The Justice Ministry published proposed Judicial System Act amendments for public consultation, introducing new rules on magistrates' secondment and competitive selection, the Ministry said on Friday. The changes aim to strengthen competitive selection, curb indefinite secondments and provide more »»»

Trump suggests Zacharia may step down after harsh coverage President Donald Trump signalled that his embattled new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, may be on her way out - a mere week after he picked her for the post. Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn as he left for a rally in Georgia, »»»

NOVI SAD - Addressing a rally of the Aleksandar Vucic-United Serbia electoral list in Novi Sad on Friday evening, Slovak PM Robert Fico said Vucic was defending Serbia's sovereignty and not letting the country be run by someone abroad, however mighty they might be. A large number of people who had »»»

Riyadh airport operations suspended amid missile and drone attack concerns The US Mission to Saudi Arabia has warned American citizens of potential attacks on airports, airspace closures and flight disruptions following recent missile and drone attacks on airports in the Kingdom. In a security aler»»»

The Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation Friday announced the completion of certification of the type of voting machines to be used in the presidential elections on October 25, 2026. The Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation, the acting President of the Bulgarian Institute »»»

Elisa Spiropali has called on Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to convene the Socialist Party’s leadership structures and initiate internal reforms, arguing that the party must embrace change and greater democratic accountability. In a lengthy letter addressed to Rama, Spiropali called for genuine »»»

LONDON: A Norwegian teenager convicted of traveling to Britain to carry out a contract killing on behalf of an international crime gang linked to Iran was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison. Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, was found guilty in July of conspiracy to murder for agreeing to shoot an»»»

As they met separately with Finance Minister Galab Donev in Sofia Friday, trade union and employer organizations disagreed on the minimum wage and public-sector wage increase in the government's 2027 budget plan. Representatives of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) a»»»

Damascus, Oct. 16 (SANA) Syria is seeking to expand domestic seed production to lower farming costs and reduce reliance on imports, as agricultural institutions restore seed-multiplication facilities and work with research centers and farmers to develop higher-yielding varieties. The General Establ»»»

DHAHRAN: It took Riyadh-resident Amal Sghaier nearly 22 hours and several detours to return home from her vacation in South Korea this week. Airport closures due to recent unrest meant her original journey was not possible, so she entered the Kingdom by car via King Fahd Causeway. While she enjoyed»»»

PAPHOS, Cyprus: A British man who pleaded guilty in the fatal fall of his 3-year-old son from a hotel window is free to return home after a Cyprus court fined him 3,000 euros ($3,380). Joshua Patric Foster, 38, wept Friday in Paphos District Court as Judge Froso Christodoulidou ruled a prison term »»»

The United Nations aviation agency has found Lebanon’s main airport lacks valid certification, according to a report summary seen by Reuters, in a setback to US President Donald Trump’s move to revive direct US-Beirut flights. Trump made the announcement in July and signed an order last month for t»»»

UAE calls for full implementation of Trump’s Gaza plan and an end to West Bank escalation New York: The UAE has called for the full implementation of US President Donald Trump's comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza and its accompanying roadmap, while urging an end to the dangerous Israeli»»»

BANGKOK - A National Bank of Serbia (NBS) delegation presented Serbia's economic results at a meeting with representatives of leading international investors during the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Bangkok. "The discussions with investors focused on the performanc»»»

UAE residents urged to monitor security and flight updates amid regional tensions UAE residents are being urged to monitor regional security developments and check flight updates before travelling as Saudi Arabia faces continued missile and drone attacks and widespread aviation disruption. The late»»»

Former Budapest mayor István Tarlós has made unusually sharp remarks about Viktor Orbán’s responsibility for corruption under Fidesz. However, the veteran politician was far from complimentary about Péter Magyar’s Tisza government either. Former Budapest mayor István Tarlós has spoken openly about »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Gen Milan Mojsilovic met on Friday in Belgrade with KFOR Commander Maj Gen Roberto Vergori to discuss the current security situation in Kosovo-Metohija, problems and challenges facing the Serb community in the province and activities by the Ser»»»

We welcome the new appointments to the Iraqi Cabinet following the vote of confidence held on 15 October in the Iraqi Council of Representatives, and extend our best wishes for success to the Iraqi Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. We are confident that this developmen»»»

BAKU: Azerbaijan said Friday it had charged a Turkish newspaper columnist with calling for the violent overthrow of the government, amid tensions between the close allies over restrictions on Islamic headscarves in schools. The case comes amid a rare public row between Baku and Ankara, with critici»»»

LONDON: US President Donald Trump ruled out using nuclear weapons against Iran but raised the possibility of further strikes on its nuclear facilities, saying Washington wanted to ensure Tehran could never develop an atomic weapon. “No, I wouldn’t use nuclear. We don’t have to,” Trump said in an in»»»

VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Friday, calling for a ceasefire in a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine, as he recovers in hospital from a lung cancer operation. The Vatican said that Pope Leo “expressed his deep concern about the grave huma»»»

HANOI: Vietnam will keep its annual public debt ceiling at 60 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) during the 2026-2030 period under the government's adjusted public debt strategy, local daily Tien Phong reported Friday. Under the strategy, signed on Thursday, government debt will remain capped »»»

New York: Wall Street stocks were mixed early Friday at the end of a volatile week marked by unease over rising US inflation and hefty artificial intelligence spending. Appearing at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Federal Reserve Chief Kevin Warsh said the global economy had showed u»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Al-Shaibani, met on Friday in Riyadh to discuss strengthening ties and addressing shared regional challenges. During the talks, Al-Shaibani reaffirmed Syria’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia following recent Hout»»»

Indian authorities on Friday detained Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the satirical youth movement "Cockroach Janta Party", ahead of a new protest in New Delhi, live images from the group showed. Police earlier closed a central New Delhi park in an attempt to stifle near-daily demonstrations ca»»»

Pope Leo XIV celebrated a mass at Rome's Gemelli hospital Friday after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung, photos released by the Vatican showed. Doctors said his recovery was progressing normally but that further tests would show whether the cancer had spread. Pope»»»

Presidential candidate Iliana Iotova called on Friday for the next budget to support Bulgaria's poorest and most vulnerable people as part of efforts to overcome poverty. Speaking in Vratsa, Iotova said every effort must be made to lift Bulgaria out of poverty. Around 30% of the population lived in»»»

MOSCOW: Russia has seized local assets of four companies from France, Germany, Sweden and Belgium, according to a decree by President Vladimir Putin, in retaliation for Europe’s wartime support for Ukraine. Thursday’s decree listed assets belonging to French flooring maker Tarkett, German packaging»»»

PARIS: After weeks of student protests, France is set to be swept by broader, nationwide demonstrations Saturday over the cost of living, setting up a potentially fraught period ahead of presidential elections next year. The prospect of the two movements merging, perhaps with outbreaks of violence,»»»

Interactive exhibition highlights progress in integrative medicine practices Al Shifaa Summit for Integrative Medicine, an initiative of the UAE Integrative Medicine Council, will return for its second edition from 20 to 22 October 2026 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, as part of Abu Dhabi Future Health »»»

Tunis, Oct.16 (TAP) - The 2027 Finance Bill includes new tax and customs measures aimed at encouraging the digital transition and facilitating the use of e-payment methods, through a reduction in customs duties on imports of smartphones and POS...»»»

BANGKOK: Rising energy and fertilizer costs are hitting smallholder farmers and driving up prices of agricultural commodities, fueling fears of a global food crisis, the head of the UN agriculture development fund told AFP. Global agricultural prices jumped 13 percent in the third quarter of the ye»»»

KALEMIE, DR Congo: US businessman Erik Prince and his mercenaries have emerged as key players in the war-stricken Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), fighting for its government as Washington vies for strategic minerals in the country, researchers and local sources told AFP. Numerous foreign parami»»»

Global law enforcement unites to tackle digital crime and financial networks Dubai: Artificial intelligence (AI), intelligence-led policing and the fight against money laundering took centre stage at a preparatory dialogue for the World Police Summit (WPS) in Dubai on Friday, bringing together amba»»»

Abu Dhabi Police urge drivers to slow down as rain, fog and dusty winds are forecast here Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police have urged motorists to exercise caution as rain, fog and dusty winds are forecast across parts of the UAE over the coming days, warning of reduced visibility and slippery roads dur»»»

The Ministry of Education and Science has received a letter from Miroslav Dachev, Rector of Sofia's National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA), which includes a roadmap drawn up in accordance with September 18 recommendations of an interdepartmental working group to address students' and le»»»

The fading art of traditional photography in a modern world A portrait studio is a small room where time learns to linger. People step before the camera for only a heartbeat, yet what they carry away can outlive fashions, addresses and even the cityscape beyond the door. For the generation now, the»»»

Ministry alerts public to dangers of drifting containers in Musandam waters Oman has issued a maritime safety warning to fishermen and seafarers after containers began drifting in waters off Musandam Governorate following the sinking of a cargo ship, with authorities cautioning that some of the con»»»

A historic monastery complex in southern Slovakia, purchased with Hungarian public money under the former Orbán government, remains unusable despite HUF hundreds of millions of being spent on its renovation. The Orbán administration paid approximately EUR 219,000 for the properties in Šahy (Ipolysá»»»

Information Services, Bulgaria's national system integrator, publicly demonstrated the computer system that will process voting data for Bulgaria's October 25 presidential election. At the Parliament building on Friday, the company explained how the election process works, from voting and vote coun»»»

NAIROBI: Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has named a caretaker government to stabilize the northern Tigray region and prepare for an election within six months, after fighting erupted between a rebel alliance and federal troops. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) led an offensive last»»»

In tonight's edition: As former Congolese president Joseph Kabila returns to centre stage with a new alliance with the M23 rebels, political leaders in DR Congo are having to choose sides. Also, the US is calling for restraint in Ethiopia as a rights group warns that the conflict in Tigray is alrea»»»

As the international context becomes more challenging for the European Union, the bloc is looking to boost its ties with like-minded allies. Canada is part of that architecture that the EU says it wants to build. The big news of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union spee»»»

Bulgaria marked Aviation and Air Force Day on Friday with the laying of wreaths and flowers at the Monument to the Aviator in Sofia. In 2026, Bulgarian military aviation marks the 114th anniversary of its first combat flight. President Iliana Iotova inspected the guard of honour and laid a wreath i»»»

More UAE expats are staying longer, prompting a rethink of retirement, savings For many professionals, a move to the UAE begins with a two- or three-year plan: advance a career, build savings and return home in a stronger financial position. As careers develop and families settle, that departure da»»»

SOFIA: A string of drone attacks on at least seven cargo vessels in the Black Sea this month, off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria, has some members of the alliance wondering if Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking escalation to test their support for Ukraine in its war agains»»»

LONDON: US President Donald Trump said he trusted no one in politics when asked whether he trusted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even as he described their relationship as “very good.” “I don’t trust anybody, honestly,” Trump told the conservative US cable news outlet Newsmax on Thursd»»»

DP World says an east coast gateway could give cargo owners faster, alternative routes Dubai: Fujairah’s location on the UAE’s east coast could give cargo owners an alternative gateway to global markets and cut sailing times on some Indian Ocean services by up to five days, according to DP World. T»»»

DAMASCUS/LONDON: Iran has managed to export some liquefied petroleum gas and jet fuel since July, despite a US naval blockade, shipping intelligence showed and people involved in security said. Tehran has in recent weeks been concealing such cargoes among a growing volume of ship-to-ship transfers »»»

The Pink October event takes place on Saturday, October 17 Dubai: Dubai Miracle Garden, the world’s largest natural flower garden, will open its gates at 6am on Saturday, 17 October, ahead of regular visiting hours, for a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk and Run starting at 6:30 AM, in support of Pink »»»