Croatia's banks were making more money than a year earlier when the first quarter closed. By the end of June that gain had gone. Profit across the sector fell 5.5% year on year (y/y) in the first half of 2026, the Croatian National Bank (HNB) said in its commentary on banking system developments, p»»»

Iran said on Thursday it hit US military bases in Kuwait and the UAE in retaliation for a US strike on a wedding party that killed four people and injured nearly 70. While the US military has reiterated that it never targets civilians, Vice President JD Vance said the strike was being investigated.»»»

Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government on Friday becomes the longest-lasting in Italy's postwar history -- a notable record that belies considerable challenges ahead of elections next year. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks with Nathalie Tocci, Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali in Rome»»»

Renewed Gulf tensions stoke energy fears as Trump vows freedom to hit Iran again President Donald Trump on Thursday assailed media reports about strained American munitions stockpiles, and threatened further US strikes against Iran “any time we want”. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump s»»»

Share: Israel has agreed to release five civilians in exchange for Lebanese assistance in locating the bodies of missing Lebanese Jewish leaders killed in the 1980s. Talks aimed at ending the war with Hezbollah remain stalled. A Lebanese man who had been held prisoner in Israel was released on Thur»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday night that the Israeli army has cleared the strategic Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, which he said Hezbollah had developed as an extension of the Beaufort (al-Shakif) position. According to Netanyahu, the ridge was used to threaten »»»

Lebanon and the European Union on Thursday launched the EU-Lebanon Joint Monitoring Committee, a new platform for strategic dialogue on EU-Lebanon cooperation. The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri and Minister of Economy and Trade Amer Bisat, serving as Vice-Chair on beha»»»

Ukraine’s parliament has made an important gesture towards Hungary by officially recognising and condemning crimes committed by the Soviet military administration in Transcarpathia between 1944 and 1946. The Verkhovna Rada adopted the declaration unanimously, with 261 MPs voting in favour, with no »»»

Muscat: Minister of Commerce and Industry HE Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al-Thani highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation between the State of Qatar and the Sultanate of Oman. His Excellency underscored the necessity of continued coordination and exchange of visits »»»

AMMAN — Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) revealed that the value of shares bought by non-Jordanian investors at the ASE in August 2026 was JD30.4 million, representing 11.6 per cent of the overall trading value, while the value of shares sold by them amounted to JD47.9 million.The value of shares bought »»»

The backlog in issuing 10-year passports could be cleared quickly if a promised shipment of blank passport booklets arrives on September 29, Deputy Interior Minister Kaloyan Kaloyanov told MPs on Thursday. The parliamentary Committee on Policies for Bulgarians Abroad discussed with Interior Ministr»»»

The Prime Minister also reported on a two-stage pay rise for social workers, a 10 percent increase in benefits for people with reduced work capacity, the development of juvenile detention facilities and their reintegration into the child protection system, as well as plans to establish a new enviro»»»

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema was sworn in for a second five-year term on September 1 after an election that delivered policy continuity but left a trail of disputed results, a contested attempt to challenge the outcome in court, and treason charges against his main rival. Zambians voted on »»»

The Norwegian authorities have seized a Russian research vessel in Svalbard at the request of Ukraine’s state-owned energy company, Naftogaz, amid growing tensions between Moscow and NATO states over access to and control of the Arctic. The Professor Molchanov was detained on Wednesday while docked»»»

Doha: Qatar's farms can increase local food production without simply expanding cultivated land by using water more efficiently, adopting modern farming techniques and selecting crops and seeds suited to the country's climate, according to agricultural researcher Yusuf Ahmed Al-Tahir. Speaking on A»»»

QatarEnergy, Poland’s second-largest LNG supplier, has extended force majeure through October as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, halting deliveries to Europe and Asia. Poland has received no Qatari LNG since April 2026, although Orlen says missing volumes are being replaced mainly by U.S. sup»»»

Doha, Qatar: Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar International Court Faisal bin Rashid Al Sahouti affirmed that over the past 15 years, the Court has played an important role in advancing judicial and legal thought in the country and contributing to the consolidation of the principles of the rule »»»

Temperatures will remain summer-like in many parts of the country, but a cold front arriving on Saturday will bring stronger winds, scattered showers and thunderstorms. Hungary is set for a changeable start to September, with a cold front bringing strong winds and scattered showers and thunderstorm»»»

New York, Sep. 3 (SANA)Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ibrahim Olabi announced Thursday the start of an operation to destroy some chemical materials found in Syria, as part of verification procedures followed by the Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibitio»»»

In an interview with FRANCE 24, the secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) party Mustafa Barghouti said the level of Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank had become "totally unprecedented". With tensions escalating, activists accuse settlers of operating wit»»»

Oman Meteorology says quake struck at 6.11pm at a depth of 77 km Dubai: Oman Meteorology said there was no risk of tsunami waves following a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck east of the Gulf of Aden on Thursday evening. The earthquake was recorded at 6.11pm Oman time at a depth of 77 kilometres»»»

Pakistani resident crowned as UAE's latest millionaire during live draw series 290 Dubai: A Pakistani national is celebrating a life-changing windfall after securing the Dh15 million grand prize in Big Ticket’s Series 290 live draw in Abu Dhabi. Shaukat Aftab, from Pakistan, has emerged as the gran»»»

Eleven European Union countries have called for an overhaul of the bloc's foreign policy decision-making, urging it to explore a shift from unanimity to qualified majority voting as repeated national vetoes have exposed the difficulty of acting collectively in a more volatile geopolitical environme»»»

Hungary has once again blocked progress in Ukraine’s EU accession talks, saying it is waiting for Kyiv to implement an agreement on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine. Budapest did not approve the screening reports for the second and third negotiating clusters, preventing the accession»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, September 3: There's outrage in Malta after a tycoon was found not guilty of masterminding the murder of high-profile investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. In Brazil, a Supreme Court justice who was pivotal in sentencing former President Jair Bolsonaro »»»

Brussels, Belgium: Belgian police on Thursday arrested a man in possession of a Kalashnikov automatic rifle at one of the main train stations in Brussels, a source close to the investigation told AFP. The incident comes as authorities in the city have stepped up efforts to clamp down on gang violen»»»

The summer of 2026 was the hottest summer ever recorded since measurements began in 1990, French Environment Minister Monique Barbut said Thursday. France experienced its hottest summer on record in 2026, marked by heatwaves, drought and massive wildfires, the environment minister said on Thursday.»»»

European Council President Antonio Costa used his visit to Sofia to press two messages that are increasingly central to the European Union’s agenda: enlargement will depend on reforms and commitments, while the bloc must reshape its budget and strengthen its security without abandoning cohesion bet»»»

A campaigner who has worked on the case of murdered Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia since she was killed by a car bomb in 2017 has spoken of his devastation at the not guilty verdict. Caruana Galizia was a crusading investigative journalist whose death sent shockwaves across Europe and be»»»

Eleven European Union countries have called for an overhaul of the bloc's foreign policy decision-making, urging it to explore a shift from unanimity to qualified majority voting as repeated national vetoes have exposed the difficulty of acting collectively in a more volatile geopolitical environme»»»

Croatia's banks were making more money than a year earlier when the first quarter closed. By the end of June that gain had gone. Profit across the sector fell 5.5% year on year (y/y) in the first half of 2026, the Croatian National Bank (HNB) said in its commentary on banking system developments, p»»»

Eleven European Union countries have called for an overhaul of the bloc's foreign policy decision-making, urging it to explore a shift from unanimity to qualified majority voting as repeated national vetoes have exposed the difficulty of acting collectively in a more volatile geopolitical environme»»»

Sofia's exchange bureaus have started quietly shutting their shutters. Not because business dried up, but because the business they were built for is disappearing. Since January 1, 2026, Bulgaria has been a full member of the eurozone, and the lev that priced everything from a loaf of bread in Loze»»»

Eleven European Union countries have called for an overhaul of the bloc's foreign policy decision-making, urging it to explore a shift from unanimity to qualified majority voting as repeated national vetoes have exposed the difficulty of acting collectively in a more volatile geopolitical environme»»»

Russia does not negotiate with terrorists, President Vladimir Putin said, after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned airlines that Ukrainian drones would make Russian airspace unsafe. "I hadn't heard such statements, but if this was said publicly, then it amounts to a declaration of state terrorism»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan clashed on September 2 over Armenia’s plans to deepen ties with the European Union at a meeting in Bishkek, with Putin pressing Yerevan to clarify whether it intends to leave the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. Putin s»»»

A massed Russian missile and drone attack on Odesa region's backbone energy assets cut power to more than 350,000 families, grid operator DTEK Odesa Grids said, on September 2. Ukrenergo said the attack was aimed at the region's energy infrastructure. DTEK Odesa Grids put restoration at 177,000 fam»»»

Eleven European Union countries have called for an overhaul of the bloc's foreign policy decision-making, urging it to explore a shift from unanimity to qualified majority voting as repeated national vetoes have exposed the difficulty of acting collectively in a more volatile geopolitical environme»»»

Palantir CEO Alex Karp said on Wednesday French restrictions limiting government use of US-made software were proving counterproductive. His comments followed France’s decision to replace Palantir with domestic provider ChapsVision at intelligence agency DGSI over data sovereignty concerns. Karp sa»»»

Hamdan tours global pavilions showcasing hunting, equestrianism and falconry advances Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, visited the 23rd edition of the Abu Dhabi Intern»»»

Around 34 families were affected by the flooding in Strumyani Municipality, Southwestern Bulgaria, with 13 suffering the most serious damage, Mayor Emil Iliev told BTA on Thursday. In the worst-affected homes, everything inside had to be removed and discarded as unusable, Iliev said. Ground floors »»»

Total shareholder return for the period between end 2001 and the end of August 2026 was more than 5,000%. Thus, the value of an investment of RON 1,000 in OMV Petrom shares at the end of 2001, together with the dividends cashed in since, would be more than RON 50,000 by the end of August 2026. “Ove»»»

Regional Health Inspectorates are to become territorial directorates under the Health Ministry rather than be closed, Minister of Health Katya Ivkova told the parliamentary Health Committee on Thursday. The discussion concerned plans to streamline the Health Ministry’s administration and secondary »»»

Pakistan eyes Russia's Arctic route as a strategic trade alternative, but experts warn that tangible progress hinges on launching joint energy projects first. Shifting global logistics and mounting tensions in the Middle East are forcing nations to rethink traditional trade routes. Pakistan, whose »»»

Hungarian university students will once again be able to participate fully in the EU’s Erasmus+ programme from the 2026/2027 academic year, the government has announced. The move comes after years of dispute between Budapest and Brussels over the governance of Hungary’s university foundations. Hung»»»

Bulgaria is actively contributing to the European Union’s core vision of strengthening Europe’s common security, built on new initiatives such as the European Air Shield and the European Space Shield, said Prime Minister Rumen Radev at a briefing at Boyana Residence following a meeting with Europea»»»

In March 2021, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited the Suez Canal to thank its workers for reopening the crucial maritime passageway. A few days earlier, a huge container vessel got wedged sideways, blocking a global trade artery for several days. While there, a journalist asked him abo»»»

Amsterdam: Uber drivers from across Europe have filed a class action lawsuit against the US ride share giant, claiming it violated privacy laws and used dynamic pricing algorithms to lower their revenue. Worker Info Exchange International said it was representing several thousand Uber drivers in Be»»»

Lebanon and the European Union on Thursday launched the EU-Lebanon Joint Monitoring Committee, a new platform for strategic dialogue on EU-Lebanon cooperation. The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri and Minister of Economy and Trade Amer Bisat, serving as Vice-Chair on beha»»»

Much of her life as advocate was spent speaking at college campuses and community centres New York: Gloria Steinem, the celebrated author and activist who became one of the most visible symbols and potent voices of the US women’s movement and a fierce advocate for feminist causes for over six decad»»»