The war in Ukraine and political chess in the Balkans

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani (r) welcomes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (c) for their meeting in Pristina, Kosovo, on October 15, 2025. [Visar Kryeziu/EPA] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday...

News digest: Backlash abroad, backlash at home

Article continues after video advertisement Article continues after video advertisement Hey there, Todayists — buckle up for Today in Slovakia, where the president has managed to ruffle feathers in Bulgaria — and in Bratislava, a communist who...

Rangers predicted starting XI vs Dundee United: International Man of the Match starts, hat-trick hero dropped

Here’s how we think Steven Smith will set up his side in his first match as interim boss As Rangers enter their latest new managerial era, next up is Dundee United at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon. After an eventful International break which saw...

BTA Presents English Edition of Anniversary Book, Honours Fo...

AKP Phnom Penh, 17 October, 2025 — The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) presented on Wednesday the English-language edition of 125 Years Bulgarian News Agency. The Real News: Stories On File 1989–2023 at its National Press Club in Sofia. The event also...

Pariah Putin faces humiliating 2,000 mile detour dodging wartorn Ukraine and raging Poland to get to crunch Trump talks

VLADIMIR Putin faces a gruelling 2,000 mile detour ducking wartorn Ukraine and its staunchest allies to reach Donald Trump for crunch talks in Hungary. The Russian pariah’s long and winding road to Budapest will see him dodge Nato and EU airspace...

Expanded visa-free access fuels surge in foreign entries

(Xinhua) 13:14, October 17, 2025 BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The strong growth momentum in foreign arrivals to China has extended to the third quarter of 2025, driven largely by the country's continued expansion of its visa-free access policies....

FNE at FilmFestival Cottbus 2025: FilmFestival Cottbus Announces Selection for 35th Edition

COTTBUS: Films by László Nemes, Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, and Ivona Juka have been selected for the Feature Film Competition of the 35th FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC), running 4 - 9 November 2025. In the Feature Film Competition, ten...

BiH Border Police Welcomes First Certified Official Dog Handler Trained to Frontex Standards

A member of the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), official dog handler Nurija Agic, and the official narcotics detection dog Rik, successfully completed a several-month-long K9 unit training in Skopje, carried out with the support of...

Gennaro Gattuso: ‘Will take credit if we manage to qualify, otherwise will go and live far away from Italy. I’m already a bit far away’

Since he won the FIFA World Cup in 2006, Gattuso has endured watching his beloved Italy falter twice to even qualify for the World Cup.Now as their coach, and once again precariously leaving qualification for the end, the Italy national team boss...

On the threshold of the snow season – will Bulgarian tourism surpass the levels of winter 2025

The tourism sector in Bulgaria has been growing in recent years, both in the summer and winter seasons. According to data from the relevant ministry, by the beginning of October, Bulgarian citizens who visited tourist destinations in the country...

Main Suspect in Kocani Disco Fire Passes Away Amid Ongoing Investigation

Vlado Petrov, one of the first suspects detained following the deadly Pulse disco fire in Kocani, North Macedonia, has died. The tragic incident in March claimed the lives of 59 people, with three more victims succumbing to burns in the aftermath....

EU invites Serbia to join collective gas-buying plan to reduce reliance on Russia

The European Union has invited Serbia to join the bloc’s communal gas-buying initiative, EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday, as it seeks to reduce the Balkan country’s reliance on fossil fuels from Russia. The EU launched a...

Spare us the empty words, Home Secretary, and get cracking on ending illegal immigration

YOU don’t have to be the sharpest knife in the box to realise that illegal immigration, in the form of the Channel boatmen, is reaching crisis proportions. Rarely out of the news, it is stretching beyond breaking point the credibility of the...

Wales vs Belgium – Match Preview & Prediction

Rabat – Wales hosts Belgium in a crucial World Cup 2026 qualifier in Cardiff. Wales sit in a tight race in Group J with 10 points – behind Belgium and North Macedonia – and need a win to stay in the race. Belgium, currently undefeated in the group...

Gaza reprieved, Geneva match-fixed, devolution auctioned, Venezuela targeted

Will India fulfil its devolution pledge and commitment to the Tamil people? Why wasn’t Marwan Bhargouti, Palestinian Nelson Mandela, released? NPP Govt concedes walkover at UNHRC Geneva On the first anniversary of her presidency, Mexico’s leftwing...

The 10 smallest teams that can still qualify for the World Cup

Qualification for the 2026 World Cup is nearing completion as teams battle to be one of the 48 competitors at the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada next summer. This week, Africa’s Cape Verde — which has around 525,000 inhabitants...

Marina Abramović’s ‘Balkan Erotic Epic’ Is Her Most Ambitious Performance Yet

We enter Balkan Erotic Epic on the tail of a funeral procession. The funeral is for Josip Broz Tito, the president of communist Yugoslavia, who ruled the country until his death in 1980. The procession is led by performance artist Maria...

'Heart-in-mouth' Belgium loss leaves Wales facing play-off challenge

Wales' players were crestfallen at the final whistle, glazed looks in their eyes as it dawned on them that a huge opportunity had slipped through their grasp. Belgium's goalless draw with North Macedonia on Friday had opened the door for Wales,...

Nicolas Raskin drops new Rangers manager admission as he makes commitment to fans

Belgian midfielder has revealed what he wants from the manager who replaces Russell Martin Nicolas Raskin has revealed what he wants from the next manager to take charge of Rangers. The Light Blues are still without their next permanent head coach...

Wales v Belgium: World Cup 2026 qualifying

Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this feature This is a good time to face Belgium. Not only are they stuttering in front of goal, but also missing Romelu Lukaku. Leandro Trossard was selected as the striker in the...