PoliticsGermanyGermany: Local governments face financial collapseSabine KinkartzMany cities and municipalities in Germany are facing bankruptcy and no longer know how they can fulfill their responsibilities. They are blaming the federal government. https://p.dw.com/p/56TX8Municipalities lack money »»»

Security in Yemen’s interim capital, Aden, was stable on Wednesday, a senior official said, after security forces moved swiftly to deploy across the city and secure key government institutions. Jaber Mohammed, a presidential adviser and director of the office of Presidential Leadership Council memb»»»

The US has demanded that Venezuela cut economic ties with Russia, China, Iran, and Cuba if it wants to pump more oil, ABC News reported on Tuesday, citing three people familiar with the White House’s plan. US commandos abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during »»»

Ankara: The preliminary investigations into the crash of the aircraft carrying Libyan Chief of Staff General Mohammed Al Haddad revealed damage to the black box and cockpit voice recorder, said Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu on Wednesday. Uraloglu clarified that the damage to the re»»»

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Beijing next week, marking the first trip by a Canadian head of state to China in nearly a decade. Carney will visit from 13 to 17 January. He plans to discuss trade, energy, agriculture and international security with Chinese officials, his office sai»»»

Rob Reiner and Michelle Reiner arrive for the Medallion Ceremony honoring the recipients of the 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors in 2023. Their son Nick Reiner is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday for their alleged murders. File Photo by Ron Sachs/UPI | License Photo Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Nick Reiner,»»»

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged calm on Wednesday after a bus driver ran over and killed a teenage boy during a protest by thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish demonstrators against a law seeking to draft them into Israel’s military. “I call for restraint to prevent the mood from bec»»»

The Iraqi cabinet has approved nationalizing the petroleum operations in the West Qurna 2 oil field, in accordance with the provisions of a service contract signed with Russia's Lukoil, the government said in a ‌statement. The cabinet ‌also agreed ‌to ⁠seek approvals ‌to finance operations through »»»

Forensic experts in the Bulgarian city of Shumen have identified and arrested a 35-year-old man who attempted to pay for a soft drink with a counterfeit 50-euro banknote, the police reported. The incident occurred on January 2, when the man entered a store and presented the 50-euro note for payment»»»

Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev should immediately declare a state of emergency in the five boroughs of Sofia which are experiencing a waste management crisis, said Boris Bonev, chair of the Save Sofia group in the Sofia Municipal Council, on Wednesday. He stressed that currently there is no normal wast»»»

Damascus, Jan.7 (SANA) The Syrian Government affirms that a statement released by SDF organization regarding the situation in Aleppo—particularly in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods—includes fundamental inaccuracies and descriptions that do not reflect the reality on the ground, and contr»»»

The Ministry of Finance has clarified that the one-month period of dual circulation of levs and euros in Bulgaria will not be extended and will officially conclude on January 31, 2026. The announcement comes in response to public speculation suggesting that amendments to the Law on the Introduction»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says European allies have not given him sound guarantees that they will protect his country in the case of a new Russian agreession. "I am asking this very question to all our partners and I have not received a clear, unambiguous answer yet," he told reporters»»»

U.S. District Judge David Novak ordered Lindsey Halligan to give an explanation of her continued use of the U.S. attorney title within seven days on Tuesday. File Photo by Al Drago/EPA Jan. 7 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump's first pick to serve as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virg»»»

The general in command of Venezuela's presidential honour guard, Javier Marcano Tábata, has been sacked days after Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was seized by US forces in a raid in Caracas and taken to New York to stand trial on narco-terrorism charges. The presidential honour guard is the mili»»»

Dubai: Fresh clashes erupted in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo on Wednesday after hundreds — and later thousands — of civilians fled two predominantly Kurdish neighbourhoods through corridors opened by government forces, with the Syrian army launching shelling once a deadline for evacuations expir»»»

The EU should stop considering the US its main ally, the bloc’s former top diplomat Josep Borrell says, as Washington and Brussels are at loggerheads over digital policies and control over Greenland. In an interview with Spain’s Antena 3 broadcaster last week, Borrell said he “doesn’t know what mor»»»

A teenager was killed and three others were injured when a bus crashed into a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews protesting conscription in Jerusalem on Tuesday. A disturbing video shows the bus dragging the 14-year-old victim as bystanders scream in horror as they run after the vehicle. The protesters h»»»

A spell of freezing weather bringing heavy snowfall and ice has caused transport disruption across western Europe. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled at several airports, while Eurostar services and haulage have also been affected. More than 700 flights were cancelled at Schiphol Airport in Am»»»

After talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened senior security chiefs to “present the understandings reached in Washington and review intelligence efforts, attack planning, and readiness for a possible strike in Lebanon,” Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth n»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Photography Center, a Ministry of Culture-affiliate, announced that it will host the GPU Photography Exhibition 'City Speaks' in its headquarters in the Cultural Village Foundation - Katara on Friday, in cooperation with the Global Photographic Union (GPU). The exhibition com»»»

Dubai: Aircraft de-icing and runway clearing operations are underway at Paris Orly Airport as a prolonged snowstorm continues to disrupt travel across northern and western France, causing widespread delays and cancellations. Airport authorities said around 40 flights were cancelled at Orly on Wedne»»»

Wall Street's hot start to the year is cooling a bit on Wednesday. The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged in early trading, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 18 points, or less than 0.1%, to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.1»»»

Hamas officials told AFP that search operations for the remains of the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza resumed on Wednesday after a two-week pause due to bad weather. Israel has previously said it is awaiting the return of Ran Gvili's body before beginning talks on the second phase of the fragile»»»

Bulgaria is set for a sharp weather change on Thursday as a cold front moves across the country, bringing rain, snow, and a noticeable drop in temperatures. According to forecaster Kalin Petrov on the NIMH website, the day will be mostly cloudy with continued precipitation, which could be heavy in »»»

TradeUnited States of AmericaWhat US's $3B deal with Venezuela means for world oil tradeNik MartinUS President Donald Trump has announced an agreement with Venezuela's interim government to transfer millions of barrels of oil to the US. DW explores how the plan could be a blow to China, Russia, Ira»»»

Monsignor Rumen Stanev is the new Catholic bishop of the Sofia-Plovdiv diocese, Apostolic Nuncio Monsignor Luciano Suriani, representative of the Pope in Bulgaria, said on Wednesday during a prayer service in the Cathedral of St Louis in Plovdiv. Stanev has been Auxiliary Bishop and Diocesan Admini»»»

Sharjah Cooperative has launched its internal radio station — the first cooperative radio of its kind in the UAE — in a move aimed at strengthening institutional communication and modernising corporate engagement. The station was inaugurated during an official ceremony on Wednesday at Rahmania Mall»»»

The Warner Bros. Discovery board announced Wednesday that it unanimously believes the Netflix offer is superior to the one offered by Paramount Skydance. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo Jan. 7 (UPI) -- The board of directors at Warner Bros. Discovery announced Wednesday that it unanimo»»»

Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce of the People's Republic of China addresses attendees on behalf of Xi Jinping, President of China on day one of the BRICS summit at Sandton Convention Center in August 2023. China is opening an anti-dumping investigation into Japan over a key chemical used in manuf»»»

The Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) is urging drivers who plan to travel tomorrow and in the coming days to set off with vehicles prepared for winter conditions, the Agency said in a press release on Wednesday. Weather forecasts indicate that in North Bulgaria and mountainous areas rain will turn »»»

The FBI, Homeland Securit and the U.S. Coast Guard, with Defense Department support, execute a seizure warrant off the Venezuelan coast on Dec. 10 against an oil tanker allegedly used to ship sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. File image via U.S. Attorney General/UPI | License Photo Jan. 7 (UP»»»

Dubai Police have commended the efforts of thousands of volunteers who supported crowd management and organisation during the New Year’s Eve 2026 celebrations, saying their contribution played a key role in ensuring the smooth and safe delivery of one of the city’s largest annual events. Brigadier »»»

Roblox, the immersive online gaming and creation platform with tens of millions of users worldwide, has introduced a global policy requiring all users to complete an age check before they can access chat features on the service. The change, which began rolling out in early January 2026, marks the f»»»

Manila: Mayon Volcano in Albay Province, about 550 km southeast of Manila, captivated and alarmed residents with a striking crater glow, locally known as "banaag," illuminating its summit as superheated volcanic material from emerging magma lit the night sky. Also In This Package Top 10 countries w»»»

The United States has started an operation to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic after it evaded a partial blockade around Venezuela, multiple US media said Wednesday. US officials say the tanker is part of a so-called shadow fleet that has carried oil for countries such as Ve»»»

The “Third March” movement has submitted documents to the Sofia City Court seeking registration as a political party, the organization announced. In a public statement, the formation said the move was intended to continue what it described as a struggle for the country’s prosperity. At the same tim»»»

The Ministry of Education has announced the details of the age-calculation schedule for admission to public and private schools whose academic year begins in August/September for the 2026–2027 academic year. The schedule applies to students who have not previously been enrolled in any education sys»»»

Berlin has condemned ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev over his suggestion that Chancellor Friedrich Merz could end up kidnapped like Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro but failed to provide an opinion on the US action itself. The former Russian leader and deputy chair of the Security Council m»»»

The US has sent a chilling message to the whole of Latin America with its abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Grayzone editor Wyatt Reed has told RT. The US military’s raid in Caracas over the past weekend marks a “restoration of a bygone era in the Western hemisphere, where might mak»»»

Property prices in Sofia are expected to continue their upward trend in 2026, even as the number of completed transactions declines, according to real estate expert Dr. Georgi Yankov. Speaking to Radio Sofia, Yankov, co-founder of Imvestia and a managing partner at a major real estate agency, noted»»»

BEIJING (Sputnik) - Venezuela is a sovereign state with full sovereignty over its natural resources and economic activities, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday, commenting on reports of US demands for Venezuela to cease cooperation with a number of countries, including»»»

President Joseph Aoun told visiting U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix that Lebanon welcomes any country wishing to maintain forces in the south after UNIFIL's withdrawal in 2027. "These forces will assist the Lebanese army, which will be increasing its personnel »»»

One person was killed and another wounded in an Israeli drone strike that targeted Wednesday a car in south Lebanon, hours after a meeting of the committee monitoring a year-long ceasefire. Israel has intensified its strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon in recent days, saying it has struck targe»»»

Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah on Wednesday lashed out at Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji over the latter’s latest remarks on Hezbollah. “It is clear that as a militiaman who took part in civil war against the Lebanese people, he does not differentiate between his belonging to the (Lebanese Forces’ n»»»

The “Chivalrous Knight3” operation has announced the launch of a new cycle of humanitarian aid distribution across all governorates of the Gaza Strip, as part of its ongoing efforts to provide relief and ease the suffering of residents amid the deteriorating humanitarian situation. The operation st»»»

Political circles in the US and the Middle East are closely watching for a decision to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation, marking a significant shift in Washington’s approach toward Islamist movements with transnational reach. For decades, the group operated with relative»»»

Israel has cleared the final hurdle before starting construction on a contentious settlement project near Jerusalem that would effectively cut the West Bank in two, according to a government tender. The tender, which seeks bids from developers, would clear the way to begin construction of the E1 pr»»»

Prime Minister Edi Rama has responded to criticism following flooding in several Albanian cities, sharing images on social media of floods in countries including Italy, Greece, Croatia and Montenegro. In a sarcastic post, Rama questioned why he, the government and the municipality of Durrës were no»»»

President Joseph Aoun told visiting U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix that Lebanon welcomes any country wishing to maintain forces in the south after UNIFIL's withdrawal in 2027. "These forces will assist the Lebanese army, which will be increasing its personnel »»»