Germany ‌granted citizenship to a record 332,500 people last year, a 14% increase, with Syrians making up the largest group for the fifth year in a row, according to data released by the Federal Statistics Office on Wednesday. One in five people naturalized ‌in 2025 was ‌Syrian. However, compared w»»»

DUBAI: Gulf countries have condemned renewed Iranian attacks targeting Kuwait and Bahrain earlier on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman's office responded with a post hours after Iran’s attacks that targeted Bahrain and Kuwait. Bader Al Asaker, head of the private office of Saudi Arabia’»»»

RIYADH: Non-oil private sector activity across the UAE, Egypt and Kuwait faced continued headwinds in May, as supply disruptions, regional geopolitical tensions and cost pressures weighed on business conditions. The UAE stayed in expansion territory, Egypt recorded another contraction, and Kuwait r»»»

Over time, Pepsi has been more than a soft drink: it has become the taste of freedom and experiences shared with loved ones, a constant presence in the way Romanians have lived and celebrated both important and everyday moments in their lives. In this context, the bottle, the can, the crate, and Pe»»»

BUDGET – DEBT – PENSIONS The Bulgarian media cover the series of parliamentary decisions and proposals that sparked debate over pension policy and fiscal priorities, including changes to COVID-era supplements, indexation rules, and broader efforts to contain budget spending. *** Dnevnik: The ruling»»»

Tokyo: A severe tropical storm brought torrential rain to Tokyo on Wednesday, swelling rivers, grounding flights and sparking calls to evacuate for hundreds of thousands of people across wide swathes of Japan. Many trains were largely deserted in and around Tokyo, as commuters in the usually bustli»»»

Lebanese state media reported an Israeli strike near Beirut on Wednesday as well as attacks on south Lebanon, ahead of a second day of talks in Washington between Israel and Lebanon. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported "the targeting of a car on the Khaldeh road", referring to an area»»»

The United Nations chief has proposed three options to help end the decades-old conflict between Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and Israel when the 8,100-member U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon ends on Dec. 31. All of the options presented to the U.N. Security Council by Sec»»»

OSLO: Round seven of Norway Chess 2026 has kept up the drama in Oslo, with a decisive classical result and two tense Armageddon battles. The headline result on Tuesday came when Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu defeated Alireza Firouzja in classical chess. The Indian star outplayed Firouzja in a long stru»»»

DUBAI: The Israeli ​military said sirens sounded in northern Israel on Wednesday following ‌what ‌it described ​as ‌a “hostile ⁠aircraft ​infiltration.” Lebanon had ⁠announced a partial ceasefire between Hezbollah and ⁠Israel that ‌would see ‌Israel ​halt ‌strikes ‌on Beirut’s Hezbollah-controlled »»»

Progressive Bulgaria leader and Prime Minister Rumen Radev commented on the opposition’s uproar after the parliamentary group proposed the removal of COVID-related supplements for newly granted pensions. At the Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday, he argued that “not a single euro, not a sing»»»

Arab Finance: The board of Asek Company for Mining (Ascom) agreed on acquiring 90% of Ostool Transport’s shares in exchange for EGP 641 million, equivalent to EGP 8.224 per share, according to a bourse disclosure. The members unanimously approved the fair value (FV) study of Ostool’s share price su»»»

Dubai: The Indian government has dismissed claims that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sold nearly $12 billion worth of gold reserves to protect the rupee and bolster foreign currency assets, calling the assertion "fake" and inconsistent with official data. The clarification came after a Bloomberg »»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Tehran condemns the US strikes on Qeshm Island and the attack on an Iranian tanker, reiterating Iran's right to defend itself, and blames Kuwait and Bahrain for complicity, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. "The Iranian Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the aggress»»»

A top Emirati official called on Wednesday for a united stance from the Gulf after renewed attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain that were blamed on Iran. "In light of Iran's repeated aggression against the brotherly states of Kuwait and Bahrain, a firm, unified and cohesive Gulf stance is imperative. No G»»»

DUBAI: The 2026 NBA Finals tip off on Thursday, June 4, with the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs meeting on basketball’s biggest stage for the first time since 1999. The Knicks are seeking their first NBA championship since 1973, while the Spurs are chasing a sixth title. Regardless of the ou»»»

KYIV: NATO chief Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday for an unannounced trip, Ukraine’s national railway operator said, after a series of large-scale fatal Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital.“Today at the Kyiv railway station, we are gladly welcoming NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Thi»»»

The war in the Middle East has dented economic growth prospects worldwide, with a more severe shock likely if no effective ceasefire is agreed before 2027, the OECD warned Wednesday. Global economic growth is now forecast to slip to 2.8 percent for 2026 if Gulf exports of oil and gas return to pre-»»»

Tokyo: Fighters wearing virtual reality headsets will battle it out in cyberspace at this year's Asian Games in Japan after organisers approved the inclusion of virtual taekwondo. The non-contact sport sees combatants strap sensors to their bodies and aim kicks at virtual opponents in what develope»»»

Hungary’s Chief Prosecutor for Budapest has brought charges of attempted aggravated murder and other offences against seven Vietnamese men, seeking custodial sentences, after they allegedly attacked their creditors with machetes. Vietnamese restaurant owner owed a lot of money In a statement issued»»»

Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector expanded at the fastest pace in three months in May as domestic demand improved and supply chains stabilized, while business optimism remained subdued amid conflict in the region, a survey showed on Wednesday. The seasonally adjusted Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Pur»»»

At least 21 people were killed on Wednesday after a fire swept through a hotel in New Delhi, police said. "It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident," police said in a press statement, adding that more than 40 others were rescued.»»»

The world has changed in a very fundamental way. For most of the last century the world has been run on the lines of Great Power Geopolitics: them and us; the enlightened and the barbaric; the rich and the poor. During the Cold War this was framed as Capitalists vs Communists. Since the collapse of»»»

Kazakhstan is quickly racking up debt to China and Astana’s obligations to Beijing appear poised to keep growing in the coming years. The trend of aggressive borrowing from China started in 2025, when Kazakhstan obtained over $3.5bn in credit, increasing the country’s total debt to the PRC to $12.8»»»

New Delhi: Indian authorities have removed top education bosses from the exam board after marking failures in tests taken by nearly two million high school students sparked outrage and calls for protests. The controversy, after the board acknowledged cybersecurity vulnerabilities in a digital marki»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s business activity expanded at the fastest pace for three months in May, with the Riyad Bank Purchasing Managers’ Index rising to 52.8 from the previous reading of 51.5. The latest survey, compiled by S&P Global, showed the Kingdom’s non-oil economy returning to firmer growth »»»

US President Donald Trump is in "spectacular" health, a television doctor in his cabinet insisted Tuesday, after a medical examination failed to quell questions about Trump's health. Mehmet Oz, who is Trump's administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, was speaking to reporter»»»

Dubai: D.K. Shivakumar, one of the most influential leaders in the Congress party, is set to take over as Karnataka’s Chief Minister, marking the culmination of a political journey that spans more than three decades. Known within political circles as the Congress party’s “troubleshooter,” Shivakuma»»»

Yeast has been growing in the guts of a frozen mummy called Oetzi the Iceman for thousands of years, scientists have discovered, telling AFP they used it to make a tasty sourdough bread. More than 5,300 years ago -- before the Egyptian pyramids were built -- Oezti was strolling through the Alps on »»»

Gold prices slipped on Wednesday, as renewed hostilities in the Middle East pushed crude higher and stalled US-Iran talks, while investors awaited upcoming U.S. economic data. Spot gold fell 0.5% to $4,460.36 per ounce by 0702 GMT, after rising more than 1% in the previous session. US gold futures »»»

Doha, Qatar: With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just around the corner, Spain and France head the list of leading favourites to lift football’s most coveted trophy, while defending champions Argentina, five-time winners Brazil and England complete a strong group of contenders. Although the World Cup has »»»

Foxes, sharks and puffins are on a shortlist of wildlife to appear on Britain's next banknotes, replacing historic figures including World War Two leader Winston Churchill, novelist Jane Austen and mathematician Alan Turing. In all, the Bank of England and wildlife experts have selected 18 animals »»»

Russia downed 50 drones over the Leningrad region northwest of Moscow overnight and continues to repel the suspected Ukrainian attacks, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said on Wednesday, as a major annual economic forum was about to start. The Leningrad region, home to crucial energy export infrastruc»»»

The militant group Hezbollah has released a video showing its kamikaze drones attacking Israeli soldiers in the immediate vicinity of Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon. The 900-year-old medieval fortress was seized by the Israeli military over the weekend, with West Jerusalem hailing it as a majo»»»

SINGAPORE: Oil prices rose on Wednesday, extending gains from the previous session, as hostilities in the Middle East erupted ​anew with Iran firing missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain, while diplomatic talks between ‌Iran and the US showed little progress. Brent futures gained 81 cents, or 0.8 percent,»»»

On June 3, 2017, a van mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge and the drivers stabbed people at nearby bars and restaurants, killing eight victims. 1 of 4 | Members of the public read tributes to the victims of the June 3 terror attack in London Bridge on June 8, 2017. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/»»»

Iraq is stepping up its measures to impose state monopoly over weapons with some Shiite armed factions declaring that they were dismantling their military wings that have for years operated outside the control of the armed forces even though they are part of the official Popular Mobilization Forces»»»

Dubai: Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has announced that private schools across the emirate will receive short-notice inspection visits from the 2026-27 academic year, with schools given no more than 24 hours' notice before a quality assurance team arrives. The announcemen»»»

Progressive Bulgaria’s proposed changes to pensions and party financing triggered a fierce political clash, with opposition parties accusing the government of balancing public finances at the expense of retirees and democratic institutions. The dispute erupted during a meeting of the parliamentary »»»

This story is still breaking. New details emerge every day, officials are being fired, investigators are opening cases, and key figures are crossing borders. What follows is the most complete picture available as of early June 2026. Much more will come to light in the weeks ahead. Sometime in Novem»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s schools are short of over 640 teachers at the end of the 2025/26 academic year. Education Minister Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva told reporters. According to her, this doesn’t mean the subject isn’t taught at all; replacements are provided. The teachers shortage is primarily observed in Russia»»»

A US Supreme Court ruling last week revives multi-million-dollar Cuba compensation claims against cruise giants, reopening one of the oldest wounds in relations between Washington and Havana. The ruling concerned Havana Docks Corporation v Royal Caribbean Cruises, which, on its surface, relates to »»»

With a week left until what is considered to be an all-important parliamentary election in Armenia, the market consensus appears well-formed. It posits, first, that the vote might have wide-ranging economic and geopolitical implications for the country. More importantly, it anticipates that, in the»»»

Chief of Defence Staff Gheorghita Vlad has been placed under criminal investigation by prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) in a case in which he is accused of complicity in usurpation of office, after intervening to increase budget-funded places at the Faculty of Physical »»»

Acting Minister of National Defense, Radu Miruta, stated on Tuesday, after participating in the NATO Capability Generation Conference in Belgium, that Romania does not ask for help before doing everything it can."Today I went to SHAPE, in Belgium, the NATO military headquarters that leads and coord»»»

Romania's interim Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Monday, in the context of the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council convened after a Russian drone struck a residential building in Galati, injuring two people."We share a view on th»»»

Last week, at a community learning event for children, I witnessed something that many adults would probably consider a success. I saw it as a missed opportunity. The room was alive with excitement. Children were chatting, laughing, and eagerly asking one another what the session would be about. So»»»

Chinese authorities have taken aim at a new target as they rein in the country's cut-throat food delivery industry: “ghost kitchens,” or restaurants that don't actually exist but appear on apps. The “ghost kitchens” outsource orders to third-party vendors, which fulfill them at lower costs, allowin»»»

Unelected European Commission President ‘Queen’ Ursula von der Leyen was in Lithuania a few days ago to come up with a plan to tackle Ukrainian drones that risk regime changing European allies. The strategy? Blame Russia – the political equivalent of a universal remote to change the channel from on»»»

A near-disaster was narrowly avoided after a car travelling at high speed crashed into the fence of a playground in a small settlement near Budapest, smashing through it before coming to a halt in a sandpit. Photo: Facebook/ Biztonságos és Fejlődő Dányért Residents left stunned by events Locals in »»»