Kiev has ‘already lost territory’ – Trump
US President Donald Trump has said he had a “very good conversation” with European leaders and also spoke directly with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in recent days, as part of efforts to get all sides of the Ukraine conflict “on the same page.” Last month, the Trump administration put for»»»
European NATO nations push plan to send troops to Ukraine
EU and UK leaders have called for the deployment of a European-led military force to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, along with US-led “monitoring” teams and the “regeneration” of Kiev’s own army. Following talks in Berlin on Monday with US President Donald Trump’s peace envoys Ste»»»
Senior Lebanese official rules out Israeli escalation
Despite the alarming reports published in the Israeli press, senior Lebanese officials do not seem to be worried, with “credible sources” telling al-Joumhouria newspaper that Lebanon is receiving many foreign signals that are downplaying the possibility of an Israeli strike. Quoting a Western diplo»»»
Amir sends condolences to King of Morocco
Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani sent a cable of condolences to HM King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco over the victims of the floods that struck the city of Safi, wishing the injured a swift recovery.»»»
Kuwait ambassador tenders credentials to Georgian Pres.
ANKARA, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's resident ambassador to Armenia and non-resident Ambassador to Georgia Mohammad Al-Ereifan presented a copy of his credentials to Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili.During a function at the Republican Palace in Tebeles, the Kuwaiti diplomat conveyed to the Geor»»»
Bulgaria: Early Elections Could Shift Balance as 40% of Citizens Want a New Party
A recent national survey conducted by Alpha Research between 5 and 12 December 2025 shows that a significant portion of Bulgarians are seeking new political alternatives. The study, which included 1,000 adult respondents from across the country through face-to-face tablet interviews, reveals that 4»»»
US markets inch down modestly ahead of latest government data on jobs, inflation
Wall Street inched slightly lower early Tuesday ahead of the release of U.S. employment and inflation reports that could drive the direction of interest rates. Futures for the S&P 500 fell 0.2% before the bell Tuesday, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were unchanged. Nasdaq future»»»
Senior Lebanese official: We're ready for a security agreement with Israel
A senior Lebanese official has announced that Lebanon is “willing to reach a security agreement with Israel that would be based on the Lebanese principles on which the president, the speaker and the premier agree.” In remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper, the official said the principles are “abiding»»»
BTA Correspondent in Pleven Receives Severno Eho Journalism Award
BTA correspondent in Pleven Elina Kyurkchieva received the annual Severno Eho Award of the Union of Bulgarian Journalists and Pleven Municipality. The award ceremony took place at the BTA National Press Club here on Tuesday. Kyurkchieva said that she accepted the award as a gesture towards her 20 y»»»
Poll Shows Rising Voter Engagement and Shifting Political Support ahead of Likely Early Elections
A nationally representative survey by Alpha Research Tuesday finds an increase of approximately 300,000 to 500,000 people willing to vote. The survey, conducted from December 5 to 12, 2025, and published on the agency’s website, is part of Alpha Research’s regular monitoring and was funded entirely»»»
EU Scares Voters With Russian Threat to Garner Support for Militarization - Reports
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - European leaders are constantly telling voters about the Russian threat to make them support a course towards militarization, including higher military spending and the reintroduction of conscription, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing EU officials. NATO Secretar»»»
WFP warns of worsening hunger crisis in Afghanistan
GENEVA, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned that more than 17 million Afghans are currently facing acute food insecurity an increase of three million people compared to last year.Speaking online from Rome during a media briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, WFP Director o»»»
EU leaders discuss establishment of new reparations body for Ukraine
BRUSSELS, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- European leaders discussed the establishment of a new international body in The Hague, under the name "International Claims Commission for Ukraine," which would be tasked with adjudicating compensation to be paid to Ukraine for damages resulting from the Russian attack.Th»»»
Sudan's RSF trying to cover up mass killings in el-Fasher, researchers say
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been trying to cover up mass killings in the city of el-Fasher by burying and burning bodies, a research team from Yale University says. The RSF had drawn international condemnation amid reports of executions and crimes against humanity when its f»»»
Direct Flights Now Link Sofia and Warsaw Four Times a Week
Wizz Air, one of Bulgaria’s leading low-cost carriers, has announced the launch of direct flights between Sofia and Warsaw (Modlin). The new service will operate four times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Tickets are now available for purchase through the airline’s website and »»»
Amir sends condolences to king of Morocco
DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of condolences to HM King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco over the victims of the floods that struck the city of Safi, wishing the injured a swift recovery.»»»
Energy & Mines Observatory: 15 valid licences end of October 2025
Tunis, Dec. 16 (TAP) - The number of valid hydrocarbon licenses at the end of October 2025 stands at 15, including 14 exploration licences and one for prospection, the report on the economic situation (October 2025) published by the National Energy...»»»
Bayut’s TruBroker community surges past 9,000 agents
Bayut, the UAE’s leading proptech innovator, has now more than 9,000 active TruBrokers on its flagship credibility programme for real estate professionals. It’s the highest ever recorded since its launch, solidifying Bayut’s position as the region’s most trusted ecosystem for real estate profession»»»
CEC Bank secures €25 million loan from EIB for public sector sustainable development projects
Regions across Romania will receive a financing boost as a result of a €25 million loan that CEC Bank is receiving from the European Investment Bank (EIB). CEC Bank will channel the EIB credit into public-sector projects that promote sustainable economic development, particularly in Romanian region»»»
Romania as a regional growth engine in Fidia’s Eastern European strategy
As Fidia Farmaceutici enters the Romanian market following the acquisition of Meditrina Pharmaceuticals, Sorin Mocanu, Cluster Manager for South-Eastern Europe, explains how Romania is becoming a strategic hub for regional expansion, portfolio diversification, and long-term growth across Eastern Eu»»»
Ukraine struggling to keep lights on under Russian attack, says energy boss
Ukraine's biggest energy provider is living in permanent crisis mode because of Russian attacks on the grid, its chief executive has told the BBC. Most of Ukraine is suffering from lengthy power cuts as temperatures drop and Maxim Timchenko, whose company DTEK provides power for 5.6 million Ukraini»»»
Three defendants conditionally released in OPEKEPE scandal inquiry
Three of the seven defendants who appeared before an investigative magistrate working with the European Prosecutor’s Office to testify in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently collect EU agricultural subsidies in Crete through the state payment agency OPEKEPE, were released on condition»»»
Cycladic island plans fuel fears of overdevelopment
Over the past five years, debate over the future of the Cyclades has intensified as a construction boom and rapid tourism growth threaten the islands’ identity, strain infrastructure and cause damage, including at Sarakiniko on Milos. The period has coincided with a nationwide rollout of urban plan»»»
Bulgaria's INSAIT Releases World’s Largest Open-Source 3D Dataset and Benchmark for Language-Aware AI Systems
INSAIT, part of Sofia University, together with leading international research institutions, said on Tuesday that it has released SceneSplat-49k, the largest open-source collection of high-quality, complex 3D scenes in Gaussian Splatting format, along with SceneSplat-Benchmark, a comprehensive eval»»»
Unemployment rates in Britain rise up to 5.1 pct
LONDON, Dec 16 (KUNA) -- The United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics (ONS) affirmed on Tuesday that the unemployment rate in the United Kingdom rose up to 5.1 percent between August and October, marking its highest level since January 2021.The report stated that the number of employees regi»»»
QatarEnergy signs long-term helium supply agreement with Uniper
DOHA: QatarEnergy has signed a long-term sales and purchase agreement (SPA) for up to 15 years with Uniper Global Commodities SE (Uniper) for the supply of 70 million cubic feet per annum of helium from its facilities in Ras Laffan. In a press release issued on Tuesday, QatarEnergy said that this a»»»
US Army names 2 Iowa National Guard members killed in attack in Syria
The two Iowa National Guard members killed in a weekend attack in Syria that the U.S. military blamed on the Islamic State group were identified and remembered as dedicated soldiers. The U.S. Army named them as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29,»»»
UAE-backed Yemeni separatists march to another southern province
An Emirati-backed secessionist group in Yemen said its forces were marching to another province as part of the group's push to expand areas under its control in the country's south, at the expense of its allies in the internationally recognized government. The Southern Transitional Council this mon»»»
World’s first Mercedes-Benz branded city to come up in Dubai worth Dh30b
Dubai: Binghatti Developers and Mercedes-Benz have announced plans to develop the world’s first Mercedes-Benz branded city in Dubai, a master-planned project with a total investment value of Dh30 billion. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The development, named Mercedes-»»»
Radhika Apte on thrillers that don’t judge their characters: 'I hate it when you spoon-feed viewers'
Dubai: “You’re never sure whether you like them, whether you’re rooting for them, or whether they did the right thing,” says Radhika Apte, describing the moral ambiguity at the heart of her latest psychological thriller 'Saali Mohabbat', out on Zee5 Middle East. “Even after you leave the theatre, y»»»
QatarEnergy signs long-term helium supply agreement with Uniper
Doha, Qatar: QatarEnergy has signed a long-term sales and purchase agreement (SPA) for up to 15 years with Uniper Global Commodities SE (Uniper) for the supply of 70 million cubic feet per annum of helium from its facilities in Ras Laffan, starting in September 2025. In a press release issued Tuesd»»»
Green public procurement: From policy ambition to legal reality in Romania
As green public procurement becomes a legal obligation under Romania’s 2025–2030 framework, Business Review spoke with Ioana Viorică, Senior Managing Associate at Pop Briciu Crai, about readiness, compliance risks, and how sustainability criteria will reshape public contracts and market dynamics. G»»»
Renew Europe Vows Support for MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk as Possible EPPO Probe Looms
Renew Europe Tuesday expressed strong support for Ilhan Kyuchyuk and others in Bulgaria defending democracy against coercion and intimidation, to use their word. They held a news conference in Strasbourg to announce their position, following the European Public Prosecutor’s Office request to lift K»»»
Dubai airports mark Bahrain National Day with special passport stamp
Dubai: Passengers arriving at Dubai airports on Tuesday were greeted with a special passport stamp reading “Bahrain, Heart and Eyes” as the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) marked the National Day of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The initiative underscores the »»»
Sharjah's Faya site joins UNESCO World Heritage List
His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, attended an official ceremony on Monday to mark the formal inscription of the Faya archaeological site onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. The event, held at the Mleiha Archaeological Centre, celebr»»»
Farmers and politics threaten to put EU's free-trade deal with South America on ice
France is throwing up a last-minute obstacle to a massive trans-Atlantic trade deal between the 27-country European Union and the five South American nations of the Mercosur bloc that's taken a quarter-century to negotiate. Angry European farmers fearing new competition from the EU-Mercosur pact ar»»»
US ‘unwilling to compromise’ with Ukraine on peace roadmap – WSJ
US negotiators have “appeared unwilling to compromise” with their Ukrainian counterparts over the peace roadmap proposed by US President Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal has reported. In a piece on Sunday, the media outlet quoted its anonymous source as describing the talks between US and Ukra»»»
Ex-minister Salam freed on bail in corruption case
Lebanon's judiciary approved the release on bail of former economy minister Amin Salam on Tuesday after six months of detention over corruption linked to contracts deemed suspicious, a judicial official said. Salam, who served in the cabinet of former prime minister Najib Mikati from 2021 to 2025, »»»
From startup to a mature agency: 18 years of lessons in digital marketing
In 2007, when online marketing in Romania was still in its infancy and “SEO” or “PPC” were niche concepts, a small digital project born in Cluj-Napoca laid the foundation for what would later become a long-standing player in the industry. Founded by Valentin Bolboacă, Klain has now reached its 18th»»»
Vucic announces early parliamentary elections
BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday parliamentary elections in the country would be called before the expiry of the term of the current parliament and that local elections in several municipalities would be held in five or six months. "There will be early parliamentary ele»»»
Negotiations over US-UK tech deal stall
Negotiations over a technology deal between the UK and US have stalled due to stumbling blocks in wider trade negotiations between the two sides. The Technology Prosperity Deal - which was billed as "historic" when it was unveiled during US President Donald Trump's state visit in September - saw bo»»»
National electricity production edges up 4% by end of October 2025
Tunis, Dec. 16 (TAP) - National electricity production edged up 4% by the end of October 2025, reaching 17,499 gigawatt-hours (GWh) (including renewable self-generation) compared with 16,782 GWh at the end of October 2024, according to a report on...»»»
Australia Bondi gunman was Indian citizen: India police
Bengaluru: Indian police said on Tuesday that one of the two gunmen behind Australia’s Bondi Beach mass shootings, Sajid Akram, was an Indian citizen who had left the country 27 years ago. Akram and his son Naveed - who is listed on Australian immigration records as an Australian citizen, according»»»
Haykal to meet in France with US, French and Saudi officials
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»»»
Trump: We'll see what happens with Hezbollah
U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced new remarks about Hezbollah and the situation in the Middle East. “We have legitimate peace in the Middle East. The first time in 3,000 years … We’ll see what happens with Hamas. We’ll see what happens with Hezbollah, but regardless, we have countries that wan»»»
Dentons advises a syndicate of lenders on €537m refinancing of AFI projects — Romania’s largest real estate refinancing
Bucharest, December 16, 2025 – Global law firm Dentons has advised a syndicate of lenders – Erste Group Bank AG, Banca Comercială Română S.A., Raiffeisen Bank S.A., Raiffeisen Bank International AG, and UniCredit Bank S.A. – on a €537m refinancing of three major projects in AFI’s Romanian portfolio»»»
MRF-New Beginning Will Support Extension Budget
“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 »»»
Deputy Public Works Minister: The World of News – Sofia Set to Become a Flagship BTA Project
Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Yura Vitanova said Tuesday that the Bulgarian News Agency’s project The World of News – Sofia is highly meaningful. She added that following its successful implementation, the project is expected to become one of the emblematic initiatives of»»»
Media Review: December 16
The extended 2026 budget, protests, and President Rumen Radev’s potential political plans are among the topics that dominate the Bulgarian news media on Tuesday, with no single issue fully prevailing the coverage. Reports focus on budgetary measures and infrastructure funding, ongoing price monitor»»»