BELGRADE - A total 4,346,691 foreign tourists, the majority of whom were Turkish citizens, visited Serbia in 2025, staying in the country for an average 2.8 days, according to figures released by the national statistical office RZS. The visitors generated a total 12,282,212 overnight stays, mostly »»»

The European Parliament’s culture committee has voted to increase EU funds for the flagship Erasmus+ student exchange programme by €7bn in 2028-2034, even as so-called frugal countries seek to cut overall funding. With 24 votes in favour and one abstention, MEPs proposed to increase the European Co»»»

A training center for firefighters and rescuers, built under a cross-border project, opened its doors on Tuesday near the village of Pokrovnik in Blagoevgrad. Those attending the opening included Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev; Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov, Director of the General Dire»»»

ROME: Italy on Tuesday completed the withdrawal of its last troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year military presence in the country, a defense ministry statement said. Rome had already recalled most of its personnel from Iraq by March 2026, after an overnight air strike targeted a military base in the »»»

AI, stewardship and local character redefining the future of urban living Abu Dhabi: Mohammed Alabbar, Founder and Chairman of Emaar Properties and Eagle Hills, has said his business is not selling property but creating life. He compared a developer’s role to that of a conductor, bringing together »»»

Images or videos featuring national symbols or public figures require official approval Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s National Media Authority has warned against using artificial intelligence or other modern technologies to generate images or videos featuring national symbols or public figures without prior»»»

New committee will coordinate inspections and enforcement across government entities Sharjah: Sharjah has established a new committee to combat residential violations and unauthorised housing across the emirate, as the Executive Council moved to strengthen inspections and coordinate enforcement amo»»»

The Budapest Police Headquarters has apologised to an HVG journalist after an internal email describing her as a “screaming blue stocking” was apparently sent to her by mistake. Journalist had requested interview on street harassment HVG journalist Noémi Martini first contacted the communications d»»»

The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works proposed on Tuesday reducing the country's six planning regions to four and merging its two Level 1 statistical regions into one. The proposed amendments to the Regional Development Act would bring national legislation into line with the new Nom»»»

French police took a top general into custody last week as part of an ongoing probe into potential bribery among the selection committee for the country’s highest decoration, the Legion of Honour. Investigations centre on possible payoffs for awards including expansive meals, holidays and thousands»»»

French teenagers on Tuesday clashed with police as they kept up a blockade of high schools in cities across the country to demand better conditions and more teacher hirings. The escalating standoff came as unions staged a day of demonstrations against a cost-cutting budget drafted by Prime Min»»»

Damascus, Sep. 29 (SANA) The Syrian Arab Republic welcomed the Japanese Cabinet’s decision to partially lift measures imposed on Syria since 2011 under the ousted regime by removing 16 Syrian entities from the list subject to those measures. The entities include the ministries of Defense and Interi»»»

Twenty-seven presidential and vice-presidential tickets will take part in Bulgaria’s October 25 election, with candidates nominated by 20 initiative committees and seven political parties. A total of 27 presidential tickets will appear on the ballot in Bulgaria’s October 25 election, Central Electi»»»

Trump denies offering concessions as Iran pushes Hormuz plan, flight disruption persists The US-Iran war remains caught between diplomacy and confrontation, with President Donald Trump denying that Washington has offered Tehran concessions even as mediators continue efforts to end seven months of f»»»

The Council of Ministers decided to take the steps needed to develop and provide a European Digital Identity Wallet in Bulgaria, the government press service said on Tuesday. The wallet will allow citizens and businesses to identify themselves securely when accessing electronic services, submit dat»»»

“We are witnessing something unprecedented, something that is difficult to fully assess,” Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev told journalists in Blagoevgrad regarding the agreement reached with Greece to return to Bulgaria the remains of Tsar Samuel. On October 3, they will be transported to Bulgar»»»

Bulgaria and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed a memorandum of understanding to help prepare public-private partnership projects, the Economy, Investments and Industry Ministry said on Tuesday. The memorandum was signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Econo»»»

The Council of Ministers Tuesday approved the nomination of Ivelin Zanev for Director-General of the Secretariat of the Danube Commission. Zanev is Bulgaria’s Deputy Representative to the Danube Commission and has experience in the fields of Danube navigation, inland waterways, fairway maintenance,»»»

The Council of Ministers has consented to the Republic of Cyprus opening a consulate in Plovdiv, with a consular district covering the Plovdiv and Stara Zagora regions, the government press service said on Tuesday. Boris Gurov, an entrepreneur with many years of experience in international relation»»»

Within Dubai, traffic is mixed. E44 has slow-moving sections around its central junctions Motorists heading home from Dubai to Sharjah are facing a slow evening commute, with the latest Google Maps updates showing heavy traffic on the main routes into Sharjah, but a noticeably easier journey on sev»»»

Talks focus on bilateral relations and the latest developments across the region Riyadh: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, met today in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, C»»»

DOHA: Qatar’s mediation efforts between the United States and Iran remain focused on building common ground between the two sides, while maintaining communication channels aimed at advancing dialogue and reducing regional tensions, Adviser to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Min»»»

Greece will return the remains of Tsar Samuel to Bulgaria on October 3, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Tuesday, drawing support from government and opposition representatives. "We have reached a historic agreement on the return of the remains of Tsar Samuel," Radev told the Cabinet. Radev will »»»

Commenting on the return of the remains of Tsar Samuil, which Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced earlier on Tuesday, Velislav Velichkov MP of Continue the Change (CC) said that this was a major achievement of Bulgarian diplomacy. Velichkov accredited the achievement to Greek Prime Minister Kyriak»»»

Abu Dhabi: The State of Qatar participated Tuesday in the 50th Ordinary Session of the Council of Arab Central Banks and Monetary Authorities' Governors, and the subsequent high-level workshop titled "Macroeconomic Resilience amid Geopolitical Disruptions," in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. H»»»

The Fidesz party claims that the “Ukrainian mafia” is paying dozens of people in Hungary who have already infiltrated state institutions. The opposition party also said that people allegedly “paid by Ukrainians” and making false accusations would eventually face legal consequences. Fidesz made the »»»

Hollywood star hails Abu Dhabi’s organic evolution into a vibrant cultural hub Ryan Reynolds thinks the best cities have a streak of eccentricity, and he believes Abu Dhabi is building one. Speaking in the capital on Tuesday, the actor said universities, art and culture are what give a place its ch»»»

Dubai’s iconic sail-shaped hotel is undergoing its first restoration since opening in 1999 Dubai: When will Burj Al Arab reopen? Dubai’s sail-shaped icon is currently closed for an 18-month restoration programme and is expected to welcome guests back in October 2027, according to Visit Dubai. Sign »»»

DAMASCUS: EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday in Damascus that the European Union wanted to “upgrade” its partnership with Syria and help boost its recovery but called for further domestic reform. “The European Union is using its political and economic tools to help Syria on the pa»»»

Greece will return the remains of Tsar Samuil to Bulgaria on October 3, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Tuesday, drawing support from government and opposition representatives. "We have reached a historic agreement on the return of the remains of Tsar Samuil," Radev told the Cabinet. Radev will »»»

A video posted in mid-September showing Iranian police officers beating and sexually harassing an arrested teenage boy has caused widespread outrage in Iran. Experts say such mistreatment of people accused of common crimes is frequent in Iran, but the footage provides rare visual evidence of what t»»»

They were left alone to discuss marital dispute before lawyer returned to find woman dead Dubai: An Egyptian man has been arrested after allegedly killing and dismembering his wife inside a lawyer’s office in Alexandria, according to local media reports citing preliminary investigations. The killin»»»

The head of the Eiffel Tower is set to step down in the wake of a controversy sparked by the removal of female workers during a private visit of the Paris landmark by members of the Hindu sect BAPS, which triggered a staff walkout earlier this month and sparked outrage in France. The operating comp»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, September 29: Jordan Bardella, the head of the far-right National Rally party, is accused of anti-Semitic comments dating back to 2013. But first: French high schoolers call for a nationwide strike to protest against teacher absences and dilapidated schools. The Washing»»»

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon traded barbs on Monday over high school students blockading classes to demand more resources. The students cite teacher shortages, deteriorating schools and heavy schedules. The dispute comes ahead of next spring’s pres»»»

French presidential frontrunner Marine Le Pen on Tuesday denounced an attempt to "derail" her Élysée Palace run after a media report accused the head of her far-right National Rally (RN) party, Jordan Bardella, of making ant-Semitic comments in 2013. Le Pen said Bardella, who is tipped to be p»»»

We welcome back Alex Durand and Tom Carles – better known as AT Frenchies – to talk France, America, friendship and the pursuit of happiness. The childhood friends-turned-internet phenomenon are back with their new book, "Pardon Our French". From growing up together to building a life bet»»»

DOHA: Under the patronage of HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister of Interior, Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) and Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Police Academy, a two-day scientific forum titled 'Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Security »»»

The Council of Ministers has adopted a decree to organize an international conference at ministerial level, dedicated to the development and strategic importance of Pan-European Corridor VIII, which will be held on October 7 and 8 in Sofia. The forum will be attended by ministers, high-ranking repr»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Russia launched a wave of overnight strikes across Ukraine, hitting two foreign-flagged vessels in the Black Sea and targets in Kyiv. The strikes come as Russia ramps up its pressure campaign intended to make Ukraine buckle under near-constan»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Riyadh on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The two officials discussing bilateral relations and developments in the region. Sheikh Mansour conveyed greetings from UAE President Sheik»»»

The US faces a major hurdle replenishing key missile stocks after burning through huge quantities of Tomahawks and Patriot interceptors during the Iran war, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. According to the paper, the manufacturing push is coming “too late,” with the industry hollowed ou»»»

At a certain revenue level, off-the-shelf contractor policies stop making sense. A $20 million construction business carries risks that standard small-business coverage wasn’t designed to handle: multi-site exposures, large crew payrolls, and project values that can exhaust a policy limit in a sing»»»

TUNIS, September 29 (TAP) - Minister of Trade and Export Development Samir Abid announced Tuesday in Tunis the launch of regional awareness meetings on the national "Easy Export" programme, which aims to facilitate exports for small and medium-sized...»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has introduced a national framework to help government agencies and companies identify and manage risks from artificial intelligence as adoption of the technology accelerates. The National AI Risk Management Framework, developed by the Saudi Data and AI Authority, provides a un»»»

New Etihad Rail route connects Sharjah’s central region with key UAE cities Dubai: Etihad Rail bookings are now open from Sharjah’s Al Dhaid Station, with tickets starting from just Dh19 for a 25-minute journey to Fujairah. Bookings have opened ahead of the September 30 launch of passenger services»»»

Continue the Change has alerted the Anti-Corruption Commission of a potential conflict of interest by Progressive Bulgaria Deputy Floor Leader Slavi Vassilev. The alert cites evidence of a conflict of interest and failure to comply with disclosure requirements, the party’s press office said Tuesday»»»

Doha: The State of Qatar and the United Republic of Tanzania have signed an agreement aimed at avoiding double taxation on income and preventing tax evasion. The agreement was signed by HE Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, on behalf of the Qatari side, and HE Minister of Finance Khamis M»»»

JEDDAH: Hajj agencies serving pilgrims from abroad will be able to arrange accommodation, transport, meals and services at the holy sites through a single contract for the 2027 season under a package announced by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The “all-inclusive package” replaces separa»»»

TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he expected a formal answer on Tuesday from the United States to Tehran's proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported. Qatari intermediaries "presented ideas, and we discussed them; they are set to raise the matter with the Americ»»»