Romania

The United States on Dec. 4 led a group of Western nations and allies in condemnation of the Taliban over the "summary killings" of former members of the Afghan security forces reported by rights groups, demanding quick investigations.

A leading environmental activist in Romania, Octavian Berceanu, told BIRN on Friday that Romanian authorities do not want to collect accurate data on the amount of air pollution in the country because sanctions would be triggered. 

Pope Francis leads a Holy Mass at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus, on December 3, 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/Katia Christodoulou.

Soldiers carry a coffin with the remains of a victim from the bus accident near the village of Bosnek in Bulgaria at Skopje's International airport on December 3, 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/Georgi Licovski.

Romania's High Court of Cassation and Justice ruled on Thursday in favour of reopening the criminal investigation into former president Ion Iliescu over the so-called "Mineriada" events of June 13-15, 1990.

Iliescu summoned miners from the biggest mining basins in Romania, in Valea Jiului, to Bucharest to "restore order" against pro-Western parties who were demanding new elections.

Gazprom increased its gas exports to Bulgaria by 43.8%.

The company's deliveries to foreign countries have increased to 171.5 billion cubic meters, which is 6.6% (10.6 billion cubic meters) more than in the same period in 2020.

President Rumen Radev received congratulatory letters from heads of state from around the world on the occasion of his re-election for a second term, the press office of the head of state announced.

Traffic on the Hemus highway in the direction of Sofia is temporarily restricted for all cars and trucks after the snow has fallen due to the need for cleaning.

Ljubljana – The Medical Chamber has called for efforts to improve the status of doctors, as it warned that their current pay, not comparable to Western European countries in terms of workload, is resulting in brain drain. Young doctors are less and less likely to take up certain medical specialties due to difficult working conditions, it said.

Hanging halfway up an ancient oak tree, peering into a small, dark hole in its enormous trunk abuzz with bees, Filipe Salbany can barely contain himself.

"Amazing - the queen's laying!" the 55-year-old shouts down, as he dangles around 15 meters (just under 50 feet) above the grounds of Blenheim Estate, secured by ropes and a harness.

Today marks 102 years since the signing of the Neuilly Dictate, or since we were "defeated without being beaten."