Fitch Ratings has affirmed Bulgaria’s credit rating at ‘BBB+’ and upgraded the outlook from stable to positive, citing lower political uncertainty after the formation of a government supported by a single-party parliamentary majority. The agency said the more stable political environment could prov»»»

Road freight transport across the European Union increased in 2025, while Bulgaria recorded a 28% decline in the volume of hazardous goods transported over the year, although the country's dangerous goods transport grew by an average of 5.2% annually between 2021 and 2025. The contrasting results c»»»

On September 25, police received information from the emergency medical service that a 32-year-old man with a gunshot wound had been taken to hospital from Chekish-Ata market, the Internal Affairs Department of Sverdlovsky district of Bishkek reported. A criminal case was opened under the article o»»»

Controversy erupts over Karnataka CM Shivakumar’s claim that some MLAs have two marriages Dubai: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has sparked a political controversy after saying that around a dozen MLAs who came to Bengaluru from other parts of the state had married twice. Shivakumar remark»»»

In an interview with FRANCE 24 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Trump's Africa envoy Massad Boulos said that each side in Sudan feels it "could get a decisive military victory". Asked about Western Sahara, he acknowledged there is no "imminent solution that we can feel or touch". He als»»»

Armed with paper fortune-tellers and pop worship songs, young French Catholics from the Anuncio movement fanned out into the crowds awaiting Pope Leo XIV's arrival in Paris on Friday, hoping to bring strangers closer to God in one of Europe's most secular countries.    A group gathers aro»»»

The US Supreme Court on Friday ruled the Trump administration can use a controversial new federal database that would ostensibly verify voter citizenship in November’s elections. Critics argue the administration is exaggerating the threat of non-citizen voters – an extreme rarity in US el»»»

Pope Leo rode his "popemobile" through the heart of Paris and celebrated vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral on Friday as he opened a four-day state visit to France. The head of the Roman Catholic Church raised existential concerns about scientific progress in speeches at UNESCO heaquarters and the Ély»»»

The European Union on Friday said it will pursue a €120 million fine against the X social network after the US Justice Department said it supported the efforts of X owner Elon Musk to have the case annulled. The bloc fined the platform in 2025 for breaching EU online transparency rules, notably wit»»»

Loik Le Priol, one of the main suspects in the 2022 murder of Argentine rugby player Federico Martin Aramburu, asked forgiveness from the victim's family in a Paris court on Friday. Verdicts in the trial of four suspects – including Le Priol and Romain Bouvier, who both have links to France’s »»»

Watch the replay of Pope Leo XIV's address at UNESCO on September 25, 2026 where he spoke about peace, culture, AI and international cooperation during the first stop of his France visit.»»»

President Donald Trump told President Volodymyr Zelensky that he had made a "final decision" to grant Kyiv the licence to produce Patriot air defence missiles, the Ukrainian leader said Friday. The assurance came during the last meeting between the two leaders, Zelensky said, capping a period of un»»»

It has been called Europe's disaster year. 2026 has seen more than 30,000 excess deaths linked to heatwaves, along with mega wildfires, nuclear power plants having to shut down, gas plants under pressure, droughts reducing hydropower generation from rivers and wild fluctuations in electricity price»»»

The Bulgarian government has set a target of keeping the budget deficit at no more than 3% by 2027, alongside restoring a sustainable financial system and maintaining predictable tax policy, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at a conference organized by the Ministry of Finance and the European Stabil»»»

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry Alexandar Poulev met with the management of the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) – Prof. Martin Vechev, the institute’s founder and scientific director, and Executive Director Eng.»»»

The United Nations Security Council on Friday condemned attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia. The wars in Iran and Gaza have dominated the agenda at the annual UN General Assembly in New York. Follow or liveblog for the latest updates.  (FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)»»»

Tigray's rebel authorities say they are now in a "full-blown war" with the Ethiopian government, as fighting spreads into the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions. Ethiopia's federal army says 272 rebels were killed and 260 wounded in the north, while FRANCE 24 spoke to Jervin Naidoo, Political Ana»»»

Pope Leo XIV used his address at the Élysée Palace to touch on some of France's biggest debates, from artificial intelligence and secularism to surrogacy, while calling for peace and solidarity. Our journalist Kethevane Gorjestani breaks down the key takeaways from his speech.»»»

Crowds have already begun gathering outside Notre-Dame Cathedral as Pope Leo XIV prepares for one of the highlights of his Paris visit. Before heading to the cathedral, the pontiff is expected to deliver another speech at UNESCO headquarters, where he is set to address global challenges including p»»»

Bulgaria's Black Sea exclusive economic zone has been added to a high-risk maritime area following a sharp increase in attacks on commercial vessels, with maritime risk assessment firm Ambrey reporting at least 45 such incidents in previously unaffected parts of the Black Sea over the past 12 month»»»

Democratic Bulgaria is calling for Parliament to hear the foreign minister or the relevant deputy foreign minister over conflicting statements about Bulgaria's position on Ukraine, MP and Democratic Bulgaria parliamentary group chair Nadezhda Yordanova said. The request concerns the differing posit»»»

Bulgaria is benefiting from a rapid expansion of battery energy storage systems as record drought hits electricity generation across Eastern Europe, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) analysis from Sofia. Around 100 battery energy storage sites are currently operating in Bulgaria, most of t»»»

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Fabian Bornhorst will visit Sofia from September 28 to October 2, the Fund said. During the visit, the IMF delegation will meet with government officials, representatives of the Bulgarian National Bank, private-sector representatives and other sta»»»

Bulgaria's ruling party backed President Iliana Iotova on Friday in a controversy over the country's position on a joint UN statement on Ukraine. MP Anton Kutev of the Progressive Bulgaria parliamentary group said that Iotova stayed out of the meeting at which the statement was presented and did no»»»

Albania’s top state officials and senior security leaders are expected to meet Monday morning at the Palace of Brigades for a session of the National Security Council, amid heightened attention over an investigation involving a former intelligence chief. The meeting, convened by President Bajram Be»»»

Argentina's poverty rate jumped to 32.3% in the first half of 2026, official data showed Thursday, as incomes failed to keep pace with the rising cost of basic goods, a setback for libertarian President Javier Milei little more than a year before he seeks reelection. The national statistics agency,»»»

In this edition, we focus on Afghanistan, which recently marked the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power. Since then, the exclusion of women and girls has become normalised, with the government systematically dismantling the rights of more than half the country's population. Annette Y»»»

Pope Leo XIV on Friday arrives in France for a four-day visit – his fifth Apostolic journey since becoming pontiff last year – during which he hopes to repair the Catholic Church’s standing after sexual abuse scandals while also addressing issues such as the need to regulate AI. FRANCE 24 guides yo»»»

October 2026 marks 10 years since the Calais "Jungle" in northern France was dismantled by French police. The camp was home to thousands of migrants who wanted to cross the Channel and reach the UK. A decade on, migrants continue to dream of reaching British shores and the "Jungle" has been replace»»»

Argentina’s poverty rate rose to 32.3% in the first half of 2026 from 28.2% in the previous six months, official data showed on Thursday, as incomes lagged rising prices. Extreme poverty climbed to 7.5% from 6.3%. Among children aged 14 and under, 44.5% were poor. Argentina's poverty rate increased»»»

Fears are mounting that Ethiopia could be sliding back towards civil war as fighting intensifies in the north, with the army saying it killed 272 TPLF fighters in Amhara while the rebels describe the conflict as a "full-blown war." The escalation comes after the TPLF joined a new alliance with six »»»

Alison Sargent is pleased to welcome Andrea Antonio Verardi, Professor of Church History and Cultural Heritage at the Pontifical Gregorian University. According to Verardi, Pope Leo’s visit to France is much more than a diplomatic visit. The focus of the visit combines three key issues: the search »»»

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah said on Thursday that last month’s catastrophic floods were a “warning to the world” of growing climate risks in the Himalayas. He said warming was melting glaciers and permafrost and urged international support to help Nepal adapt to threats it could not face a»»»

Bulgaria must use its membership in the Eurozone and the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) to attract investment, strengthen competitiveness and build a more resilient economy, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at a high-level conference in Sofia organized by the Ministry of Finance and the ESM. The»»»

Bulgaria expects North Macedonia to fulfill its commitments and make the necessary changes to advance its path toward EU membership, states a position by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The statement came after North Macedonia's Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski said the EU should take par»»»

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump have been holding talks in the Oval Office at the White House. Trump gave the visiting leader of Communist China a personal tour of several of his favourite White House features. He took him aboard the Marine One helicopter, presented the n»»»

Dimitar Shivikov is a candidate for vice president in the upcoming elections on October 25 in accordance with a decision by the Central Election Commission. He was put forward by a nomination committee alongside presidential candidate Georgi Dimov. Born in 1963, he graduated from the Vasil Levski N»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday denied a report by Spanish newspaper El Mundo that the US Central Intelligence Agency had warned European governments of possible Russian drone attacks from the Mediterranean. He also said in a primetime TV interview that France will send troop»»»

Paris is making final preparations for Pope Leo XIV's first official visit to the French capital in 18 years, with volunteers welcoming crowds ahead of his four-day trip. His programme includes meetings with President Emmanuel Macron and UNESCO, a popemobile procession, a prayer service at Notre-Da»»»

Pope Leo XIV's visit to France is forcing Emmanuel Macron into a delicate diplomatic balancing act. As both the head of the Catholic Church and the head of the Vatican City State, the pontiff requires the French president to navigate the country's secular traditions carefully. There will be no priv»»»

Catholic influencers gathered hundreds of young people for an evening of prayer at Paris's Saint-Sulpice church ahead of Pope Leo XIV's visit, highlighting how social media is becoming a new tool for evangelisation. As youth baptisms rise in France, creators say their goal is to turn online engagem»»»

Bulgaria had no chance to raise reservations or propose changes to a UN declaration supporting Ukraine, President Iliana Yotova said in a Facebook post, explaining why she was not present when the statement was adopted in New York. Information emerged yesterday that Bulgaria was among the countries»»»

Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova has signed a draft Council of Ministers decision proposing the recall of Bulgaria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Arab Emirates, Ivan Yordanov, the Foreign Ministry said. The move starts the constitutional procedure for recalling the a»»»

Bulgaria’s presidential election campaign officially started at midnight on September 25, with voting for the country’s seventh president and vice president scheduled for October 25, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC), which registered 27 presidential and vice-presidential tickets. »»»

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) expects Bulgaria's economy to expand by 2.7% in 2026 and 2.5% in 2027, keeping both forecasts unchanged from June. In its September Regional Economic Prospects report, the EBRD said Bulgaria's real GDP grew by 2.8% year on year in the firs»»»

New York: The State of Qatar, through the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), together with Canada, Norway, the World Bank Group (WBG), the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF),»»»

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has kept the prospects concerning the evolution of Romania's economy in 2026 and 2027, in line with the June forecast, and warns that negative evolution risks persist, according to the "Regional Economic Prospects," report the internationa»»»

Budget execution and the continuity of fiscal consolidation are Romania's main arguments in the current sovereign rating review conducted by S&P, interim Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare stated on ...»»»

Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan received a delegation from the international financial rating agency Standard & Poor's at Victoria Palace on Thursday; the delegation is visiting Bucharest as part of the periodic assessment of Romania's economic and fiscal developments.According to a government s»»»

Prime Minister-designate Siegfried Muresan said on Thursday that next week in Parliament will be the most important test of the Social Democratic Party's (PSD) pro-European stance, when the party will have to choose between voting for "a responsible pro-European Government" or remaining "alongside »»»