HEADLINES The leading topics across Bulgarian media on Wednesday are the government’s efforts to stabilize Lukoil Neftochim Burgas, the debate over road safety and guardrail contracts after recent fatal crashes, and criticism of the draft 2026 State Budget. Bulgarian National Television (BNT) and T»»»

Russian citizens have donated 17 off-road vehicles in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Gennadiy Vorobyov of the Bessarabian Front told journalists in Sofia on Wednesday. The vehicles, bearing Ukrainian flags on their windscreens, were parked in the morning near the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathe»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani sent a cable of congratulations to the Governor General of Canada HE Louise Arbour on the occasion of Canada Day.»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani sent a cable of congratulations to the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia HE Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on the occasion of his country's Independence Day.»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani sent a cable of congratulations to the President of the Republic of Rwanda HE Paul Kagame on the occasion of his country's Independence Day.»»»

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (C) poses for a photo during a meeting of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council at a hotel in Incheon on Wednesday. Pool Photo by Yonhap President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday the government will pursue sustained efforts to engage North Korea and replace the»»»

STOKHOLM: More than 100 organizations are planning a climate protest in Sweden weeks before a September general election, sharpening criticism of a government long accused of failing to act on pledges to reduce CO2 emissions.Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s right-wing government has cut petrol taxe»»»

RIYADH: Jordan’s real gross domestic product grew 2.9 percent in the first quarter of 2026, up from 2.7 percent a year earlier, despite regional challenges stemming from the war, official data showed. According to quarterly estimates released by the Department of Statistics, agriculture recorded th»»»

”Going forward, various specialised units will operate together under the clearly defined roxit umbrella brand, delivering services such as joint sealing and milling in road construction, concrete production, the manufacture of mineral-based construction and insulation materials, as well as recycli»»»

Romanians remain broadly positive about the European Union and see membership as beneficial, but they are significantly less satisfied with their quality of life than the EU average, according to the European Parliament’s Spring 2026 Eurobarometer. The survey, carried out between April 9 and May 4 »»»

The National Assembly rejected at first reading proposed amendments to the Social Security Code submitted by Continue the Change, which sought to increase compensation from 50% to 100% for mothers who return to work before the end of their maternity leave, thereby foregoing leave related to pregnan»»»

Ihab Saeed, managing Director at Osool ESB Securities Brokerage, said that Egyptian Exchange (EGX) benchmark index EGX30 is facing a new support level at 7425 points, during this week’s trading. In case it failed to remain above it, it will probably keep falling downward at 7280 points. In a statem»»»

Doha, Qatar: Region Trade Bank (RTB) has announced the appointment of a new Board of Directors comprising internationally recognised experts in financial integrity, banking supervision, sanctions policy and payment systems, reinforcing the bank's commitment to international best practice as Iraq's »»»

Cairo, Egypt: The Shura Council participated in the plenary session of the Arab Parliament, held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in Cairo. The Shura Council was represented at the session by HE Amina bint Youssef Al Jaidah, HE Nasser bin Mohammed Al Nuaim»»»

The redevelopment of a public golf course, extensions to the White House and dreams of a triumphal arch: Donald Trump seems to have a growing spate of building projects on the boil in Washington. So what’s driving the president to remake the US capital in his image? For US President Donald Trump, g»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s fuel and lubricant supply remains stable, and Russia’s temporary restrictions on gasoline and aviation kerosene exports should not lead to a fuel shortage, the Antimonopoly Regulation Service stated. The agency assured that measures are being taken to contain prices and ensure uninterr»»»

Kyrgyzstan has begun negotiations with several countries to expand its fuel and lubricant supplies. Authorities explain this move by the need to diversify fuel imports amid the unstable global energy market. The Ministry of Energy told 24.kg news agency that official requests have already been sent»»»

The implementation of a medicines database has been completed in Kyrgyzstan. Nuradin Karataev, head of the Department of Medicines and Medical Products, told journalists. According to him, the database primarily helps combat smuggling. All medicines imported into the country through this system are»»»

RIYADH: Middle East airlines showed signs of recovery in May as passenger demand decline eased to 28.4 percent from 46.6 percent a month earlier despite the ongoing conflict. The improvement helped limit the global decline in air passenger demand to 2.2 percent from 3.4 percent in April, as disrupt»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (2-R) sent a congratulatory message to Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) on the 105th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, state media reported Wednesday. In this photo, Xi and Kim are seen at a welcoming ceremony in Pyongyang in June. File Photo by KC»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3578 dinars for one euro on Wednesday, which is a slight change relative to Tuesday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is steady against the euro m-o-m, down by 0.2 pct y-o-y and down by 0.1 pct relative »»»

BELGRADE - The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has extended an operating licence for the Serbian oil company NIS for 30 more days - until July 31, Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic announced on Tuesday evening. "We have just been informed by the OFAC that»»»

Thousands of people marched across South Africa on Tuesday to demand the departure of undocumented foreign nationals after a weeks-long campaign that has sent thousands fleeing and claimed four lives. Police were out in force for nationwide protests which capped demonstrations led by citizen-led gr»»»

Since a 2021 coup ousted Myanmar's democratically elected government and triggered a civil war, 100,114 people have been killed across the country, according to a report by monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) released Wednesday. More than 100,000 people have been »»»

“The government has approved a draft state budget, and I expect serious, responsible, and meaningful work and debate on it in the National Assembly,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab Donev told a briefing after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting. During discussions on the draft budgets »»»

BusinessEuropeDigital euro: The plan to Trump-proof the EU's economyNik MartinThe EU’s central bank is preparing a digital euro to cut dependence on Visa, Mastercard and Apple Pay. Success hinges on giving consumers an easy-to-use payment system without prompting a flight from bank savings. https:/»»»

ECONE, Switzerland: Decades after triggering a rift with the Vatican by consecrating bishops in 1988, the Society of Saint Pius X was doing it again on Wednesday — in defiance of Pope Leo XIV. The ultra-traditionalist breakaway group, which has around 600,000 followers worldwide, intends to appoint»»»

THESSALONIKI: Three pre-dawn firebomb attacks apparently targeting the residences of members of Greece’s governing conservative New Democracy party have left five people hospitalized, authorities said Wednesday. The attacks between 4 a.m. and 4:45 a.m. outside apartment buildings in the northern Gr»»»

A couple of weeks back, we asked if the tide was turning in Ukraine. The short answer: a little, but it's hard to cut through the fog of war. Now, we're beginning to wonder if Crimea could be back in play. Kyiv's new line of longer-range missiles and drones are wreaking havoc on fuel and power supp»»»

A Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled on June 30 after a passenger aircraft flying from Warsaw to Tel Aviv transmitted transponder code 7500, the internationally recognized signal indicating unlawful interference on board, most commonly associated with a suspected hijacking. The al»»»

The Council of Ministers has launched a round-the-clock hotline and email channel for reporting corruption, abuse of authority, and conflicts of interest, Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced at the start of today’s government session. Alongside the new reporting mechanism, the government is prepar»»»

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, eight individuals were detained in Sofia in connection with an investigation into suspected fraud involving nearly €990,000 in EU-funded employment support schemes. Authorities said the case concerns the alleged misuse of subsidies under la»»»

Most Romanian consumers have not yet adopted a clear position on sustainable consumption, despite growing awareness around environmental and ethical choices, according to the study “The sustainable consumer in Romania in 2026” conducted by MKOR. The study analyses how sustainable consumption behavi»»»

A ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz after not running Iran's approved route through the water, Iranian state television reported Wednesday. The report identified the affected vessel as a foreign container ship, but offered no other immediate details. The Iranian state TV report appeared aime»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov today, July 1, reviewed investment projects for the construction of a modern fish farm and a ship assembly complex in Pristan Karakol settlement during a working visit to Issyk-Kul region. The head of state was presented with a fish farm project aimed at restor»»»

Sixteen branches of the state-owned pharmacy chain El Aman in Bishkek will sell discounted medicines, Health Minister of Kyrgyzstan Damir Osmonov told journalists. According to him, a pilot project of the Ministry of Health will run in Bishkek from July 1 to December 31. Under the pilot project, me»»»

The UAE is continuing to strengthen its fight against drugs through a nationwide strategy that combines law enforcement, public awareness and community partnerships to protect young people from addiction. Led by the Ministry of Interior and police forces across the country, including Abu Dhabi Poli»»»

Romania’s National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) has drafted an order amending the regulation on electricity supply to final customers, introducing several new requirements for suppliers, including a consumption alert that must be sent to customers when they reach a predefined threshold of up »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Al-Manar correspondent insouthern Lebanon: Israeli occupation forces establish crossing point at their position along Iskenderun road, and »»»

Hanoi, Vietnam: One year after lifting its long-standing two-child limit, Vietnam is offering incentives for people to have more babies as the communist country risks getting old before it gets rich. A new population law and regulations coming into effect Wednesday extend maternity leave from six t»»»

Fujairah: World Zone Shipping Services has awarded Dh2.75 million in employee rewards, incentives and benefits as part of its annual Spotlight 2025 recognition programme. The event brought together staff and leadership from seven countries. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balan»»»

President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that the first-ever GOP midterm convention will be held in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 9-10. File Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo July 1 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump has announced that the Republican Party will hold a midterm convention, an unpre»»»

DUBAI: A ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz after not running Iran’s approved route through the water, Iranian state television reported Wednesday. The report identified the affected vessel as a foreign container ship, but offered no other immediate details. The Iranian state TV report appear»»»

DUBAI: Officials from the United States and Iran will on Wednesday hold indirect technical talks on their deal aimed at ending the Middle East war, a diplomat with knowledge of the talks told AFP.“US and Iranian officials are to hold indirect technical talks on Wednesday in Doha with Qatari and Pak»»»

János Hajdu, once the personal bodyguard of former prime minister Viktor Orbán and later head of Hungary’s Counter Terrorism Centre (TEK), is said by witnesses to have remained in constant contact with Orbán during the operation against a Ukrainian “gold convoy”. Hajdu stands accused of unlawfully »»»

Qatar’s Prime Minister has reaffirmed Doha’s commitment to mediating talks between Washington and Tehran, as senior US envoys including President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in the Qatari capital for high-stakes diplomatic discussions. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanese Health Ministry updates toll of Israeli aggression on Lebanon since March 2: 4,278 people martyred and 12,196 other wounded 01-07-»»»

US President Donald Trump “has considered resuming large-scale military action” against Iran in recent days but “has decided to continue diplomatic efforts for now,” the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing US officials familiar with the discussions. According to the WSJ report, Trump he»»»

Egypt’s parliamentary Economic Affairs Committee has called on the National Investment Bank (NIB) to submit a comprehensive development strategy—or a timetable for completing one—as lawmakers seek greater clarity over the institution’s future role in managing state-owned assets under the country’s »»»

Tunis, July 1 (TAP) – The weather, on Wednesday, will be partly cloudy across all regions of the country, with the development of localized thunderstorm cells accompanied by afternoon rainfall in the eastern regions, according to forecasts from the...»»»