New York: The main act of pop sensation Taylor Swift's wedding to NFL star Travis Kelce was due to get underway Friday, as celebrities flooded New York for the A-lister extravaganza at the storied Madison Square Garden. The billionaire singer and three-time Super Bowl champion, both 36, opened the »»»

Bangkok: A nurse in Thailand challenged Buddhist customs when she stepped in to treat the victims of a car accident that killed 10 monks. An 11-year-old boy, who took his parents' pickup truck without permission, ploughed at speed into a procession of 35 monks and five lay followers in northeastern»»»

Talantbek Imanov has been appointed head of Tamchy Special Financial and Investment Territory (SFIT) Management Company. It was announced on July 3 during the project’s official launch. The company will be responsible for the operational management of the territory, infrastructure development, attr»»»

HEADLINES Fiscal policy and Budget 2026 dominate Friday's Bulgarian media agenda, with newspapers and the weekly Capital focusing on the growing challenges facing public finances, the need for structural reforms and the implications of the government's planned fiscal measures. Political analysis is»»»

The claim that "on April 5, 2024, Desislava Atanasova travelled with [Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader] Delyan Peevski from Sofia's Vasil Levski Airport to Dubai on a private aircraft operated by Hyperion Aviation" is false, Constitutional Court Judge Desislava Atanasova said in a stat»»»

Deputy Defence Minister Katerina Gramatikova-Ivanova discussed defence cooperation with Czech Ambassador Miroslav Toman. The two sides confirmed the good bilateral relations in the defence sector and the common commitment to strengthening security within NATO and the European Union, the Ministry sa»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police has honoured a Talabat delivery rider in recognition of his commitment to traffic laws and safe riding practices. Brigadier Nasser Suleiman Al Maskari, Director of the Central Operations Sector at Abu Dhabi Police, presented the recognition to the rider for consistently »»»

American creator Ray of Magyar Minute has been living in and out of Hungary since 2001. In this short video, he explains how residency actually works for non-EU nationals, from the old visa run era to today’s Enter Hungary process, and the one missed appointment that cost him an entire application.»»»

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) has filed a report with acting Prosecutor General Vanya Stefanova regarding Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev's hearing in Parliament on Thursday, MRF MP Kalin Stoyanov told reporters on Friday. Demerdzhiev was questioned over information related to media»»»

Korea AeroSpace Administration Administrator Oh Tae-seok speaks during a briefing by the National Space Council, chaired by President Lee Jae Myung, in Jinju on Friday. Pool Photo by Yonhap South Korea aims to establish a low-Earth orbit satellite communications network composed of hundreds of sate»»»

Companies resident in the Technopolis Moscow special economic zone (SEZ) that manufacture innovative pharmaceutical products poured over 2.7 billion rubles into the city's economy during the first quarter of 2026 — 1.7 times more than a year earlier — according to Maxim Liksutov, Moscow's deputy ma»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov called the strengthening of the coastal detection system and air defense systems, the protection of military and civilian facilities the priority tasks of the Black Sea Fleet, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. Earlier in the day»»»

For companies, the goal is to reduce wasted time and create conditions in which being in the office integrates more easily into employees’ daily lives. This growth is supported by the experience of the companies located on the campus. An international logistics and multimodal transportation company»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia's Shoura Council has called on the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) to introduce age verification requirements and social media usage restrictions for users under the age of 16, as part of recommendations aimed at strengthening digital governance. The recomm»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan amended veterinary and sanitary requirements aimed at preventing animal diseases. The document introduces the concept of sanitary protection zones and sets minimum distances between livestock-related enterprises and residential areas. According to the resoluti»»»

Kyrgyzstan is considering introduction of a licensing regime for private online schools offering basic and secondary general education programs. A relevant draft resolution by the Cabinet of Ministers has been submitted for public discussion. In explanatory note, the Ministry of Education says that»»»

Chang Yoon-jeong, deputy spokesperson at South Korea's Unification Ministry, speaks at a regular briefing in Seoul in this June 26 file photo. File Photo by Yonhap The unification ministry said Friday it views growing calls to refer to North Korea by its official name as part of a broader effort to»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated during parliamentary control that Bulgaria will place reservations on the EU’s 21st sanctions package against Russia, saying the move is driven by what he described as the country’s national interest. “I will do this because I defend and uphold the Bulgarian nation»»»

Iran prepared Friday for the dayslong funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with banners across Tehran urging the public to rise up in support of the Islamic Republic after the devastating war that killed the 86-year-old cleric. The country's theocracy plans to see millions flo»»»

A former employee of Varna's Primorski Borough administration has been detained on charges of document fraud in a pre-trial investigation led by the Varna Regional Prosecution Office (RPO) into the issuance of building tolerance certificates containing false information, the Varna Appellate Prosecu»»»

Over the past 35 years, Electro-Alfa International has continuously evolved through sustained investments in expanding its industrial capabilities, developing proprietary products, advancing research and development, digitalization, integrated services, and strategic partnerships with international»»»

North Korean hackers stole $643 million in cryptocurrency in the first half of 2026, a report by TRM Labs said, accounting for roughly two-thirds of all crypto funds stolen worldwide. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo SEOUL, July 3 (UPI) -- North Korean-linked hackers stole roughly $»»»

The European Union is transforming into a military-political-economic bloc, and a military identity is taking shape within it, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. "The fact is that a military identity is generally taking shape in the European Union, and the EU itself is transforming into a mil»»»

Russia remains one of the leading gas exporters to the EU—primarily through seaborne LNG shipments—even as its pipeline gas volumes have plummeted since 2022, according to a new analysis by the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. However, overall LNG imports to the EU have recently declined due to lowe»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has posthumously decorated Serbian Armed Forces Staff Sergeant Milovan Jovanovic, who was killed on June 4 while serving in the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. A presidential decree published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia sai»»»

Dubai :Dubai Police have warned parents and children against a dangerous social media trend involving heating “slime” in microwave ovens, following the circulation of viral videos showing children and teenagers attempting the practice. The warning comes as summer holidays begin, a period during whi»»»

The first edition of the Sheikh Zayed Summer Festival will begin on July 6, bringing together education, entertainment, technology and sports in what organisers describe as one of the region’s largest summer events for children and families. Held under the patronage of President His Highness Sheikh»»»

A 70-year-old former official from Varna’s Primorski District has been charged in connection with issuing allegedly falsified construction tolerance certificates in the Baba Alino area, according to the District Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities have placed him in 72-hour detention while a court con»»»

African startups raised $1.44bn during the first half of this year, marginally surpassing the $1.42bn secured in H1 2025, as investors concentrated capital in fewer but significantly larger funding rounds despite a subdued global venture capital market. H1 2026 funding data show startups completed »»»

The IRGC warned that any miscalculation by Iran’s adversaries would be met with a “decisive and crushing response,” as it called for massive public participation in the farewell and funeral ceremonies of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei. In a statement released»»»

Countries are lining up to reach agreements with Central Asian states for access to the region’s abundant critical minerals. The minerals are there, and continued surveying turns up new deposits all the time.  One of the problems for the Central Asian countries most often cited is that they do»»»

An official Hezbollah delegation paid an emotional tribute to martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Friday. The footage shows the delegation lined in silence, heads bowed, before emotion overtook some officials who tried to contain their grief during the mo»»»

Construction of a drinking water supply system has been completed in the village of Muras in Leilek district of Batken region. As a result, approximately 3,500 residents now have access to clean drinking water, the office of Presidential Envoy to the region reported. Mamyrzhan Rakhimov, Presidentia»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev met with members of the German Bundestag’s Central Asia — Germany Friendship Group. The Cabinet of Ministers’ press service reported. The parties discussed bilateral and interregional cooperation. Adylbek Kasymaliev noted that in»»»

Prices for fuel and lubricants in Kyrgyzstan will remain unchanged. Deputy Energy Minister Nasipbek Kerimov announced on Birinchi Radio. He stated that the government is negotiating with foreign partners to ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies. Issues of cost, product quality, and logistics are also »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have liberated the village of Alexandrovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. "During the week, the units of the Vostok battlegroup continued their active offensive operations ... Over the past day, the village of A»»»

Incheon, South Korea: Thirty seconds before kick-off, humanoid robot footballers in red and blue jerseys await the referee's signal in the South Korean port city of Incheon. The match setting is RoboCup, branded as the world's largest robotics competition, where engineers are betting on a fully aut»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3652 dinars for one euro on Friday, which is a slight change relative to Thursday, 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 to»»»

FRIBOURG - The Serbia men's national basketball team outclassed Switzerland 97-73 in a FIBA World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers Group C game in Fribourg on Thursday evening. With three wins and two losses, Serbia has now secured a berth in the second stage of the qualifiers. Switzerland has five los»»»

An Indian-founded global payments company has chosen Hungary as the base for its European expansion after receiving a key financial licence from the Hungarian National Bank (MNB). PAY TEN EU Kft., the Hungarian subsidiary of Pay10, has been granted an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence, all»»»

An individual Hezbollah fighter operating inside an area in southern Lebanon occupied by Israeli enemy forces opened fire on a patrol in Bint Jbeil, wounding one soldier seriously and injuring two others before disappearing, according to Israeli Army Radio. The report said troops from the 679th Bri»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said here Friday that the government aims to introduce the Virtues component of the Virtues and Religion school subject in the 2027/2028 school year. He was speaking during Parliament's Question Time in response to a question from Vazrazhdane MP Angel Yanchev. Radev said »»»

Sydney: New dawn-to-dusk drone patrols of Sydney's beaches spotted sharks 73 times in the first two days, forcing multiple closures, data obtained by AFP showed on Friday. Authorities launched the expanded drone programme on Wednesday to protect beachgoers after a spate of shark attacks in Sydney a»»»

RIYADH: The net profit of listed banks operating in the Gulf Cooperation Council region rebounded in the first quarter of 2026, posting a solid recovery after a decline in the previous three months, an analysis showed. According to the latest report by Kamco Invest, aggregate net profits for listed»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Almost 8,500 Russian civilians have been killed and 22,500 people have been injured by the attacks of the Ukrainian armed forces since February 2022, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik said on Friday. "From February 2022 to June 30, 2026, the number of »»»

No single political party will be able to completely control Hungary’s public-service media, only part of Fidesz’s media empire will survive, and serious challenges await independent newsrooms. An earthquake – that is how the new media law, approved by parliament on 23 June, is being described in H»»»

Residents of Guam and the Northern Marianas boarded up windows and stocked up Friday as a monster weather system forecast to become a "super typhoon" approached the US Pacific territories. Just months after a previous major storm, cars queued at petrol stations, while residents thronged hardware st»»»

The school term is ending, the temperatures are rising and the airport is full. Peak summer has finally arrived. I’m still getting used to these sweltering weeks, despite growing up in Saudi Arabia (the UK has softened me up). I’m currently in the ‘how does it get even hotter than this?’ stage as w»»»

State Border Service of Kyrgyzstan reported the seizure of a large shipment of narcotics at the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. According to the agency, border guards from Leilek border detachment, acting on received information, observed an unidentified individual on the territory of Tajikistan throwing a la»»»

State-owned Asman Airlines, together with tour operator Malva Tour (Uzbekistan), will launch a new seasonal direct route Tashkent — Tamchy (Issyk-Kul International Airport) from July 8. Flights will be operated once a week on Wednesdays. According to Airports of Kyrgyzstan OJSC, the new flight is d»»»