Bulgaria and Lebanon to Launch Regular Sofia-Beirut Flights
Bulgaria and Lebanon have agreed to establish a regular air route connecting Sofia and Beirut
Air raid sirens were activated across central Israel, prompting millions of residents to take shelter as shells were fired from Lebanon, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), reported by Reuters. The IDF noted efforts to intercept some of the incoming shells. In Tel Aviv, the country's economic center, authorities confirmed that sirens were sounded and searches were underway to locate areas affected by rocket debris.
Earlier reports indicated that a Hezbollah drone strike killed at least four Israeli soldiers south of Haifa. Meanwhile, in northern Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike targeted an area predominantly inhabited by Christians, resulting in 21 fatalities, as reported by the Lebanese Red Cross and cited by the Associated Press.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli airstrikes hit various locations. An attack in Deir al-Balah killed three people and wounded 40 others, with the Israeli military stating that the strike targeted a Hamas command center. Another strike on a food distribution center in the Jabalia refugee camp led to the deaths of 10 individuals and injured 30 more.
Simultaneously, Israel is demanding the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping forces from their base along the Lebanese-Israeli border. France and Spain, the nations with the largest contingents in the UNIFIL mission, have refused to withdraw their troops, maintaining their commitment to the peacekeeping efforts.
The Pentagon announced that it would deploy an additional THAAD anti-missile system to Israel for the interception of medium-range ballistic missiles. This system, operated by the U.S. military, will join an existing battery deployed after the Hamas attack on October 7 last year, and another that was positioned in 2019.
Amid these developments, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi urged nations to remove restrictive measures that prevent refugees and migrants from crossing borders, calling such measures ineffective and sometimes unlawful. At the annual meeting of the High Commission, Grandi highlighted that 123 million people are currently displaced worldwide, an unprecedented number. He called for a focus on addressing the root causes of displacement and encouraged the creation of legal pathways for asylum instead of closing borders.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a new American military initiative targeting what Washington describes as “narco-terrorist” groups operating throughout the Western Hemisphere
The European Commission has temporarily halted the preliminary assessment of Bulgaria’s request for the third payment under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan
The Foreign Ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) democracies voiced concern over China’s expanding military capabilities and underscored their determination to create alternatives to Beijing’s dominance
Romania continues to grapple with sharply rising prices, with inflation reaching 9.8 percent in October
Several districts across Kyiv suffered extensive damage after a large overnight Russian attack between 13 and 14 November, which involved waves of missiles and drones
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is not only continuing its war against Ukraine but may also be preparing for a major military offensive in Europe between 2029 and 2030
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