The fifth edition of the Oscars of the French Pastry World were held in Paris on December 8. They reward the best French pastry chefs in different categories. We speak to awards director Eugénie Pont and one of the award-winning chefs, Maëva Manchon. A programme produced by Amanda Alexander, M»»»

At least 22 people were killed late on Tuesday after two buildings collapsed in Fez, one of Morocco's oldest cities and a key tourist destination, with the state broadcaster saying the blocks had shown signs of cracking. Local authorities in Fez prefecture reported two adjacent four-storey building»»»

US negotiators have given Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky days to respond to a peace proposal requiring Kiev to accept territorial losses to Russia in exchange for unspecified security guarantees, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing officials familiar with the matter. One person told»»»

The success rate of kidney transplants performed at Sofia’s Aleksandrovska Hospital this year is 100%, according to Professor Marincho Georgiev, head of the Urology Clinic at Aleksandrovska Hospital, chair of the Department of Urology at the Medical University of Sofia, president of the Bulgarian U»»»

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said Wednesday that Israel differentiates between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah. "The negotiations with the Lebanese government and the war on Hezbollah are two separate things to Israel," Issa told reporters in a press conference after a meeting with »»»

Dubai: Dubai’s Court of Cassation has set a new legal precedent following an appeal by the Public Prosecutor of Dubai. The court ruled that neither the insured, the driver responsible for an accident, nor the insured’s employees — if injured during work or as a result of it — can claim compensation»»»

UNESCO added India’s Diwali festival to its intangible heritage list on Wednesday, prompting celebrations across the country. Millions worldwide take part in the festival, which marks the triumph of good over evil. India's festival of lights, Diwali, was on Wednesday announced as an addition to UNE»»»

Dubai: UAE-based football fans holding a FIFA men’s World Cup 2026 ticket will not guarantee admission to the United States, the US Embassy in the UAE clarified, as excitement builds for next year’s tournament. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.“The United States is prep»»»

At least 19 people have been killed and a further 16 injured after two buildings collapsed in the Moroccan city of Fez. The two four-storey residential buildings that came down early on Wednesday morning contained eight families, state media report, citing local officials. Several Moroccan news out»»»

Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova and Minister of Education and Science Krasimir Valchev entered into a dispute with MP Assen Vassilev from Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC–DB) over funding for education, science, culture, sports, and healthcare in next year’s draft budget and in the»»»

Parliament will vote on the draft resolution for a no-confidence motion against the Rosen Zhelyazkov Cabinet on Thursday at 1:30 PM, said here on Wednesday National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan, after the end of the debates on the motion, which lasted around four hours. According to the rules of th»»»

María Corina Machado, the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, is "safe" and will come to Oslo, but will not be able to make the awards ceremony scheduled for 12:00 GMT on Wednesday, the Nobel Institute has said. The Nobel Institute awarded the Venezuelan opposition leader the prize for "her st»»»

Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji told Wednesday his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that he can only meet him in a neutral country but not in Iran, after the latter invited him to visit Tehran. Rajji said, in a letter to Araghchi, that his refusal to visit Iran is because of the circumstances whic»»»

Turkey is mediating between Syria and Hezbollah on the one hand and between Syria and Iran on the other, which reflects Ankara's attempt to control the dynamics of a delicate regional phase characterized by rapidly shifting balances, a media report said. A well-informed source told the Nidaa al-Wat»»»

A Sofia court on Wednesday refused to extradite a shipowner wanted by Lebanon over a devastating blast at Beirut's port in 2020. Lebanon wants Bulgaria to extradite Igor Grechushkin, a 48-year-old Russian-Cypriot, over the disaster. The blast on August 4, 2020 was one of the world's largest non-nuc»»»

Romania’s IT&C industry continued to make a major contribution to the national economy in 2024, recording a turnover of EUR 23.6 billion, higher exports and a 6.67% share of GDP. According to data from the ANIS industry study, the sector remains a key pillar of the economy, but its growth pace has »»»

Tunis, Dec. 10 (TAP) – The first edition of LEBRIDGE25 – Tunis will be launched on December 15 at the initiative of the Tunisian-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCITF). LEBRIDGE25 - a platform to accelerate collaborations- is designed...»»»

Fifteen standing parliamentary committees have on their agenda for Wednesday a first reading of the 2026 State Budget Bill, submitted by the Council of Ministers. The draft legislation was approved by the Budget and Finance Committee on Tuesday. The e-Government and Information Technologies voted, »»»

A queue of freight trucks stretching roughly 30 kilometers has formed on the Maritsa Motorway leading to the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing with Turkey - from the checkpoint entrance all the way to the Lyubimets interchange, Ivan Rasokov, head of the Traffic Police sector at the Haskovo Regional »»»

Tunis, December 10 (TAP) – President of the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP), Brahim Bouderbala, said that the 2026 Finance Bill, in the version adopted by the ARP, has been submitted to the President of the Republic. 7The announcement was...»»»

Bashayer, the first waterfront community on Hudayriyat Island offering views of Al Bateen and Abu Dhabi’s skyline, has sold out within 24 hours of its launch, generating Dh3 billion in sales, Modon announced. The gated neighbourhood comprises 157 villas and 330 premium residences in two low-rise te»»»

The Prisoners’ Media Office in occupied Palestine stated Wednesday that Israeli occupation authorities continue to detain 32 prisoners from the Gaza Strip, despite the official expiration of their sentences months or even years ago. In a press statement, the office asserted that ‘Israel’s’ classifi»»»

Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova said on Wednesday she would wish every government that, in the first 11 months of its term in office, it achieves for Bulgaria what her government has managed to accomplish. Petkova, a ranking member of the main ruling GERB party, spoke in the National Assembly a»»»

The flexible office market grew by around 20% in 2025 despite a more challenging fiscal and economic environment, according to a new analysis by Supertree Workspaces & More. Demand continues to come from companies seeking temporary or medium-term space with flexible contracts – from corporations te»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke by phone with Romanian President Nicusor Dan about all bilateral affairs of importance to the two countries. In an Instagram post, Vucic wrote that the two countries were connected by a centuries-long friendship, closeness and cooperation in all a»»»

A man has been charged with attempted murder in the shooting of New York Jets NFL player Kris Boyd. The suspect was Bronx resident Frederick Green, 20, who was arrested on Monday and charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon, police told the BBC's US partner CBS New»»»

Elon Musk says he would not lead the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) if he had his time again, but has maintained that its tumultuous efforts to shrink the size of the US government under President Donald Trump was "a little bit successful". The billionaire boss of Tesla and SpaceX gave »»»

The main meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman on Tuesday included in-depth discussions on various issues, with Aoun providing a detailed explanation of the Lebanese situation, particularly in the South, in addition to the work of the Mechanism committee and the»»»

Tunis, December 10 (TAP) – The Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) and the National Council of Regions and Districts (CNRD) held a joint closing plenary session at Bardo Palace on Wednesday to finalize the 2026 Finance Bill (PLF).The session...»»»

Ras Al Khaimah Police have significantly reduced the time required for driving tests through the Smart Testing Village, cutting test duration by up to 80 per cent for automatic vehicles and 70 per cent for manual cars. The facility also offers a VIP service that allows motorists to complete the ent»»»

Against a rapidly shifting media economy dominated by creators, fragmented audiences, and unprecedented technological disruption, global leaders at BRIDGE Summit 2025 converged on a central question: how can the world rebuild trust while financing a future-ready media ecosystem? The panel, titled “»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Finance HE Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari announced that the total expected revenues for the State Public Budget for 2026 amount to QR199 billion, representing a growth of 1.0 percent compared to the total revenues of the 2025 budget. In a press release released on Tuesday, Decemb»»»

"Eighty per cent of the reasons for the no-confidence motion have lost purpose between last Friday and the tabling of the revised draft budget this Monday," Aleksandar Ivanov MP of GERB-UDF argued, speaking during Wednesday's plenary debate on the opposition's motion of no confidence in the Zhelyaz»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that he accepted Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's invitation to visit his country in 2026-2027. Earlier in the day, during talks in Moscow Prabowo Subianto invited Putin to visit Indonesia in 2026 or 2027. "Thank you very »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Marko Djuric met with Armenia's non-resident ambassador to Belgrade Ashot Hovakimian on Tuesday to discuss advancement of bilateral relations and strengthening of economic cooperation. Djuric noted that Serbia appreciated Armenia's position of non-recognition of the so-called »»»

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - Russia's Roscongress Foundation intends to enhance cooperation with India, the foundation's head Alexander Stuglev told Sputnik in an interview. "The Roscongress Foundation regularly holds joint events and projects with India, which is a regular participant of various key Russ»»»

Tourists from dozens of countries including the UK could be asked to provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry to the United States, under a new proposal unveiled by American officials. The new condition would affect people from dozens of countries who are eligible to visit t»»»

A newly enacted UAE Federal Decree-Law institutes broad regulations for veterinary medicines and pharmaceutical operations, advancing national control of animal health and reinforcing food safety systems. The UAE has formalised a Federal Decree-Law covering the oversight of veterinary medical produ»»»

Rome: UNESCO recognized Wednesday that Italian food is more than pizza, pasta and gelato, adding the range and ritual of the famous cuisine to its list of intangible cultural heritage. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose hard-right government has championed “Made in Italy” products as part of her »»»

Tokyo, Japan: The number of people injured in a 7.5-magnitude earthquake in Japan rose to 51 on Wednesday, authorities said, after warning an even bigger tremor was possible in coming days. The quake late Monday off the coast of the northern region of Aomori shook buildings, tore apart roads, smash»»»

A Paris museum opened a major royal jewel exhibition on Wednesday just weeks after a brazen Louvre heist rattled the city, putting renewed scrutiny on security. A glittering exhibition of royal jewels is opening Wednesday in Paris even as the city still reels from the brazen crown-jewel heist at th»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, December 9: The bidding war has begun after Paramount launched a $108 billion hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, days after shareholders accepted a Netflix deal. Who will prevail? Also: we learn about the growing Japanese community in India. Plus: YouTube launc»»»

Automotive heavyweights Renault and Ford are to join forces to develop a line of compact, more affordable Ford-branded electric vehicles and commercial vans in a bid to curb a wave of cheaper Chinese electric models gaining ground in Europe. Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a joint statement: “We will c»»»

Dubai: Dubai Health successfully convened the second edition of the Dubai Health Research Conference 2025. The event brought together physicians, experts, and academics to present the latest in medical research, reinforcing Dubai’s position in advancing scientific research. Dr. Alawi Alsheikh Ali, »»»

HEADLINES Wednesday’s print media front pages highlight a mix of health statistics, economic developments, and cultural reporting. 24 Chasa leads with data showing a slight decline in cancer incidence in Bulgaria, while noting that the country continues to top European rankings for child mortality.»»»

Healthcare workers and medical specialists held protests in several places across the country on Wednesday demanding decent wages and better working conditions. In the southwestern towns of Kyustendil and Dupnitsa, hospital employees protested in the yard of their health facilities to express suppo»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic has submitted for public discussion a draft resolution introducing amendments to the medium-term electricity tariff policy for 2025–2030. The document has been published to gather feedback and proposals from citizens and experts. According to the draf»»»

Public spending in Bulgaria is rising faster than revenues, driving the budget deficit upward, according to participants at the roundtable “Bulgaria’s Fiscal Policy and Sustainable Economic Vision with Eurozone Entry”, organized by the Bulgarian Association of Innovative Technologies (BRAIT) and th»»»