Bulgaria has registered its lowest refusal rate for U.S. tourist and business visas in almost 20 years, with rejections standing at 5.11%, according to official figures released by the U.S. Department of State for the 2025 U.S. fiscal year. The data were confirmed by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign »»»

Dubai: In a remote village in North Sumatra, Indonesia, the Manurung family has found itself thrust into an unexpected global spotlight, as videos documenting their daily lives spread rapidly across social media, challenging long-held prejudices and misconceptions. Four of the six Manurung siblings»»»

Misrata Chamber of Commerce, represented by Ali Miftah Zaqut, Director of the Exhibitions and Media Department, accompanied by Mustafa Çatiroğlu, the founding member of the Ike-Talli Istanbul Industrial Zone in Turkey, held several meetings in Istanbul on January 15 and 16, 2026. The meeting was he»»»

Thirty-four migrants have been found on a beach in southwestern Crete. The migrants landed by boat on a beach near Kaloi Limenes. The group, who mostly say they are from Sudan and Egypt, includes a woman and six children. After the process of registration and identification is complete, the migrant»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia became the first country in the world to grant conditional regulatory approval for Anktiva as a treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer, according to the Saudi Food and Drug Authority. The Saudi Food and Drug Authority has granted conditional approval for Anktiva (noga»»»

Police in Uganda have denied allegations that presidential candidate Bobi Wine was abducted on Friday evening as vote counting continues in the East African nation amid an internet blackout. Wine's party said a helicopter landed in the grounds of his house in the capital, Kampala, and forcibly took»»»

Syria's Kurds on Saturday said a presidential decree recognizing the minority's rights and making Kurdish an official language fell short of their expectations as Syrian government forces entered the outskirts of a northern town. In a statement, the Kurdish administration in Syria's north and north»»»

LONDON, Jan 17 (KUNA) -- Several people have been arrested following overnight protests and clashes outside the Iranian embassy in London, according to British police.One protester climbed across balconies onto the embassy roof removing a flag on Friday night before being detained on suspicion of c»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli occupation forces stage series of raid and detention campaign across occupied West Bank 17-01-2026 09:20 AM Latest News Urgent News»»»

The Tripoli based Libyan government reported yesterday that its official visiting delegation to Saudi Arabia held a further series of meetings with several Saudi economic and investment entities to strengthen strategic partnerships and expand economic cooperation between the two countries. The meet»»»

Hezbollah offered condolences on Friday to Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Al-Sistani on the demise of his brother, Sayyed Hadi. In a statement, Hezbollah’s Media Relations Office said: “With great satisfaction with God’s decree and submission to His will, we received the news of the passing away»»»

Tunis, Jan. 17 (TAP)- The weather is partly cloudy in most regions on Saturday and sometimes very cloudy in the north with scattered showers. The wind is blowing south light to moderate, growing relatively strong at the end of the day near northern...»»»

A two-year-old child who swallowed 17 magnetic toy parts was admitted to the Osh Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital, the Osh Regional Interdistrict Children’s Clinical Hospital reported. According to doctors, the child had been experiencing repeated vomiting for three days. After seeking medical»»»

New York: US aviation authorities issued notices Friday warning airlines to "exercise caution" in the airspace over Mexico and Central America due to "military activities." The Federal Aviation Administration posted a series of messages cautioning about a "potentially hazardous situation," citing t»»»

The White House on Friday announced some members of a so-called "Board of Peace" that is to supervise the temporary governance of Gaza, which has been under a fragile ceasefire since October. The names include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, »»»

Dubai: The UAE is marking the ‘Day of Solidarity’ or 'Day of Resolve' today, January 17, with nationwide displays, as fighter jets and helicopters are set to sweep across the skies of all seven emirates this afternoon. Late on Friday, the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, was illuminated wit»»»

KUWAIT, Jan 17 (KUNA) -- The Kuwaiti banking sector contributed 60.9 percent to Boursa Kuwait's capital value as of the end of 2025, showed a specialized economic report on Saturday.The sector was also the most attractive to indirect foreign investment and the most liquid among the stock exchange's»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has put forward for public discussion a draft resolution amending the rules governing the development of free economic zone (FEZ) territories. The amendments will update Government Resolution No. 332 dated June 16, 2014. According to the draft, the state plans»»»

The mayor of Yokohama has apologised for insulting colleagues after an official publicly accused him of making offensive remarks. At a news conference, the Japanese city's human resource chief, Jun Kubota, alleged that Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka had used terms such as "idiot" and "human scum" to dispa»»»

Damascus: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree on Friday making Kurdish a "national language" and granting the minority community national rights, as his army fights Kurdish forces in the north. The decree makes Kurdish a national language that can be taught in public schools in areas w»»»

Aleppo, Syria: Syria's army said Saturday its forces had started entering an area east of the city of Aleppo after Kurdish forces agreed to withdraw from the region following recent clashes. In a statement carried by state television, the army said its forces "began entering the western Euphrates a»»»

On Jan. 17, 1995, a powerful earthquake rocked Kobe, Japan, and the surrounding area, killing about 5,500 people. 1 of 6 | People offer prayers for the victims of the January 17, 1995, Great Hanshin earthquake with candles marking the date during a ceremony January 17, 2025, in Kobe, Japan. File Ph»»»

The Libyan Turkish Business Forum for Construction and Building Materials, organized by MUSIAD Libya, concluded last Thursday (15 January), with the participation of more than 40 specialized Libyan and Turkish companies. The forum’s b2b programme focused on building practical and sustainable partne»»»

The Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs has approved, at second reading, a provision allowing up to 20 polling stations to be opened outside Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions in countries outside the European Union. The decision was taken during the debate on a cons»»»

Attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have continued in southern Lebanon, raising growing concern among Lebanese and diplomatic circles. The latest incident occurred on Thursday in the border village of Adaisseh, where an Israeli drone dropped a grenade near a UNIFIL patro»»»

Rabat: Sadio Mane will cement his status as one of the all-time great African players if he can lead Senegal to victory against hosts Morocco in Sunday's Cup of Nations final -- a game he has said will be his farewell to the tournament. Former Liverpool star Mane turns 34 in April and has played ov»»»

Havana: Cuba, which US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off from its main oil supplies, generated only half of the electricity it needed in 2025, according to official statistics analyzed by AFP. The communist island is in the throes of its worst economic crisis in decades, marked by re»»»

A representative of Kyrgyzstan’s Customs Service will inspect carriers from Central Asian countries at the border with Russia. Chairman of the State Customs Service of the Kyrgyz Republic Almaz Saliev announced to members of the Zhogorku Kenesh. According to him, the officer will work at the Russia»»»

Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov has been appointed High Representative for Gaza. In this role, he will act as the key on-the-ground link between the Peace Council and the National Committee for the Governance of Gaza (NCAG), coordinating civilian and security efforts while overseeing governanc»»»

Report by Shaimaa Al-Ruwaished KUWAIT, Jan 17 (KUNA) -- An unforgettable chapter in Kuwaitآ’s history and in the hearts of the Kuwaiti people is marked today (Saturday), as the first airstrike by the international coalition forces was launched on January 17, 1991, marking the start of the "Operatio»»»

KUWAIT, Jan 17 (KUNA) -- The price of Kuwaiti crude oil went down by 21 cents to USD 61.09 per barrel (pb) on Friday, compared to USD 61.30 pb the previous day, said Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) on Saturday.In global markets, Brent crude futures rose by 37 cents to USD 64.13 pb, and U.S. West»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe UNIFIL: We remind the Israeli army of its obligation to ensure the safety of peacekeepers and to stop actions that could endanger them or t»»»

Libya’s state National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced last Thursday (15 January) that Italian company Eni North Africa and its partners (the NOC, BP, and the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) have commenced drilling operations for their first deepwater exploration well in the offshore area of ​​th»»»

Italians began exploring a varied diet sometime between the 7th and 6th centuries BC, according to a new analysis of ancient teeth from Iron Age Italians. Unravelling details about the lifestyles of ancient cultures is a challenging task, as it requires specific, well-preserved fossils of long-dece»»»

A total of 126 tonnes of waste were collected on Friday, January 16, 2026, from Sofia’s Poduyane and Slatina boroughs, compared to a standard daily norm of 90 tonnes for the two areas combined, the press centre of the Sofia Municipality said on Saturday. Sofia Municipality said it continues intensi»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has amended several of its decisions in the field of population documentation and registration. The resolution was adopted as part of the ongoing digital transformation of public services and aims to improve their accessibility and convenience for citizens. Am»»»

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Adylbek Tultemirov presented his credentials to President of Ethiopia Taye Atske Selassie Amde. The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. The official representati»»»

Melbourne: Novak Djokovic said Saturday he still gets a "drug-like" adrenaline rush from tennis and is not thinking about retiring anytime soon. The 38-year-old is about to embark on his 21st Australian Open and remains among the top contenders, behind defending champion Jannik Sinner and top-ranke»»»

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today concluded a five-day Cyber Incident Investigations and Response Training (CIIRT) workshop for Bulgaria’s law enforcement and judicial officials in Sofia. The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Country Attaché office in Athens and the Sofia-ba»»»

Italians began exploring a varied diet sometime between the 7th and 6th centuries BC, according to a new analysis of ancient teeth from Iron Age Italians. Unravelling details about the lifestyles of ancient cultures is a challenging task, as it requires specific, well-preserved fossils of long-dece»»»

Iran is facing a sweeping security crackdown after a wave of arrests and the heavy deployment of forces in Tehran and other cities, as residents and a rights group said protests have largely abated under the weight of the clampdown. Accounts from residents in the capital described a cautious calm s»»»

Dubai’s Discovery Gardens community has been given extra time to register for on-street paid parking, after residents reported problems using the PARKONIC app. Parkonic confirmed on Saturday that the activation period has been extended until Monday, January 19. The company said it understands resid»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has moved to restart the long-stalled Jeddah Metro, issuing a preliminary design consultancy tender for the project’s Blue Line and signalling a renewed push to revive one of the Kingdom’s most ambitious public transport schemes after nearly a decade of delay. The tender, report»»»

The Tripoli based Libyan government reported last Thursday (15 January) that it had held discussions in Saudi Arabia on ways to enhance cooperation in the energy sector and expand partnerships in the oil, gas, and renewable energy fields during a series of official meetings held with the Saudi Mini»»»

A relevant department under the Ministry of Architecture, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Kyrgyzstan has developed a project to improve a roadside area in the northern part of Kara-Balta. According to the ministry’s press service, the project covers a section of Kozhomberdiev Street »»»

A traffic accident involving two buses occurred at the intersection of Baitik Baatyr and Mederov Streets in Bishkek. Eyewitnesses reported the road accident. According to preliminary reports, the buses collided near a public transport stop. Information on the injured and the cause of the accident i»»»

Israel is grappling with a dramatic increase in post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide among its troops after its two-year assault on Gaza, precipitated by the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel. Recent reports by the Defense Ministry and by health providers have detailed the mili»»»

PARIS: Chair of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Dr Nasser bin Hamad Al Henzab commended the active role played by the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation in fostering and supporting the right to education globally, emphasizing t»»»

WASHINGTON: The White House has announced some of the members of what it refers to as the Board of Peace, which, under President Donald Trump's plan, will oversee the temporary administration of the Gaza Strip. In a statement, the White House said the names include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, T»»»

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Saudi Arabia’s sovereign credit rating at A+ with a stable outlook, according to a report issued by the agency on Friday. The agency said the Kingdom’s credit profile reflects the strength of its fiscal position, noting that its government debt-to-GDP ratio and net sovere»»»