Interior Minister Blames Protest Organizers for Post-Demonstration Vandalism in Sofia
Interior Minister Daniel Mitov has accused the organizers of the massive protest in Sofia of failing to prevent vandalism carried out by provocateurs after the official conclusion of the demonstration. His remarks were made during a parliamentary hearing alongside other representatives from the Int»»»
Israel and Lebanon hold first direct talks in decades
Israel and Lebanon have conducted their first direct talks in decades as part of a US-brokered ceasefire that ended the war between the Jewish State and the military group Hezbollah. Civilian representatives from both sides met on Wednesday at the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping force in Naqour»»»
Minister Mitov Says There Is No Reason for Him to Resign
During a parliamentary hearing regarding police actions at Monday's protest in Sofia, Interior Minister Daniel Mitov said that there was no reason for him to resign. He noted that grounds for resignation could exist if an incident had occurred resulting in mass casualties or serious health problems»»»
Australia Says the World Will Follow Social Media Ban as Meta Starts Blocking Teens
Australia's internet regulator said a teen social media ban would be the first domino to fall in a global push to rein in Big Tech, as Meta's Instagram, Facebook and Threads began locking out hundreds of thousands of accounts ahead of a deadline next week. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant sai»»»
Steve Cropper, guitarist of Booker T and the MGs, dies aged 84
Steve Cropper, the legendary guitarist with Booker T and the MGs, has died at the age of 84. The musician, who played on and co-wrote Otis Redding's Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and Wilson Pickett's In the Midnight Hour, died on Wednesday in Nashville, the Associated Press reported, citing a sour»»»
Media Review: December 4
The current political situation after Monday’s large-scale protests across Bulgaria dominates the media on Thursday. In an interview with Trud, Sofia’s Oborishte borough Mayor Georgi Kuzmov criticized the police for inaction during the December 1 protest, claiming residents pleaded with officers to»»»
All you need to know about Lebanon-Israel Naqoura talks
Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives met for the first time in decades on Wednesday under the auspices of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism. The two sides met at the U.N. peacekeeping force's headquarters in Lebanon's Naqoura near the border with Israel, where the guarantors of the»»»
Vucic, Botsan-Kharchenko discuss gas supplies, strengthening Serbia's energy system
BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko on Thursday to discuss gas supplies and infrastructure projects that will strengthen further the energy system in Serbia. In a post on his buducnostsrbijeav Instagram account, Vucic wro»»»
Hungary to challenge EU plans to ban Russian oil and gas in court
Hungary will challenge the RePowerEU plan that would ban member states' imports of Russian oil and gas from 2027 before the European Court as soon as it is formally adopted, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said in Brussels on December 3. The plan would "undermine Hungary's ene»»»
Henry Zeffman: Less than meets the eye to Starmer's words on Brexit
It was the moment which, perhaps more than any, entrenched Sir Keir Starmer's position as a future leader of the Labour Party. Defying his leader, Jeremy Corbyn, as well as the autocue, the then shadow Brexit secretary sent the 2018 Labour conference into raptures when he called for a second EU ref»»»
Hungary to challenge EU plans to ban Russian oil and gas in court
Hungary will challenge the RePowerEU plan that would ban member states' imports of Russian oil and gas from 2027 before the European Court as soon as it is formally adopted, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said in Brussels on December 3. The plan would "undermine Hungary's ene»»»
Media's 'Shrieking' About Witkoff's Visit to Russia Mean Progress on Ukraine - Dmitriev
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Russian special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries, Kirill Dmitriev said Western media's "shrieking" about the visit by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow indicate progress in effort»»»
Macron to Update France's Nuclear Doctrine in Early 2026 - Reports
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - French President Emmanuel Macron will announce updates to France's nuclear doctrine in early 2026, a newspaper reported, citing a source close to Macron. "He will announce updates to the nuclear doctrine," the newspaper quoted the source as saying. The report said the French auth»»»
EU covering up Ukraine corruption – member state
The EU is ignoring rampant corruption in Ukraine because drawing attention to it could expose the bloc’s own corruption, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told journalists on Monday. According to Szijjarto, Ukraine’s latest major corruption scandal involving a close associate of Vladimir Z»»»
Putin Calls India Great Power That Cannot Be Treated Like British Colony
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - India is a great power that cannot be treated like a British colony, a fact that the international community should accept, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. "I think the whole world and India have realized that India cannot be spoken to the way it was spoken to 77 years ago»»»
Russia, India Have Prospects for Partnership in Arctic - Deputy Prime Minister
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia and India have prospects for partnership in the Arctic, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov told Sputnik in an interview. "Organizing joint production of Arctic-class vessels could become a promising area of cooperation," Manturov said when asked about possi»»»
President al-Sharaa receives UN Security Council delegation in Damascus
Damascus,Dec.4 (SANA) President Ahmad al-Sharaa received the UN Security Council delegation and several UN officials at the People’s Palace in Damascus on Thursday, with several Syrian ministers in attendance. The visit highlights the international community’s support for Syria during its reconstru»»»
After Oil-Rich Babanusa, What Will the Rapid Support Forces Target Next?
After more than two years of intense fighting, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Monday that they had seized full control of the Sudanese Army’s 22nd Infantry Division, the military’s last remaining stronghold in Babanusa, the capital of West Kordofan. Analysts say the fall of the strateg»»»
US unveils one-way drone squadron in Mideast to counter Iran's Shaheds
Dubai: US Central Command (CENTCOM) has created a new task force to oversee America’s first one-way-attack drone squadron in the Middle East, marking a dramatic shift in Washington’s response to Iran’s expanding unmanned capabilities, CNN has reported. Task Force Scorpion Strike, announced on Wedne»»»
All we know about the IndiGo flight cancellations
Dubai: Thousands of travellers remain stranded and frustrated at major airports across India as IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, grapples with a massive wave of flight cancellations now entering its third straight day. At least 175 IndiGo flights were grounded early Thursday, following over 1»»»
Egypt’s economy projected to grow by 67%: World Bank report
The Egyptian economy is poised to achieve record real growth rates, averaging approximately 6.0% annually over the next twenty-five years (2025–2050), according to World Bank forecasts published in November 2025. Egypt is actively working to increase the economy’s capacity to create more job opport»»»
ChatGPT helps Delhi man expose scammer, forcing him to beg for forgiveness
Dubai: A Delhi man has gone viral online after he used ChatGPT to outwit a scammer, build a fake payment link that secretly captured geolocation data and a front-camera image, and then confronted the fraudster with his own photograph and coordinates — forcing him to plead for forgiveness. The man d»»»
Putin Says Russia Will Take All of Ukraine's Donbas Region Militarily or Otherwise
President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published on Thursday that Russia would take full control of Ukraine's Donbas region by force unless Ukrainian forces withdraw, something Kyiv has flatly rejected. Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of»»»
AVM Saravanan, veteran producer and pillar of Tamil Cinema, dies at 86
AVM Saravanan, one of Tamil cinema’s most respected film producers and the driving force behind the legendary AVM Studios, passed away in the early hours of Thursday. He was 86. Family members said he had been unwell for several months and died at 5.30am at his home inside the AVM Studio campus in »»»
UN Security Council delegation to visit Lebanon Friday 'at crucial time'
A United Nations Security Council delegation will visit Lebanon on Friday and Saturday after visiting Syria in the first-ever visit to the country. Slovenian U.N. ambassador Samuel Zbogar told a press conference on Monday that "the visit to Lebanon is the first official visit of the Security Counci»»»
India: Aspiring pilot’s body found in Kolkata home
Kolkata: A 21-year-old aspiring pilot was found dead under mysterious circumstances in his house in North Kolkata, said police on Thursday. The body was found hanging in his ancestral house in the Girish Park area. The deceased youth, identified as Soumyaditya Kundu, had returned from South Africa »»»
European Chief Prosecutor, Justice Minister Attend Opening of EPPO Office in Bulgaria
European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi and Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev attended the opening of an office of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Sofia on Thursday. Bulgaria's acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov did not attend. In July, the Council of Ministers provided the »»»
International Committee Launched to Oversee Maritime Security Partnership with Yemen
Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union, Germany, and Japan have announced the formation of a Steering Committee to guide the Yemen Maritime Security Partnership, in coordination with Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The announcement came during the par»»»
Royals lay out festive greeting at glittering state banquet
King Charles hosted German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at a glittering, Christmassy state banquet at Windsor Castle on Wednesday evening. Among the famous guests were model Claudia Schiffer - who sat next to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer - film composer Hans Zimmer and violinist Anne-Sophie»»»
Kuwaiti female student dies in Ohio crash; Second victim in ICU
Dubai: A Kuwaiti university student has been killed and her companion critically injured in a tragic road accident in the United States, authorities confirmed. The crash happened early Tuesday morning in Clark County, Ohio, where 20-year-old female university student died at the scene, Almajlliss o»»»
Coupang faces possibility of record fine over massive data breach - UPI.com
South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang could face a record fine over a massive data breach of customer information, industry sources said Thursday. In this photo, a delivery truck is seen Wednesday outside a distribution center in Seoul. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI Coupang Inc. faces the possibility»»»
Technical Update on December 31 Halts Bulgarian Banking System Ahead of Euro Transition
Bulgaria’s banking system will undergo a brief technical shutdown on New Year’s Eve as part of the country’s historic transition to the eurozone. The system-wide update is scheduled from December 31 to January 2, with each bank notifying customers in advance about the availability of their digital »»»
Israel launches airstrike in south Gaza after Hamas fighters wound 5 soldiers
Israel said it launched an airstrike on a Hamas militant in southern Gaza late Wednesday in retaliation for an attack earlier in the day that wounded five Israeli soldiers. The strike was the latest test for a fragile ceasefire that has mostly held up since early October, despite claims of violatio»»»
UN Security Council delegation in Syria on first-ever visit
A United Nations Security Council delegation arrived in Syria on Thursday, state media reported, the first-ever visit to the country just days before the anniversary of the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. The delegation arrived via the Jdeidet Yabus border crossing between Lebanon and Sy»»»
On This Day, Dec. 4: Italian jury finds American Amanda Knox guilty of murder later acquitted - UPI.com
On Dec. 4, 2009, an Italian jury found U.S. exchange student Amanda Knox and her Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, guilty of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher. 1 of 4 | Amanda Knox appears during a news conference held at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on October 4, 2011. On Decem»»»
Waste sorting stations to be set up in Bishkek - | 24.KG
At a meeting of the Bishkek City Council’s Standing Committee on Housing and Utilities, Fuel and Energy, Transport, Communications, and Ecology, one of the deputies raised the issue of introducing separate waste collection. According to him, collecting «useful» waste (plastic, paper, glass) has its»»»
Seoul Says Six Nationals Held in North Korea, Vows to Help Them
South Korea's presidential office confirmed Thursday that six of its citizens have been captive in North Korea for years, after President Lee Jae Myung appeared unaware of their plight during a briefing with foreign media. Asked Wednesday about South Koreans detained in the North, Lee replied: "It'»»»
UN Chief Guterres Says Israel's Conduct of War in Gaza 'Fundamentally Wrong'
There was something "fundamentally wrong" with how Israel conducted its military operation in the Gaza Strip and there are "strong reasons to believe" that war crimes have been committed, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Reuters on Wednesday. "I think there was something funda»»»
President Dan doubts Russia's willingness to end war in Ukraine
President Nicusor Dan said on Wednesday that he had always been pessimistic about Russia's willingness to end the war in Ukraine."Let me remind you, in summer there were some international talks, coalitions of the willing, where many leaders expressed optimism. I have always been pessimistic about »»»
UN Security Council delegation in Syria on first-ever visit
Damascus: A United Nations Security Council delegation arrived in Syria on Thursday, state media reported, the first-ever visit to the country just days before the anniversary of the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. The delegation arrived via the Jdeidet Yabus border crossing between Leba»»»
Hamas Condemns Israeli Raids as “Attempt to Evade” Ceasefire Terms
Despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10th, the Israeli occupation military conducted a series of targeted raids across the Gaza Strip early Thursday. This localized escalation, according to local sources, appears to be an attempt to alter realities on the ground ahead of a pote»»»
UAE-based Filipina influencer to compete in Mrs. Earth International 2025
Dubai: A Dubai-based Filipina influencer and entrepreneur has been crowned Mrs. Philippines UAE 2025, securing her role as the official representative of the Filipino community in the upcoming Mrs. Earth International 2025 global pageant. Jenny Casa Dy, widely known as @mommyjennyindubai on social »»»
Trump: Putin wants to do a deal, but next steps unclear
After being debriefed on the Moscow meeting between US special envoys and Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump told reporters that the Russian leader wants to do a deal, but the next steps to reach an agreement were “unclear.” US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff»»»
Seoul says six nationals held in North Korea, vows to help them
Seoul: South Korea's presidential office confirmed Thursday that six of its citizens have been captive in North Korea for years, after President Lee Jae Myung appeared unaware of their plight during a briefing with foreign media. Asked Wednesday about South Koreans detained in the North, Lee replie»»»
Israeli army says body of second-to-last Gaza hostage identified
Israel's army said Thursday the remains of the second-to-last Gaza hostage — a Thai national — to be handed over had been identified. It comes as a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violating the terms. Also In This Package Gaza h»»»
QFC Family Office Forum highlights Qatar’s value proposition for wealth preservation and growth
Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), a leading onshore financial and business centre in the region, hosted this year’s edition of its Family Office Forum under the theme “Preserving Legacy, Empowering Future Leadership.” The forum brought together senior family office representatives, nex»»»
How will GCC’s new unified aviation authority reshape regional air travel
Dubai: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has taken a decisive step toward transforming regional air travel with the launch of the GCC Civil Aviation Authority. Headquartered in the UAE, this new body is a milestone in the bloc's efforts to deepen economic integration, promising real, tangible bene»»»
Saudi Budget Forum Reveals Govt. Spending Now Independent of ‘Oil Cycle’
Saudi Arabia’s 2026 budget forum, held a day after the Cabinet approved the new fiscal plan under the chairmanship of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, served as a high-level platform to explain the budget’s objectives and strategic direction. Officials said the budget aims to ba»»»
Syria Tightens Security Ahead of First Liberation Anniversary
A charged and fast-moving atmosphere is taking hold across Syria in the days leading up to the first anniversary of the liberation of Damascus from Bashar al-Assad’s rule on December 8, a moment that coincides with Christmas and New Year festivities. Announcements marking the liberation fill the st»»»
Russian–Indian Relations Developing in Many Directions: Putin to India Today
Russia and India have a large-scale plan for future cooperation, including in technology, space, and nuclear energy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. More statements by the Russian president: Russia and India have a large-scale plan for future cooperation, including in technology, space, and »»»