Bulgaria remains a leading destination for high-tech services. The country continues to be a hub for innovative services, and an established destination for services with high added value. A competitive advantage for Bulgaria is also its upcoming membership in the euro area, in addition to the coun»»»

An elderly man died on Tuesday when the vehicle he was driving caught fire on a rural road in the region of Fokida, central Greece. The incident occurred on the road linking Mariolata with Lilaia, according to a local news portal. Firefighters who arrived at the scene extinguished the flames and fo»»»

Dubai: The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has announced the commencement of the second phase of Ministerial Decision No. 380 of 2022, which prohibits the import, manufacture and trade of an expanded range of single-use consumer plastic products and bags. The measure will take e»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent on Tuesday a cable of congratulations to the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa on his country's 54th National Day and the 26th anniversary of his accession to power.In his cable, His Highn»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent on Tuesday a cable of congratulations to the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa on his country's 54th National Day and the 26th anniversary of his accession to power. His Highness the »»»

KUWAIT, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah sent on Tuesday a cable of congratulations to the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa on his country's 54th National Day and the 26th anniversary of his accession to power.His Highness t»»»

A French court has sentenced a former rebel leader and politician from the Democratic Republic of Congo to 30 years in jail after finding him guilty of complicity in crimes against humanity more than two decades ago. Roger Lumbala headed a rebel movement backed by neighbouring Uganda accused of com»»»

Seven candidates have submitted applications to take part in a procedure for selecting a new European Public Prosecutor from Bulgaria, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday. The candidates are Mihaela Raydovska, Dimitar Belichev, Svetlana Shopova-Koleva, Plamen Petkov, Ivaylo Iliev, Desislava Pirone»»»

ADELAIDE - Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic will begin the next season at the Adelaide ATP 250 tournament, the organisers confirmed on Tuesday. The Serbian, who won the tournament in 2023, will be competing in Adelaide for a third time. Alongside top-seeded Djokovic, the men's event at the Janu»»»

US military strikes on three suspected narco-trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific killed eight people on Monday, US Southern Command said, part of an ongoing campaign that has left more than 90 dead. The command said intelligence showed the vessels were operating along known trafficking route»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, received during a ceremony at Bayan Palace on Tuesday, the credentials of Wierish Ramsoekh as Ambassador of the Netherlands, Mohammad Jaber Abu Al-Wafa as Ambassador of Egypt, Ghadi Al-Khoury as Ambassador of »»»

The parliamentary committee responsible for budget matters approved an extension of the State Budget Law for the upcoming three months. The decision passed with 13 votes in favor, four against, and one abstention. This temporary measure ensures the continuity of state payments while the National As»»»

AFC/M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, on Tuesday agreed to withdraw from the city of Uvira in eastern DRC following a request from US mediators. The group said its withdrawal was a gesture to give the ongoing peace process between Rwanda and DRC a chance to succeed. The AFC/M23 armed group said Tuesday»»»

France’s first lady Brigitte Macron apologised on Monday for using a slur against activists that triggered a feminist backlash and a social media trend against her. Speaking to Brut, Macron, 72, said she was sorry if she hurt women, but defended the remarks as private comments. France's first lady&»»»

Online scams cause economic losses of more than RON 800 million, around EUR 160 million, every year in Romania, confirming that misinformation and fake digital content increase user vulnerability, according to the latest Visa study. At the same time, Romanians who cannot distinguish between fake on»»»

At the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon 2025, amid the sea of runners on the streets, one figure stood out not just for crossing the 10km finish line, but for the story she carried with her. Dr Mariam Al Blooshi, an Emirati grandmother, senior energy professional and athlete, ran with a quiet confidence th»»»

A Bulgarian national has reportedly lost his life while fighting on the front lines in Ukraine, OFFNews reported. The fallen volunteer has been identified as Todor Nikolaev Kuzmov. At this stage, there is no official confirmation from the Ukrainian authorities. The information emerged through a pos»»»

The EU looks set to scrap a ban on petrol and diesel cars that was supposed to come into effect in 2035, as European car makers are struggling against fierce competition from China and slow consumer update of electric vehicles. The EU looks set to scrap a landmark 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel »»»

GIZ Libya announced today that an intensive eight-day practical training course at the Higher Institute of Technological Studies (ISET) in Tozeur, Tunisia has successfully concluded, bringing together 14 technicians and engineers from the Renewable Energy Authority of Libya (REAoL), REAoL Holding, »»»

Bulgaria’s socio-economic and political situation is complex, President Rumen Radev said at the start of consultations with Vazrazhdane on Tuesday, held ahead of the awarding of exploratory mandates to form a government. The President asked the third-largest parliamentary group whether the 51st Nat»»»

The Economic and Social Council (ESC) adopted its Activity Plan for 2026, which outlines the main priorities and topics on which the consultative body of employers, trade unions, and civic groups will work over the coming year. These include the challenges facing the labour market and labour shorta»»»

Yordan Tsonev, deputy chairman of the parliamentary group of DPS-New Beginning, declared during consultations with President Rumen Radev that the 51st National Assembly has effectively ended its political life and that early elections are necessary. Speaking on behalf of his party, Tsonev emphasize»»»

Crosspoint Real Estate, the International Associate of Savills in Romania, has brokered the transaction through which Eeze, a software and technology company and next-generation casino supplier, with headquarters in Malta and offices in London and Bucharest, has leased 1,200 square metres of office»»»

According to Morocco’s state news outlet SNRT News, Royal Air Maroc announced yesterday that it will start flights from Casablanca to Tripoli’s Mitiga airport in April 2026. Tickets for these new routes will be on sale from 15 December on the Royal Air Maroc website, via the company’s call centers »»»

“The events that have taken place clearly tell us that this parliament has come to the end of its real political life,” Yordan Tsonev, deputy chair of the parliamentary group MRF–New Beginning, said during consultations with President Rumen Radev on Tuesday. “In our opinion, there should have been »»»

Sanctions aimed at weakening Russia have backfired spectacularly, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini told Corriere della Sera. 19 rounds of sanctions cobbled together in nearly four years have boomeranged, bringing the West’s economies “to their knees,” Matteo Salvini emphasized, adding t»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) Director General Dr. Faisal Al-Hamidan on Tuesday said artificial intelligence (AI) has become a pivotal tool capable of transforming water challenges into promising opportunities and turning data into accurate decisions that »»»

Damascus, Dec. 16 (SANA) Saudi companies have highlighted their support for Syria’s reconstruction efforts at the 23rd BUILDEX exhibition in Damascus, emphasizing investment opportunities and technical expertise. The exhibition underscored Saudi Arabia’s key role in Syria’s rebuilding process, espe»»»

Lahore: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced a senior leader of a banned Islamist party to 35 years in prison for inciting violence, more than a year after the cleric publicly called for the killing of the country’s then-chief justice, court officials and a defense lawyer said Tuesday. Zaheer»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) has announced metrolink service updates on the metro network. In a social media post, Qatar Rail announced that from tomorrow, December 17 to Thursday, December 18, the M143 buses will operate from Hamad Hospital station Exit 3 instead of Corniche St»»»

Every day of inaction worsens the problems at Toplofikatsiya Sofia, the municipal heating utility, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said on Tuesday. He was speaking as he submitted, jointly with Sofia Municipal Council Chair Tsvetomir Petrov, a report seeking the approval of the Municipal Council for a c»»»

Speaking at the start of consultations with Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) – New Beginning on Tuesday, President Rumen Radev said that they had not been part of the governing coalition but had propped up the government. Attending the talks were Deputy Floor Leaders Jordan Tzonev, Halil Leti»»»

A new budget should be proposed without any planned debt, because debt serves only one purpose – to mask the huge deficit in the budget, Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov told journalists after his meeting with President Rumen Radev here on Tuesday as part of the consultations held before the »»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3615 dinars for one euro on Tuesday, which is a slight change relative to Monday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is down by 0.2 pct against the euro m-o-m and by 0.3 pct y-o-y and relative to the begin»»»

Officers of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) discovered a hidden cache of firearms on the outskirts of Balykchy in Issyk-Kul region during operational and investigative activities. According to the security services, the cache contained two firearms—a Makarov pistol an»»»

Dubai: Dubai Police showcased its commitment to excellence and continuous improvement during the third edition of the Six Sigma Success Stories Forum, held at the Dubai Police Officers Club. The event was attended by Dr Major General Ahmad Zaal bin Krishan Almuhairi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief for F»»»

The UK unemployment rate in the three months to October has increased to 5.1%, according to official figures. That marked a rise from 5% for the three months to September. The number of people in the UK who are unemployed is now at its highest level since January 2021, just below the peak rate seen»»»

Tunis, Dec. 16 (TAP)- The primary energy balance end of October 2025 - royalties taken into account- posted a 5.3 Mtoe deficit, running 16% higher than one year earlier.The National Observatory of Energy and Mines said in a report on the "Economic...»»»

Russia has repeatedly said that it is interested in a long-standing peace, not a ceasefire regarding the situation around the Ukrainian conflict, stressing the original sources of it should be eliminated. "We want peace; we do not want a truce to give Ukraine a break and prepare for the continuatio»»»

ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) - Two more Project 677 diesel-electric submarines are scheduled to be laid in early 2026, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Adm. Aleksandr Moiseyev said on Tuesday. "This is the future of non-nuclear submarines. We have accepted another ship, and two more are at various stage»»»

KUWAIT, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- Kuwait is set to be affected by unstable weather starting Wednesday evening, with scattered thunderstorms of varying intensity, expected to peak early Thursday and turn heavy in some areas, the Meteorology Department said Tuesday.Acting Director of the Meteorology Departmen»»»

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that a Christmas truce that Ukraine has proposed would depend on whether a peace deal is reached or not. Russia does not want a ceasefire that would allow Kyiv to prepare for further fighting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He added that Moscow had not yet seen de»»»

US President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, accusing the British state broadcaster of doctoring video of his January 6, 2021 speech to make it appear he incited violence at the US Capitol. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami on Monday, claims the B»»»

DOHA: Speaker of the Shura Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim met separately on Tuesday with Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq HE Mohammed Jaafar Al Sadr; Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia HE Ridwan Hassan, and Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan HE Arman Issagaliyev. The meetings»»»

Early marriages in Roma communities are concentrated in south-central Bulgaria (Plovdiv and Pazardzhik), south-eastern Bulgaria (Sliven and Yambol) and north-eastern Bulgaria, according to a report by the Amalipe Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance published on the organization's website.»»»

The Kyrgyz team won silver medals in the team competition at the International Enduro Championship, which took place in Chongqing, People’s Republic of China. Team member Bekzat Ooganov told 24.kg news agency. The Kyrgyz delegation participated in the competition through an official invitation sent»»»

MartinelliAs Simbang Gabi begins to draw Filipino worshippers to churches across the UAE, one name continues to resonate strongly within the community: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. Known for his humility, warmth and ability to connect with ordinary Catholics, the Filipino cardinal remains one of th»»»

US President Donald Trump has repeated his attack on Rob Reiner - after his earlier remarks about the killed Hollywood director, a longtime Trump critic, sparked widespread condemnation. The US president told reporters the director was "very bad for our country", having earlier written on Truth Soc»»»

Doha, Qatar: Organizing Committee of the National Day Celebrations invites residents and citizens to the 2025 National Parade at Doha Corniche on Thursday. In a social media post by the Ministry of Culture, it announced that the parade will be held on Thursday, December 18, with public entrances to»»»

Over the past weeks, the U.S. has increased pressure on Lebanon to work harder on disarming Hezbollah and canceled a planned trip to Washington last month by Army chief Gen. Rodolph Haykal. U.S. officials were angered in November by a Lebanese army statement that blamed Israel for destabilizing Leb»»»