YEKATERINBURG, Russia, (Sputnik) - The International Youth Festival has become a unique platform for establishing contacts and fostering friendship, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday. "I believe everyone agrees that the International Youth Festival has become a highly valuabl»»»

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that Bulgaria is Europe's connectivity gateway and expressed confidence that the country would successfully host a summit on international connectivity. She was speaking on the sidelines of Wednesday's sitting of the European Parliament in Strasb»»»

An increasing number of babies are being born with congenital syphilis in Hungary, prompting the National Public Health and Pharmacy Centre (NNGYK) to introduce new, nationwide procedures. The number of cases has risen significantly since 2021: 91 cases were recorded in 2025, while 100 were reporte»»»

Visiting Strasbourg on Wednesday, Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova held meetings with senior officials of the Council of Europe and the European Union, discussing the reform of the Council of Europe, human rights, the EU's future budget, security, migration and European connectivity. Iotova held m»»»

PARIS: Lusail International Circuit in Qatar has retained its place on the calendar for the 78th edition of the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2027, which was announced on Wednesday to give fans an early look at where and when their favorite races will take place. The Fédération Internationa»»»

Doha: Qatar Central Bank (QCB) announced that, following an assessment of the current monetary policy of the State of Qatar, it has decided to increase the current interest for the QCB Deposit Rate, QCB Lending Rate, and the QCB Repo Rate. According to an official statement issued by the central ba»»»

Against the backdrop of the Hurghada Youth Film Festival, Egyptian actress Abeer Sabry – who was a member of the jury for its fourth edition – spoke to Daily News Egypt about her latest projects, artistic ambitions, and enduring dreams. In an extensive interview, she discussed her vision of cinema,»»»

BELGRADE - In a public address following a Hague-based court's convictions of war criminals from the so-called "Kosovo Liberation Army", Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday evening preservation of peace and stability was crucial for Serbia, but that the first-instance ruling did no»»»

BREAKING NEWSFed signals one more hike this year after unanimous 25-basis-point increase Dubai: The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday, delivering its first increase since 2023 amid persistent inflation pressures. The decision was unanimous. Fed officials also sig»»»

CBUAE lifts its base rate by 25 basis points to 3.9%, effective September 17 Dubai: The UAE Central Bank has raised its base rate by 25 basis points to 3.9%, following a similar increase by the US Federal Reserve. The Central Bank of the UAE said on Wednesday that the Base Rate applicable to its Ov»»»

AMMAN — Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah, said that the total exports grew by more than 14 per cent in the first half of 2026.He said that the exports increase resulted from extending last year's gains as the government moves to open new markets in Africa and Central Asia and adva»»»

German Chancellor Freidrich Merz has reportedly canceled his planned trip to the UN General Assembly in New York, as his political future hangs in the balance after a landslide loss to the right-wing AfD in state elections.Merz was scheduled to travel to New York next week, where high-level meeting»»»

Bulgaria's National Assembly Chair Mihaela Dotsova and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis have discussed opportunities to expand bilateral parliamentary and economic cooperation, Parliament's press centre said on Wednesday. Babis is on an official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of Prime Ministe»»»

TEHRAN, (Sputnik) - The hostilities launched by the United States against Iran have fundamentally reshaped the order in the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday. "The situation in the region following the war against Iran has undergone significant changes. There is»»»

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis warned on Wednesday that Europe is falling behind in competitiveness and urgently needs to "wake up". "Europe is losing, Europe is not competitive and Europe needs to wake up," he said during a reception at the Hyatt Hotel in the Bulgarian capital Sofia organized t»»»

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen raised the possibility on Wednesday that Canada could become the European Union’s first “associate member” during the annual State of the European Union speech, at which Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was present. Carney has been pursuing closer ties with the»»»

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci was found guilty of war crimes committed as part of the Kosovo Liberation Army including murder, torture and illegal arrests by a tribunal in The Hague on Wednesday. Thaci was sentenced to 25 ​years in prison alongside fellow former KLA figures who wer»»»

With joint efforts, Bulgaria and Czechia can achieve a brighter future, with Bulgaria able to assist Czechia with energy diversification and price stability, while Czechia can help modernize and increase the competitiveness of Bulgaria's economy, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Wednesd»»»

Bulgaria's President Iliana Iotova and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola discussed current issues on the European Union’s agenda on Wednesday. The EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034 was a key topic of their talks. Iotova spoke of the planned new approach to the allocatio»»»

Passenger services on the Budapest-Belgrade railway line could be launched in the near future, according to Hungary’s Minister for Transport and Investment, Dávid Vitézy. Budapest-Belgrade line soon to become fully operational In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Vitézy said the project had reached an im»»»

Berlin has officially blamed a murky drone incident at the Leipzig-Halle airport on Moscow. However, as unbiased observers agree, the German authorities have not published any actual evidence to back up this accusation. Instead, they have relied on unsubstantiated claims and what seems to be the sy»»»

State Security Appeals Court also imposes combined KD6.283 million fine Dubai: Kuwait’s State Security Appeals Court has sentenced three Kuwaiti citizens and a Lebanese national to 10 years in prison after convicting them of joining and financing Hezbollah, and imposed fines totalling KD6.283 milli»»»

Illegal operators face fines of up to SR250,000 for repeated violations, HR Ministry says Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has fined 10 establishments for providing recruitment and labour services without a licence as authorities step up enforcement against i»»»

DOHA: Qatar Tourism announced the launch of the Qatar Calendar 2026-2027, which includes more than 560 events, with the participation of about 780 partners, and offers a comprehensive package of diverse events and activities that meet all interests, and bring together families and friends from all »»»

Previously undisclosed talks held at US Embassy in Muscat as Yemen conflict escalates Dubai: US officials held previously undisclosed talks with representatives of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants in Oman over the weekend, days after the group seized a strategic stretch of Yemen’s Red Sea coast»»»

Interviewed by BTA, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said she believed that Bulgaria would successfully host a summit on international connectivity. She was speaking on the sidelines of Wednesday's sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Earlier in the day, European Commiss»»»

DOHA: Minister of Social Development and Family HE Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi said, "By strengthening families, empowering women, supporting priority groups, fostering active and responsible communities, and promoting productive and independent lives, we are building a more cohesive and re»»»

Bulgaria's President Iliana Iotova conferred with European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) President Mattias Guyomar in Strasbourg on Wednesday, the head of State's Press Secretariat said. Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov and Bulgarian judge at the ECHR Diana Kovatcheva also took part in the meeting.»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has launched an endowment fund to support diabetes patients, as part of its healthcare endowment programme. The initiative, launched by the ministry's General Directorate of Endowments, aims to develop sustainable endowment resources and direct t»»»

Family says young man had recently been given a new motorcycle before making fresh demands A young man allegedly assaulted his elderly grandmother and aunt after they refused his demands for an expensive iPhone and Rs300,000, in a disturbing family dispute captured on video in northern India. The i»»»

Terrifying moment caught on camera as snake lands on man carrying a small child Dubai: A family outing at a popular Maharashtra waterfall turned terrifying when a large snake suddenly fell from above and landed on the shoulder of a man carrying a small child. The frightening moment, reportedly film»»»

We’re now living in an “openly hostile world”, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told MEPs in her State of the Union speech. “Old relationships have frayed”, war rages on the continent, European industries face pressure from “global competitors”, while “ultranationalists, anti-Euro»»»

Zhang, 43, has a net worth of about $105.5 billion, putting him ahead of Adani Dubai: Zhang Yiming, co-founder of ByteDance, the Chinese technology company behind TikTok, has overtaken Indian billionaire Gautam Adani to become Asia’s richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Zh»»»

Bulgaria will prioritize projects that enable the genuine development of international transport corridors, with a focus on the country's entry and exit points. "In some cases, these will be railway projects; in others, road infrastructure; and in others still, the expansion of existing energy infr»»»

A 16-year-old boy from Győr made statements about violent acts while communicating with an artificial intelligence chatbot. According to Hungarian police, his conversations included threats against groups and individuals, discussions about preparations for attacks and references to weapons that cou»»»

Krasimira Doneva, a judge at the Burgas District Court, has put forward her candidacy to participate in the election of members of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) from the judges’ quota, the Council’s press centre said on Wednesday. She said she believes that the Supreme Judicial Council needs m»»»

Kathmandu, Nepal: The disaster authority in Nepal on Wednesday said it has sharply revised the missing person toll from recent catastrophic flooding and landslides, increasing the count by nearly 1,000 people to a total of 6,150 unaccounted individuals. "We have been collecting details on the missi»»»

A gold mine collapse on Wednesday killed at least 82 people in a remote area in Sudan, a source in the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces reported. The destruction occurred at the al-Zara gold mine, located in West Kordofan province – an area under the control of the RSF, who have been at »»»

French motorists are flocking to gas stations operated by TotalEnergies, where gasoline prices are capped, but its rivals are accusing the oil giant of unfair competition with the government's support. French motorists are clogging TotalEnergies service stations to fill up with discount gasoline bu»»»

A Paris court on Tuesday sentenced a former school aide to one year of house arrest with an ankle tag for sexually abusing nine children – the first conviction since a nationwide scandal erupted over abuse in France's childcare system. Nearly 200 similar cases are under investigation in Paris alone»»»

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - Russians know what the country is fighting for and what the duty of every citizen is, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. "We know what Russia is fighting for and what the duty of every one of its citizens is," Putin said in an address to Russians ahead of the up»»»

Bulgaria will host a Regional Connectivity Summit aimed at strengthening the country's role as a key gateway between Europe and Asia, Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova said in Strasbourg following the announcement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her annual State of the Uni»»»

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Bulgaria considers Russian Patriarch Kirill and businessmen Vagit Alekperov and Iskander Makhmudov matters of national interest, explaining that Sofia maintained reservations about their inclusion in the European Union's 21st sanctions package against Russi»»»

Civil society and politicians in Europe have voiced concerns over a wave of arrests targeting LGBTI+ activists and protesters in Turkey, following raids on rights organisations and businesses in several provinces. A least 31 protesters were arrested on Tuesday (16 September) as they showed their su»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis Wednesday discussed opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation, as well as current issues on the European and international agenda. Babis paid an official visit at the invitation of his Bulgarian counterpart. Radev welcomed Babis w»»»

E611 offers a bit more leeway today Traffic between Dubai and Sharjah is experiencing significant congestion, with the latest supplied maps showing lengthy slowdowns on two of the busiest routes connecting the emirates. The most prominent congestion is on E11, particularly on the Dubai-Sharjah corr»»»

BELGRADE - Serbia's caretaker Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said on Wednesday a Hague-based court's conviction of four former leaders of the so-called "Kosovo Liberation Army" was a clear, albeit belated confirmation of what Serbia and the Serbs had been saying aloud for more than a quarter of a ce»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, has carried out missile and drone strikes on an Aramco oil facility in the city of Yanbu and the Khamis Mushait air base in Saudi Arabia, the movement's spokesman Yahya Saree said on Wednesday. "The first [military operatio»»»

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pointed to Hungary as an example of how democratic backsliding can be reversed, saying the country has returned to the “heart of the European Union” following its April election. A positive example Speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbo»»»

Mine’s shafts began collapsing with dozens of small-scale miners underground KHARTOUM A gold mine collapsed in southern Sudan killing at least 82 people, and injured 50, while many more are missing and feared dead under the rubble. A source in the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which controls t»»»