West Sussex: Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, has called on international sporting, government, policy, development, and civil society leaders to join a global coalition focused on harnessing sport as a driver of social development at a high-lev»»»

Russia would make short work of European nations if they decided to attack it, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. Some European nations, including Germany, Poland, and the Baltic states, have increasingly claimed that Russia could target NATO territory in the next few years, urging more milit»»»

American political scientist John Mearsheimer has claimed that the Ukraine conflict can’t be resolved diplomatically because the two sides’ goals remain irreconcilable and it will ultimately be settled on the battlefield. Mearsheimer made the remarks during a visit to Moscow in an interview with Fy»»»

The US war with Iran cost the Pentagon approximately $38 billion in its first five months, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The bill could rise by another $2 billion to $3 billion for every additional month of fighting – and by more if hostilities intensify. In a report released »»»

Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova opened an exhibition at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday marking the 150th death anniversary of Bulgarian freedom-fighter and poet Hristo Botev. The exhibition was prepared by the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies in Sofia»»»

TOKYO: The Qatari flag was hoisted aloft on Wednesday at the Athletes' Village for the 20th Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, which Japan will host from Sept 9 through Oct 4.The Games will mark a record participation of 17,000 athletes and officials representing 45 nations and regions, including Olym»»»

Damascus, Sept. 16 (SANA) Chairman of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce Alaa al-Ali discussed with Turkish Ambassador to Damascus Nuh Yilmaz on Wednesday prospects for developing and strengthening trade relations between Syria and Türkiye. During a meeting at the Turkish Embassy in Dama»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has launched a range of advanced digital services and solutions in a new step toward a more efficient and competitive business environment, helping improve the investor experience, streamline business formation and operations, facilitate access to »»»

During a Premier League match between Chelsea and Brighton, social media users started spreading rumours that 20-year-old Ivorian footballer Malick Yalcouyé is older than he claims to be. The rumours gained such proportion that the youth club where he trained decided to post photos of Yalcouyé thro»»»

With a US president who talks of making Canada the 51st state, its leader in Europe where it’s not quite the EU's 28th state on offer, but something the president of the European Commission is calling ‘associate membership’. We’ll ask what that means, how it differs from the close status afforded t»»»

Turkish courts have jailed more LGBTQ activists and supporters, raising to 62 the number remanded in custody following a weekend crackdown, a legal rights group said on Wednesday. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Koen Slootmaeckers, Reader in International Politics at City St George's, Universi»»»

Sweden's centre-left opposition has defeated the incumbent right-wing governing bloc by the slimmest of margins, public broadcaster ​SVT ‌said on Wednesday, after 99% ⁠of the votes in Sunday's parliamentary election had been counted. FRANCE 24's Paul Rhys reports.»»»

Geneva: The Sultanate of Oman has reaffirmed the necessity of ensuring safe, unhindered navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in compliance with international law and the UN Law of the Sea. Addressing a UN session, Permanent Representative Ambassador Idris bin Abdul Rahman Al Khanjari warned that»»»

The US military says it has attacked two boats that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly used in an attempt to seize an American drone. Iranian media previously reported that several fishermen were missing following a US attack off the coast of the southern port city of Kargan »»»

Major General Warner Ross, Adjutant General for the Tennessee National Guard, has received the Bulgarian Defence Ministry's Badge of Honour, First Class. The distinction was presented to him in Sofia on Wednesday by Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov, the ministry's press centre said. The award »»»

May El Nahrawy is Founder and Chairperson of The Marketing House, a former Board Member of the Egyptian Junior Business Association, and former Advisor for Marketing at the Alexandria Governorate. She specialises in nation branding, healthcare events, and export marketing. In Egypt, where history m»»»

YEKATERINBURG, Russia, (Sputnik) - The International Youth Festival has become a unique platform for establishing contacts and fostering friendship, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday. "I believe everyone agrees that the International Youth Festival has become a highly valuabl»»»

We strongly condemn the drone attack carried out by the Houthis targeting the holy city of Mecca. We reaffirm our support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of Saudi Arabia, and once again underscore our solidarity. We reiterate our call for the immediate cessation of these at»»»

Higher rates may affect mortgages, new loans and savings, depending on your bank Dubai: Interest rates are moving higher again in the UAE after the Central Bank raised its base rate by 25 basis points to 3.9%, following the US Federal Reserve’s first rate increase since 2023. Get updated faster and»»»

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that Bulgaria is Europe's connectivity gateway and expressed confidence that the country would successfully host a summit on international connectivity. She was speaking on the sidelines of Wednesday's sitting of the European Parliament in Strasb»»»

An increasing number of babies are being born with congenital syphilis in Hungary, prompting the National Public Health and Pharmacy Centre (NNGYK) to introduce new, nationwide procedures. The number of cases has risen significantly since 2021: 91 cases were recorded in 2025, while 100 were reporte»»»

Visiting Strasbourg on Wednesday, Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova held meetings with senior officials of the Council of Europe and the European Union, discussing the reform of the Council of Europe, human rights, the EU's future budget, security, migration and European connectivity. Iotova held m»»»

PARIS: Lusail International Circuit in Qatar has retained its place on the calendar for the 78th edition of the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2027, which was announced on Wednesday to give fans an early look at where and when their favorite races will take place. The Fédération Internationa»»»

Doha: Qatar Central Bank (QCB) announced that, following an assessment of the current monetary policy of the State of Qatar, it has decided to increase the current interest for the QCB Deposit Rate, QCB Lending Rate, and the QCB Repo Rate. According to an official statement issued by the central ba»»»

Against the backdrop of the Hurghada Youth Film Festival, Egyptian actress Abeer Sabry – who was a member of the jury for its fourth edition – spoke to Daily News Egypt about her latest projects, artistic ambitions, and enduring dreams. In an extensive interview, she discussed her vision of cinema,»»»

BELGRADE - In a public address following a Hague-based court's convictions of war criminals from the so-called "Kosovo Liberation Army", Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday evening preservation of peace and stability was crucial for Serbia, but that the first-instance ruling did no»»»

In a report released Wednesday, Amnesty International said Iranian authorities committed “crimes against humanity” during the violent crackdown on the 2022 protests known as the movement “Woman, Life, Freedom” that was sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. Iranian authorities committed crimes agains»»»

BREAKING NEWSFed signals one more hike this year after unanimous 25-basis-point increase Dubai: The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday, delivering its first increase since 2023 amid persistent inflation pressures. The decision was unanimous. Fed officials also sig»»»

CBUAE lifts its base rate by 25 basis points to 3.9%, effective September 17 Dubai: The UAE Central Bank has raised its base rate by 25 basis points to 3.9%, following a similar increase by the US Federal Reserve. The Central Bank of the UAE said on Wednesday that the Base Rate applicable to its Ov»»»

AMMAN — Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah, said that the total exports grew by more than 14 per cent in the first half of 2026.He said that the exports increase resulted from extending last year's gains as the government moves to open new markets in Africa and Central Asia and adva»»»

German Chancellor Freidrich Merz has reportedly canceled his planned trip to the UN General Assembly in New York, as his political future hangs in the balance after a landslide loss to the right-wing AfD in state elections.Merz was scheduled to travel to New York next week, where high-level meeting»»»

Bulgaria's National Assembly Chair Mihaela Dotsova and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis have discussed opportunities to expand bilateral parliamentary and economic cooperation, Parliament's press centre said on Wednesday. Babis is on an official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of Prime Ministe»»»

TEHRAN, (Sputnik) - The hostilities launched by the United States against Iran have fundamentally reshaped the order in the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday. "The situation in the region following the war against Iran has undergone significant changes. There is»»»

Doha: The Qatar Forum for Authors, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, held a literary seminar on the memory of place on Wednesday. Led by writer Badriya Hamad Al Marikhi, the seminar examined the role of place in literary works and how the built environment can evolve into an identity and a l»»»

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis warned on Wednesday that Europe is falling behind in competitiveness and urgently needs to "wake up". "Europe is losing, Europe is not competitive and Europe needs to wake up," he said during a reception at the Hyatt Hotel in the Bulgarian capital Sofia organized t»»»

Lucky Day Draw No. 260916 gives out cash prizes to several participants Dubai: Several participants have taken home cash prizes following the latest UAE Lottery Lucky Day draw held on Wednesday. In Lucky Day Draw No. 260916, the winning numbers in the Days section were 23, 29, 2, 9, 17, 7, while 1 »»»

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen raised the possibility on Wednesday that Canada could become the European Union’s first “associate member” during the annual State of the European Union speech, at which Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was present. Carney has been pursuing closer ties with the»»»

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci was found guilty of war crimes committed as part of the Kosovo Liberation Army including murder, torture and illegal arrests by a tribunal in The Hague on Wednesday. Thaci was sentenced to 25 ​years in prison alongside fellow former KLA figures who wer»»»

With joint efforts, Bulgaria and Czechia can achieve a brighter future, with Bulgaria able to assist Czechia with energy diversification and price stability, while Czechia can help modernize and increase the competitiveness of Bulgaria's economy, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Wednesd»»»

Bulgaria's President Iliana Iotova and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola discussed current issues on the European Union’s agenda on Wednesday. The EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034 was a key topic of their talks. Iotova spoke of the planned new approach to the allocatio»»»

Passenger services on the Budapest-Belgrade railway line could be launched in the near future, according to Hungary’s Minister for Transport and Investment, Dávid Vitézy. Budapest-Belgrade line soon to become fully operational In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Vitézy said the project had reached an im»»»

Berlin has officially blamed a murky drone incident at the Leipzig-Halle airport on Moscow. However, as unbiased observers agree, the German authorities have not published any actual evidence to back up this accusation. Instead, they have relied on unsubstantiated claims and what seems to be the sy»»»

State Security Appeals Court also imposes combined KD6.283 million fine Dubai: Kuwait’s State Security Appeals Court has sentenced three Kuwaiti citizens and a Lebanese national to 10 years in prison after convicting them of joining and financing Hezbollah, and imposed fines totalling KD6.283 milli»»»

Illegal operators face fines of up to SR250,000 for repeated violations, HR Ministry says Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has fined 10 establishments for providing recruitment and labour services without a licence as authorities step up enforcement against i»»»

New Emirati graduates poised to power Dubai’s knowledge economy and D33 agenda Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, met with the first cohort of graduates fr»»»

DOHA: Qatar Tourism announced the launch of the Qatar Calendar 2026-2027, which includes more than 560 events, with the participation of about 780 partners, and offers a comprehensive package of diverse events and activities that meet all interests, and bring together families and friends from all »»»

Doha, Qatar: Animal owners in Qatar must report suspected cases of infectious, epidemic or zoonotic diseases within 24 hours under a new animal health law published in Issue 17 of the Official Gazette for 2026. Under Law No. 12 of 2026 regarding animal health, owners who suspect an animal is infect»»»

Previously undisclosed talks held at US Embassy in Muscat as Yemen conflict escalates Dubai: US officials held previously undisclosed talks with representatives of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants in Oman over the weekend, days after the group seized a strategic stretch of Yemen’s Red Sea coast»»»

Journalist Valeria Veleva announced on Facebook that she was leaving the Initiative Committee of the Iliana Iotova - Kiril Valchev presidential ticket on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Democratic Bulgaria (DB) slammed the release of personal data of vulnerable people in the Petrohan killings case. »»»

Bulgaria is interested in continuing its cooperation with Skoda Group on future deliveries of new trains, but expects the Czech company to resolve the problems with the trainsets already delivered as quickly as possible, Bulgarian Transport and Communications Minister Georgi Peev said in Sofia on W»»»