HAMBURG: A Ukrainian ex-military officer goes on trial in Germany on Wednesday, accused of organizing the secret operation that blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022, severing western Europe from ​the biggest source of Russian natural gas. The suspect, identified under German priv»»»

Britain ranks seventh and US tenth as UAE leads global passport mobility rankings for 2026 Dubai: The UAE passport has been ranked the most powerful in the world in the 2026 Passport Index, giving Emirati citizens access to 182 destinations without having to obtain a traditional visa in advance, ac»»»

ROME: Pope’s motorcade leaves Vatican for expected admission to hospital for surgery to remove lung nodule. Pope Leo XIV was expected to be admitted to a Rome hospital Tuesday for the removal of a lung nodule, an operation that experts say will determine whether the lesion is malignant and if other»»»

The Bulgarian passport ranks 21st among the passports of the 29 Schengen Area countries and 20th in the global ranking published Tuesday by international research platform Passport Reports. Ahead of Bulgaria in the Schengen ranking are Romania and Croatia, in 20th and 19th place, respectively. Bulg»»»

Fund holds 2026 growth at 3.1% as energy shocks, debt and an AI bet test global buffers Dubai: The International Monetary Fund warned on October 12 that the global economy is nearing the limits of its resilience. Energy shocks from the Middle East war, thin policy buffers and heavy reliance on AI i»»»

Doha, Qatar: Board Member of Qatar Chamber (QC), Chairman of the Middle East and Africa Region (RAME) Eng. Ali bin Abdullatif Al-Misnad at the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), and President of the Qatar Association for Freight Forwarding and Logistics (QAFL), sai»»»

Pope Leo XIV is expected to undergo surgery to remove a lung nodule this week at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, with doctors anticipating a recovery of about seven days.&»»»

The 27 member states of the European Union agreed in July 2020 on a €750 billion post-Covid recovery plan called NextGenerationEU. Its main instrument is the Recovery and Resilience Facility, through which the European Commission has already disbursed €450 billion. The programme is due to come to a»»»

A Hungarian woman has received a two-year suspended prison sentence for hiding her daughter from the girl’s Italian father for almost a decade, during which the child grew up without attending nursery or school. Woman hid daughter from her father for a decade The Mezőtúr District Court sentenced th»»»

A politician from Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has resigned from a leadership position in its youth organisation after posting a controversial map depicting parts of several European countries, including Hungary, as territory of a unified Germany. A ‘Greater Germany’ map »»»

Sport has the power to unite, and overcome barriers... In Rome, inmates and prison officers became athletes for the day, and took part in a sort of mini prison olympics. Organised by the John Paul II foundation for sport, this is the third edition of the “Games of Hope”, over a year after it was he»»»

POLITICS Bulgaria is satisfied with the downscaled proposal for the EU's multiannual budget in 2028-2034 insofar as it means a smaller national contribution, Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova said, replying to a question from ClubZ.bg. Petrova, who took part in a Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembo»»»

Romania ranks fourth in the top European countries with the cheapest housing, after Turkey, Serbia and Albania, with an average price of EUR 1,917/sqm in 2025, up 14.4% from the previous year, the highest increase among the countries analyzed, according to Deloitte Property Index 2026, conducted in»»»

Crova, Italy: Four hundred years after monks transformed a patch of marshlands in northwest Italy into rice fields, farmer Alice Cerutti has restored a third to their natural state, prioritising biodiversity over crop yield. Golden rice fields stretch across the Vercelli plain between Milan and Tur»»»

Twenty-four investigations have been opened by French police watchdog IGPN into incidents linked to the ongoing high school protest movement, the interior ministry said. The police response has reignited calls to scrap rubber bullets and launcher-fired riot-control weapons, long denounced by r»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s resilience took center stage in Riyadh on Sunday as Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told global energy leaders that nothing would break the Kingdom’s commitment to the world. “We are like a phoenix, we come out of the ashes all the time, and every time,” he said. »»»

The European Union’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia has pledged full solidarity with Saudi Arabia over Saturday’s deadly attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, after outlining efforts to reinforce maritime security in the leadup to this month’s GCC-EU summit. The Coalition to Restore Le»»»

RIYADH: The European Union ambassador to Saudi Arabia has conveyed the bloc’s strong condemnation of Saturday’s deadly attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh which the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen blamed on the Houthi militia. “The EU strongly condemns the deadly attack o»»»

The Israeli occupation entity is facing mounting criticism and growing isolation across Europe, as opposition to its war in Gaza and policies in the occupied West Bank moves beyond public protests into professional and trade union decisions and economic pressure that is beginning to raise concerns »»»

PARIS: Fourteen-year-old Eden suffered a broken jaw and multiple smashed teeth when he was struck by a tear gas canister directed toward him at close range by a police officer last week during student protests in France, his parents and family lawyer said. The teenager had been sitting on a wall lo»»»

The native population in several European countries could become a minority within the next two decades if current demographic trends continue, according to a new model projecting the long-term effects of migration and declining birth rates. Meanwhile, European governments continue to portray migra»»»

Kaja Kallas, the Estonian diplomat and former prime minister currently serving as the vice-president of the European Commission, has shown a deeply confrontational attitude towards Russia and the Russians. It is perhaps worth pausing here to note that this is particularly personal, given her family»»»

Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia report cancellations; UAE airports see delays UAE travellers faced disruptions on Saturday, October 10, with cancellations affecting flights between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah and Saudi Arabia destinations, including Riyadh and Abha. Emirates, Etihad Airw»»»

Germany has appointed its first far-right speaker of a regional parliament since the Second World War, after Tobias Rausch of Alternative für Deutschland (Alternative for Germany, AfD) was elected in Saxony-Anhalt. His deputy is the AfD’s Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, who admires Russia’s Vladimir Put»»»

French riot police have deployed tear gas and water cannon, as well as charging with batons against crowds of young protesters in central Paris. Student demonstrations and labor union protests continued for a fifth week on Thursday over anger at underfunded schools, teacher shortages, and planned g»»»

2020 was an annus horribilis. Covid stalked the land. Lockdowns, curfews and social distancing were the order of the day. But there was a silver lining: European countries showed themselves to be capable of great solidarity, jointly procuring vaccines and then agreeing on a mammoth post-Covid recov»»»

Rare reds from renowned Tuscan winery Marchesi Antinori were stolen from export warehouse Rome: Thieves in Tuscany have stolen 30,000 bottles of wine worth an estimated five million euros ($5.6 million) from the renowned Marchesi Antinori winery, the company said on Friday. "As far as we know, ther»»»

PARIS: The United States announcement of new sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), hours after the Nobel Peace Prize went to one of its former judges Navi Pillay, has provoked widespread international criticism. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would ban transactions»»»

BusinessChinaChina, EU reach deal to 'moderate' China's car exports to EUDmytro Hubenko with AP, dpa, ReutersAn agreement between the EU and China would reduce exports of Chinese electric and plug-in hybrid cars to the 27-member European bloc by up to 50%, according to the EU trade envoy. https://p»»»

BusinessFinlandFinland, the world's happiest nation, faces a glum winterNik MartinFinns have many reasons to feel content, but the country's pile of debt is not one of them. Russia's war in Ukraine has added to the fiscal burden. Can the Nordic nation absorb another shock? https://p.dw.com/p/5Nl7MF»»»

It took a bungled kidnapping for Germany’s former spymaster to be charged with espionage and treason, but August Hanning’s ties to Israeli spies and criminals should have set alarm bells ringing in Berlin long ago. READ MORE: Mossad-linked ex-German spy chief arrested for treason Hanning, who led G»»»

RIYADH: Enthusiasts and aficionados of fine timepieces are set to come together at The Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh when Timeology Nights opens on Friday, Oct. 9.The five-day event, being held alongside Jewels of the World Luxe, is being brought to life in partnership with 10tenLabs, a company special»»»

The European Union has received an official request from Lebanon to deploy a European security mission on its territory and the EU foreign ministers will approve the deployment of this mission on Monday, a European diplomat said. The source told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel that the security miss»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, October 9: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announces that the military execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be "livestreamed". But first: we look at reactions in Italy after the country's parliament passes a controversial electoral reform that critics »»»

Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said bomb threats against institutions across the country had increased sharply during periods following his parliamentary hearings on flights linked to Delyan Peevski, leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS). Speaking from the parliamentary»»»

Police and protesters clashed in Brussels on Friday as tens of thousands of people rallied in the Belgian capital against rising living costs and budget-tightening measures introduced by the government. Dozens of protesters, many of them young, dressed in black and wearing masks, threw rocks and fi»»»

Foreign-controlled companies employed 18.7% of Bulgaria’s business-economy workforce in 2023, according to Eurostat data, giving international capital a significant role in the country’s employment structure. Across the European Union, enterprises under foreign control represented just 1.1% of all »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Finland will participate in NATO’s Steadfast Noon nuclear deterrence exercise in October by sending staff officers, the Finnish Defense Ministry said on Friday. "Finland will participate in NATO’s annual nuclear deterrence exercise, Steadfast Noon, from October 12 to 24," the sta»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union's new military mission in Lebanon will include a permanent military component of around 100 personnel, and France and Italy are already competing to lead it, the Rapporteur newspaper reported on Friday. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated during a visit »»»

The bomb threats targeting Bulgarian institutions may be part of hybrid operations aimed at testing the authorities’ readiness to respond, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said during question time in Parliament here on Friday. Since June 2026, hundreds of threatening emails have been sent to Bul»»»

A temporary tax on extraordinary banking profits could generate more than €1 billion for Bulgaria without increasing VAT, personal income tax or social security contributions, Fiscal Council Chairman Simeon Dyankov says in his analysis, “Benefits of Taxing Banking Windfall Profits in the European U»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar has been named among the 20 best countries in the world in Condé Nast Traveller’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, securing 19th place in a ranking headed by Greece. Qatar was the highest-ranked Gulf country featured in the publication’s list, placing it ahead of Canada, which ranked»»»

The political opposition in Italy has accused Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ruling coalition of attempting to rewrite the election rules in a bid to remain in power, over a controversial reform that would award bonus parliamentary seats to winning alliances in next year’s general election. The ne»»»

Poland holds about 648 metric tons of gold, ranking tenth worldwide, according to October data from the IMF and Bloomberg. It recently moved ahead of the Netherlands, which holds 612 tons. From mid-2018 through June 2026, Poland’s central bank bought 530 tons. The country’s gold reserves are valued»»»

ROME: Italy’s parliament gave final approval Thursday to a sweeping overhaul of the country’s electoral system, handing Premier Giorgia Meloni a key political victory while setting up a likely constitutional battle over the reform. The new law — dubbed by supporters as “Stabilicum”and by critics as»»»

The 15th edition of the European Forum for New Ideas (EFNI) will take place in Sopot from October 14 to 16, organized by the Lewiatan Confederation in partnership with the City of Sopot and BusinessEurope. Participants, panelists, and special guests will join forces to seek answers on how to naviga»»»

Following their experience with Christian Tour this year, almost half of the participants in the survey conducted by the company in September, which attracted nearly one thousand respondents, say they will definitely book another holiday package, while more than a third say they may do so. Together»»»

Corridor VIII is an economic, security and European necessity, Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha said Thursday at the International Ministerial Conference on Corridor VIII in Sofia. He said geography becomes a strategic asset only when countries succeed in building connec»»»

Emirates Holidays customers get shopping, dining and leisure perks across Thailand Dubai: Emirates Holidays, the official tour operator arm of Dubai's flagship airline, has launched a new Thailand Pass offering UAE and other eligible customers discounts of up to 40 per cent on shopping, dining and »»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Communications and Information Technology H E Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai received Italy’s Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy H E Adolfo Urso in the presence of Ambassador of the Italian Republic to the State of Qatar H E Paolo Toschi and senior officials from both si»»»