The Romanian economy recorded a growth rate of 0.8% last year, falling significantly short of the 1.3% projected in June and the 2.1% estimated at the start of 2025, according to the latest “Global Economic Prospects” report published on Tuesday by the World Bank and cited by Agerpres. In 2026, Rom»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev held a staff meeting with heads of state agencies and presidential representatives in the regions to present two initiatives under the Government Accelerators program with a 100-day implementation period. The first initiative aim»»»

A fuel tanker carrying fuel oil overturned on Bishkek—Osh highway today at 9:50 a.m. Kyrgyzavtozhol-Tushtuk company reported. At the 428th kilometer of the highway, the tanker’s steering rack failed, causing it to overturn onto the roadway. No one was injured in the accident. Road cleaning and safe»»»

TradeIranWill Trump risk a clash with China over Iran tariff?Nik MartinDonald Trump's sudden 25% tariff on nations trading with Iran puts Beijing squarely in the spotlight. China knows how to evade sanctions and has the muscle to retaliate. DW explores what this showdown could mean. https://p.dw.co»»»

Dubai: Emirates has unveiled a special new Airbus A380 design celebrating its long‑standing association with world tennis. The livery, inspired by the four Grand Slam tournaments, brings the sport’s colour and energy to the skies as the Dubai airline strengthens its global brand through sports part»»»

BEIJING — China reported strong trade numbers for 2025 on Wednesday, as its surplus rose year-on-year to a record $1.2 trillion despite a slump in exports to the United States after President Donald Trump hiked tariffs.Last year's bruising trade war between Washington and Beijing -- which at one po»»»

Police in Maharashtra have booked a 23-year-old man for abetment of suicide following the death of an air hostess in Thane district late last month, officials confirmed on Wednesday. The 21-year-old woman was found dead at her residence in the Kalyan (East) area on 28 December. While the death was »»»

Vazrazhdane called for a new constitution, a new system of governance, and refounding of the state in a declaration delivered from the parliamentary rostrum at the opening of the new plenary session of the 51st National Assembly. “Our main task is to regain real, not merely formal, national soverei»»»

At the start of the new plenary session, MP Toma Bikov of GERB–UDF said: “For us, the greatest risk was related to the possibility that Bulgaria might fail to complete the process of European integration.” On Wednesday, MPs opened the new plenary session. Bikov stressed the country’s success with t»»»

Speaking in Parliament here on Wednesday on behalf of the Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) Parliamentary Group, MP Nikolay Denkov said the urgent tasks for the remainder of this Parliament include preparing fair elections with changes to the Election Code, 100% machine voting with »»»

“Let us finish our work with reason and respect for the people who sent us here,” said Iskra Mihaylova, deputy chair of the parliamentary group of MRF–New Beginning, speaking from the parliamentary rostrum in a statement on behalf of the parliamentary group. “Today we are opening, in all likelihood»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - European Union officials, faced with Washington's claims on Greenland, have largely shifted their focus to the protests in Iran in order to divert public attention from "the fact that an island is being taken away from them," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova s»»»

The South Korean president's top advisor vowed on Wednesday to punish whoever is found responsible for a recent drone incursion into North Korea, after a furious Pyongyang demanded an apology. North Korea accused the South over the weekend of sending a drone across their shared border into the city»»»

China opposes any outside interference in Iran's ​internal affairs, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday, after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington ‌would take "very ‌strong action" ‌against Tehran. China ⁠does ​not ‌condone the use or the threat of force in international rel»»»

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»»»

The Bucharest office market underwent a significant structural shift in 2025, with the banking and financial services sector surpassing the IT industry in transaction volume for the first time. According to a year-end study by Crosspoint Real Estate, financial institutions accounted for 25% of the »»»

A draft law tightening environmental requirements for vehicles in Kyrgyzstan has been submitted for public discussion. The proposal includes amendments to the Law «On Road Traffic» and the Code of Offenses and has been posted on the official Zhogorku Kenesh website. The initiative was introduced by»»»

Venezuela on Tuesday began freeing jailed Americans, a US official said, praising the interim leadership after Washington’s ouster of ex-president Nicolas Maduro. The official gave no immediate details on how many were freed or their identities, only that more than one American detainee had been re»»»

Business leaders with investments in inter-Korean projects called Wednesday for lifting sanctions on doing business with North Korea. In this May 2023 photo, the Kaesong Industrial Complex is seen from the South Korean border city of Paju. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo Businesspeople»»»

At the start of the new plenary session, MP Toma Bikov of GERB–UDF said: “For us, the greatest risk was related to possibility that Bulgaria might fail to complete the process of European integration.” On Wednesday, MPs opened the new plenary session. Bikov stressed the country’s success with the a»»»

As the calendar turns in Bulgaria, the Roma community celebrates a special occasion that shines with color, music, and tradition - the Roma New Year, or Bango Vasil, observed on January 14. The celebration, named after Saint Basil, is a moment of renewal, reflection, and communal joy, bringing toge»»»

Two people were killed and several wounded as a result of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian border regions, local authorities said Wednesday. In the city of Rostov-on-Don, a drone attack sparked a fire in a residential building and the body of a man was found in the charred remains of one of the a»»»

Dubai: As UAE ushers in the Year of the Family, the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai outlined a renewed social agenda aimed at strengthening family well-being, inclusive services and community cohesion. The roadmap was unveiled at the CDA’s media forum, “One Community One Family,” whi»»»

Snow is expected in Bishkek during the second half of the week, preliminary forecasts from meteorologists say. January 15: Partly cloudy. Nighttime temperatures will drop to −1°C, with daytime highs around +13°C. January 16: Cloudy at night with −1°C. Rain is possible during the day, with temperatu»»»

Abu Dhabi: Backed by a strategic $230M raise led by global investment platform BlueFive Capital, amongst other strategic investors and family offices, and founded by serial fintech entrepreneur Abdallah Abu-Sheikh, Mal, the AI-native Islamic digital bank, is now gearing up for its official launch. »»»

Clashes between Syrian government troops and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) erupted Tuesday in the Deir Hafer district of Aleppo province. It came days after the evacuation of SDF fighters from Aleppo's Kurdish-majority Sheikh Maqsud and Achrafieh neighbourhoods. No casualties »»»

President Lee Jae Myung (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi play drums together during an informal meeting that followed their summit talks in Nara, Japan, on Tuesday. Pool photo by Yonhap President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday wrapped up his two-day visit to Japan that raised prospects fo»»»

Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Claudette Colvin, a civil rights activist who was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a White woman in segregated Alabama, has died, according to her foundation. She was 86. "It is with profound sadness that the Claudette Colvin Foundation and family announced »»»

Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces exchanged fire Tuesday in a tense area of eastern Aleppo province, marking a possible escalation after days of clashes in the northern city. No casualties were immediately reported, as an impasse continues in negotiations between»»»

Strong winter winds collapsed walls onto flimsy tents for Palestinians displaced by war in Gaza, killing at least four people, hospital authorities said Tuesday. Dangerous living conditions persist in Gaza after more than two years of devastating Israeli bombardment and aid shortfalls. A ceasefire »»»

Saudi Arabia, represented by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, signed on Tuesday three international memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on mineral resources cooperation with the Chile, Canada, and Brazil. The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Ministerial Roundtable of ministers »»»

Tunis, Jan. 14 (TAP) – The Criminal Chamber of the Tunis Court of Appeal has upheld the first-instance verdict in the high-profile “Instalingo” case, confirming convictions against all defendants, while reducing the prison sentence of journalist...»»»

Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan Jeenbek Kulubaev and his Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov highlighted the need to coordinate efforts to ensure uninterrupted cargo transit and create conditions for the growth of regional trade. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported following a telephone conversa»»»

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of Kyrgyzstan, the rare predator was spotted on December 29 at approximately 11:20 p.m. in the village of Boroldoi in Kemin district. According to preliminary reports, the snow leopard descended from the mountains int»»»

Dubai: Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung struck an unexpectedly upbeat note at their latest summit, ending formal talks with a light-hearted cultural exchange set to K-pop hits. After agreeing to deepen bilateral cooperation, the two leaders surprised ai»»»

Pakistani passport holders can now travel to 31 countries with visa-free, Visa-on-Arrival (VOA), or electronic travel authorization (eTA) access, covering destinations across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and Oceania. This comes after a jump to 98th place in the Henley Passport Index 2026, up from 1»»»

AMMAN, Jan. 14 (SANA) Jordan on Tuesday strongly condemned the storming of al-Aqsa Mosque (Al-Haram al-Sharif) by Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, calling it a flagrant violation of international law. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Fuad al-Majali described the act as an unaccep»»»

“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»»»

Nadezhda Yordanova formally accepted the second mandate to form a government from President Rumen Radev on behalf of the parliamentary group "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) and immediately returned it unfulfilled. She explained that in the current 51st National Assembly, there»»»

A train derailed in northeastern Thailand on Wednesday after a construction crane fell on three ​of its carriages, killing at least 25 people and injuring about 80, police said. The accident took place on Wednesday morning in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, 230 km (143 miles) nor»»»

An informed Palestinian sources revealed that an agreement has been reached on the majority of the members of the technocratic committee will run the Gaza Strip. The source, who is a member of the Palestinian civil society, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the 18-member committee will be comprised of Gaza»»»

Tunis, Jan. 14 (TAP) – The weather, on Wednesday, will be clear to partly cloudy across the entire country.Winds from the south will be relatively strong to locally strong over the Gulf of Tunis and the Gulf of Hammamet, and light to moderate...»»»

Emergency Ministry personnel have been dispatched to Kara-Kuldzha district of Osh region of Kyrgyzstan to check reports of a potential landslide. According to the ministry’s press service, the alert was received today concerning the village of Sharkyrama in Kara-Kuldzha district. The response team »»»

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»»»

US President Donald Trump on Monday said any country that does business with Iran will face a tariff rate of 25% on any trade with the US as Washington weighs a response to the situation in Iran which is seeing its biggest anti-government protests in years. Iran, a member of the OPEC oil producing »»»

Mohamed Ali Alabbar, founder of Emaar and Noon, and chairman of Eagle Hills, said his greatest strength as an Emirati business leader has always been his ability to build strong teams. “I have always tried to build and work with the best team of talented people,” Alabbar said at the Dubai Internati»»»

French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, Saudi envoy Prince Yazid Bin Farhan, and the ambassadors of the U.S., Qatar and Egypt met Wednesday with President Joseph Aoun in Baabda. Upon his arrival on Tuesday evening to Beirut, Bin Farhan visited Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, local media reports said. The meet»»»

Manila: More than 20 containers of radioactive zinc stranded in Manila Bay for months have been brought ashore to a "safe place", the country's nuclear research director told AFP on Wednesday. The 23 containers arrived in Manila aboard the MV Hansa Augsburg in late September after Indonesian author»»»