A French appeals court Thursday convicted Air France and Airbus of involuntary manslaughter over the 2009 crash of a Rio-Paris flight that killed 228 people, the worst disaster in France's aviation history. The Paris Court of Appeal ruling was a dramatic reversal of a lower court decision. Get upda»»»

The Russian secret services on Monday accused Latvia without evidence of helping Ukraine strike Russian targets using drones, and threatened the Baltic state with military retaliation. But the targeting of Latvia by the Kremlin, which continues to deploy new tactics in its hybrid war, was»»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed granting Ukraine “associate member” status in the European Union without voting rights while it pursues full membership, according to a letter seen by AFP on Thursday. The plan would allow Kyiv representation at EU summits, the European Commission and p»»»

The government of President Rumen Radev has replaced the head of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, with Agriculture and Food Minister Plamen Abrovski announcing the dismissal of BFSA director Angel Mavrovski during a briefing on Thursday. His position will now be taken over by Professor Svetla Yanc»»»

The Administrative Court in Plovdiv has halted the execution of a Karlovo Municipal Council decision that scheduled a local referendum for June 28, 2026, related to plans for a Rheinmetall military production facility, the municipality confirmed. The ruling concerns a case filed following an appeal»»»

Bulgaria has made clear that it will not accept any attempt to reopen or renegotiate the EU negotiating framework for North Macedonia, according to Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova, who responded to a parliamentary inquiry, BGNES reported. She emphasized that North Macedonia’s progress to»»»

The Sofia City Court found former investigator Petyo Petrov, widely known as “Euroto”/"Evroto" guilty in a document fraud case linked to the “Eight Dwarfs” scandal, sentencing him to a fine of 2,556 euros while also revoking his detention order and canceling the European arrest warrant issued again»»»

The European Commission’s spring forecast points to a weaker-than-expected economic outlook for both Bulgaria and the wider eurozone, coupled with higher inflation pressures across the region. According to the report, the slowdown is driven by a mix of fiscal strain in member states and external sh»»»

Energy Minister Iva Petrova announced a sweeping overhaul at the Bulgarian Energy Holding, confirming that the entire management of BEH is being dismissed and replaced as the government launches a broad strategic review of the energy sector. During her first public briefing as minister, Petrova sai»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Islamic Resistance fighters targeted at 18:55 and 19:00 on Thursday 21-05-2026 gatherings of vehicles and soldiers of the Israeli enemy arm»»»

Brussels, Belgium: The EU wants less "drama" at the next United Nations climate conference in November in Turkey, the bloc's climate envoy Wopke Hoekstra said Thursday. European countries were deeply frustrated by last year's COP30 climate conference in Brazil, which produced a watered-down final t»»»

The competent parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on Thursday finalized the draft Rules of Organization and Procedure of Bulgaria's 52nd National Assembly, and they will go before the full house next week, Committee Chair Dimitar Zdravkov MP of Progressive Bulgaria told journalists. "The revisions are n»»»

Doha, Qatar: FIFA and the Local Organising Committee for Football Events (LOC) have announced that the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 will take place from 19 November to 13 December. The prestigious youth tournament returns to Qatar, marking the second of five consecutive editions that the country »»»

Prague: The Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi held separate meetings on Thursday with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay HE Mario Lubetkin, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic HE Marie Chatardova, an»»»

The United States on Thursday sanctioned Hezbollah MPs Hassan Fadlallah, Hussein al-Hajj Hassan and Ibrahim al-Moussawi; Hezbollah official and ex-minister Mohammad Fneish, Amal Movement security officials Ahmad Baalbaki and Ali Safawi, Lebanese Army intelligence officer Samer Hamadi and General Se»»»

The US intends to build up an icebreaker fleet larger than Russia’s, as the current gap in Moscow’s favor is “ridiculous,” President Donald Trump has said. Speaking to US Coast Guard graduates in New London, Connecticut, on Wednesday, Trump highlighted an agreement signed with Finland earlier this »»»

The Strait of Hormuz – a critical chokepoint accounting for 20% of seaborne oil trade prior to the US-Israeli war against Iran – remains effectively blocked despite the tentative ceasefire. The traffic has ground to a halt due to the risks posed by mines, recurring attacks, and ship seizures, as we»»»

The “Industry Pioneers” Conference and Forum was held in Tripoli yesterday, the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce reports. The event was organized by the private sector Al-Yaqeen Bank and sponsored by Banca UBAE SpA and Bank ABC. The event was attended by the Minister of Economy and Trade, Suhail Abu Shi»»»

JERUSALEM: Israel’s far-right national security minister has a long history as a provocateur. This week, Itamar Ben-Gvir sparked global outrage after promoting a video of himself taunting activists from a flotilla to Gaza who were detained by his police force. Denied entry into the military as a te»»»

Doha, Qatar: Spectacular fireworks displays are set to light up Qatar’s skies as part of Eid Al Adha 2026 celebrations, according to Qatar Calendar. In a post on social media, Qatar Calendar announced that the fireworks will take place at Katara Cultural Village on May 27, 28 and 29. The event attr»»»

Lisbon: Portuguese police on Thursday arrested the mother of two young French boys found abandoned by a main road in the south of the country, alone and crying. The boys, aged four and five, were rescued on Tuesday by a passing motorist near the resort town of Comporta, where they had been left wit»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon said an Israeli strike on Thursday damaged a hospital in the country’s south, where Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire despite a ceasefire. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli aircraft “launched two strikes on the town of Tibnin near the public ho»»»

CAIRO/GAZA: An Israeli drone strike killed a 13-year-old boy in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, health officials said, as residents reported a renewed pattern of Israeli warnings urging people to flee ahead of attacks — a practice that had largely subsided after an October ceasefire. Medics sa»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope on Thursday of progress on ending the war with Iran, with mediator Pakistan's army chief due to arrive in Iran for talks. The expected visit by Field Marshal Asim Munir, a powerful figure with a growing role in Pakistan's foreign relations, comes a day »»»

Damascus, May. 21 (SANA) Foreign and Expatriates Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani held a telephone conversation on Thursday with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, during which the two sides reviewed the latest regional developments and their implications, in addition to bila»»»

Dubai: Amazon MGM Studios has announced the global release of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War, whose key scenes were filmed in Dubai in collaboration with the Dubai Media Council and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). The new film further reinforces the emirate’s position as a lea»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Zionist media: Hezbollah attacked the sensors installed by “Israel” on the border with Lebanon with precision missiles 21-05-2026 19:42 PM »»»

No staff cuts will be made without a prior analysis, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev told Interior Ministry trade unions on Thursday, the Ministry said on its website. He said redundant structures would be streamlined to improve efficiency. “The State’s financial situation is very difficult. Sin»»»

Tunis, May 21 (TAP) - The United Nations General Assembly reached a major legal milestone on May 20, 2026, by adopting Resolution “A/80/L.65,” which transforms climate commitments into international legal obligations. The text secured a broad...»»»

Lebanon said an Israeli strike on Thursday damaged a hospital in the country's south, where Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire despite a ceasefire. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli aircraft "launched two strikes on the town of Tibnin near the public hospital, »»»

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had postponed signing an executive order on AI because he "didn't like certain aspects of it." Trump had planned to sign the order at a ceremony on Thursday afternoon attended by CEOs of AI companies. The order would create a voluntary framework for AI »»»

The U.S. State Department will now require all U.S. citizens and legal residents traveling back to the United States from three African countries experiencing an Ebola outbreak must enter the country through Washington, D.C., for an enhanced security screening. EPA-EFE/Stringer May 21 (UPI) -- Amer»»»

Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, hosted a celebration at the European Commission in Brussels on Thursday for the Day of the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture, and Slavic Literature, May 24. "Let us wish for strength, confidence, and unity,” s»»»

Tunis, May 21 (TAP) - The Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains for Food Security (FASSA) project aimed at promoting the development of fodder and dairy sectors in Jendouba, Kairouan and Mahdia, was effectively launched on Thursday, according to...»»»

Doha, Qatar: A symposium held as part of the cultural events accompanying the 35th Doha International Book Fair (DIBF) explored the challenges of reading Islamic heritage in contemporary contexts, the methodological challenges facing researchers, and the relationship between Western studies and the»»»

ANKARA: A Turkish court effectively ousted the main opposition leader Ozgur Ozel on Thursday, annulling the 2023 party congress that elected him chairman in a ruling that dealt a blow to President Tayyip Erdogan’s challengers and hit financial markets. The appeals court annulled the congress over i»»»

MOSCOW: NORSI, Russia’s ‌fourth-largest oil refinery, has shut its main primary CDU-6 unit after a Ukrainian drone attack on Wednesday, two industry sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Thursday. Virtually all major refineries in central Russia have been forced to halt or »»»

A senior Iraqi security team will soon travel to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to request intelligence on the trajectory and launch sites of attacks that targeted the two countries, an Iraqi government official said on Thursday, as part of an ongoing investigation. The Iraqi official, w»»»

RIYADH: Preparations for next year’s Hajj pilgrimage have already begun, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said on Wednesday. Authorities are getting ready for next year before this year’s Hajj even begins on May 25, with an extensive network of government entities includin»»»

The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed an Alabama death penalty case, preventing the execution of Joseph Clinton Smith, 55. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo May 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday dismissed an appeal from Alabama in a death row case by declining to look at how IQ »»»

Damascus, May 21 (SANA) Syrian Transport Minister, Yarub Badr, said on Thursday that rebuilding the country’s transport sector and infrastructure will require stronger investment partnerships, greater cooperation between the public and private sectors, and deeper regional integration in transport p»»»

By order of Prime Minister Rumen Radev, five people were appointed deputy ministers on Thursday. Stanimir Stanev has been appointed Deputy Justice Minister and Senya Terzieva-Zhelyazkova, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, the Government Information Service reported. On May 13, Asya Pandzher»»»

Hezbollah sent a message to Arab and other embassies in Lebanon on Thursday, setting out its demands to their governments: an end to assassinations, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, the return of residents to their villages, and the release of detainees held by Israel. It s»»»

Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez escalated pressure Wednesday during celebrations marking National Farmers Day, sharply criticizing what she described as Panama’s agricultural trade blockade. File Photo by Jeffrey Arguedas/EPA May 21 (UPI) -- Trade relations between Costa Rica and Panama enter»»»

By order of Prime Minister Rumen Radev, five people were appointed deputy ministers on Thursday. Stanimir Stanev has been appointed Deputy Justice Minister and Senya Terzieva-Zhelyazkova, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, the Government Information Service reported. On May 13, Asya Pandzher»»»

DUBAI: The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has published its 2025 Sustainability and Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) report, highlighting achievements in shaping the future of motorsport and mobility for its diverse global community. The FIA, the global governing body for motorsport and»»»

MAKKAH AL MUKARRAMAH: Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs and Head of the Qatari Hajj Mission HE Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem Al Ghaneminaugurated the medical unit of the Qatari Hajj Mission in the sacred sites of Saudi Arabia as part of the mission's comprehensive preparations to provide t»»»

Tunis, May 21 (TAP) - The Ministry of National Defence on Thursday affirmed that the national army is a republican force founded on discipline, entrusted with the mission of defending the homeland, preserving its independence and guaranteeing the...»»»

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and Aldar signed a strategic partnership today to accelerate Emiratisation in the education sector through a structured talent development roadmapaimed at driving ninefold increase in UAE Nationals representation across key roles in Aldar o»»»

Panting puppies lie exhausted, wedged between the plastic bags and cartons spilling down a hillside in northern Kosovo, while other dogs snuffle around the dump hunting for edible morsels. The sheer number of canines roaming free has become bothersome, and locals in the Podujevo district have draft»»»