Belgium has approved the transfer of four decommissioned minehunters to Bulgaria under a contract worth €24 million (over $28 million).
The vessels will be modernised at Belgian shipyards before being deployed by Bulgaria in the Black Sea. Defence Minister Theo Francken said the deal would strengthen NATO’s presence in the region while also supporting Belgian industry.
“Bulgaria will receive ships it can deploy in the Black Sea, and our Belgian industry will benefit from €24 million in employment and high-tech contracts,” Francken said. “In this way, we are not only strengthening NATO but also our own economy.”
He added that transferring the ships allows Belgium to avoid the costs of maintaining or dismantling older vessels as the navy transitions to a new generation of mine countermeasure ships.
Under the agreement, Bulgaria will cover the costs of modernising and maintaining the minehunters in Belgium, ensuring long-term contracts for Belgian companies and continued technical support for the Bulgarian navy.
Francken also noted that three Dutch vessels could be added to the programme in the future.
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President Donald Trump declared that the United States will "always be there" for NATO, emphasising the importance of the alliance in countering global threats. In a post on Truth Social, Trump reiterated that Russia and China only feared NATO as long as the U.S. remained a member.
On 8 January, 2026, Azerbaijan will carry out the next delivery of oil products to Armenia, with shipments originating from the Guzdak railway station and the Baku cargo station.
Azerbaijan and Syria have reached an agreement to establish a joint business council aimed at enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two nations, according to the Syrian embassy in Azerbaijan.
Snow and ice caused travel chaos in northwest Europe on Wednesday, while others were delighted by the snow-covered streets of Paris, venturing out on sledges and skis.
Germany’s foreign intelligence service secretly monitored the telephone communications of former U.S. President Barack Obama for several years, including calls made aboard Air Force One, according to an investigation by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
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Iran’s chief justice has warned protesters there will be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic”, as rights groups reported a rising death toll during what observers describe as the country’s biggest wave of unrest in three years.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources reported a significant movement of U.S. military aircraft towards the Middle East in recent hours. Dozens of U.S. Air Force aerial refuelling tankers and heavy transport aircraft were observed heading eastwards, presumably to staging points in the region.
Two people have been killed after a private helicopter crashed at a recreation centre in Russia’s Perm region, Russian authorities and local media have said.
President Donald Trump declared that the United States will "always be there" for NATO, emphasising the importance of the alliance in countering global threats. In a post on Truth Social, Trump reiterated that Russia and China only feared NATO as long as the U.S. remained a member.
The U.S. has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that had been followed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, following a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic as part of a U.S. "blockade" on Venezuelan oil exports, according to two U.S. officials speaking to Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to advance EU membership discussions and secure stricter sanctions on Russia during a meeting on Wednesday as Cyprus took over the European Union's rotating presidency.
Two people have been killed after a private helicopter crashed at a recreation centre in Russia’s Perm region, Russian authorities and local media have said.
Türkiye is considering draft legislation that would prohibit children under the age of 15 from opening social-media accounts, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş has said.
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