By VESELIN TOSHKOV

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Tens of thousands joined the latest massive protests across Bulgaria on Wednesday, accusing the government of widespread corruption and underscoring political rifts just weeks before the country is to join European nations that use the euro as the official currency at the start of next year.

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The demonstrations came after last week’s protests that were sparked by the government’s budget plans for higher taxes, increased social security contributions and spending increases. The government later withdrew the controversial 2026 budget plan.

The protesters’ demands have since expanded to include calls for the center-right government of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov to resign.

In the capital, Sofia, protesters gathered on a central square where the parliament, the government and the presidency buildings are located. Chanting “Resignation” and “Mafia,” they called on Zhelyazkov’s minority coalition Cabinet to step down.

Students from Sofia’s universities joined the protests, which organizers said outnumbered last week’s rallies that drew over 50,000 people. Media estimates based on drone visuals put the number of protesters at over 100,000.

At the core of the protesters’ frustrations is the role of Bulgarian politician and oligarch Delyan Peevski, who has been sanctioned by both the United States and Britain, and whose MRF New Beginning party backs the government. Peevski has been accused by opponents of helping shaping government policy in line with oligarchic interests.

No violence was reported and the protests ended peacefully.

Also on Wednesday, the opposition coalition We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria called for a no-confidence vote in the government. The vote, the sixth such motion by the opposition, will take place on Thursday.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev wrote on Facebook that Wednesday’s demonstrations were in effect a vote of “no confidence in the Cabinet.”

Radev, an opponent of the government who hails from the political left, urged the lawmakers to listen to the people and to “choose between the dignity of free voting and the shame of dependence” when they vote on Thursday.

Bulgaria is soon to become the 21st member of the eurozone, a euro currency union that is a key EU project aimed at deepening ties between member countries. The Balkan country of 6.4 million people is to make the switch from its national currency, the lev, to the euro on Jan. 1.

A new Metro Transit bus route will connect Washington and Dakota county riders to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Mall of America while restoring service to the Newport Transit Station.

“It’s a big day for the community and for the east metro to be able to have this expansion of transit,” Washington County District 4 Commissioner Karla Bigham said.

Service for the new Route 345 began Sunday, with the goal of providing “faster and more reliable service to the southeast metro,” according to Metro Transit. Route 345 connects to other routes including the Gold Line, Blue Line and Red Line. Buses will run every hour and service is available between 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

The new route is said to reduce commute time between Woodbury and the Mall of America by close to 30 minutes, according to Metro Transit.

“Two weeks ago, if someone was trying to make this trip between Woodbury and the Mall of America, they would take Gold Line to the 54, and that would be about an hour and a half total transit travel time,” Metro Transit senior service planner Steve Baisden said. “Now, with Route 345, that travel time is cut almost in half.”

Route 345 was established as part of Network Now, a project designed by the Metropolitan Council to strengthen the regional transit network in response to the impacts of the pandemic, according to Baisden. Along with Route 345, Metro Transit introduced two additional new routes, 725 and 837, and added a few new stops to existing routes. These new routes were funded through the council’s Regional Transportation Sales and Use Tax, according to Metro Transit.

“It’s a new route, so it will inevitably expand network access and improve regional accessibility, mainly along the Highway 62 and I-494 corridor,” Baisden said. “Route 345 will also restore service at Newport Transit Station, as well as serving the various communities along the route.”

More than a year ago, the Metropolitan Council and the Red Rock Corridor Commission, which Bigham chairs, re-envisioned what the Red Rock Corridor transit line would look like, Bigham said. The idea for Route 345 came from transit and ridership data, as well as conversations with residents and stakeholders about the need for a route traveling from east to west, Bigham said.

“We didn’t have public transportation in the east metro, like Washington County, to the airport or to the Mall of America, which is pretty important,” Bigham said.

Bigham said Route 345, which connects with the Gold Line in Woodbury, will be an even greater resource when the Gold Line extends into Minneapolis.

“I think it’s going to serve multiple residents in their needs to access transit,” Bigham said. “Folks that either don’t have a vehicle or are in a one-car household, it allows people to have access to our communities, and I think it’s a long time coming.”

In Woodbury, Route 345 stops at Woodlane Station, which also serves routes 323, 355, and Metro Micro along with the Gold Line.

The new route also serves the newly reopened Newport Transit Station, which had experienced low ridership numbers before it temporarily closed in the spring of 2020, according to Baisden.

Bigham said she expects Newport ridership to increase with the new route.

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“This is a route that’s providing new connections that were not possible prior to the pandemic,” Baisden said. “It’s trying to respond to the changing travel patterns of riders. Trying to get riders from a certain area or certain areas within the southeast metro to either jobs or services in the south metro.”

In West St. Paul, the new route connects with Route 68 at Robert Street and Marie Avenue and Route 75 on Livingston Avenue.

Baisden said Route 345 in the future will also connect to the G Line along South Robert Street, which is scheduled to open in 2028.

Route 345 has three Park & Ride lots at Woodlane Station in Woodbury, the Newport Transit Center and at 30th Avenue Station in Bloomington.

For more information on the bus map and schedule, visit metrotransit.org.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The Trump administration is adding another militarized zone to the southern U.S. border to support border security operations — this time in California.

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The Department of Interior on Wednesday said it would transfer jurisdiction along most of California’s international border with Mexico to the Navy to reinforce “the historic role public lands have played in safeguarding national sovereignty.”

The newly designated militarized zone extends nearly from the Arizona state line to the Otay Mountain Wilderness, traversing the Imperial Valley and border communities including Tecate.

Since April, large swaths of border have been designated militarized zones, empowering U.S. troops to apprehend immigrants and others accused of trespassing on Army, Air Force or Navy bases, and authorizing additional criminal charges that can mean prison time. More than 7,000 troops have been deployed to the border, along with an assortment of helicopters, drones and surveillance equipment.

The military strategy was pioneered in April along a 170-mile stretch of the border in New Mexico and later expanded to portions of the border in Texas and Arizona.

The Interior Department described the newest national defense area in California as a high-traffic zone for unlawful crossings by immigrants. But Border Patrol arrests along the southern U.S. border this year have dropped to the slowest pace since the 1960s, amid President Donald Trump’s push for mass deportations.

“By working with the Navy to close long-standing security gaps, we are strengthening national defense, protecting our public lands from unlawful use, and advancing the President’s agenda,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a news release.

An emergency declaration by Trump has thrust the military into a central role in deterring migrant crossings between U.S. ports of entry. Legal experts say the strategy flouts a ban on law enforcement by the military on U.S. soil and thrusts the armed forces into a potentially politicized mission.

The new militarized zone was announced Wednesday as a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop deploying the California National Guard in Los Angeles and return control of those troops to the state.

Trump called up more than 4,000 California National Guard troops in June without Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approval to further the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.

Rejoice, New Year’s dieters: Oreos are getting a sugar-free option.

Mondelez said Tuesday that Oreo Zero Sugar and Oreo Double Stuf Zero Sugar will go on sale in the U.S. in January. They’re a permanent addition to the company’s Oreo lineup.

It’s the first time Mondelez has sold sugar-free Oreos in the U.S. They’re already sold in Europe and China, the company said.

Mondelez said consumers are increasingly seeking what it calls “mindful indulgence,” and the new Oreos will fill an existing gap in the market for sugar-free sandwich cookies.

Others have also noted the trend toward healthier snacks. In a report earlier this year, the market research company Circana found that a majority of Americans are seeking out snacks they consider “good for them.” Conagra Brands, which makes popcorn and Slim Jim meat snacks, said in a recent snacking report that Millennials and Generation Z consumers, in particular, are seeking portion-controlled and wellness-focused snacks.

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, which was introduced in 2017, saw sales jump 9% last year, while original Coke sales grew just 2%. Mondelez is also facing competition from Hershey, which sells zero sugar versions of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and other candies, and Voortman, a sugar-free wafer cookie brand.

Mondelez said it spent four years developing no-sugar Oreos so it could ensure the cookies still tasted like the originals. For sweetening, the Oreos contain maltitol, a type of sugar alcohol that’s also found in some fruits and vegetables; polydextrose, a soluble fiber; sucralose, a sweetener derived from sugar; and acesulfame potassium, a synthetic sweetener.

This image provided by Oreo shows Oreo Zero Sugar Cookies. (Oreo via AP)

Comparing the nutrition data on Zero Sugar and regular Oreos is tricky, since the serving sizes differ.

A serving of Oreo Zero Sugar cookies, which is defined as 22.6 grams, has 90 calories, 4.5 grams of fat and 16 grams of carbohydrates. A serving of regular Oreos, which is defined as three cookies or 34 grams, has 160 calories, 7 grams of fat and 25 grams of carbohydrates.

The biggest difference: a serving of regular Oreos contains 13 grams of added sugars, or 26% of the recommended daily amount. Zero Sugar Oreos contain none.

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