Dubai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Thursday flagged off 300 new government buses, procured at an estimated cost of Rs127.21 crore, in a major boost to the state's public transport network. The new fleet comprises 164 diesel buses and 136 eco-friendly, low-emission CNG buses that co»»»

Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev told the parliamentary Committee on Culture and Media on Wednesday that Andriyana Tatarova had been removed from her position as Executive Director of the National Palace of Culture congress centre in Sofia, but stressed that her dismissal does not absolve her of res»»»

Dubai: Dubai’s hotel sector is expected to see visitor numbers recover before room rates return to pre-war highs, according to Accor. The company’s regional leadership said that like other regional markets, Dubai had been affected by the recent disruption to travel demand but expects international »»»

Dubai: Dubai's most anticipated summer festival is back. Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) 2026 runs from 2 July to 30 August, bringing 60 days of shopping, entertainment, dining, and family experiences across the city under the theme "Make it a Dubai Summer." Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Est»»»

The Fiscal Council supports the government's proposal to gradually align social security contribution rules for civil servants and magistrates with those applying to other employees but opposes compensating them through higher salaries, the Council said in a press release on Thursday. Under the 202»»»

The Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) will withhold support the draft 2026 Public Social Insurance Budget Act for now, BIA Vice President Mariya Mincheva told reporters on Thursday before a meeting of the National Social Security Institute’s Supervisory Board. The draft reflects the parameters»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, June 25: UK papers discuss the Nottingham maternity care scandal. Next: is there going to be another heatwave in Europe this summer? Also: the Euclid telescope took extraordinary photos of the Milky Way. Finally, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's upcoming wedding is getting b»»»

EAST RUTHERFORD, USA: Co-hosts the United States and Germany will bid to complete perfect World Cup group stage campaigns on Thursday, while the Netherlands and Japan look poised to join them in the last 32. The US have clinched top spot in Group D with a game to spare after wins over Paraguay and »»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev used his address at the High-Level International Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine in Gdansk to reaffirm Bulgaria’s support for Ukraine’s long-term reconstruction, while stressing that ending the war remains the most important prerequisite for rebuilding the country. »»»

U.S. gasoline prices decreased an average of 49 cents a gallon in the last month as expectations rose for an end to the war with Iran. But they're not falling fast enough for President Donald Trump. Trump, who wants to stave off the economic fallout of the war ahead of midterm elections, is now poi»»»

RIYADH: A new holistic health resort set to open at the Red Sea’s Amaala project will use traditional wellness therapies in a luxury setting, its CEO told Arab News. Jayasom cofounder and CEO Karen Campbell said: “A hallmark of what we want to do is to create a very bespoke experience based on some»»»

“Capital allocation is one of the most important responsibilities of a public company. The launch of this Public Tender Offer reflects our confidence in the strength of the business, the quality of our asset base, and our long-term growth prospects. We continuously evaluate how to deploy capital in»»»

The Supervisory Board of Bulgaria's National Social Security Institute (NSSI) approved the draft Public Social Insurance Budget Act for 2026, the Institute said on Thursday. The draft reflects the parameters of the social insurance policies planned for the current year and now proceeds to the next »»»

Dubai: Every investment opportunity comes with a trade-off. At one end of the spectrum sit traditional bank deposits, valued for safety, liquidity and capital preservation. At the other end sit equities, private markets and alternative investments, where higher returns often come with higher volati»»»

JEDDAH: The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will begin a new chapter in electric motorsport when the revolutionary GEN4 era makes its competitive debut under the lights of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in December. Formula E and the FIA have confirmed the provisional calendar for the 2026-27 sea»»»

For the first time in two years, Hungary has convened a summit of the Visegrad Group – a format designed to allow four Central European nations to coordinate, debate current agendas, and work on their own dimension of European integration matters. In recent years, the forum has not spoken with a si»»»

Saudi Arabia has launched an electronic travel authorisation service for British citizens, allowing them to enter the kingdom multiple times and stay for up to 180 days in a year, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. The ministry said the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) service reflec»»»

A series of tankers made their way out of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday despite threats to shipping from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, using a new route close to Oman's shore that has been promoted by a U.N. maritime agency. The development comes as Iran and the United States are incr»»»

The Supervisory Board of Bulgaria's National Social Security Institute (NSSI) approved the draft State Social Security Budget Act for 2026, the Institute said on Thursday. The draft reflects the parameters of the social insurance policies planned for the current year and now proceeds to the next st»»»

Hayes, United Kingdom: Fans in bedrooms, cold drinks, iced lollies under canopy cover in the garden: a UK care home has been doing what it can to keep vulnerable residents cool amid Europe's heatwave. Kingsley Court, in the west London suburb Hayes, houses 85 residents, some as old as 100, and most»»»

MANILA: The Philippines is seeing an increase in the number of foreigners choosing it as a retirement destination, the Philippine Retirement Authority said on Thursday, after recent industry awards recognized its accessibility, affordable cost of living and healthcare quality. The Philippines was n»»»

Abu Dhabi: The trial operation of Etihad Rail’s passenger services between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah will commence on June 30, with a journey time of approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Dubai Station and Al Dhaid Station are scheduled to open on September 30, 2026, while stations in the Al Dhafra reg»»»

Dhaka: India will resume issuing tourist visas to Bangladeshi nationals from June 28, marking a significant step towards normalising ties nearly two years after visa services were suspended following political unrest in Bangladesh. The announcement was made on Thursday by India's newly appointed Hi»»»

Arab Finance: The consolidated net profits attributable to the holding company of Elsaeed Contracting and Real Estate Investment Company declined by 50.15% to EGP 32.193 million in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026 from EGP 64.593 million in Q1 2025, according to the financial results. Earnings per sh»»»

Dubai: Three things have happened in the UAE financial infrastructure in the past 12 months that, taken together, mean something significant. VARA has created a licensing framework that institutional capital can point to. The Digital Dirham has moved from pilot to legal tender. And the institutiona»»»

BERLIN: A heatwave sweeping Europe was starting to peak in Germany on Thursday, with several open-air events canceled and temperatures expected to top 40C through the weekend. Large parts of the country are already under “severe to extreme heat stress” with temperatures soaring to around 37C, the G»»»

Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Minister of Health Zsolt Hegedűs visited Budapest’s Uzsoki Street Hospital on Thursday to assess ongoing upgrades to the healthcare facility’s cooling systems as Hungary prepares for an extreme heatwave. Péter Magyar shows progress in hospital air-conditioning modern»»»

Pontoise, France: A three-year-old has died after finding himself trapped in a car in the Paris region in extreme heat, a prosecutor said Thursday, the third such fatality this week. The boy had slipped into the family car while his father thought he was napping, then found himself unable to get ou»»»

Parliament Thursday adopted on second reading draft amendments to the Judiciary Act related to the criteria for the election of Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) members by Parliament and by judges, prosecutors, and investigators. The MP decided that a person who, during a previous composition of the SJ»»»

The head of the National Investigative Service will no longer serve as Deputy Prosecutor General for investigations, under amendments adopted at second reading to the Judicial System Act. Voting on the remaining amendments will continue tomorrow. Parliament also decided that the National Assembly m»»»

Gaza City, Palestinian Territories: Inside a Gaza City culinary academy that has been bombed and rebuilt twice during the war, students chop, whisk, and plate dishes with quiet determination, committed to mastering their craft despite the hardships that surround them. At Smile Kitchen Culinary Acad»»»

Israeli Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth has revealed dramatic details of the chaotic hours following the killing of the commander of the Israeli army’s 52nd Armored Battalion during fierce fighting with Hezbollah resistance fighters in the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Tibnit. According to the repor»»»

We are deeply saddened by the loss of many lives and the heavy material damage caused by the earthquakes that struck Venezuela. We extend our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and to the people of Venezuela, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. Our Embassy in Caracas i»»»

BELGRADE - By adopting all items on the agenda, the Serbian parliament on Thursday concluded an extraordinary session that began on June 17. Besides amendments to a set of judicial laws, MPs also passed health care laws related to transplantation, as well as amendments to a law on establishing a gu»»»

The Justice Ministry is launching a project aimed at strengthening efforts to combat corruption and improving the capacity of the ministry and other state institutions to develop, implement, and maintain effective anti-corruption reforms. The project was presented at a press conference today. The t»»»

Manama: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani participated on Thursday in Manama in the joint ministerial meeting of Their Highnesses and Excellencies GCC foreign ministers, with the participation of Secretary of State of the United St»»»

The youth team of Ilbirs Football Club (Kyrgyzstan) took part in the international MADCUP tournament, which was held in Spain. Before the competition, the team completed a full training camp in El Puerto. The tournament, held from June 19 to 24, attracted over 800 teams from over 40 countries, beco»»»

Global oil prices fell to close to their pre-Iran war level after the United States issued temporary authorization for sales of Iranian oil and refined products in the international market and some ships began moving through the Hormuz Strait. File photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo June 25 »»»

Doha, Qatar: Summer has well and truly arrived in Qatar, bringing with it rising humidity levels — particularly during the early morning and dawn hours. But that doesn't mean the fun has to stop. From indoor escapes to cool outdoor venues, there is plenty on offer for families and visitors looking »»»

Doha, Qatar: The United Arab Emirates expanded its visa-on-arrival program to include nationals of six countries and their accompanying family members. Under the new decision, nationals of the Republic of Indonesia, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the Kingdom of Thailand, the Republic of the Ph»»»

Caracas, Venezuela: Offers of support and condolences poured into Venezuela on Thursday after two powerful earthquakes left at least 32 dead and hundreds injured. US, China 'willing' to help "The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have le»»»

According to the National Development Strategy until 2030, the country’s economy should grow by at least 8 percent annually. The Minister of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan Bakyt Sydykov said at the annual meeting and business forum of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) in Almaty. Speaking at t»»»

US President Donald Trump said he has been disappointed by most NATO members over their refusal to support the US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. The president made the remarks during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House on Wednesday. He singled out the UK, Fra»»»

This week marks the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum – an event that has reshaped British politics over the past decade and may well continue to do so into the future. Brexit had its origins in Britain’s complex relationship with the EU and its predecessor organization, the European Econo»»»

Russia intends to explore all avenues in pursuing legal recourse against Britain’s scheme to sell oil from the seized tanker Smyrtos, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized. On June 14, the United Kingdom detained the Cameroon-flagged tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel. Britain claims the»»»

Dubai: Thousands of residents and visitors are taking part in Dubai Mallathon 2026, a unique summer fitness initiative that transforms some of the emirate’s largest shopping malls into indoor walking and running tracks. Running from June 15 to September 15, the event encourages people of all ages t»»»

The death toll from Venezuela's devastating earthquakes has risen to at least 164, with 971 people injured, interim president Delcy Rodriguez said on Thursday. Around 30 aftershocks have been recorded following the two strongest quakes on Wednesday, according to Rodriguez. Authorities initially rep»»»

Berlin: A heatwave sweeping Europe was starting to peak in Germany on Thursday, with several open-air events cancelled and temperatures expected to top 40C through the weekend. Large parts of the country are already under "severe to extreme heat stress" with temperatures soaring to around 37C, the »»»

Auchan Romania has published its sixth Sustainability Report, covering 2025, marking a year of significant progress in reducing its environmental impact, supporting local producers, and developing an organisational culture based on responsibility and involvement. In the year in which the company ma»»»

LONDON: The words of the West Indies coach, Shane Deitz, resounded during the matches that followed his team’s victory over New Zealand in the 11th match of the 2026 T20 Women’s World Cup. Deitz felt that the gap is gradually closing between the top teams and the rest. This opinion was supported in»»»