Japan’s foreign minister summoned the Russian ambassador in Tokyo to lodge a “strong protest” against President Vladimir Putin’s surprise visit to the Kuril islands on Thursday. Tokyo maintains its claim to the disputed islands near Japan's northernmost Hokkaido island since they were seized by the»»»

Paris: France’s top constitutional authority on Friday struck down a ban on social media access for children under 15, dealing a blow to the legislation championed by President Emmanuel Macron. The Constitutional Council found that Article 1 of the legislation “constitutes an infringement that is n»»»

The Bulgarian National Audit Office (BNAO) published more than 16,000 asset and interest declarations by public officeholders on Friday. The declarations comprised annual filings submitted by May 15, 2026, and initial and final declarations filed between January and August 2026. They included decla»»»

Former Agriculture Minister Ivan Hristanov has announced that he will run for president in Bulgaria's upcoming presidential election, saying his candidacy has been in preparation for more than a year. Hristanov confirmed his decision in an interview with Nova TV, explaining that the initiative was »»»

Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev has congratulated Burgas and Mayor Dimitar Nikolov after the seaside city was selected over Sofia to host Eurovision 2027, stressing that the contest should be treated as a national opportunity rather than a source of division. “I am used to criticism. I want to congratula»»»

GERB leader Boyko Borissov has called for political unity after Burgas was selected to host Eurovision 2027, urging Bulgarian cities and institutions to work together to present the country positively to an international audience. In a post on Facebook, Borissov first congratulated DARA, whose Euro»»»

Bulgaria's Central Election Commission (CEC) has approved the official schedule for the country's presidential and vice-presidential election, setting October 25, 2026 as election day and establishing the key deadlines leading up to the vote. The chronogram, adopted on August 13, formally launches »»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Burgas is a strong choice to host the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest and expressed confidence that the city will present Bulgaria well on the international stage. He also used a visit to Dolna Mitropolia in the Pleven region to address the water crisis in northern Bulg»»»

Bulgaria expects to receive two additional anti-drone systems by the end of next week as the country works to strengthen its ability to detect and counter unmanned aircraft, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said during a meeting with journalists in Pleven. Stoyanov said two systems are expected to»»»

A reconnaissance drone has washed ashore near Primorsko, while another drone-related object was found on the nearby beach area of Lozenets. The discoveries have prompted questions about the origin of the unmanned aircraft, with BIRD.BG claiming that the drone found near Primorsko is Russian-made. B»»»

A specialized operation by Bulgaria's General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) is underway in the Botevgrad area, targeting two alleged criminal groups known locally as “Peevite” and “Inket.” Three people have so far been detained on suspicion of usury, coercion and pimping. The op»»»

Dubai: UAE students who achieved top A-level grades have shared how they adapted to an unprecedented assessment process after formal examinations were cancelled earlier this year. In April, Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel and OxfordAQA cancelled all IGCSE and A-level examinations in the UAE for the May/»»»

GENEVA: The State of Qatar concluded its discussion of its combined report covering the second to fourth periodic reports on the implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, during the interactive dialogue with the United Nations Committee on the Ri»»»

US President Donald Trump has imposed steep tariffs on imported drones and their components, potentially complicating Ukraine’s plans to expand UAV sales to Washington. Under a proclamation signed on Thursday, drones weighing more than 25 kg and those equipped with thermal imagers will face tariffs»»»

At the request of the prosecution, the Regional Court in Botevgrad ordered the pre-trial detention of 24-year-old G.G., who has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm to a five-year-old child in a case involving domestic violence, the press office of the prosecution service said Friday. The»»»

Bulgaria and Turkey are preparing to strengthen their transport and energy links, including a new railway route from Edirne through Lesovo, Elhovo and Yambol that will provide an alternative connection to the congested Kapitan Andreevo-Kapıkule border crossing. Prime Minister Rumen Radev highlighte»»»

Burgas will build a small Eurotown for international teams and guests attending Eurovision 2027, as preparations for the contest continue in the seaside city. Deputy Mayor for Construction Chanka Koralska told Bulgarian National Radio that a separate temporary structure will be erected near Arena B»»»

Burgas has begun preparations for Eurovision 2027, with the seaside city expecting thousands of fans, tourists, delegations and media representatives to arrive for the contest next May. The event is already generating excitement among local businesses, while also raising questions about accommodati»»»

Russia is stitching together a web of new railway corridors that reach from the South Caucasus to the Indian Ocean, redirecting freight away from Europe and towards Asia and the Global South as it makes a pivot to the east. More than 93% of Russian Railways' (RZD) international traffic already runs»»»

Empty produce shelves and hand-printed apology notices have appeared in Kyiv's supermarkets, as Russia retaliates for Ukraine’s targetting of some of Russia’s biggest retail companies in an effort to bring the confict into the frontroom of ordinary Russians. Ukrainians are being a taste of the sam»»»

Russia is rebuilding its drone war around the jet-powered Geran-4, a faster machine built to slip past the cheap interceptors now knocking down its slower first generation Geran-2 drone, based on the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 loitering munition that Moscow bought from Tehran at the start of the U»»»

Ukraine’s drone warfare on Russian ecommerce giant Wildberries is burning holes in the pockets of Uzbek export businesses. Enterprises in Uzbekistan have informed government officials of a marked decline in exports made through the Russian online marketplace – often described as “Russia’s Amazon” –»»»

Ukraine, a country with no navy, has driven Russia's Black Sea Fleet out of its home in the Crimea to Novorossiysk, the largest functioning port on the Russian Black Sea coast, where it has now struck warships in the Kremlin’s last naval refuge. Ukrainian forces hit the naval base at Novorossiysk, »»»

Russia's defence ministry has put its winter plan for Ukraine on Telegram: a photograph of attack drones in flight, captioned "just like snow on your head". Beneath the picture the ministry added a second line - "In winter you will get a 'freeze'" - and pinned the post to its own earlier message ab»»»

Russia is stitching together a web of new railway corridors that reach from the South Caucasus to the Indian Ocean, redirecting freight away from Europe and towards Asia and the Global South as it makes a pivot to the east. More than 93% of Russian Railways' (RZD) international traffic already runs»»»

Ukraine, a country with no navy, has driven Russia's Black Sea Fleet out of its home in the Crimea to Novorossiysk, the largest functioning port on the Russian Black Sea coast, where it has now struck warships in the Kremlin’s last naval refuge. Ukrainian forces hit the naval base at Novorossiysk, »»»

Ukraine’s drone warfare on Russian ecommerce giant Wildberries is burning holes in the pockets of Uzbek export businesses. Enterprises in Uzbekistan have informed government officials of a marked decline in exports made through the Russian online marketplace – often described as “Russia’s Amazon” –»»»

N’DJAMENA: Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby on Friday pardoned jailed ex-prime minister and leader of the main opposition party Succes Masra and eight other opposition leaders. Deby has led Chad since 2021 after taking charge of a military transition following the death of his father, Idriss D»»»

Hezbollah's complete surrender of the Ali al-Taher hills to the Lebanese Army is a prerequisite for fully implementing the Framework Agreement, said a political source familiar with Lebanese-U.S. discussions, including the recent visit of the head of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon, Gen»»»

Americans unexpectedly cut their spending in July as a boost from government tax refunds faded. Retail sales slipped 0.6% last month, the biggest drop since May 2025, from a revised gain of 0.2% in June, according to Commerce Department data released Friday. There was a notable bump in spending in »»»

Iraq's average daily oil exports since the beginning of August are the highest since the outbreak of the Middle East war between Iran and the United States, which has choked off the Strait of Hormuz, the oil ministry said Friday. Iraqi Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair told a press conference th»»»

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz rose sharply on Thursday, with 13 confirmed vessel crossings — a 44% increase from the previous day — according to data from marine tracking firm MarineTraffic. Volumes stayed far below normal amid ongoing conflict and competing claims over the waterway»»»

The health of Bulgaria's forests deteriorated in 2024, the Ministry of Environment and Water said in its annual environment report published on Friday. The Ministry released the full 2024 National Report on the State and Protection of the Environment and an accompanying summary. The document contai»»»

QUSRA, Palestinian Territories: Israel’s defense minister called Friday for the police to take over law enforcement in the occupied West Bank from the military, which has come under fire from the right-wing for trying to remove settlers harassing Palestinians. The measure, if implemented, would be »»»

Cairo: Mohammed Ahmed Al Yamahi, President of the Arab Parliament, strongly condemned Iran's blatant targeting of two tankers belonging to UAE company ADNOC while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. He stressed that repeated attacks on commercial vessels and international maritime routes con»»»

President Iliana Iotova met with the newly elected Grand Mufti in Bulgaria, Ahmed Hasanov. The conversation focused on educating young people, regardless of their religion, in universal human virtues, the head of State's press secretariat reported Friday. Iotova congratulated Hasanov on his electio»»»

Russian forces are preparing to “completely choke off Ukraine’s last remaining waterway,” and the latest overnight strikes on Izmail port and its railway hub confirm that intent, military expert Yevgeny Mikhailov tells Sputnik. Severing these arteries could slash NATO deliveries by up to two-thirds»»»

Paris: Firefighters across Europe struggled against multiple fires Friday as a new wave of record-breaking heat baked a swath of the continent, their task further complicated by exceptionally parched landscapes. The historic temperatures are linked to human-caused climate change, and are hitting co»»»

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed the UAE's full solidarity with Kuwait and its support for measures taken by the security authorities to foil a terrorist plot targeting a vital facility, and the arrest of a Kuwaiti citizen who joi»»»

Batwara 1947: Sunny Deol's partition drama is loud, lumbering and painfully on the noseDirector: Rajkumar SantoshiCast: Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta, Sunny Deol, Ali Fazal, Karan Deol ★★Dubai: There is a potentially moving film buried somewhere inside Batwara 1947, an India-Pakistan partition drama b»»»

Cairo: The League of Arab States condemned Iran's targeting of two tankers belonging to the United Arab Emirates while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening, describing it as a blatant and unacceptable violation of international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2817. I»»»

Eurovision Burgas 2027 is BTA’s new section for news about the song contest. It will be part of the Knowledge and Culture (LIK) news service and will use the hashtag #EurovisionBurgas2027. The section will bring together all coverage of Bulgaria’s hosting of Eurovision, along with related events, p»»»

Damascus, Aug. 14 (SANA) Syria on Friday strongly condemned Iran’s targeting of two tankers belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, calling the attacks a flagrant violation of international law and freedom of maritime navigation. In a statement»»»

DUBAI: Since Sunday, Israeli settlers have laid siege to the West Bank village of Qusra to drive out its Palestinian inhabitants and claim their homes as their own. The harrowing event, which has seen three Palestinian families cut off from water, electricity and the outside world by a settler enca»»»

TOKYO: Record-breaking rainfall flooded cities east of Tokyo overnight, killing at least five people, injuring over two dozen others and stranding thousands, authorities said Friday. As the deluge subsided, the Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded its most severe heavy-rain warning in more than a»»»

BANGKOK: Myanmar’s largest city has registered a concerning rise in acute diarrhea cases, state media said Friday, adding to the hardships of a country grappling with severe flooding and civil war. The state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper said 182 patients from Yangon were admitted to the city’s genera»»»

JEDDAH: Baek Seungyeon’s debut novel, “The Seoul Letter Shop,” is a story about letters, the companionship born of ink, and the connections that can grow in unexpected places. Translated from Korean by Clare Richards and forthcoming from Harper Perennial in October, I picked the novel as my first r»»»

RIYADH: The Ministry of Health launched “Live Well” sessions as part of its public awareness platform, convening healthcare professionals, practitioners, content creators, influencers, and health sector leaders. “We met with the creators of awareness in the ‘Live Well’ session and we shared ideas a»»»

Dubai: A randomly chosen number has delivered a first-ever Big Ticket win for Akhil Chandran R P, who has taken home Dh 100,000 in the Series 289 consolation prize draw. The 28-year-old from Kerala in India works in sales and customer service and has been living in the UAE for the past five years. »»»

At a briefing in Pleven on Friday, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that the government is taking concrete measures to fulfill its programme. "Consistently, by taking clear and concrete steps, we are fulfilling our election promises. Firstly, we have eliminated the oligarchy from political power. Th»»»