Video: MOI reiterates work visa issuance service available on Metrash app
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior (MOI) has reminded residents and citizens that the Metrash app allows users to apply for work visa issuance easily and conveniently. In a social media post, the MOI stated that users do not need to visit the General Directorate of Passports or unified services »»»
Romania drops 12 places in global competitiveness ranking
Romania has recorded its sharpest decline in recent years in the 2026 World Competitiveness Yearbook, published on Thursday by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Agerpres reports. Compared with the previous edition, Romania fell 12 places to 61st out of 70 eco»»»
Ukraine hits Moscow with 'large-scale' attack, oil refinery strike 'justified', Zelensky says
Smoke rose over Moscow Thursday morning after Ukraine launched its largest drone attack in years, hitting the Moscow oil refinery and sparking fires in and around the capital. The attack on the oil refinery was a "justified response" to Russian strikes in Ukraine, said President Volodymyr Zelensky.»»»
POLITICO: New Bulgarian PM Radev Under Scrutiny as EU Braces for Sanctions Debate on Russia
European Council in Brussels opens amid expectations that Bulgaria’s new Prime Minister Rumen Radev could play a more assertive role in shaping EU debates on Ukraine, the budget and foreign policy, Politico reports. Radev, formerly president, is now attending his first European Council summit as he»»»
Ships surge out of Hormuz as Iran peace deal takes hold — Asian tankers, European ships lead the rush
Commercial shipping traffic accelerated out of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday following a US-Iran peace agreement signed in France. Multiple vessels that had been stranded for over three months are now underway, according to maritime intelligence data. Analysts at realtime maritime vessel tracker»»»
US media slam Trump’s ‘spin job’ over Iran war agreement
WASHINGTON: Pre-war objectives abandoned, Iran’s power bolstered, tens of billions of dollars guzzled away: US media appear unanimous in condemning Donald Trump’s concessions to Iran in an agreement meant to end the war. The US president put his signature to a memorandum of understanding on Wednesd»»»
UAE sets minimum social media use age at 15, media office says
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates on Thursday approved a resolution setting the minimum age for social media use at 15, the government’s media office said, making it the first Arab country to introduce such a measure. The resolution prohibits children under 15 from creating or using pe»»»
UAE universities hit record QS Rankings 2027: Eight institutions achieve all-time highs
Dubai: For the first time, a UAE institution has broken into the global top 150. Khalifa University climbed from 177th to 147th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, released on June 18, a landmark result for the country's higher education sector. Overall, nine of the UAE's 12 ranked universiti»»»
Prime Day returns to Amazon.ae from June 24-30 with exclusive deals and savings
Amazon UAE’s Prime Day returns from June 24-30, kicking off summer with millions of exclusive deals for Prime members on www.amazon.ae/primeday. This year’s event brings together deep discounts across more than 30 product categories from top local and international brands, in addition to deals on t»»»
Municipalities Push for Fiscal Decentralization amid Fiscal Constraints
Bulgaria's municipalities are calling for a gradual transfer of financial powers from the central government to local authorities, arguing that fiscal decentralization is essential for regional development and more effective public administration. Speaking at the opening of the National Meeting of »»»
Bulgaria Moves Closer to Removal From Global Money Laundering Watchlist After Major Reform PushOpinions
Bulgaria has received a major positive assessment in its efforts to combat financial crime after implementing all 40 recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), according to a report published by MONEYVAL and announced by the Ministry of Justice. The development marks a significant m»»»
Trust in Digital Services Starts with a Clear BillOpinions
Why clear fees, card payments, account access, downtimes, and data security are important in online services. Online services are no longer just a movie subscription or food delivery. Through the phone, you pay for parking in Sofia, an English course, cloud storage, a BDZ (Bulgarian State Railways)»»»
Jordan set to receive $188m IMF financing amid regional turmoil
RIYADH: Jordan is set to receive $188 million in fresh International Monetary Fund financing to support economic reforms and stability amid continued disruption from the Middle East conflict. The IMF Executive Board completed the fifth review of Jordan’s Extended Fund Facility arrangement and the s»»»
Drone That Attacked Bus in Bryansk Region Is of Ukrainian Origin - Lukashenko
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Belarus clearly states that the drone that attacked a passenger bus in Russia's Bryansk Region was of Ukrainian origin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday. "We are not in a hurry to draw any conclusions, but we clearly state the fact that this is a drone o»»»
How to apply for UAE retail T-Sukuk?Minimum Dh1,000 investment explained
Abu Dhabi: UAE citizens and residents will soon be able to invest in the country’s first Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk programme, a government-backed Shariah-compliant investment product designed for individuals. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Ministry of Finance annou»»»
Convoy of Lebanese Army vehicles, ambulances head for Hadatha to open roads, recover bodies of martyrs: Al-Manar correspondent in southern Lebanon - Al-Manar TV Lebanon
Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Convoy of Lebanese Army vehicles, ambulances head for Hadatha to open roads, recover bodies of martyrs: Al-Manar correspondent in southern »»»
Business - VivaTech 2026: Rebuilding business models with AI
What role will artificial intelligence play in business development and daily life? It’s one of the questions dominating this year's VivaTech, Europe's biggest event focused on startups and innovation. Our Business Editor Kate Moody sat down with Julia White, Vice President and Chief»»»
UN nuclear watchdog chief welcomes Iran-US peace deal, says technical work starts now
GENEVA: The UN nuclear watchdog on Thursday welcomed the interim peace deal signed by Washington and Iran, saying it would now be involved in technical discussions to implement the agreement. “It is good that the memorandum is there. Now the technical work starts,” Rafael Grossi, the head of the I»»»
Iran says missile program not part of talks with US
TEHRAN: Iran said on Thursday that its missile program would not be part of future negotiations with the United States, after the two sides agreed a framework deal for ending their war. US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding early Thur»»»
Senate confirms Michelle Steel as U.S. ambassador to S. Korea - UPI.com
The U.S. Senate confirmed former congresswoman Michelle Steel (R) Wednesday as ambassador to South Korea. In this April 2023 photo, Steel arrives at the White House for a state dinner with former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo The Senate has conf»»»
The world gives $2.5t to charity every year. Is it making enough impact?
London: At the Giving and Impact Summit 2026 in London, UAE Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy Badr Jafar said global philanthropic giving is approaching $2.5 trillion a year, and that greater focus is now needed on improving the impact of donations rather than increasing the amount of fun»»»
How UAE Lottery is helping workers take control of their finances
Dubai: For many workers, managing monthly expenses, supporting family members, and planning for the future can be a constant balancing act. Yet access to structured financial education remains limited for many blue-collar employees. To help bridge that gap, the UAE Lottery has partnered with SmartL»»»
Abu Dhabi restricts delivery motorcycles on highways after rise in fatal accidents
Abu Dhabi: Authorities in Abu Dhabi have introduced new restrictions on delivery motorcycles, banning them from using highways with speed limits of 120km/h or above following a rise in serious accidents involving riders. Abu Dhabi Mobility, through the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), said the mo»»»
UAE bans social media for children under the age of 15
Abu Dhabi: The UAE Cabinet has issued a resolution regulating children's access to social media platforms and sets the minimum age for social media use at (15) years The resolution allows social media platforms to progressively implement the new standards through a transitional period of up to 12 m»»»
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Gaza during ceasefire
Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip have killed 1,005 Palestinians since a ceasefire was reached between Israel and the militant group Hamas last October, the Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday. The enclave has seen near-daily strikes, as well as shelling and gunfire along the boundary that divid»»»
Strong Municipalities Are Essential for a Strong State - Prime Minister
Prime Minister Rumen Radev believes that municipalities are the backbone of statehood and a key driver of strong regions. He was speaking at the opening of the National Meeting of Local and Central Executive Authorities, held at the NDK convention centre in Sofia. The forum brought together more th»»»
Citizenship for cash? New allegations emerge over Hungarian passport granted to wealthy Canadians
New allegations have surfaced concerning Hungary’s citizenship programme, with claims that wealthy Canadian nationals obtained Hungarian citizenship despite allegedly failing to meet the legal requirements. Former government accused of facilitating controversial citizenship approvals The accusation»»»
CTP extends lease agreement with Autonet for 26,000 sqm at CTPark Bucharest South
Autonet uses the space within the logistics park as its main storage and distribution hub for Bucharest and southern Romania. From this location, the company manages the import and distribution of a wide range of automotive parts, accessories and motor oils to its extensive network of partners, inc»»»
World shares are mixed following signing of US-Iran deal
World shares were mixed on Thursday, with benchmarks in Japan and South Korea setting fresh records, after the U.S. and Iran signed their initial agreement ending the war. The rally in Asia followed a retreat Wednesday on Wall Street driven by speculation the Federal Reserve may raise interest rate»»»
Seoul stocks end at record peak of above 9,000 on extended chip rally - UPI.com
Employees celebrate after the closing bell in a trading room of Woori Bank in Seoul on Thursday, as the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index surpassed a historic landmark of 9,000 points. Photo by Yonhap Seoul stocks surged by more than 2 percent past another historic landmark, surpassing th»»»
Anthropic opens Seoul office amid U.S. AI restrictions - UPI.com
Chris Ciauri, international managing director of AI company Anthropic, speaks at a press conference held in Seoul on Wednesday to announce the opening of a local office and collaborations with Korean government agencies and firms. Photo by Yonhap June 18 (UPI) -- U.S. artificial intelligence compan»»»
Vance, skeptical of foreign wars, becomes face of Trump's tentative deal with Iran
JD Vance was supposed to be spending the week promoting his new book, the kind of event a potential presidential candidate like the vice president typically uses to speak to a wide audience about his life and values ahead of a campaign. Instead, the rollout of Vance's second book, "Communion: Findi»»»
Municipalities Understand Need for Fiscal Discipline amid Budget Constraints - Municipality Association Chair
Bulgaria is entering a period of fiscal discipline and responsibility, according to Daniel Panov, Chairman of the Managing Board of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NSORB) and Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo. Speaking at the opening of the National Meeting of Local an»»»
National Bank Chief reports to Parliament on key economic indicators - | 24.KG
Chairman of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, Almaz Baketaev, presented the regulator’s annual report to the Zhogorku Kenesh, outlining key economic and financial indicators for the past year. According to Baketaev, prudent monetary policy helped maintain stability in the domestic foreign e»»»
Saudi Arabia advances to 13th globally, 3rd in G20 in IMD competitiveness report
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has advanced four positions in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, ranking 13th globally among 70 economies and securing third place among G20 economies. The yearbook, published by the International Institute for Management Development, or IMD, is one of the world’s le»»»
Pentagon Announces Review of Deployment of US Forces in Europe
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Pentagon will conduct a six-month review of the deployment of its forces in Europe, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Thursday. "I am announcing today a six-month Department of War review that will examine America's force posture and basing in Europe. Up to six months »»»
Russia Welcomes US-Iran Memorandum Aimed at Ending Conflict - Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian side welcomes the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran aimed at ending their conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. "We welcome the agreement reached on ending the military conflict between the United States a»»»
What do Iran and the US stand to gain from their deal? Here’s what to know
Cairo: The interim deal reached by the United States and Iran to end their war will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and bring the two adversaries back to the negotiating table over Tehran’s nuclear programme. It will also give Iran an immediate benefit, allowing it to sell its oil freely again, accordi»»»
Taiwan president says hopes for $14 bn US arms sale ‘as soon as possible’
TAIPEI: Taiwan’s president said Thursday he hoped the United States would approve a $14 billion arms sale “as soon as possible,” reiterating that the democratic island “rejects unification” with China. Taipei relies heavily on Washington’s support to counter growing pressure from Beijing, which cla»»»
NATO says it agrees to modernize nuclear capabilities
BRUSSELS: NATO agreed on Thursday to modernize its nuclear capabilities and strengthen its nuclear planning capacity, the alliance’s senior body for nuclear deterrence said in a statement.All NATO allies except France are members of the Nuclear Planning Group, which serves as a forum for co»»»
Bosch agrees to pay $36M as DOJ declines prosecution in export case - UPI.com
Bosch has agreed to pay a $36 million fine to the U.S. government for exporting millions of dollars of restricted goods to Chinese company Huawei. File Photo by James Atoa/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- German engineering and technology firm Bosch has agreed to pay a $36 million fine to resol»»»
Sadyr Japarov meets with Albanian President Bajram Begaj in Cholpon-Ata - | 24.KG
An official welcoming ceremony for President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov and Albanian President Bajram Begaj was held in Cholpon-Ata. The ceremony took place at Rukh-Ordo Cultural Center. The national flags of both countries were raised in the square, an honor guard was lined up, and 40 ethno-warri»»»
Major drug supply channel dismantled, over 10 kg of drugs seized - | 24.KG
The State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) has dismantled a major drug trafficking network operating in Bishkek, as well as in Chui and Osh regions. During a special operation, law enforcement officers seized more than 10 kilograms of illegal substances and detained several susp»»»
Qatar participates in 64th Session of UNFCCC
Bonn: The State of Qatar participated in the work of the 64th session of the two United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Body meetings held in Bonn, Germany, as part of the preparations for the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31), scheduled to be held in Antalya»»»
Envisia and Academy – Euronext Group launch Corporate Governance in Financial Markets certification programme
Envisia has announced the launch of “Corporate Governance in Financial Markets”, a specialised certification programme developed in partnership with Academy – Euronext Group, the educational pillar of the leading pan-European market infrastructure. The programme will start on 24 September 2026 and »»»
Trust with Iran must be rebuilt before economic cooperation resumes: Saudi Foreign Minister
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Wednesday that trust between GCC countries and Iran must be rebuilt before any significant economic cooperation can resume, even as he welcomed a prospective US-Iran agreement that could help reduce regional tensions. Speaking at an e»»»
France's first traditional Hindu temple to open doors in September
Paris: Members of the Indian diaspora in France on Thursday announced that the country will soon have its first traditional Hindu temple, with its inauguration scheduled for September. Speaking to IANS, members of the Indian community expressed pride over the development. Bhavi Parekh, a member of »»»
Kuwait Airways expands summer network with four destinations
Kuwait Airways has launched commercial flights to four destinations as part of its Summer 2026 operating plan, expanding its seasonal network to include Vienna in Austria, Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Trabzon in Turkey and Salalah in Oman. Abdulwahab Al Shatti, acting Chief Executive of Kuwa»»»
Israeli strike targets car in Kfartebnit, killing one
An Israeli drone strike in south Lebanon killed one person on Thursday, according to Lebanese state media, hours after the United States and Iran signed an agreement to end the Middle East war, including in Lebanon. The strike targeted a car in Kfartebnit, near the Israeli-declared 'yellow line'. "»»»
Trump says US 'did send a copy' of Iran accord to Israel
U.S. President Donald Trump has said Washington "did send a copy" of its accord with Iran to end the Middle East war, following reports of tensions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Insisting he maintains a good relationship with Netanyahu, Trump reaffirmed his criticism at the G7 summit of I»»»