The heatwave sweeping Europe this week is raising questions about whether existing workplace protections are fit for a warming climate – prompting trade unions and health experts to call for binding EU rules to protect workers from extreme temperatures. Large parts of Europe have recorded unusually»»»

More than 8.51 million Romanians were enrolled in mandatory private pension funds, known as Pillar II, at the end of March 2026, while total assets reached RON 212.55 billion, up by around 33% compared with the same period last year, according to a report published by the Financial Supervisory Auth»»»

Vienna: Drug use around the world is rising, including a worrying increase of new potent and dangerous synthetic drugs, a UN watchdog warned on Friday. An estimated 331 million people used a drug in 2024, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in its 2026 World Drug Report. This »»»

London, United Kingdom: Serena Williams was on Friday drawn to play Australia's Maya Joint in the Wimbledon first round as the American legend returns to singles action after four years. Williams retired in 2022 but the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion made a sensational comeback by playing in t»»»

La Guaira, Venezuela: Rescuers used heavy machinery and their bare hands on Friday in a race to save survivors of deadly twin earthquakes in Venezuela that killed at least 235 people, hurt thousands and flattened scores of buildings. International rescuers and aid have begun arriving to help a nati»»»

INDJIJA - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday evening elections would be held soon and that the results of the latest opinion polls were more favourable for the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) compared to previous ones. "The elections will be very difficult for us, they will »»»

In a relief for CBSE students, those currently studying in Classes VII, VIII and IX who have opted for two foreign languages under the three-language policy will be allowed to continue with the same subject combination till Class X, sources in the Ministry of Education told ANI. The clarification c»»»

Tokyo, Japan: A Japanese park famous for "snow monkeys" soaking in hot springs will cap daily numbers after a surge in visitors and cases of bad behaviour including bathing with the animals, an official said Friday. Nestled in a valley with an altitude of 850 metres (nearly 2,800 feet) in the centr»»»

Tokyo: A "very strong" verification system is needed in Iran following the Middle East conflict to ensure that the country does not develop nuclear weapons, the UN atomic watchdog chief said Friday. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi's remarks come as the United States and»»»

Jana SinramOil and gas have made Norway wealthy. But another resource could play a key role in solving future global challenges: algae. https://p.dw.com/p/5FizzAdvertisementOff Norway’s west coast, a startup harvests brown algae as asustainable resource. The fast-growing plants require no fertilize»»»

ING Bank Romania is launching the Business Bonus Deposit, a new savings product designed for small and medium-sized businesses and mid-corporate clients, which combines a competitive interest rate of 5.1% per year with the flexibility to access funds at any time without losing accrued interest. Thi»»»

A total of 25 people have been arrested so far in a police operation in Varna’s Primorski borough, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev told reporters near Veliko Tarnovo on Friday. Five of those arrested are municipal employees, with the identities of those arrested to be confirmed once formal charg»»»

New Delhi, India: India has removed restrictions on supplies of commercial liquified petroleum gas imposed during the Middle East regional tension when energy supplies were hit by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. India, the world's most populous country, is the second-largest importer of LPG, m»»»

Storeys Real Estate has achieved a remarkable series of milestones, further strengthening its position as one of the UAE’s fastest-growing real estate brokerages. The company has been ranked #1 with Aldar Properties, secured the #4 position with Arada, and earned recognition as the 4th Best Real Es»»»

The Israeli army confirmed Friday that an officer was moderately injured and an officer and two soldiers were lightly injured in a clash overnight with a Hezbollah militant in south Lebanon. Israeli media reports said the Hezbollah fighter hurled a hand grenade at the Israelis. Israeli airstrikes a»»»

The Romanian Gymnastics Federation should be fined after refusing to allow Russian gymnasts to participate in the Challenge Cup with their flag and anthem, two-time Olympic speed skating champion and State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova said. On Friday, the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team decided to»»»

A clear majority of Hungarians would support replacing the forint with the euro, according to a new Medián survey, with around three in four respondents backing the introduction of the common European currency. The findings also reveal political divisions, as supporters of the opposition Fidesz par»»»

The Sofia Municipal Council failed to secure the required support to confirm its earlier decision to rename Gen. Vladimir Zaimov Park, effectively leaving the original name unchanged. The proposal to replace it with “Oborishte Park” did not pass the final vote, after the required threshold of 31 vo»»»

Customs officers at Bulgaria’s Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint seized 73 combat pistols hidden inside a truck traveling from Turkey to the Netherlands, in what authorities described as one of the most significant weapons interceptions at the site this year. The vehicle, registered in Turkey and »»»

Progressive Bulgaria (PB) Friday rejected the opposition's criticism of the draft 2026 budget put forward by the Cabinet, and attacked its predecessors. PB deputy Konstantin Prodanov said in a declaration to Parliament on Friday that the 2026 draft budget proposed by the GERB-dominated Cabinet - no»»»

A criminal group in Varna (on the Black Sea) used forged notary deeds to seize numerous municipal and state-owned properties, Democratic Bulgaria floor leader Bozhidar Bozhanov told reporters in Parliament on Friday. Bozhanov said the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime had investigat»»»

New York, USA: New York, which has some of the priciest rents in America, voted to freeze rents for some properties subject to rent stabilization by the city, media reported Thursday in a win for Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Nearly a million properties in the Big Apple subject to so-called "rent stabiliza»»»

The relay carrying the flag of the F1H2O Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan Issyk-Kul 2026 in powerboat racing has officially started in Kyrgyzstan. The first stop of the route was Tort-Gul aiyl okmotu in Batken region, where an official ceremony welcoming the championship flag took place. According to the S»»»

The draft 2026 state budget will be submitted to the Council of Ministers on July 1 and then forwarded to parliament the same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev told BNT. He described the financial framework as a continuation of previously approved policies, while also addr»»»

Nigerian fintech startup Daya has raised $2.4mn in a pre-seed funding round to expand its stablecoin-powered cross-border payments platform, underscoring growing investor interest in blockchain-based payment infrastructure serving African businesses. The funding round was led by New York-based digi»»»

Russia's brief fiscal reprieve from the Gulf war is already coming to an end. A surge in oil prices in the last months looked like it would bail the Kremlin out which is increasingly struggling to pay for the war in Ukraine. But those hopes look short lived as oil prices are already dropping just a»»»

A TV screen shows a live broadcast of former first lady Kim Keon Hee's bribery trial at Seoul Station on Friday. Kim was sentenced to seven years in prison. Photo by Yonhap A Seoul court on Friday sentenced former first lady Kim Keon Hee to seven years in prison for taking expensive gifts in return»»»

HEADLINES The dominant topic across Bulgarian media on Friday is the debate over the 2026 draft budget, public-sector pay, personal social insurance contributions for state employees, and the sustainability of public finances. Coverage focuses on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab »»»

Dubai: Europe’s summer appeal for UAE travellers is facing a new challenge as record-breaking heat pushes holidaymakers to reconsider where and when they travel. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.A record-breaking heatwave is sweeping Europe, with the Netherlands issuing»»»

Politician and video blogger Nurlan Motuev has passed away at the age of 56, his brother, Nurdin Motuev, announced. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed. It was previously reported that the «coal king» had been seriously ill. Motuev gained his greatest fame in the mid-2000s, when he was de»»»

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem on Friday said Israel has "no option" but to unconditionally withdraw from Lebanese areas it occupies, and he rejected any normalization in ties between Lebanon and Israel. "Israel has no option but to withdraw completely from every inch of our Lebanese land... Is»»»

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young delivers a keynote speech during the Korean Peninsula Symposium 2026 in Seoul on Friday. Photo by Yonhap Unification Minister Chung Dong-young called Friday for shifting away from an approach that sticks to denuclearization as the sole solution to the North Kor»»»

The way people travel across the UAE is about to change, with Etihad Rail preparing to welcome passengers on its highly anticipated railway network. Designed to make journeys faster, more convenient and comfortable, the service is set to connect major cities and regions across the country while off»»»

Los Angeles, United States: Tunisia's miserable World Cup campaign ended with zero points and a minus-10 goal difference after three Group F games following a 3-1 defeat by the Netherlands on Thursday. Here, AFP Sport takes a look at the previous teams to rack up a minus goal difference of double d»»»

The Formula 1 title race is turning into the ultimate battle of youth against experience. On one side, Lewis Hamilton, who at 41 just became F1’s oldest race winner since 1970. An eighth world title would make him the oldest champion since 1957. On the other, Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old Italian»»»

President Donald Trump’s closure of US development agency USAID adds hurdles to humanitarian relief efforts in quake-hit Venezuela, says Christopher Sabatini, Latin America Programme Director at Chatham House. “Right now, the Trump administration has to coordinate a multi-agency effort when in fact»»»

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back speaks during a press briefing on drone and counter-drone policy at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Seoul on Friday. Photo by Yonhap SEOUL, June 26 (UPI) -- South Korea unveiled a sweeping plan Friday to rapidly expand the military's drone and counter-drone capabi»»»

Paris: When the mercury rises so do the costs for an economy as productivity melts and growth becomes lethargic, providing an additional challenge to Europe as it struggles with high energy prices. "Extreme heat is emerging as a structural economic risk, with Europe highly exposed," wrote the trade»»»

Trust in the Cabinet in June is 45% and mistrust is 30%, according to a MarketLinks/bTV poll whose results were made public Friday. One and a half months after the Radev cabinet took office, the first visible signs of waning public enthusiasm for the new government and the majority party supporting»»»

Doha, Qatar:The FIFA World Cup group stage has delivered drama, surprises and unforgettable moments, but few fixtures have generated as much anticipation as Norway’s clash with France today. When the draw placed The Vikings and Les Bleus in the same group back in December, football fans immediately»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s second successive FIFA World Cup group-stage exit may have brought a disappointing end to their campaign in North America, but head coach Julen Lopetegui believes the tournament has laid another important foundation for the future of Qatari football. Al Annabi bowed out after a»»»

Doha, Qatar: Julen Lopetegui has defended Akram Afif following Qatar’s World Cup exit, insisting the national team’s biggest star remained one of Al Annabi’s most influential players despite finishing the tournament without a goal or an assist. The Spanish coach rejected criticism of the 29-year-ol»»»

ABU DHABI: Fans attending UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev v Rountree Jr. on Saturday, July 25, will experience the action at one of the world’s most celebrated venues after Etihad Arena was ranked the No.3 UFC venue globally in the 2026 USA Today Sports Readers’ Choice Awards. The recognition comes as Et»»»

Russian air defenses intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones in a major nighttime attack on 12 Russian regions as well as the Russia-held Crimean peninsula, the Black Sea and the Azov Sea, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Friday. It appeared to be one of the biggest drone attacks on Russian regions and the »»»

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia know all about World Cup shocks. From Saeed Al-Owairan’s mazy solo winner against Belgium in 1994 to Salem Al-Dawsari’s memorable strike against Argentina in 2022, the Green Falcons have provided some of the tournament’s most iconic underdog moments. But this Saturday, Georgios »»»

Riyadh, June 26 (SANA) Saudi Aramco, has resumed crude loading at its Ras Tanura terminal in the Gulf after a near four-month suspension due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, according to vessel-tracking data. Data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) cited by Reuters showed two Very L»»»

Rome: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Majed Mohammed Al Ansari participated in the Mediterranean and Gulf Summit organized by the Italian Institute for International Affairs in Rome, Italy. Dr. Al Ansari spoke during two main sessions,»»»

Hezbollah overnight accused Israel of a "flagrant" ceasefire breach, saying it launched a drone and killed three civilians in southern Lebanon. The group said the strike was a "direct attack" on "civilians," while Israel had earlier said it had killed fighters from Hezbollah ranks. Hezbollah said i»»»

New York City's rent board on Thursday approved New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's proposal for rent-freezes on one-year and two-year leases. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- New York City's rental board has approved Mayor Zohran Mamdani's two-year rent-freeze proposal»»»

Abu Dhabi Police and Civil Defence teams are responding to a fire that broke out on Friday morning at the carpet market near Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi. Emergency crews were deployed to the site shortly after the incident was reported, with authorities working to bring the situation under control and »»»