Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway attends the Nobel Peace Prize presentation ceremony at Oslo City Hall on December 10 in Oslo, Norway. Photo by Paul Treadway/UPI | License Photo Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit's lung condition has worsened, and her doctors are considering »»»

KUWAIT, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- 1959 -- Kuwait Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah signed a decree regulating the judiciary. 1999 -- The UN Secretary General designated Kuwait's Higher Education Undersecretary Dr. Rasha Al-Sabah as board member of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research »»»

A man protests the opening of Shein's first physical store in BHV building in Paris on Nov. 5. On Friday, a Paris court declined a government request to suspend the website's operation in France. File Photo by Teresa Suarez/EPA Dec. 19 (UPI) -- A Paris court denied an effort by the French governmen»»»

Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Kshamenk, the last killer whale held in captivity in Latin America, died of cardiorespiratory arrest in Argentina at age 35, Mundo Marino said. The mammal spent 33 years in a marine park, exceeding the typical life expectancy of male killer whales in captivity and becoming an emble»»»

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 29 of its Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo SANTIAGE, Chile, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Chile has become the first country in Latin America to offer satellite coverage for mobile phones, enabling co»»»

A court in the German city of Aachen has sentenced a man to eight-and-a-half years in prison for repeatedly drugging and raping his wife, filming the acts and then posting them online. The man, named only as Fernando P in line with German privacy laws, was found guilty of aggravated rape, grievous »»»

A major step away from naivety – that's how EU officials describe moves to crack down on cheap Chinese parcels flooding the European market. The EU is edging closer to abolishing the customs exemption on packages valued at under €150. For now, the EU has agreed to impose a temporary €3 customs fee »»»

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit will likely need a lung transplant as her health has worsened in recent months, the country's royal household has said. The princess, 52, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018. The degenerative disease creates scar tissue that stiffens the lungs making it»»»

A French court on Friday rejected the state's request to suspend Shein's site in France as "disproportionate" after the Asian e-commerce giant removed illicit products sold on its platform. French authorities had requested the ultra-fast-fashion giant's site be blocked for three months after weapon»»»

President Putin gave another of his big, hours-long press conferences on Friday, allowing journalists and citizens from across Russia and media from around the world to get direct answers to questions ranging from war and peace to the economy and social issues. Here are the highlights. Russia Ready»»»

“It’s no wonder the EU can’t seem to come to a decision on this matter, because the world truly has never seen the confiscation of a state’s assets on such a scale,” Alexander Shirov, an expert affiliated with Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development, told Sputnik, commenting on President Putin’s »»»

The Bulgarian political party "Revival" announced plans to challenge the National Assembly’s recent decisions at the Constitutional Court. The party intends to contest the parliament’s rejection of President Rumen Radev’s proposal to hold a referendum on adopting the euro, as well as the approval o»»»

More than 55% of Bulgarians have a positive attitude towards the European Union (EU), a survey by the Myara polling agency, presented on Friday at the Bulgarian News Agency’s National Press Club in Sofia, shows. The survey on Bulgarians’ attitudes towards the EU was conducted at the request of Bulg»»»

Vazrazhdane will file an appeal with the Constitutional Court against Parliament’s decision to reject the President’s proposal to hold a referendum on the European currency, as well as submit a proposal to the National Assembly to repeal the Government’s decision to provide financial assistance to »»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3758 dinars for one euro on Friday, which is a slight change relative to Thursday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is down by 0.1 pct against the euro m-o-m and by 0.3 pct y-o-y and relative to the begi»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Law and common sense have prevailed for now, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Russian special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries, said on Friday, commenting on the European Union's decision not to confiscat»»»

Outgoing Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov presented sets of Bulgaria’s newly minted euro coins to the heads of the European Commission, European Parliament and European Council, as well as to EU leaders, during his visit to Brussels for a European Council summit. Ahead of the summit, Zhelyazkov stat»»»

On Dec. 19, 1974, Nelson Rockefeller was sworn in as vice president of the United States under President Gerald Ford. 1 of 6 | On December 19, 1974, Nelson Rockefeller (L) was sworn in as Vice President of the United States under President Gerald Ford. File Photo by David Hume Kennerly/UPI | Licens»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday thanked the EU for its 90 billion-euro loan to plug the country's looming budget shortfalls, saying it "truly strengthens" Kyiv's defense. "This is significant support that truly strengthens our resilience," Zelensky said on X. "It is important that »»»

Outgoing Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev hosted the traditional reception for the diplomatic corps on the occasion of the Christmas and New Year holidays, the Georgiev's Ministry said on Facebook. In his address, he highlighted key foreign policy achievements of Bulgaria, including full integration»»»

In October 2025, Bulgaria recorded a current account deficit of 1.0646 billion euros, marking the largest monthly shortfall since September 2022, according to preliminary data from the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) on the country’s balance of payments. The trade deficit also widened sharply, reachi»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban criticized the EU’s planned 90-billion-euro support package for Ukraine for 2026–27, calling it “lost money” and arguing that future generations would bear the cost, Reuters reported. 📌 Key points from his statement: 🔹 It is “clear” Ukraine will not repay the E»»»

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday approved former Iraqi President Barham Salih as the next head of the UN refugee agency, the first from the Middle East since the late 1970s. The 193-member body elected the 65-year-old by consensus. The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday appr»»»

Japan's central bank has raised its main interest rate to the highest level in 30 years as the country faces a cost-of-living squeeze. In a widely expected decision, the Bank of Japan's policy board, led by governor Kazuo Ueda, increased its benchmark rate by a quarter of a percentage point to "aro»»»

United Nations: Barham Salih, a former Iraqi president who was himself once a refugee, has been elected the UN High Commissioner for Refugees at a time when the agency faces the twin crises of shrinking resources and a huge increase in people needing its help. The General Assembly on Thursday elect»»»

The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday for the fourth meeting in a row as the economy in the 20 countries that use the euro increasingly looks strong enough to get by without the stimulus of lower borrowing costs for businesses and consumers. Bank President Christine Lagar»»»

A teenager who escaped from a French prison in November has been arrested, authorities have told the BBC. The 19-year-old - along with a 32-year-old man - had fled a prison in the eastern city of Dijon. They sawed through cell bars and climbed down a wall using bed sheets, according to local media.»»»

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov and MPs Dimo Drenchev and Georgi Georgiev have held a meeting with representatives of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB) and the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour, the party's press centre said on Thursday. The trade unions were r»»»

Two of Italy’s top newspapers, La Repubblica and La Stampa, are likely to be sold to Greek media tycoon Theodore Kyriakou, whose political and business links abroad have sparked concern over editorial independence. The proposed sale, which involves foreign investment from Gulf allies and has drawn »»»

Bulgaria is ready to act as a responsible and active partner within the European Union’s monetary union, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said Thursday during meetings with EU leaders in Brussels ahead of the European Council session, the government press office reported. Zhelyazkov told European Co»»»

Fitch Ratings has revised its outlook for Bulgaria’s public finances downward, increasing its projections for future budget deficits, while keeping the country’s sovereign credit rating unchanged at BBB+ with a stable outlook. The rating was raised earlier in the year, following the announcement of»»»

A kid isn’t totally to blame when it acts like a lunatic in public. Particularly when you take a good look at the parents. Such is the case of the Bulgarian establishment – the European Union’s latest “foster kid” on the verge of being fully adopted into the family, despite being in the middle of a»»»

Dutch and British gas prices posted small gains on Thursday morning but are largely expected to trade sideways with rising demand from colder weather easily met by pipeline and liquefied natural gas deliveries. The benchmark Dutch front-month contract at the TTF hub was up 0.19 euros at 27.57 euros»»»

The EU will not discuss plans to seize Russian assets during Thursday's summit in Brussels, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Wednesday, calling it a “victory.” The bloc has temporarily immobilized roughly $230 billion in Russian central bank assets by invoking Article 122, an emer»»»

Thursday's news media are dominated by the topics of legal changes on Bulgarians' second pension and the extension of the 2025 state budget into 2026. ECONOMY 24 Chasa reports on its front page that Bulgarians' second pension will be increased by linking it to the minimum wage. Under amendments to »»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3712 dinars for one euro on Thursday, which is a slight change relative to Wednesday, 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 b»»»

Revising the Election Code to strengthen the role of machine voting has become a major issue during the ongoing consultations with the parliamentary forces that President Rumen Radev is holding ahead of asking them to form a government following the resignation of the Rosen Zhelyazkov cabinet on De»»»

Quito, Ecuador: Ecuadoran footballer Mario Pineida was shot and killed in the port city of Guayaquil on Wednesday, his team said. Guayaquil has become a hotspot for gang violence linked to drug trafficking and several football players in Ecuador have been targeted in recent months. Pineida, 33, was»»»

Doha, Qatar: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the world’s leading institution for modern and contemporary art from the Arab world, announced that a major campus expansion is under way, led by the celebrated Lebanese-born architect Lina Ghotmeh, founder and principal of the Paris-based studio Lina»»»

OMV Petrom, the largest integrated energy producer in Southeastern-Eastern Europe announces the completion of an investment at the Petrobrazi refinery: a new sulphur recovery unit, valued at 45 million euro, the company informs in a press release on Wednesday.According to the source, this project i»»»

Doha, Qatar: Representatives of international government bodies and civil society organisations said combating corruption is a fundamental condition for economic growth and national recovery. The remarks came during a session on building coalitions to fight corruption and advance reforms in Asia an»»»

MPs on Wednesday adopted the re-examination, at the request of the President of Romania, of the Law amending and supplementing Government Emergency Ordinance No 31/2002 on the prohibition of organisations, symbols and acts of a fascist, Legionary, racist or xenophobic nature and the promotion of th»»»

A South Korean soldier stands guard in a conference room in the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission Conference Building at the joint security area(JSA) of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) near Paju, South Korea on August 25, 2018. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Pho»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the world’s leading institution for modern and contemporary art from the Arab world, has announced that a major campus expansion is under way, led by the celebrated Lebanese-born architect Lina Ghotmeh, founder and principal of the Paris-»»»

Bulgaria's Parliament on Wednesday adopted a 2025-to-2026 Budget Extension Bill on second reading. It was approved on first reading earlier in the day. The adopted bill regulates expenditure and revenue collection in the coming year until the adoption of a State Budget Act and the budgets of the Na»»»

Protests against the planned euro changeover in Bulgaria were held in several cities across the country on Wednesday. In Sofia, demonstrators gathered outside the Bulgarian National Bank building. The protest was organized by the Doyran 2025 Association and was registered with the Sofia Municipalit»»»

Parliament on Wednesday passed on second reading the 2025-to-2026 Revenue Collection and Expenditures Bill, the so-called 2026 Budget Extension Bill. Earlier in the day, the bill was approved on first reading. Lawmakers adopted a proposal by Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria co-leader Assen V»»»

Bulgaria's Parliament on Wednesday adopted a 2025-to-2026 Budget Extension Bill on second reading. It was approved on first reading earlier in the day. The adopted bill regulates expenditure and revenue collection in the coming year until the adoption of a State Budget Act and the budgets of the Na»»»

Bulgaria's Parliament on Wednesday adopted a 2026 Budget Extension Bill on second reading. It was approved on first reading earlier in the day. The adopted bill regulates expenditure and revenue collection in the coming year until the adoption of a State Budget Act and the budgets of the National H»»»