Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev announced here Thursday that a contractor had been selected for waste collection in Zones Two and Five in the capital. Terziev was speaking at a briefing of the Sofia Municipal Council. These zones include the suburban boroughs of Iskar, Kremikovtsi, Pancharevo, Vrabnitsa»»»

At a meeting of the 8th convocation of the Zhogorku Kenesh, deputy chairs of parliamentary committees were elected. The press service of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan reported. Deputy groups nominated their candidates for deputy chairs of sectoral committees. The following MPs were elected by secret»»»

Police in London arrested two people who called for “intifada” during a pro-Palestinian protest, which followed a decision by authorities to toughen enforcement of hate speech laws after a deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Australia. The arrests Wednesday came hours after police in London »»»

Dubai: Heavy rains sweeping the UAE have forced major food delivery apps to slow services, prioritising rider safety amid slippery roads and poor visibility. Talabat, Deliveroo and Careem flashed warnings to users on Thursday afternoon, with in-app notices citing "high demand" or outright unavailab»»»

Dubai: Dubai’s cargo security has been given a major upgrade, as Dubai Police will now be able to monitor and operate X-ray machines across dnata’s Dubai International Airport (DXB) warehouse from a single high-tech control room. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The new»»»

Albania’s Democratic Party (DP) caused disruptions in parliament on Thursday, just days ahead of a protest scheduled for 22 December. Opposition MPs occupied the seats of government ministers before the session had officially begun, leading to clashes with parliamentary guards. Flares and smoke dev»»»

Thursday’s plenary session in Albania’s parliament was marked by sharp confrontations and chaos after opposition lawmakers disrupted proceedings inside the chamber. Tensions escalated further during the swearing-in of Endrit Shabani as the country’s new Ombudsman. MPs from the Democratic Party reac»»»

The head of the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group, Taulant Balla, has condemned the chaos that disrupted the final parliamentary session of the year, accusing the opposition of repeating tactics used years earlier. Speaking after Thursday’s unrest, Balla said similar scenes had unfolded on the »»»

A Briton who fought in Ukraine has been sentenced to 13 years in a maximum-security prison, the Russian Prosecutor-General's office has said. Hayden Davies, a former British soldier who Russia has called a "mercenary", was reportedly captured in Ukraine's Donbas region in late 2024 or early 2025 wh»»»

All eight F-16 Block 70 fighter jets under the first contract between Bulgaria and the United States are now at the air base, outgoing Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said here Thursday. He was speaking at an official ceremony at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, where the aircraft were presented. Those a»»»

During consultations with President Rumen Radev here on Thursday, ahead of the procedure to hand out mandates for forming a new government, MECh Chair Radostin Vasilev said that his party sees no possibility of forming a functioning government through "political betrayals". Vasilev said: "The curre»»»

BELGRADE - The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that a second review under a Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) for Serbia had been concluded successfully. "Under the Policy Coordination Instrument, the authorities are advancing key structural reforms, includ»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia sees an escalation of the situation in the region, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, commenting on the escalation around Venezuela. "We see an escalation of tension in the region, and we consider it potentially very dangerous," Peskov told reporters. Russia»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - China opposes any unilateral acts of intimidation and supports Venezuela's request to convene an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council in response to US actions, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated at a press briefing on Thursday. "China oppose»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police have warned motorists to exercise heightened caution during periods of rain and unstable weather, urging drivers to avoid entering valleys and watercourses while they are flowing, regardless of the perceived level of risk. The advisory comes as part of national efforts t»»»

A meeting was held in Istanbul between Manasbek Samidinov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Airports of Kyrgyzstan JSC, and Bilal Ekşi, Chairman of the Board of Turkish Airlines, with the participation of Chyngyz Toktobekov, Consul General of the Kyrgyz Republic in Istanbul. According to the c»»»

The Shaklan Group, a diversified conglomerate established in 1997, has announced the launch of its spectacular new promotional campaign, “Win a Dream Home.” The highly anticipated campaign will run from December 23, 2025, to March 22, 2026, offering customers the chance to win exceptional prizes, h»»»

Manila: The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has extended once more the flight ban in areas surrounding Mayon Volcano as volcanic activity continues to pose risks to aircraft. In a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued on Thursday, CAAP said flights are prohibited within the airspace ar»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the 2025 National Day Parade, which took place this morning on the Doha Corniche with wide participation from the country's military and security forces. Also present at the parade were Personal Representative of HH the Amir HH Sheik»»»

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 »»»

If you find yourself in Hatta over the rainy weekend, don’t worry. Dubai Police announced on X that the Hatta Police Station is fully equipped and prepared to deal with any emergency incidents that crop up during the period of unstable weather. Colonel Ali Obaid Al Badwawi, Acting Director of Hatta»»»

Bulgaria officially received its first eight F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, which were presented today at the Third Air Base near Plovdiv. The ceremony was attended by retired Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov, Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov, Deputy Prime Ministers Tomislav Donchev and Grozdan »»»

Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on southern and northeastern Lebanon on Thursday as a deadline looms to disarm the militant Hezbollah group along the tense frontier. The strikes came a day before a meeting of the committee monitoring the enforcement of a US-brokered ceasefire that halted »»»

Share: Lebanese army members stand on a military vehicle during a Lebanese army media tour, to review the army’s operations in the southern Litani sector, in Alma Al-Shaab, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, November 28, 2025. REUTERS/Aziz Taher/File Photo French, Saudi Arabian and Amer»»»

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, a landmark iconic enough to feature on the UAE 20-dirham note, set the stage for the EC Markets Celebrity Charity Golf Day, on Wednesday December 10th. The event brought together senior leadership and sporting figures for a day dedicated to supporting youth and commun»»»

The parliamentary group of Velichie on Thursday issued a declaration calling for the resignation of the Ombudsman and the Deputy Ombudsman. The statement was read from the rostrum of the National Assembly by Velichie MP Larisa Savova. The declaration is based on a series of verifiable facts which, »»»

Dubai: Dubai government employees will shift to remote working on Friday, December 19, following directives from Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence, in response to prevailing weather conditions. The decision applie»»»

Sohum Wellness Sanctuary is a luxury holistic wellness destination in the heart of Al Quoz, Dubai, offering transformative experiences that combine ancient wisdom with contemporary indulgence. From bespoke Ayurvedic rituals to world-class therapies, yoga, meditation, sound healing, and a curated ve»»»

Manila: Fugitive former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co transferred approximately ₱5 billion (equivalent to around $100 million) overseas using cryptocurrency, based on intelligence from Co’s own associates, according to a senior official. Department of the Interior and Loca»»»

Dubai: Weeks after the release of Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar, one thing is clear: Akshaye Khanna’s entry scene has taken social media by storm, but the song 'Fa9la' is stealing the spotlight. From Instagram reels to playlists, the track is everywhere — and the man behind it is Bahraini rapper Flipp»»»

BELGRADE- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke with US economist and Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs on Thursday, noting that they had discussed all important aspects of the global situation and the circumstances in Serbia and the region, the increasing polarisation in the world, th»»»

The Tripoli based Libyan government reported yesterday that the head of the Executive Team for the PM’s Initiatives and Strategic Projects, Mustafa Al-Mana, along with team members, reviewed the implementation plan for several multi-storey suspended car parks. This came in implementation of the Pri»»»

During consultations with MECh here on Thursday, ahead of the procedure to hand out mandates for forming a new government, President Rumen Radev said that for the people outside parliament what happened with the state budget is a mystery. He asked MECh to explain what happened with the budget on We»»»

DOHA: The Qatar Central Bank announced that the national payment card Himyan has been accepted in the State of Kuwait, in line with theThird Financial Sector Strategy and as a continuation of the bank's efforts to develop digital payment systems and services, as well as to strengthen cooperation am»»»

The Lebanese Ministry of Labor and the American University of Beirut (AUB), through its Government Engagement Platform (GEP), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a comprehensive framework for long-term collaboration to strengthen Lebanon’s labor sector through evidence, inn»»»

Dubai: The Ministry of Finance has announced a new Cabinet resolution that updates key parts of the executive regulations governing excise tax in the UAE. The changes are aimed at modernising the system and making it more precise and health-focused. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheque»»»

Dubai: Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority opened bidding for 90 distinctive 2, 3, 4 and 5-digit vehicle plates in its 120th Open Auction, spotlighting rare super numbers like AA 25, BB 12 and BB 30. Plates from codes AA, BB, CC, K, N, O, R, T, U, V, W, X, Y and Z go live Saturday December 27 at »»»

Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that it hoped that US President Donald Trump's administration did not make a fatal mistake over Venezuela and said that Moscow was concerned about US decisions that threatened international navigation. Trump on Tuesday ordered a "blockade" of all sanctione»»»

France's president warned Thursday that Paris would not support the EU's trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur without stronger safeguards for its farmers, as leaders gathered for summit talks in Brussels. "I want to tell our farmers, who have been making France's position clear all along: w»»»

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government will crack down on hate speech following Sunday's deadly shooting at Bondi Beach that targeted a Jewish festival. Fifteen people were killed when two gunmen opened fire at an event to mark the first day of Hanukkah. New laws will target»»»

DOHA: His Highnessthe Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the State’s 2025 National Day parade, held this morning on the Doha Corniche, with broad participation from the country’s military and security entities. Also attending the parade were Personal Representative »»»

Skopje, 17 December 2025 (MIA) - Economic cooperation between North Macedonia and Sweden will be enhanced through the activities of the Swedish-Macedonian Chamber of Commerce (SMCC), a dynamic bridge that links companies, institutions and ideas from both countries, heard a promotional event for the»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on Thursday with Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili, who is on an official visit to Serbia. The tete-a-tete meeting at the Palace of Serbia began shortly after 10 am and will be followed by a plenary meeting of Serbian and Georgian delegations »»»

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»»»

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has shared a video of lightning striking the tip of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, as heavy rain hit parts»»»

Radostin Vassilev, leader of the parliamentary group “Morality, Unity, Honor” (MECH), argued during consultations with President Rumen Radev that the government resigned not due to parliamentary opposition, but because of widespread public protests. Speaking in Brussels, he said the cabinet led by »»»

The air quality in India's capital Delhi and adjoining regions continues to be hazardous for several days now, even as a layer of haze engulfs the city. On Thursday morning, the city's overall air quality index - which measures PM2.5, fine particulate matters that can clog lungs, and other pollutan»»»

Dubai: Tecom Group rolled out Phase 4 of its Innovation Hub in Dubai Internet City, a Dh615 million project adding 263,000 square feet of Grade-A office space to meet surging demand from global tech giants. The move lifts total hub investment to Dh2 billion and cements the district's role as the Mi»»»

Dubai: The sons of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan have revealed plans to visit Pakistan in January, as they expressed deep concern over the conditions in which their father is being held. Kasim and Suleiman Khan, speaking to Sky News’ Yalda Hakim from London, described the ex-pre»»»

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»»»