Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been the main advocate of the initiative to reform Colombia’s Constitution. He first raised the possibility of a constituent assembly nearly two years ago and revived the proposal in recent months. Photo by Ricardo Maldonado Rozo/EPA Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Colombian »»»

Rock singer Yungblud is taking his music festival BludFest abroad, but the move has split fans. The third edition of the event is going to take place in the Czech Republic in June, after being held in Milton Keynes for the past two years. Some fans told BBC Newsbeat they are glad festival-goers in »»»

Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority announced on social media today, Feb 25, that as part of the ongoing Etihad Rail infrastructure works, the exit coming from Maliha Road West towards Dubai Emirates Road will be closed for two days, starting from midnight on Saturday, Feb 28, until 5am on Monday»»»

The United Arab Emirates has expressed its solidarity and sincere condolences to the Republic of Türkiye following the crash of a military aircraft, which resulted in the martyrdom of the pilot. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to»»»

1 of 5 | Pope Leo XIV delivers on the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica the Urbi et Orbi message on Christmas Day in Vatican City. The pope will visit Africa in April. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI | License Photo Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV will make a 10-day trip through Africa visiting»»»

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit that both countries have cast as a chance to deepen relations, as regional concerns mount over the risk of military conflict between the United States and Iran. In an address to the Israeli parliament, Modi told»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Primary Health Care Corporation reiterated the importance of individual medical assessments for patients with chronic diseases to determine their health capacity to fast during the remaining days of the holy month of Ramadan, particularly those with diabetes, heart, kidney, or resp»»»

Geneva: The State of Qatar participated in the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament held in Geneva. Qatar was represented at the event by Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Delegation of the State of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva, Jawhara bint Abdulaziz Al Suwaidi. A»»»

Two bears from an Argentinian zoo successfully completed a long journey to the Belitsa bear sanctuary on Wednesday, to become the first bears ever flown from South America to Bulgaria, according to the Four Paws Foundation, which led the relocation project with support from Bulgarian and internatio»»»

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced she is weighing a lawsuit against billionaire Elon Musk after he claimed she is controlled by drug cartels. Musk wrote the comment on Monday after Mexican authorities announced the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, HE Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie affirmed that Qatar Environment Day, observed annually on February 26, represents an opportunity to evaluate the progress of environmental work, review its priorities, and highlight the im»»»

The US is preparing to start offering passport services in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank for the first time. A statement posted on Tuesday to the US embassy's X account said consular officers "will be providing routine passport services" to US citizens in the settlement of Efrat on »»»

Parliament Wednesday rejected, 126-86 with 11 abstentions, President Iliana Iotova's veto on amendments to the Election Code, which limit to 20 the number of voting sections in Bulgarian elections in non-EU countries. The vote of the MPs from the Socialists' BSP - United Left group was critically i»»»

Dubai: The United States on Wednesday announced a new round of sanctions targeting Iran’s oil trade and weapons networks, intensifying what Washington calls its “maximum pressure” campaign even as Iranian negotiators travelled to Geneva for high-stakes nuclear talks. The US Treasury Department said»»»

Egypt said Wednesday that 18 of its citizens were still missing after a migrant boat capsized, killing four people, off the Greek island of Crete last week. The wooden boat was carrying 50 people, including four minors, when Greece's coast guard was alerted late Friday. Greek authorities then direc»»»

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates has expressed its solidarity and sincere condolences to Turkey following the crash of a military aircraft, which resulted in the martyrdom of the pilot. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the f»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Geneva will host US-Iran and US-Ukraine talks on February 26, and Swiss representatives will not participate in the meetings, Swiss Foreign Ministry Communications chief Nicolas Bidault told RIA Novosti on Wednesday. "Yes, that is correct," Bidault said, when asked if the confede»»»

Iraqi Justice Minister Khaled Shwani told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraq will not repatriate foreign prisoners affiliated with ISIS to their home countries if their involvement in crimes against Iraqi citizens is proven. He said a heavily fortified Iraqi prison currently holds thousands of ISIS members »»»

Long hours on the road while fasting during Ramadan can take a serious toll on drivers’ alertness, particularly during heavy traffic commutes such as the Sharjah-Dubai-Sharjah route, said UAE medical experts. Why fasting slows reaction timeDr Adel Al Sisi, Chief Medical Officer and Head of ICU at P»»»

China will buy up to 120 aircraft from European aviation giant Airbus, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said following talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday. Merz's visit comes as Berlin and Beijing seek to build on their decades-old economic ties to weather global uncertainty spa»»»

US President Donald Trump’s approach to a potential confrontation with Iran is driven by layered strategic calculations, senior researchers at the Zionist entity’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) found on Wednesday. In an article published in the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom on Wed»»»

In today’s complex business environment, the quality of an audit is more than a compliance requirement, it is a strategic asset. A good quality audit provides assurance that financial statements are accurate, supports tax and VAT compliance, fosters good governance practices, and empowers executive»»»

Ramadan in the UAE is a time for reflection, family and, let’s be honest, a well-timed reset. Whether you’re planning a desert retreat in Abu Dhabi’s Empty Quarter, a theme park-fuelled family break in Dubai or a beachfront golf escape in Ras Al Khaimah, there’s a staycation with your name on it. F»»»

Western European nations will not deploy troops to Ukraine without Russian consent, The Telegraph reported Tuesday, citing anonymous sources. The UK-French initiative to deploy troops to Ukraine has been promoted as a deterrent against Russia which could follow a potential peace deal. Russian Presi»»»

Cairo: Egypt's foreign minister has reaffirmed Cairo's support for stability in South Sudan and called for closer co-operation among Nile Basin countries during talks with his South Sudanese counterpart in Cairo. Badr Abdelatty on Wednesday met Monday Semaya Kumba, who is currently visiting the Egy»»»

Dubai: The UAE ended 2025 with clear evidence that economic diversification is no longer an ambition - it is a fact, and one that is occurring at an accelerated pace. Non-oil sectors continue to grow faster than the oil sector, and they now account for over 77 percent of GDP. This represents the hi»»»

US and Canadian trade officials spoke on Wednesday and plan to meet in coming weeks, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said, adding that the Trump administration was open to their ideas on how to reach an agreement, Reuters reported. "They have a few ideas on how they might want to have a deal»»»

Cairo: Represented by the Ministry of Justice, the State of Qatar participated in the meeting of the Arab National Committees on International Humanitarian Law, which was dedicated to reviewing and adopting the final regional action plan for the application of International Humanitarian Law at the »»»

Simeonovgrad Municipality has formally opposed plans to construct a refugee center in the Bulgarian town. The proposal for the facility was approved last week during a Council of Ministers meeting, BGNES reported from Haskovo. Under the government’s decision, the State Agency for Refugees is to rec»»»

IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, has announced plans to strengthen its presence in the Middle East and North Africa with the launch of a new regional office and the creation of IAAPA MENA. The official launch will be celebrated during IAAPA Expo Middle East, with the new »»»

Samana Developers has contributed Dh15 million to support the Edge of Life campaign to rescue five million children from hunger. Launched in Ramadan by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the campaign aims to raise a m»»»

Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV will visit four African nations in April, the Vatican said Thursday, including Algeria -- the first time a pope will travel to the North African Muslim nation. The Vatican announced a series of international trips in the months ahead for the US pontiff, who was elected la»»»

Dubai: British citizens who also hold another nationality could be stopped from travelling to the UK from Wednesday under new border rules linked to the rollout of the country’s electronic travel authorisation system, complicating travel for British dual nationals in the UAE. Sign up for our daily »»»

Dubai: Pakistani visitors heading to the UK — including those travelling from the UAE — can now use a new digital eVisa system instead of receiving a visa sticker in their passport, the British High Commission in Pakistan has announced. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.»»»

Dubai: An Indian expat from Kerala working at a Dubai typing centre has struck it rich, winning $1 million in the latest Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw held at Concourse C of Dubai International Airport on Wednesday. Premadasan Makkalikkal, 47, won in Millennium Millionaire Series 537 »»»

Students and educators across UAE schools have welcomed the revised pattern of the CBSE Class 10 Science examination, which for the first time introduced a strict section-wise split into Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Initial feedback suggests the paper was largely student-friendly, with most desc»»»

JERUSALEM Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off a two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday aimed at focusing on strengthening security, economic and technological cooperation between the two countries. The Indian leader stepped out of the plane beaming and descended the staircase to a big hug »»»

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said that the UK and France are preparing to transfer nuclear weapons to Ukraine. The UK and France’s plan to transfer atomic weapons to Ukraine is a blatant act of nuclear blackmail aimed at Russia, Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institu»»»

Dubai: In a landmark step toward a unified and digitally secure identity ecosystem, the Federal Government has formally upgraded Pakistan’s National Identity Card (NIC) and Pakistan Origin Card (POC) frameworks. The amendments introduce QR-based verification, enhanced biometric features, stronger f»»»

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic met on Wednesday in Belgrade with the EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Peter Sorensen and pointed out the scale of potential consequences for Serbs in the province in case Pristina started enf»»»

Problems in well-run organisations rarely stem from incompetence. In fact, intelligence often creates confidence — confidence that systems are sound, risks are contained, and decisions are well thought through. Yet many workplaces struggle not because leaders are careless, but because some choices »»»

Dubai Police’s mobile Iftar cannon, Al Rahal, has continued its Ramadan tour across the emirate, welcoming community members at Al Meydan hotel on the 9th and 10th days of Ramadan before heading to Hatta dam from the 10th to the 12th day of the holy month. The initiative gives citizens, residents, »»»

Ala-Too Resort and Doppelmayr have signed a contract to build four more cableways at Jyrgalan resort. The document was approved by Valery Yashin, Head of Doppelmayr Russia and CIS Division, and Zharkynbek Maksutov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of JSC. The new contract continues a large-scale »»»

Speaking at a news briefing at the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, caretaker Health Minister Michail Okoliyski said that significant overpricing had been identified in two public procurement procedures at the Ministry of Health. The minister said that both finalized public procurement procedures»»»

Dubai: Dubai Police handled 8,263 emergency calls through the 999 hotline during heavy fog that blanketed parts of the emirate early this week, authorities said. The calls were received between 3am and 10am on Monday and Tuesday, as reduced visibility prompted heightened operational readiness and i»»»

Dubai: The Dubai International Holy Quran Award announced the selection of the late reciter Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil Al Husary, as the Global Quranic Personality for its 28th edition. This recognition comes in appreciation and gratitude for his enduring scholarly Quranic legacy, which left a profound »»»

Dubai: Passengers travelling through Dubai International Airport may be surprised to learn that they can carry up to 15 mobile phones in their luggage — but only under strict conditions. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Moreover, as passenger numbers continue to rise — »»»

Dubai: The Dubai International Holy Quran Award announced the opening of public voting for participants who qualified for the final stage of its 28th edition for the year in search of the most beautiful Quran recitation for 2026. Following two qualifying rounds, the judging panel has selected the t»»»

A fertiliser plant in western Russia has come under attack by Ukrainian drones, killing seven people and injuring at least ten. Russia's Investigative Committee said 30 drones had struck the plant in the region of Smolensk, around 290km (180 miles) from the border with Ukraine. Regional governor Va»»»

Dubai: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, known the world over as Fazza, marked a deeply personal milestone today as he celebrated his son Mohammed's third birthday. »»»