. Polish airline LOT had accused Boeing of fraud and sued for $250 million in lost inc»»»

Tulsi Gabbard said on Friday she was resigning from her job as President Donald Trump's director of national intelligence, saying her husband had been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and she was leaving her role to help him. Gabbard advised Trump of her intention to step down during an Ov»»»

DUBAI: Pakistan army chief, Asim Munir, held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran ‌on ‌Friday as ‌Islamabad ⁠steps up diplomatic ⁠efforts to help mediate between Iran and the United ⁠States, Iran’s ‌state media ‌reported on ‌Saturday. Both sides ‌exchanged views on the lates»»»

Adilet Sotovaldiev, Director of the Veterinary Service of Kyrgyzstan, met with Baba Soumare, Deputy Director-General of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), in Paris. The Ministry of Agriculture’s press service reported. The main topic of the meeting was Kyrgyzstan’s efforts to obtain o»»»

Kyrgyzstan has taken the first step toward integrating the management of the country’s entire power system into a single digital platform. The Ministry of Energy’s press service reported. According to the press service, the opening of technical proposals from participants in the tender for the IT i»»»

Authorities in Southern California on Friday were racing to figure out how to prevent the explosion of a storage tank that has been leaking a hazardous chemical used to make plastic parts, as some 40,000 people were under evacuation orders in the area. A storage tank holding between 6,000 and 7,000»»»

NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Saturday ahead of a meeting next week with his counterparts from India, Australia, and Japan, members of the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance known as the Quad.The visit comes as Washington seeks to stabilize relations with India after»»»

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's call to help Ukraine in guiding drones reflects Russophobic sentiment and Sweden's desire for militarization, the Russian Embassy in Stockholm told Sputnik. Earlier, Kristersson, commenting on incidents involving Ukrainian drones flying into NATO countries, »»»

During his working visit to Turkmenistan, Adylbek Kasymaliev participated in narrow-format and expanded-format meetings of the CIS Council of Heads of Government. The Cabinet of Ministers’ press service reported. During his speech at the narrow-format meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Governme»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov has been included in the ranking of Russians’ trust in leaders of CIS countries. The data was published in a study by the VCIOM Analytical Center, TASS reports. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ranked first, receiving support from 75 percent of respond»»»

Minister of Science, Higher Education, and Innovation of Kyrgyzstan Gulzat Isamatova is participating in the tenth meeting of the heads of science and technology ministries and departments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states. According to the Ministry of Science, she propos»»»

PARIS: France has drafted a UN Security Council resolution on setting up an international mission to restore movement in the Strait of Hormuz and could submit it if conditions are right, the foreign ministry said on Friday, as Washington struggles to bring to a vote a text Russia and China may say »»»

US President Donald Trump has decided not to resume strikes against Iran for now to give diplomacy a chance, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials. The report said Trump hosted a meeting of top US national security officials on Friday morning to discuss next steps on Iran, and made »»»

In Jalal-Abad region, a mudflow destroyed a bridge on Tash-Kumyr — Kerben road and swept away a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibus. The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported. According to the ministry, on May 22 at around 4.20 p.m, after a brief downpour, mudflows descended through gorges in Ak-Suu»»»

The Leninsky District Court of Bishkek reviewed the pretrial detention measure for former presidential adviser Zhanybek Kubandykov and remanded him in custody until July 17. The hearing took place on May 22, and the judge granted the motion of the Main Investigative Department of the State Committe»»»

Foreigners in the U.S. who want a green card will need to leave and apply in their home country, the Trump administration announced Friday, in a surprise change to a longstanding policy that sowed confusion and concern among aid groups, immigration lawyers and immigrants. For over half a century, f»»»

On May 23, an international friendly match will be held in Talas as part of the final stage of the national tournament Kok-Boru Zhenish Kubogu — 2026 (Kok-Boru Victory Cup — 2026), between the regional U23 kokpar team from Shymkent, Kazakhstan, and the U23 team from Talas, Kyrgyzstan. The Internati»»»

It is impossible to engage in diplomacy with Ukraine, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said on Friday after Kiev's attack on a college in Starobelsk (Starobilsk) in the Lugansk (Luhansk) People's Republic. "This clearly confirms the treachery and non-negotiability of Kiev, »»»

DUBAI: The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has announced its full readiness for the Eid Al Adha sacrificial season with a comprehensive plan to ensure the safety of sacrificial and live animals, while strengthening food security and public health systems. The plan is implemented»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology has warned of dust-stirring winds and extreme daytime heat across several regions on Friday as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims continue arriving ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The center said surface winds carrying dust and sand are exp»»»

DUBAI: The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has announced its full readiness for the Eid Al Adha sacrificial season with a comprehensive plan to ensure the safety of sacrificial and live animals, while strengthening food security and public health systems. The plan is implemented»»»

Three industrial developers have obtained the tenders for building 4 complexes encompassing 800 plants in Luxor, Asyut, Qena and Sohag governorates, to be built on an area of 1.2 million sq. meter with each complex including 200 units. The Industrial Development Authority (IDA) did not unveil the t»»»

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has ratified a series of legislative measures designed to streamline tax processes and provide relief to various taxpayer segments. This initiative marks a significant stride in Egypt’s ongoing economic reform agenda, highlighting its commitment to creating a more dyn»»»

Dubai: Iran’s reported discussions with Oman over a possible payment system for ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz are raising fresh questions about whether Tehran is seeking to turn wartime leverage over the world’s most critical energy chokepoint into longer-term strategic influence. The talks, »»»