Presidential candidates Iliana Iotova and Kiril Valchev have the support of 41.4% of voters who intend to cast a ballot in Bulgaria's October 25 presidential elections, while Andrey Gurov and Georgi Kandev are backed by 21.9%, according to a Market Links poll released on Wednesday. The nationally r»»»

KYIV: Russia hit Ukrainian energy infrastructure in a wave of deadly drone and missile strikes on Wednesday, prompting an urgent call for civil contingencies as freezing winter approaches. Kyiv said it was Moscow’s opening salvo in an expected campaign to try to knock out heating and power as the t»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian caretaker PM Djuro Macut said on Wednesday Serbia had the potential, know-how and desire to design microchips, and noted that more than a thousand Serbian engineers were working on designing microchips at local companies as well as at development centres of global companies. Serb»»»

Metropolitan Court has reduced the prison sentence of German national Maja T., who was convicted over a series of antifa attacks on people perceived to be far-right supporters in Budapest in February 2023. Maja T.’s sentence was cut from eight years to seven years by the Metropolitan Court on Wedne»»»

BEIRUT: The Lebanese military said on Wednesday that the explosion of an unknown object wounded a soldier and three civilians, after initially saying it was an Israeli strike. “A soldier and three civilians were wounded in the Nabatieh Al-Fawqa area as a result of an explosion while the army was es»»»

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said that Lebanon wants “a state-to-state relationship with Iran based on mutual respect,” adding that “this is what we asked of the Iranians” during his meeting with the Iranian delegation in New York. As for the trilateral agreement with Israel, Salam told Asharq Bl»»»

Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev told reporters in Sopot on Wednesday that he would instruct the Inspectorate Directorate at the Ministry of Culture to conduct monthly inspections and monitor all activities related to the restoration of the Liberty Memorial on Shipka Peak. Miloshev said the monument»»»

BUCHAREST: The Romanian parliament on Wednesday rejected a pro-European liberal as prime minister, prolonging a political crisis seen as fueling an already rising far right. Liberal European Parliament member Siegfried Muresan failed to get lawmakers’ backing with just 182 of the 233 votes needed t»»»

American officials believe US President Donald Trump could order a resumption of major combat operations against Iran after the midterm elections in November, as renewed indirect negotiations produced no results, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Qatari mediators, w»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Working in the interests of every nation while respecting those interests — this is how Majid Ehsan, president of the Institute of Policy Studies (Islamabad), describes Pakistan's pragmatic foreign policy course in a multipolar Asia. Such a course serves Islamabad's interests, si»»»

Advanced scanning detects drugs hidden in vehicle tyre at land border crossing Dubai: UAE Customs authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle 16.2kg of crystal methamphetamine hidden inside the tyre of a vehicle entering the country through a land border crossing, authorities said. Customs inspec»»»

BEIRUT: Hezbollah denied on Wednesday any connection to a cell that Syrian authorities said they had dismantled in the country’s south and which they accused of being affiliated with the Lebanese militant group. A statement from the Iran-backed movement’s media office said it “categorically denies »»»

Kadim, Palestinian Territories: Hundreds of Israelis marched Wednesday between newly rebuilt settlements in the northern West Bank to celebrate a Jewish holiday, a symbolic show of their return to an area until recently almost fully Palestinian. Settlers of all ages carried traditional bundles of f»»»

Bulgaria's accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) remains a key political priority, Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova told Parliament's Subcommittee on support for Bulgaria's OECD accession process. She presented an update on the progress towards OECD member»»»

Muscat: Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of the Sultanate of Oman met on Wednesday with Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is visiting Oman. The meeting discussed the rapidly evolving developments in the region »»»

MOSCOW: The Kremlin said Wednesday work was under way on rebasing Russian-made missile-defense systems from Turkiye to another country, a move that could pave the way for Ankara to regain access to the US F-35 fighter jet program. Turkiye bought the S-400 air defense systems from Russia in 2017, du»»»

Only eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cards are supported initially Apple Pay has officially launched in India, more than a decade after Apple’s digital payment service debuted in the United States. The service launched on Wednesday through a partnership with Axis Bank, giving Apple it»»»

It would have been the first execution of a woman in Tennessee in more than 200 years A US court on Wednesday halted the execution of a woman in Tennessee shortly before she was due to die from lethal injection, three decades after she murdered a classmate. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued»»»

Tunis, Sept.30 (TAP)- A programme to support Tunisian businesses in their transition to Industry 4.0 was launched Wednesday in Tunis, said Acting Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Slah Zouari said.Speaking at the launch event, the minister...»»»

RIYADH: Saudi-Italian business ties have been strengthened after an agreement was signed to improve access to each other’s markets. The Federation of Saudi Chambers and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Italy’s national promotional institution, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday to strength»»»

A minor bump on the French far right's road to power, or a car crash that wipes out years of rebranding? Bombshell allegations of past anti-Semitic tropes by the man Marine Le Pen has touted as her future prime minister could test her years-long effort to convince French voters that the National Ra»»»

Jakarta: The death toll from a passenger ship that capsized and sank in Indonesia's Java Sea has risen to 78, the country's National Search and Rescue Agency said on Wednesday. The rescue teams are still looking for 57 missing people, while 108 others have been evacuated safely. The Virgo Transport»»»

A plane heading to Tel Aviv from Dubai was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, after one of the pilots allegedly tried to crash the plane and kill everyone onboard. Flight FZ 1703 took off from Dubai at 0305 GMT. Here's what we know about what unfolded on board: - 0521»»»

Iraqi armed factions backed by Tehran said Wednesday that they were "not bound by any timeline or agreement" to surrender their weapons to the state, as the government seeks to disarm them under mounting U.S. pressure. A military spokesman for Kataeb Hezbollah, Jaafar al-Husseini, said at an event »»»

The war in Ukraine is creating not only security and economic challenges for Europe, but also waves of political instability and growing populism across the continent, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Wednesday. “We need to understand what the outcome will be if we do not change our app»»»

BEIJING - Serbia's top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic is through to the second round of the Beijing ATP tournament after a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) first-round victory over world number 49 Nuno Borges of Portugal on Wednesday. Djokovic, who is 11th in the ATP rankings, won after an hour and 51 minutes o»»»

At least five people, including a 14-year old child, have died after Russia launched another round of strikes on Kyiv and its surrounding regions overnight to Wednesday, officials said. Several people were also wounded in the attacks. In Poland, two airports, in Lublin and Rzeszow, were briefly shu»»»

DOHA: Invest Qatar, the country's Investment Promotion Agency, has concluded a high-level roadshow across New York and Boston in the United States, strengthening engagement with leading US investors, businesses and industry stakeholders while showcasing Qatar's growing investment opportunities acro»»»

Israeli leaders said on Wednesday that a "jihadist" pilot had aimed to crash a flydubai plane with mostly Israeli passengers, who overpowered him and prevented a "major disaster". "During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and apparently tried to »»»

TUNIS, September 30 (TAP) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Mohamed Ali Nafti received on Wednesday Gertrudis Nsang Ndong Nsuga Ambassador of Equatorial Guinea and Dean of the Group of African Ambassadors accredited to...»»»

RIYADH: AlUla Skies Festival returns Nov. 6-15, bringing hot-air balloon flights, stargazing, outdoor cinema, and wellness experiences to the ancient oasis during some of the clearest night-sky conditions of the season. As AlUla continues to grow as a leading destination for nature-based and experi»»»

Qatar's mediation continues as oil rises and UAE travellers face flight disruption The diplomatic push to end the US-Iran war has entered a potentially important new phase, with Tehran confirming it has received Washington’s response to its proposal for a seven-day process that could reopen the Str»»»

Government, transport and tech partners unite to boost liveability across the emirate LIVEX 2026 marked its second day with 15 agreements spanning smart mobility, urban planning, sustainability, real estate and community development, bringing together government entities, transport authorities, dev»»»

DUBAI: The pilot of a FlyDubai flight stabbed another pilot and tried to crash the plane full of Israelis, Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. The Israeli prime minister said passengers and crew members on the flight managed to subdue the attacker, preventing a “major disaster.” Another air crew »»»

Brussels, Belgium: European consumer authorities are investigating nine video game companies including France's Ubisoft over concerns their in-game virtual currencies might be violating users' rights, the EU said Wednesday. The bloc is coordinating the investigations by the Consumer Protection Coop»»»

Geneva: An annual report on the state of Switzerland's glaciers due to be released Thursday is expected to reveal drastic loss after the country weathered its hottest summer on record. The Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS) network, which publishes the report each autumn, already cautioned »»»

Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov has submitted a report requesting his release from military service with three months’ notice, the Defence Ministry’s press service told BTA on Wednesday. Eftimov was born on August 16, 1961, and has served as Chief of Defence since March 30, 2020, according to»»»

Parliament Wednesday adopted conclusively amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) introducing requirements under a European directive aimed at protecting people who engage in public participation from clearly unfounded claims or abusive court proceedings. The changes are intended to protect»»»

The Sofia City Court heard three witnesses in the case against former Varna mayor Ivan Portnih on Wednesday. He is charged alongside former regional governor Stoyan Pasev and two public officials of the Executive Agency Maritime Administration with fraud related to the reconstruction of a non-exist»»»

European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi says the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) could begin operating in Hungary as early as next year, potentially giving European prosecutors powers to investigate EU-fund fraud, corruption and money laundering in the country. European Chief Pros»»»

Your best bet might be to take the long way home The evening drive from Dubai to Sharjah is looking slow in the usual trouble spots, but motorists willing to take a wider route may have a smoother journey home. The latest Google Maps data point to heavy traffic on E11 heading towards Sharjah as dri»»»

HONG KONG: The ex-husband and in-laws accused of murdering Hong Kong model and influencer Abby Choi appeared in court on Wednesday, in a gruesome case that has sent shockwaves through the city. Choi, an influencer with more than 140,000 followers on Instagram, had shared photos from Paris Fashion W»»»

RIYADH: France’s decision to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia is a “concrete expression” of its solidarity with the Kingdom and is intended solely to help protect critical energy infrastructure, French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave has said. Speaking to Arab News, Maisonnave said the d»»»

Nagoya, Japan: Philippines tennis star Alexandra Eala stormed into the Asian Games semi-finals in Japan on Wednesday, cheered on by fans who had come from far and wide to see their hero in action. The world number 18 and favourite for women's singles gold had to work hard early on to beat Taiwan's »»»

In an address marking the second anniversary of the martyrdom of the Master of the Ummah’s Martyrs Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and the Hashemite Martyr Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, Lebanese Member of Parliament Mohammad Raad delivered a speech centered on honoring the families of martyred fighters and rein»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that one of the pilots of a flydubai plane bound for Tel Aviv had planned to crash it and kill its mostly Israeli passengers, who stopped a "major disaster." "During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the ot»»»

Vice-presidential candidate Georgi Kandev opened an election campaign office of the Andrey Gurov-Georgi Kandev presidential ticket in Ruse on Wednesday. Kandev said: "Welcome to the opening of our campaign headquarters. You know where I come from, you know my background, which is why I call it a he»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will deliver the annual royal address to the Shura Council on Wednesday on behalf of King Salman, marking the opening of the third year of the council’s ninth session. Shura Council Speaker Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Asheikh said the address s»»»

Tunnel boring machine assembly and concrete segment casting are now under way Dubai: Dubai Loop is moving into its next stage, with preliminary work and project delivery advancing since an agreement was signed in February, as several technical and engineering workstreams progress in parallel. Sign »»»

BELGRADE - Serbia's gas arrangement with Russia was on Wednesday extended until the end of this year under the same terms, Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic told Tanjug. Bajatovic said that, under a deal between Russia's Gazprom and Srbijagas, Serbia would continue to receive Russian gas at the best pr»»»