Pakistan’s government is seeking to tighten oversight of official blue passports after a proposal to extend the travel document to the dependent children of former lawmakers triggered criticism over the expansion of state privileges. The controversy has placed the spotlight on who should qualify fo»»»

DUBAI: Zendaya has once again turned a film’s press tour into a fashion event, with one standout look putting Arab design firmly in the spotlight. Ahead of the release of “The Odyssey,” the actor made an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” wearing a striking gold creation by Leba»»»

President Joseph Aoun has arrived in Washington, where he is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, after the latest round of Lebanon-Israel talks wrapped up in Italy. It is the first trip to Washington by a Lebanese head of state since Michel Suleiman was received by Barack Obama in 2»»»

Newsmax, the US cable news network that describes itself as the country’s fourth-largest cable news channel and is available in more than 100 countries, is preparing to expand its brand into Bulgaria, Mediapool reports. The company has announced that it has reached agreements for further internatio»»»

EAST RUTHERFORD, United States: Lionel Messi will become the oldest outfield player to appear in a World Cup final on Sunday as Spain’s Lamine Yamal seeks to join an elite group of teenage winners. The match at the MetLife Stadium will be the first meeting between Argentina’s Messi and the player w»»»

Agencies East Rutherford Spain and Argentina will both be aiming to create more history when they square off in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday. Lionel Messi’s Argentina are bidding to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back FIFA Wor»»»

AUCKLAND: The “fast and fearless” style New Zealand rehearsed in their Nations Championship wins over France and Italy bore fruit Saturday against Ireland in a 40-21 victory that extended the All Blacks’ winning streak at Eden Park to 53 matches over 32 years. This was the toughest test of Dave Ren»»»

President Joseph Aoun on Saturday left Beirut for Washington, where he is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, the Lebanese presidency said, after talks between Lebanon and Israel wrapped up in Italy. Aoun will hold discussions "with several American officials on the situation in Lebanon a»»»

Beirut, Lebanon: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday left Beirut for Washington, where he is expected to meet US President Donald Trump, the Lebanese presidency said, after talks between Lebanon and Israel wrapped up in Italy. Aoun will hold discussions "with several American officials on th»»»

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday left Beirut for Washington, where he is expected to meet Donald Trump, the Lebanese presidency said, after talks between Lebanon and Israel wrapped up in Italy. Aoun will hold discussions “with several American officials on the situation in Lebanon and way»»»

Dubai: There are cities you visit. There are cities you work in. And then there are cities that quietly become part of who you are. For Antonio Ostuni, Dubai is all three. Sixteen years after first arriving in the emirate as a young Italian hotelier eager to prove himself, there is still no one way»»»

July 17 (UPI) -- Italy returned to Mexico a collection of 27 pre-Columbian archaeological artifacts and fossils recovered during separate investigations into the illicit trafficking of cultural property, authorities from both countries said. The handover occurred Thursday at the Mexican Embassy in »»»

Former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro is shown in 1978 after he was kidnapped by far-left Brigade Rosse (Red Brigades) movement. ANSA files/EPA July 17 (UPI) -- Nicaragua has severed diplomatic relations with Italy after Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani renewed calls for the extradition of»»»

VENICE: The billionaire US ambassador to Italy faced protests when he arrived in Venice on Friday aboard his luxury yacht as part of a coastal diplomacy tour marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. Activists described hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta’s arrival as an unwelcome displ»»»

France's ​main ​gambling sector regulator said ⁠on Friday it had ‌instructed the ‌country's ​internet service providers to ​block access ​to ​the Polymarket ​website, one of a number of online prediction markets that allow people to bet on the outcome of future events. The move aims to enforce»»»

ANKARA: Turkish authorities on Friday detained 17 soccer club officials as part of a widening investigation into alleged illegal betting and match-fixing that has tainted Turkish soccer, officials and reports said. In the latest wave of detentions, suspects were taken into custody in simultaneous r»»»

President Iliana Iotova said on Friday she was reassured of the readiness of the Bulgarian Navy after observing the national naval exercise "Breeze 2026" aboard the frigate Drazki. "I am extremely pleased with what I have seen so far. I feel reassured about the sovereignty of our maritime border an»»»

In 2024 Bulgaria ranked fourth in the EU in the ratio of professional judges per 100,000 people: 35.4, behind Croatia (43.3), Slovenia (40.2) and Luxembourg (36.0) and ahead of Romania (35.3), according to figures released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the EU, on Friday. On the lowest end,»»»

Brussels, Belgium: The European Union on Friday proposed easing its carbon trading scheme for companies, as it unveiled reforms to one of its flagship climate policies under pressure to shore up industry. The overhaul of the two-decade-old Emissions Trading System (ETS) has been subject to fierce w»»»

POLITICS In an op-ed entitled "What is Bulgaria's place, Mr Radev?" and published by Capital, Alexander Detev comments on Prime Minister Rumen Radev's statement that Bulgaria will not join the Coalition of the Willing supporting Ukraine. Radev argued that lasting peace should be achieved through di»»»

Bulgaria’s aging housing stock remains one of the main factors behind the country’s high vulnerability to energy poverty. While across Europe newer and renovated buildings are helping reduce the number of households struggling to heat their homes or pay energy bills, many Bulgarian households conti»»»

The brick-and-mortar travel agency caters to the needs of a diverse range of travelers. TUI consultants can assist both those seeking affordable last-minute vacations to destinations served by charter flights and those interested in vacations to exotic destinations, with additional benefits tailore»»»

Dubai: One cup of coffee has put the UAE on top of the global barista stage. Competing against 20 national champions from around the world, UAE representative Lablibell Bajarias has been crowned winner of the 2026 International Finals of the Lavazza Barista Challenge, held in Turin, Italy last Marc»»»

Participants in the Breeze 2026 national naval exercise with international participation will demonstrate their capabilities during a Distinguished Visitors and Media Day in Burgas, the Defence Ministry said on Friday. The demonstrations will begin in the morning and continue until 1:30 p.m. Presid»»»

China and President Xi Jinping are now viewed more favorably than the US and Donald Trump across most of the world, a new Pew Research Center survey spanning six continents has found. Pew says China enjoys a more positive image than the US in 25 of the 36 countries and territories surveyed, includi»»»

An Italian court sentenced 32 defendants for their role in a deadly bridge disaster eight years ago that killed 43 people in Genoa. One of the accused was Autostrade's former chief executive, Giovanni Castellucci, was found guilty of vehicular homicide and negligence and was sentenced to twelve yea»»»

MADRID: The Spanish competition is the league with the most representatives in the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, accounting for 24 of the 52 players named in the two squads. This figure places the Spanish competition well ahead of other leagues, with the English Premier League r»»»

An Italian court on Thursday sentenced 32 defendants, including former motorway operator Autostrade chief Giovanni Castellucci, for their roles in the 2018 collapse of Genoa's Morandi bridge which killed 43 people. Castellucci was among 57 defendants tried over the disaster, with 25 others acquitte»»»

1 of 3 | A large section of the Morandi viaduct upon which the A10 motorway runs collapsed in Genoa, Italy, in 2018. The CEO of the company that runs Italy's roadways was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison. File Photo by Luca Zennaro/EPA July 16 (UPI) -- The former CEO of the management comp»»»

EU ambassadors have failed to reach a consensus on the 21st round of sanctions against Russia following three days of talks, multiple news outlets, including Reuters, Euractiv, and Politico, reported on Wednesday. The move, which requires unanimous support, was met with opposition from several nati»»»

ROME: Italy’s ruling ‌parties on Thursday called for a presidential pardon for a 72-year-old jeweller who killed two robbers after a raid on his shop, saying any prison term would effectively amount to a life sentence given his age. Mario Roggero shot dead two men and wounded a third in 2021 after »»»

An Italian court has found 32 defendants guilty over the deadly Genoa bridge collapse in 2018. Forty-three people ‌died when their vehicles plunged from the flyover in the port city. On the morning of August 14, 2018, during a summer storm, a 200-metre section of the bridge collapsed, sending dozen»»»

Digi Communications N.V. (BVB: DIGI), one of the leading European telecommunications operators, listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, announces that shares of its Spanish subsidiary, DIGI Spain Telecom S.A.U. (“DIGI Spain”), commenced trading today, 16 July 2026, on the Spanish Stock Exchanges th»»»

Wizz Air is marking two decades of operations in Romania with an expanded fleet, a 50 percent market share, and plans to offer approximately 18 million seats on the local market in 2026. The airline is now prioritising higher frequencies and greater network resilience, while preparing additional ro»»»

GENOA, Italy: An Italian court has begun delivering verdicts for 57 defendants charged in the collapse of Genoa’s Morandi highway bridge that killed 43 people nearly eight years ago. The defendants include former executives of highway operator Autostrade per L’Italia, experts from its engineering c»»»

London: Thomas Tuchel may have criticised his England stars for being too "passive" in their World Cup semi-final defeat against Argentina, but it is the beleaguered German who has come under fire from the British media for his defensive tactics. Hampered by Tuchel's cautious substitutions, England»»»

Bulgarian companies are among the least indebted in the European Union, according to the latest Eurostat data for the end of 2025. Corporate debt among non-financial enterprises in Bulgaria stands at 45% of gross domestic product, significantly below the EU average of 70.1% and the euro area averag»»»

ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council has changed the competition formats of two major men’s tournaments, adding a preliminary round before the group stage of the 2027 World Cup and revamping the playoffs for the Twenty20 World Cup in 2028. “The changes were introduced to create more meaning»»»

President Zelenskiy was in Paris on July 13 for a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, joining some 25 heads of state and government at the Hôtel des Invalides to sign up to deals supplying desperately needed air defence systems, ammunition and fighter jets. Hosted by Emmanuel Macron, the gathe»»»

The Medical University of Plovdiv currently enrolls 2,530 international students from 63 countries, including 1,100 from EU member states, the university told BTA. The largest groups of foreign students come from the UK, followed by Greece, Germany, and Italy. The university offers English-taught p»»»

BULGARIA'S WITHDRAWAL FROM COALLITION OF WILLING FOR UKRAINE Despite the shift in position and Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s refusal to participate in the Coalition of the Willing meeting in support of Ukraine, Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova signed a declaration in Kyiv on Wednesday t»»»

The Medical University of Plovdiv currently enrolls 2,530 international students from 63 countries, including 1,100 from EU member states, the university told BTA. The largest groups of foreign students come from the UK, followed by Greece, Germany, and Italy. The university offers English-taught p»»»

WASHINGTON: The world has largely viewed the US more favourably than China for years. Those opinions have flipped in Beijing's favour this year, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center, a remarkable shift driven in part by tensions between the Trump administration and US allies. Get upda»»»

NEW YORK CITY: For one afternoon, the corridors of the UN traded the vocabulary of resolutions and official statements for the international language of football. The World Cup semifinal between Argentina and England was showing on two large screens in the delegates lounge on Wednesday, distracting»»»

More people have favourable views of China than the United States in 25 out of 36 countries and territories surveyed, including Canada and Mexico, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center released on Wednesday. Views were also more favourable of Chinese leader Xi Jinping than US Pres»»»

DPA Atlanta (Georgia) Holders Argentina were inspired by the great Lionel Messi to storm back in the closing stages and beat England 2-1 on Wednesday to set up a meeting with Spain in the World Cup final. Anthony Gordon struck on 55 minutes for England, who then dropped deep and went ultra defensiv»»»

Tunis, July 15 (TAP/ Ahmed Gaddeh) – The second edition of Innovation Talks, an initiative jointly organised by the Embassy of Italy in Tunis and Terna Innovation Zone Tunisia, brought together Italian and Tunisian startups on Tuesday to foster...»»»

ALGIERS: Wildfires burning across northern Algeria have killed a municipal worker who was taking part in firefighting, media reports said Wednesday. Local media quoted the mayor of Beni Mouhli, in Algeria’s Setif, as saying the 59-year-old died while helping emergency crews contain the fires. The c»»»

The parliamentary group of “Revival” launched sharp criticism against the government’s foreign policy, with MP Angel Georgiev presenting a declaration in parliament. The statement was made following Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova’s visit to Kyiv. According to Georgiev, Bulgaria’s foreign policy»»»

Sharjah: In the presence of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, the President of the Italian Republic conferred upon Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Education and Book Culture, the Officer rank of the Order of Meri»»»