MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran is restoring its armed forces and weapons production much faster than the United States expected, CNN reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with US intelligence data. During the six-week ceasefire that began in April, Iran resumed operations at some of its drone prod»»»

The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is a moment to reflect on the richness of the world’s cultures — and also an opportunity to ask: what role does culture play in the way nations, cities, and institutions actually work together? My answer – based on working in strateg»»»

Bulgarian National Assembly Chair Mihaela Dotsova and the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, Lorenzo Fontana, discussed strengthening parliamentary dialogue between the two countries and the exchange of best practices during a meeting in Rome. A Bulgarian parliamentary »»»

DUBLIN: Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin has called for a thorough investigation into the death of a Congolese-born man after he was restrained outside a Dublin department store in an incident that has shocked the nation. Irish police said the man was detained by security guards on Dublin’s busy»»»

London: Britain’s late queen Elizabeth II pushed for her son Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to be given a high-profile job as a trade envoy, a senior official said in a 2000 document released by the government on Thursday. The British government agreed to release the documents related to the disgraced »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Internal and External Trade Jagoda Lazarevic and Ukrainian Deputy PM for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Taras Kachka signed on Thursday in Belgrade a joint statement on continuing talks on a Serbia-Ukraine FTA. Lazarevic and Kachka also signed a document title»»»

There is no restriction of opposition rights in the proposed amendments to Parliament's rules of procedure, National Assembly Chair Michaela Dotsova told journalists in Rome on Thursday. "I cannot say there is a problem with the rules of procedure," she said, adding that amendments to the rules are»»»

Chinese tyre manufacturer Aeolus Tyre Co., Ltd. plans to invest nearly $395 million in a major tyre manufacturing project in Alexandria, reinforcing Egypt’s growing role as a regional industrial and export hub serving African, Middle Eastern, and European markets. The project will be developed thro»»»

The Sofia City Court found former investigator Petyo Petrov, known by the nickname "The Euro", guilty of forging documents and imposed an administrative penalty of EUR 2,556. The ruling can be appealed or protested. The court also revoked Petrov's permanent detention order and withdrew the European»»»

National Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva held a meeting with representatives of diplomatic missions of European Union member states, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Switzerland accredited in Bulgaria, the Ombudsman’s press service said on Thursday. During the discussions, she presented the »»»

Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova-Chamova met with the UK Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, the Foreign Ministry press service reported on Thursday. The two discussed the progress and future prospects of the strategic partnership betw»»»

For three years, Sudan’s civil war has defied every attempt at resolution. Mediators, concerned actors, and all others seeking to end the conflict have been caught in an unproductive void, moving from one failed initiative to another. These repeated failures have deepened the sense of a horizon clo»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, May 21: There's outrage and condemnation in the international papers over a video showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting detained flotilla activists. One Israeli editor says he should be fired for his video. Also: the US indicts former Cuba»»»

Madrid: Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday presented what he called Spain's biggest-ever campaign against forest fires after deadly blazes devoured a record amount of land last year. Spain is one of the southern European countries on the front line of climate change as higher average temperat»»»

China says US should stop 'threats' against Cuba after ex-leader charged 14 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleOlivia Ireland Reuters China has called on the US to stop using "coercion" and "threats" against its ally Cuba, after Washington indicted former leader Raúl Castro on murder cha»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is spearheading international efforts to stabilize global oil markets and contain the fallout from a supply crisis triggered by the Iran war and the halt to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Using strategic logistics infrastructure, Riyadh has secured energy flows to con»»»

TEL AVIV: Israel has released hundreds of activists who attempted to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and is in the process of deporting them, according to a legal organization working with the flotilla. The Israel-based legal advocacy group, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israe»»»

Talks over the highly-controversial EU deportation bill collapsed on Thursday (21 May) morning, as negotiations failed to agree on when the new rules would kick into force. With a new round of talks now set for 1 June, the contentious regulation has roused heated debate on timing. EU states agreed »»»

A new state borrowing cycle is likely, but final decisions depend on precise calculations from the Ministry of Finance, according to MP Stefan Belchev from “Progressive Bulgaria.” Speaking on NOVA NEWS, Belchev said preparations for the 2026 budget are already underway and emphasized the need for a»»»

Construction of new wastewater treatment facilities will begin in Naryn region in June 2026. This was announced at a meeting of the Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry, Erlis Akunbekov, and the Head of the Office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (»»»

A bill «On the Heritage of Nomadic Civilizations and the Special Status of the World Nomad Games» has been submitted to the Zhogorku Kenesh (Parliament). The document proposes to legally enshrine the special status of the Games as an international cultural and sports project initiated by Kyrgyzstan»»»

The National Confederation for Women’s Entrepreneurship (CONAF) says Romania does not lack competent women, but does face a representation problem in the spaces where political and administrative decisions are made. The fact that, in recent political consultations, most delegations were made up exc»»»

Parliament on Thursday passed at first and second reading in a single sitting amendments to the State Financial Inspection Act, tabled by the Council of Ministers. The changes aim to reflect Bulgaria's adoption of the euro as the national currency in provisions related to compensation for damages c»»»

Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova met at the Foreign Ministry with Turkish Ambassador to Bulgaria Mehmet Sait Uyanik, the ministry’s press office said on Thursday. During the meeting, the two reaffirmed the excellent dialogue and the friendly and good-neighbourly bilateral relations, discussing op»»»

RIYADH: Qatar Investment Authority and Spain’s state-owned COFIDES have agreed to establish a €300 million ($327 million) joint investment fund targeting strategic projects across the European country, with a focus on green transition, digital transformation, and technological innovation. In a stat»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke on Thursday in Belgrade with Ukrainian Deputy PM for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Taras Kachka about advancement of bilateral relations and the two countries' EU path, with special emphasis on strengthening economic cooperation and conti»»»

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained in power for most of the past 17 years due in part to a tight alliance with ultra-Orthodox religious parties. But that alliance is tearing apart his governing coalition and proving to be another major liability for the long-serving I»»»

Seoul, May 21 (SANA) South Korea’s exports rose sharply in the first 20 days of May, supported by booming semiconductor sales and strong demand from major trading partners, official customs data showed Thursday. According to figures released by the Korea Customs Service and cited by Yonhap News Age»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin kicked off a two-day visit to Beijing on May 19, arriving with a high-powered delegations containing top officials and leading businessmen. The trip follows on less than a week after US President Donald Trump made the same journey, also with a high power delegation»»»

Aashdod: Israel’s far-right national security minister posted a video on Wednesday showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla kneeling with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground, sparking international condemnation. The video, shared on X by firebrand minister Itamar Ben Gvir, was»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained in power for most of the past 17 years due in part to a tight alliance with ultra-Orthodox religious parties. But that alliance is tearing apart his governing coalition and proving to be another major liability for the long-serving Israeli lead»»»

Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters as it approached Gaza on May 18, preventing the vessels from reaching the enclave and detaining more than 400 activists from around 40 countries. The mission set out from Türkiye to challenge Israel’s naval blockade and dr»»»

Israel has released hundreds of activists who attempted to breach Israel's naval blockade of Gaza and are in the process of deporting them, according to a legal organization working with the flotilla. The Israel-based legal advocacy group, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, or Ada»»»

Corruption, administrative reforms, proposed changes to Parliament’s Rules of Organization and Procedure, fuel prices, education, and others are the leading topics in Thursday’s news media. POLITICS Mediapool.bg has published the first part of a series of articles by former Prime Minister Ivan Kost»»»

Colombo: Sri Lankan authorities have launched an investigation into the disappearance of 42 ancient paintings from the National Art Gallery, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Sunil Senevi told Parliament on Thursday. The minister said a physical verification survey carried ou»»»

Australia, New Zealand and several EU officials joined the chorus of condemnations Thursday over a video clip of Israeli Minister Itmar Ben-Gvir heckling detained activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. European ⁠Council President ​Antonio Costa said he was "appalled" by their treatment and »»»

Berlin, May 21 (SANA) Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II reaffirmed Jordan’s support for Syria’s sovereignty, security and stability during talks with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Berlin on Wednesday. According to Jordan’s Petra news agency, the meeting took place at the st»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Ben-Gvir’s ‘Shameful Display’ Sparks Global Fury Over Abuse of Gaza Flotilla Activists 21-05-2026 11:09 AM Israeli National Security Minist»»»

The organization of the Eurovision Song Contest, which Bulgaria will host in 2027, is expected to cost between EUR 20 million and EUR 30 million, with good returns on expenditure, Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov said on the Bulgarian National Television's (BNT) morning programme on Thursday. Hris»»»

Dubai: Publsh Media Group has signed an exclusive strategic partnership with Vivenda Group to expand both companies’ premium media portfolios across the UAE, Italy and Spain. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here. The agreement will see the two companie»»»

The average price of fertilizers and soil improvers in the European Union increased by 8% in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, in line with the price of natural gas and hydrocarbons, and among the member states the highest price increase was recorded in Romania, data p»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained in power for most of the past 17 years due in part to a tight alliance with ultra-Orthodox religious parties. But that alliance is tearing apart his governing coalition and proving to be another major liability for the long-serving Israeli lead»»»

As negotiations with the United States hang in the balance, a hard-line Iranian general linked to notorious attacks at home and abroad over the past decades is believed to have seized a place near the center of power. Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who heads Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, has b»»»

New York: The State of Qatar has renewed its call for stronger humanitarian diplomacy as a critical tool for safeguarding civilians in conflict zones during a high-level United Nations event in New York. The event, organised on the sidelines of the Protection of Civilians Week 2026, was hosted by t»»»

On May 21, 1832, the first Democratic Party national convention convened in Baltimore. 1 of 5 | Balloons fall on Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on August 22, 2024. On May 21, 1832, the first Democratic Party national convention convened in Baltimore. Fil»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained in power for most of the past 17 years due in part to a tight alliance with ultra-Orthodox religious parties. But that alliance is tearing apart his governing coalition and proving to be another major liability for the long-serving Israeli lead»»»

Global law firm Dentons represented several corporate clients in a series of successful administrative court challenges against sanctions imposed by the Romanian Anti-Fraud Directorate (AFD) of the National Tax Authority (ANAF). The sanctions related to alleged breaches of the RO e-Transport report»»»

A joint team made up of representatives of the Ministry of Investments and European Projects (MIPE) and other ministries will travel to Brussels on Thursday for technical meetings on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP, as the interim minister for investments and European Projects, Drag»»»

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) officially launched on Wednesday its InvestEU Portfolio Risk Sharing Facility in Romania, marking a major step forward in mobilising sustainable private and public investment across the country, according to a release of the international »»»

Romania once again had the highest annual inflation rate in the European Union in April, data published by Eurostat on Wednesday showed. Prices rose by 9.5% year-on-year in Romania, while inflation in the EU rose to 3.2% and in the eurozone to 3%. Data from the European Statistical Office show that»»»