TEHRAN: Five oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and army said in separate statements, according to local media on Thursday. Since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, Tehran has severely restricted traffic through the strategic water»»»

A ballistic missile fired at the Saudi city of Medina, one of Islam's holiest cities, was intercepted Thursday, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi rebels said. The announcement came shortly after the kingdom's civil defence agency warned of potential danger around »»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani attended Thursday the closing of the 6th edition of the Watan exercise (Watan 2026). A Lineup of Their Excellencies ministers, senior officials, and commanders »»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Municipality HE Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiyah met Thursday with Ambassador of the Republic of Benin to the State of Qatar, HE Nouhom Youssoufou Abdulrahmani. The meeting addressed Qatar-Benin cooperation in spheres of mutual interest.»»»

KYIV: Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities announced charges on Thursday against three senior security and police officials accused of shielding a criminal ring ⁠engaged in fraud, ⁠drug sales and counterfeit currency and cigarette production. In ⁠a statement, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of»»»

Tunis, Nov.5 (TAP) - Tunindex closed Thursday's session up 0.15% to 18,696.43 points, with a modest volume of TND 4.9 million, said broker Tunisie Valeurs.TELNET HOLDING shares were the best performers after rising by 5.5% to TND 12.130, trading for...»»»

DOHA The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has launched the first edition of its Educational Voucher Policy for private schools and kindergartens, aimed at expanding learning opportunities, promoting educational equity and ensuring equal opportunities for students through a clear r»»»

Ankara: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani met on Thursday with Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Turkiye HE Yasar Guler, during his official visit to Turkiye. The meeting discussed topics of mutual inter»»»

Danish company European Energy has presented an investment proposal to develop wind farms with a total capacity of approximately 1 gigawatt (GW) in the Dobrich region of Bulgaria. The plans were discussed during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investment and Industr»»»

HARARE: A son of the late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe appeared in a court in Harare on Thursday accused of assaulting an anti-corruption agency official during an operation linked to the alleged smuggling of two luxury vehicles into the country. Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe arrived at the Hara»»»

In tonight's edition: South Africa's ruling ANC party faces a crucial test as millions vote to elect municipal governments. Also, Ethiopia has expelled six Sudanese diplomats amid accusations it's allowing the paramilitary RSF to launch drone strikes from its territory. Plus an ongoing humanit»»»

What is life like for a newly born, premature or sick baby? These are the questions tackled by a French journalist in her first ever book. Clémentine Goldszal asks what it means to be rushed from the delivery room to the neonatal intensive care unit, and what is means to enter the world before you »»»

Hundreds of thousands of protesters are expected to march through French cities and public workers to strike on Thursday, in a fresh test for President Emmanuel Macron after weeks of ​unrest that have rattled ‌his government and dominated the agenda five months ahead of a presidential election.»»»

WSJ report also says the Iran-backed group seeks recognition as Yemen’s rulers Dubai: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have demanded $51 billion and formal recognition as the country’s rulers in exchange for ending hostilities with Saudi Arabia, presenting Riyadh with a difficult choice as renewed missi»»»

Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 more years in prison on Thursday for colluding with foreign powers, a court summary said. Wong, 30, pleaded guilty in September to seeking foreign sanctions against Hong Kong and China under Beijing’s national security law, having spent n»»»

DOHA Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs HE Ibrahim bin Ali bin Issa Al Hassan Al Mohannadi, on Thursday launched the new website for 'The Legal and Judicial Journal'. The launch took place during a graduation ceremony for participants in the qualifying and mandatory train»»»

TEL AVIV: When cheers erupted at a packed Tel Aviv stadium for Boy George, it was not only a sign of the 65-year-old singer’s enduring fame. It was the sound of national delight at an international pop star willing to perform in an increasingly isolated Israel. A smattering of Israeli flags dotted »»»

GERB leader Boyko Borissov has called Bulgaria's Parliament "an absolutely pointless organization right now," accusing lawmakers of deliberately delaying a vote on a proposal to lower fuel prices. Borissov, who chairs the GERB-SDS parliamentary group, made the comments while responding to a questio»»»

Paris, France: Striking workers marched across France against the rising cost of living on Thursday, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to take to the streets nationwide in a new escalation following weeks of protest. More than 250,000 people were taking part in demonstrations across 73 »»»

An Airbus A320 ​flying from Dublin to Rome was safely diverted to France's Evreux airbase ​following a ‌bomb threat, ⁠the French prime minister's office said Thursday, in the latest in a series ‌of threats targeting flights across Europe. Multiple other flights in Europe also made emergency landing»»»

French regional bank Credit Mutuel Arkea said Wednesday it had been the victim of a cyberattack that allowed fraudulent transactions amounting to around 100 million euros ($112 million). It said in the attack, which had now been "contained", hackers gained access to Arkea's account to make transfer»»»

France faces new protests as the government seeks to prevent a repeat of October unrest. Protesters demand better public services, including education, and also critique the cost-of-living. FRANCE 24's Claire Paccalin reports from the ground.»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. "President Vladimir Putin received Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei, who is cu»»»

Kolyo Atanasov, owner of the Bulmetal plant in Gurkovo, has been detained for 24 hours following a large-scale operation by the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) and the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs (SDVR), BGNES and bTV reported. Police officers have surrounded the»»»

Bulgarian customs inspectors seized more than 400 shipments containing narcotic substances during a single day of inspections at a courier company's warehouse on Tuesday, the Customs Agency said. The drugs, comprising more than 10 types of synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids, had been hidden »»»

Hackers targeted refrigeration systems at three French blood banks, attempting to raise storage temperatures to extreme levels and destroy vital blood products, the country’s national blood service said on Wednesday. The attack follows a wave of similar incidents at supermarkets across Europe that »»»

LAGOS: A Nigerian court Thursday declared invalid the nomination of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate for the opposition African Democratic Congress, the party said, two months before the country’s elections. The ADC, one of the main opposition parties trying to oust President Bola Tinub»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The shift in control of the US Congress from Republicans to Democrats following the midterm elections will change the country's political landscape, Timothy Niland, a professor of history, political science, and law at Nazareth University in the state of New York, said. "It [»»»

Torture facilities are nothing new and were operating across Ukraine before 2022, Andrea Lucidi, an independent military correspondent working in Donbass, tells Sputnik, commenting on the exposure of an Azov* torture chamber in the Kiev region on November 2. "During my years working in Donbass, I v»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US tech giant Microsoft has abandoned plans to expand a data center project with UK's Nscale in Texas, following the victory of a Democratic candidate in the state's gubernatorial election, media reported on Thursday, citing sources. Last autumn, Nscale announced an agreement wit»»»

Israel's largest Arab party grouping, the Joint List, said Thursday it would recommend opposition bloc leader Gadi Eisenkot for the formation of a new government after last week's election. "The Joint List announced today, Thursday, that it will inform the President of the State, Isaac Herzog, this»»»

Trump considers a deal, fresh strikes or continued pressure as Qatar steps up mediation Diplomatic efforts continue to prevent a fresh escalation, but tensions remain high over the Strait of Hormuz, regional security and air travel. Here are the key developments UAE residents and travellers should »»»

ANKARA Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani met with Minister of Defense of the Republic of Turkiye HE Yaşar Güler, during his official visit to the Republic of Turkiye. During the meeting, topics of mutual interest betw»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin today presented the Pushkin Medal to Draga Mastilović, Republika Srpska’s Minister for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education, in Moscow for his contribution to nurturing and promoting Russian culture abroad. Mastilović said he saw the medal n»»»

Following its October elections, BiH has a chance to show renewed commitment to reforms and start accession talks, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said. Speaking at a news conference, Kos said the country was showing “less and less engagement” on its path to EU membership. She stressed that B»»»

Exploring childhood memories through art and playful creativity Abu Dhabi: Somewhere in your childhood there is a white plastic chair. It sat on a balcony, in a garden, at the edge of a beach. It was meant for sitting, but you probably never sat on it properly. You stacked it, tipped it over, and t»»»

Annual inflation in Bulgaria climbed to 6% in October 2026, putting it 2 percentage points above the Eurozone average of 4%, according to preliminary Eurostat figures published on November 4. Inflation across the currency bloc also accelerated, reaching 4% compared with 3.8% in September. Bulgaria »»»

Lachezar Bogdanov of the Institute for Market Economics (IME) has warned that Bulgaria will spend nearly EUR 1.5 billion on public debt interest next year, while criticizing proposed changes to pension contributions and the government's plans for an excess-profit tax in an interview with Bulgarian »»»

Bulgaria recorded the European Union's lowest natural gas price for businesses in the first half of 2026, at €0.0438 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), while costs for household consumers fell by 14.5% year-on-year, the largest decline in the bloc, according to Eurostat data published on November 4. For non-»»»

Bulgarian drone manufacturer Dronamics plans to list on the Nasdaq stock exchange in the first half of 2027, subject to US regulatory approvals and the consent of its shareholders, Bloomberg TV Bulgaria reported, citing company co-founder and President Svilen Rangelov. The planned listing is expect»»»

The Bulgarian National Revenue Agency (NRA) found violations at nearly 60% of dental and medical practices and clinics inspected in Sofia, after carrying out checks at 24 locations in a single day, the agency said. Inspectors recorded several types of irregularities, including receipts missing mand»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian side continues to implement the Paks-2 nuclear power plant (NPP) project in Hungary on schedule and according to the customer's wishes, and Rosatom's leadership is open to substantive dialogue with Hungarian partners, Russian Ambassador to Budapest Yevgeny Stanislavov»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Eiffel Tower, an iconic landmark of the French capital, is closed to visitors amid nationwide protests, according to a statement on its official website published on Thursday. "Due to a nationwide demonstration, the Eiffel Tower is closed today," the statement read. Meanwhile»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Law enforcement officers used water cannons against protesters in the French city of Lyon, media reported on Thursday. The number of protesters in France, apart from Paris, has reached 270,000 people, the broadcaster reported, citing the Interior Ministry. The Actu portal reporte»»»

RIYADH: Food and retail company Savola Group’s recurring net profit rose 26 percent year on year to SR500 million ($133.3 million) in the first nine months of 2026, supported by higher food processing volumes and cost discipline. The Saudi firm also approved an interim cash dividend of SR210 millio»»»

The view from Washington is clear: President Donald Trump’s decision to wage war on Iran cost the Republican Party the midterm elections. RT looks at how Benjamin Netanyahu’s war became Trump’s problem and whether Israel will bear any costs. The Republican Party suffered an unequivocal wipeout in T»»»

Many Americans who voted Republican in the 2024 presidential election switched to the Democrats in the midterms over the war on Iran and related grievances, US Vice President J.D. Vance has said. Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress on Tuesday, with Democrats winning House and Sena»»»

Registered crimes have dropped by 8% compared with the same period in 2025, while the crime detection rate has increased by 4 percentage points, Deputy Interior Minister Kaloyan Kaloyanov announced at a hearing before the parliamentary Committee on Internal Security and Public Order. Over the last »»»

The Bulgarian National Audit Office (BNAO) will begin using artificial intelligence (AI) to check public procurement procedures in audits under its 2027 Annual Audit Programme, the BNAO said. The project for integrating AI into the audit process, ODIS, is a joint initiative of the BNAO and the Inst»»»

Bulgaria is already working on two of the key priorities set out in the European Union's new Sustainable Tourism Strategy: workforce training and the management of the sector based on reliable data. This transpired at a meeting of EU tourism ministers in Mullingar, Ireland, attended by Bulgarian To»»»