DOHA: The draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11-July 19, will take place on Friday, with the participation of the Qatar national football team. A total of 48 countries will take part in next year's World Cup tournament. The draw wi»»»

On Thursday, Australian kids under 16 began losing their Facebook and Instagram account to comply with a new law. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Meta began removing Australian teens younger than 16 from its platforms on Thursday to comply with the country's new law.»»»

Bulgarian History Publishing House has released a new book, 440 Days. Atatürk in Bulgaria, authored by journalist Nahide Deniz, a long-time BTA correspondent in Turkey. The work examines Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s stay in Bulgaria from 1913 to 1915, during which he served as the Ottoman Empire’s first»»»

Dubai: Sri Lanka's Consul General to Dubai and the Northern Emirates has called on all UAE residents, regardless of nationality, to support relief and rebuilding efforts following the devastating impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Alexi Gunasekera urged the UAE's diverse population to rally behind Sri Lanka»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia and India share a common vision for the planet's future, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. "The main thing is that the two countries' visions for the future of our planet are largely similar. This is the most important thing," Peskov told Russian journalist»»»

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma family's dog earned a Guinness World Record when his tongue, which usually hangs out the side of his mouth, was measured at 7.83 inches long. Ozzy, a French mastiff and bull mastiff mix belonging to Angela Pick and her family, officially earned the title of the longest t»»»

@teaowithmoana Is that a bird! Freak accident. Shout out to our reporter Jess Tyson for her commitment to the Kaupapa. ♬ original sound - Te Ao with Moana Dec. 3 (UPI) -- A New Zealand news reporter filming a segment outside when she was struck in the face by a low-flying bird -- and the moment was»»»

The moon rises in Washington, D.C., this past month. This month, the last full moon of the year also will be a supermoon, appearing slightly larger and brighter than usual when it rises Thursday night. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo Baby, it will be cold outside when the full mo»»»

“We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB) confirmed that on Friday the coalition will introduce a vote of no confidence against the government, arguing that its economic policy has failed. Coalition representatives Nikolai Denkov and Bozhidar Bozhanov announced the move, describing the »»»

Dubai: Max Verstappen may or may not clinch his fifth Drivers’ Championship this season, but his place among Formula 1’s greatest is already secure. Like many of my generation, I was drawn into the sport through Netflix’s Drive to Survive. At first, the show’s portrayal shaped my opinions, the char»»»

ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) - The European Union understands that the theft of Russian assets will have consequences, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. "The European Union still understands, deep down, that theft, especially on such a large scale, will not go witho»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's Battlegroup Tsentr has eliminated up to 490 Ukrainian military personnel over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday. "In the past 24 hours, Russian units of the Tsentr group destroyed up to 490 Ukrainian armed forces servicepeople, three armored fig»»»

BAGHDAD (Sputnik) - Iraq's Central Bank has mistakenly included Yemen's Ansar Allah movement (also known as the Houthis) and Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah in the list of terrorist organizations whose funds are to be frozen, the bank's committee for the freezing of terrorist funds said on Thurs»»»

Support for the ongoing protests in Bulgaria remains strong, according to the latest data from the independent sociological program of the “Myara” agency. Currently, 71.3% of respondents expressed support for the demonstrations, a level of backing comparable to the mass protests of 2020. Opposition»»»

The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to hold a classified hearing into the double strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean Sea. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Adm. Mitch Bradley, the military leader the White House said ordered the secon»»»

Dubai: A team of Dubai Civil Defence firefighters has made history after climbing Mount Toubkal — the highest peak in the Arab world and North Africa — while wearing full firefighting gear, securing a new Guinness World Record during the UAE’s 54th National Day celebrations. The nine-member team co»»»

The European Union has finally taken a nuclear option of adding Russia’s name to the official blacklisted as a high-risk country for money laundering and terrorism financing that will add to its financial system headaches. Russia has been on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list for year»»»

Member of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to Resistance Parliamentary bloc MP Hasan Fadlallah lashed out the Israeli occupation over its continuous attacks in the region, stressing that offering concessions to this enemy only encourages it to continue the aggression. Addressing the Meeting of the Standing Comm»»»

The Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) parliamentary group will table a vote of no confidence in the Government over its economic policy on Friday, MPs Nikolay Denkov and Bozhidar Bozhanov of CC-DB said in Parliament's lobby on Thursday. Bozhanov said that it is this issue that has g»»»

When it comes to financial security for Iran's jittery public after the 12-day war with Israel, all that glitters is gold — and for many, it remains the most trusted hedge against inflation, sanctions and a weakening rial currency. Traders in Tehran's Grand Bazaar say every new headline about Unite»»»

US envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to bring the Ukraine conflict to a settlement, US President Donald Trump told journalists on Wednesday. A day earlier, Witkoff and Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, visited the Kremlin for t»»»

Israel has handed over the first operational Arrow 3 system to the German military at a formal ceremony at an air force base near Berlin. The move comes as Germany takes a primary role in the EU’s militarization drive under the pretext of the ‘Russian threat’ – which Moscow has dismissed, saying it»»»

The recent naval drone attacks on vessels off Türkiye’s Black Sea coast, reportedly carried out by Ukraine, could make the region inaccessible to trade and human transport, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned. In the past week, explosives-laden sea drones have struck two oil tankers and»»»

Dubai: The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has signed a third agreement under its 'Retail Sukuk' initiative, partnering with Emirates Islamic Bank to extend retail-level access to government-backed Islamic Treasury Sukuk (T-Sukuk). Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Through the»»»

On the occasion of International Migrants’ Day on December 18, migrant business owners in Sofia released a Manifesto of Foreign Entrepreneurs in Bulgaria, highlighting their contributions to the country’s economy and advocating for simplified business procedures that benefit society as a whole. The»»»

BusinessEuropeWhy undoing the EU combustion engine ban spooks car rentalsArthur SullivanThe EU will soon unveil a new plan to curb CO2 emissions in Europe's car sector, likely loosening an all-out 2035 ban of sales of combustion engine cars. But some businesses face more stringent electrification q»»»

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin this week. Witkoff and Kushner were set to continue their shuttle diplomacy with a meeting with senior Ukrainian officials in Florida on Thursday. Photo by Alexand»»»

John Ellis was 16 when frequent stomach pains led to an unexpected diagnosis. His mother suggested they go to the doctor, and after a series of tests, the results took even Mr Ellis's mother, a nurse of 30 years, by surprise: Mr Ellis had hepatitis B. Born in 1990, just a year before the US began u»»»

Kiril Valchev was re-elected unanimously Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency. It was a unanimous vote, with all 170 attending MPs voting to back him. Valchev's nomination was put forward by MPs Kostadin Angelov (GERB-UDF), Toshko Yordanov (There Is Such a People) and Mariana Boyadzhieva (»»»

Sharjah Police have helped end a 12-year family agony by reuniting a mother with her son after years of separation caused by complex domestic disputes. The case highlights the UAE’s longstanding commitment to placing people at the centre of its policies — a value deeply rooted in the nation’s leade»»»

London: Oscar-winning British actress Kate Winslet said she was "so proud" of herself for directing her first film "Goodbye June" and would "love to do more". Speaking at the Christmas drama's world premiere in London on Wednesday, the 50-year-old Winslet, who also acts in the film, said she found »»»

Dubai: Wellness revolutions are constantly brewing in the UAE, and the latest one starts with something as simple as a glass of water. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Founders of Dubai-based startup Shake Your Plants (SYP), Justine Dampt and Lia Coelho, have concluded »»»

The Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey: Georg Georgiev, Oana Coișu, and Hakan Fidan - convened a trilateral meeting focused on Black Sea security and support for Ukraine. The discussions took place on December 3 in Brussels during the NATO Foreign Ministers’ gathering. All three dip»»»

Tavex has reported unprecedented demand for euros in Bulgaria at the end of 2025, with transactions surging over 120% compared to the same period last year and exceeding June’s peak by 15%. This represents the highest demand the company has recorded so far. “Currently, there is almost no supply of »»»

Sibolga: Rain forecasts on Thursday raised fears of more damage in flood-hit Indonesia and Sri Lanka, after earlier deluges killed more than 1,500 people in four countries. In Indonesia, the weather agency warned the three hard-hit provinces on the island of Sumatra would see “moderate to heavy” ra»»»

A United Nations Security Council delegation arrived on Thursday in Syria, the first-ever visit to the country, state media reported. The delegation arrived via the Jdeidet Yabus border crossing between Lebanon and Syria and “is scheduled to meet a number of Syrian officials” and members of civil s»»»

New rules for citizens of Kazakhstan staying in the Kyrgyz Republic have been introduced, effective from September 1, 2025. The press service of the State Committee for National Security’s Border Service reported. Citizens of Kazakhstan may stay in Kyrgyzstan for up to 90 days in total within any 1»»»

With “heartfelt respect,” U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa on Thursday extended his appreciation to “the Government and people of Lebanon for the gracious welcome offered to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV during his recent visit.” “The professionalism and unity demonstrated in preparing and hostin»»»

A group of stars including actors and actresses participated in the Cairo winter fashion show in its fourth wave. The event included presentations of the latest local and international fashion styles of wedding, and evening dresses, which were accepted by the audience. The jury included fashion des»»»

Brussels, Belgium: The EU said Thursday it has opened an antitrust probe to determine if the way Meta is rolling out AI features in WhatsApp breaches the bloc's competition rules. In announcing the probe, the European Commission said it was concerned that a newly-announced Meta "policy may prevent »»»

The UK and Norway have signed a defence pact that will see them operate a combined fleet to hunt Russian submarines in the North Atlantic. The deal is designed to protect undersea cables - which British officials say are increasingly under threat from Moscow - with a 30% rise in Russian vessels spo»»»

Twenty-five million American children will soon see money appear in their investment accounts thanks to an extraordinary $6.25 billion pledge from Michael and Susan Dell — a gift the couple says is meant to give young Americans “a future worth saving for.” The Dells are using their wealth to jump-s»»»

On the sidelines of the National Assembly, Delyan Peevski, leader of “DPS-New Beginning,” addressed the recent tensions with “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB), emphasizing that the coalition "cannot hide its previous cooperation with DPS and other political actors". Peevski pres»»»

An underground hotel proposal for the island of Serifos has been rejected by the Decentralized Administration of the Aegean, raising questions about large-scale tourism development on protected islands. Serifos Village IKE proposed building on 5 hectares within a Natura 2000 protected area. Plans i»»»

Kazakhstan’s service sector saw a sharper downturn in November compared to the previous month, according to the latest Freedom Holding and S&P Global PMI survey. New business growth slowed and reached its weakest level since March, although the survey recorded some stabilising signs in employment a»»»

The two front runners in Honduras' presidential election are still neck and neck as the vote count enters its fourth day. With just over 84% of the votes counted, conservative candidate Nasry Asfura - who has the backing of US President Donald Trump - moved ahead of centrist TV presenter Salvador N»»»

Dubai: A new exhibition in Sharjah invites the public to experience the life and legacy of Mahmoud Darwish like never before. The House of Wisdom opened its doors to The Dice Player: Mahmoud Darwish exhibition on Thursday, December 4, 2025, and will run until March 13, 2026, inviting culture lovers»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his state visit to Pakistan. The talks were held in both narrow and expanded formats, the presidential press service reported. The two sides discussed key areas of bilateral cooperation — from politics and the econo»»»

DOHA: The State of Qatar has announced that it is dedicating a key site on Doha's waterfront to a new headquarters for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is known globally for its mediating role. Created to establish a more visible civic presence for the nation's diplomatic service and offer th»»»

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»»»