HEADLINES The dominant topic across Bulgarian media on Friday is the debate over the 2026 draft budget, public-sector pay, personal social insurance contributions for state employees, and the sustainability of public finances. Coverage focuses on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab »»»

President Sadyr Japarov said that Kyrgyzstan will gradually abandon the practice of mass transformation of agricultural land for individual housing construction. He announced this during a meeting with residents of Ak-Tala district of Naryn region, responding to a request for the allocation of land»»»

The Women’s Forum of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on the theme «Women’s Leadership» has been opened in Bishkek. The event is being held on June 26-27 as part of the Kyrgyz Republic’s 2026 SCO chairmanship. The forum brought together representatives of government agencies from SCO mem»»»

Dubai: Europe’s summer appeal for UAE travellers is facing a new challenge as record-breaking heat pushes holidaymakers to reconsider where and when they travel. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.A record-breaking heatwave is sweeping Europe, with the Netherlands issuing»»»

Politician and video blogger Nurlan Motuev has passed away at the age of 56, his brother, Nurdin Motuev, announced. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed. It was previously reported that the «coal king» had been seriously ill. Motuev gained his greatest fame in the mid-2000s, when he was de»»»

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem on Friday said Israel has "no option" but to unconditionally withdraw from Lebanese areas it occupies, and he rejected any normalization in ties between Lebanon and Israel. "Israel has no option but to withdraw completely from every inch of our Lebanese land... Is»»»

People loot a store in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, on Thursday, following a pair of strong earthquakes that struck the nation a day prior, killing more than 200 people. File Photo by Ronald Pena R/EPA June 26 (UPI) -- The death toll from a pair of strong earthquakes that struck Venezuela has continued»»»

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young delivers a keynote speech during the Korean Peninsula Symposium 2026 in Seoul on Friday. Photo by Yonhap Unification Minister Chung Dong-young called Friday for shifting away from an approach that sticks to denuclearization as the sole solution to the North Kor»»»

The way people travel across the UAE is about to change, with Etihad Rail preparing to welcome passengers on its highly anticipated railway network. Designed to make journeys faster, more convenient and comfortable, the service is set to connect major cities and regions across the country while off»»»

Los Angeles, United States: Tunisia's miserable World Cup campaign ended with zero points and a minus-10 goal difference after three Group F games following a 3-1 defeat by the Netherlands on Thursday. Here, AFP Sport takes a look at the previous teams to rack up a minus goal difference of double d»»»

BEIRUT: Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Friday said Israel has “no option” but to unconditionally withdraw from Lebanese areas it occupies, and he rejected any normalization in ties between the countries. “Israel has no option but to withdraw completely from every inch of our Lebanese land... Israe»»»

The Formula 1 title race is turning into the ultimate battle of youth against experience. On one side, Lewis Hamilton, who at 41 just became F1’s oldest race winner since 1970. An eighth world title would make him the oldest champion since 1957. On the other, Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old Italian»»»

Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem affirmed on Friday that the Israeli enemy has to fully withdraw from every inch of Lebanon, “defeated and humiliated.” Addressing mass Ashura rally in Beirut’s southern suburb (Dahiyeh), Sheikh Qassem stressed there will be no normalization or concessi»»»

President Donald Trump’s closure of US development agency USAID adds hurdles to humanitarian relief efforts in quake-hit Venezuela, says Christopher Sabatini, Latin America Programme Director at Chatham House. “Right now, the Trump administration has to coordinate a multi-agency effort when in fact»»»

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back speaks during a press briefing on drone and counter-drone policy at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Seoul on Friday. Photo by Yonhap SEOUL, June 26 (UPI) -- South Korea unveiled a sweeping plan Friday to rapidly expand the military's drone and counter-drone capabi»»»

Etihad Rail is offering UAE residents a chance to take part in a historic milestone by nominating individuals who have made a meaningful contribution to their communities for its inaugural passenger journey. One selected nominee will travel on the first-ever passenger service from Fujairah to Abu D»»»

Paris: When the mercury rises so do the costs for an economy as productivity melts and growth becomes lethargic, providing an additional challenge to Europe as it struggles with high energy prices. "Extreme heat is emerging as a structural economic risk, with Europe highly exposed," wrote the trade»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan presented the official promotional video for the 6th World Nomad Games, which will be held from August 31 to September 6. The opening ceremony of the large-scale event will take place in Bishkek, while the competitions themselves will be held in Issyk-Kul regi»»»

DUBAI: The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, has reported its strongest operating result in 10 years. For FY2025, the FIA delivered an operating profit of €6.7 million ($7.6m), up 43 percent »»»

SEATTLE: Before coach Amir Ghalenoei or goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand answered any questions Thursday ahead of Iran’s World Cup match with Egypt, a FIFA official spoke up.Daniel Marin, FIFA’s executive director of public relations, read a statement in light of the teams meeting in a “Pride Match” i»»»

‘Lost Land’ Director: Akio Fujimoto Starring: Shomira Rias Uddin, Muhammad Shofik Rias Uddin Billed as the “first-ever Rohingya-language feature … a haunting, intimate portrait of two siblings fleeing persecution in Myanmar,” the Japanese director’s third feature film follows nine-year-old Somira a»»»

Lucknow: Indian police have arrested eight people over allegations of theft and misappropriation of offerings at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, northern Uttar Pradesh, authorities said. Allegations regarding irregularities in the handling of donations led to a criminal case being registered on Thursday»»»

U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon that were slated to end Thursday will go on for another day, the U.S. State Department said. It said this fifth round discussions that began this week will resume Friday morning (Washington time). "Israel and Lebanon talks remain ongoing as we continue»»»

The meeting between Prime Minister Rumen Radev and the Holy Synod on Friday will be his first such meeting and can be described as a protocol meeting, Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil told journalists on his way to the Synodal Palace. On Friday, the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian O»»»

Trust in the Cabinet in June is 45% and mistrust is 30%, according to a MarketLinks/bTV poll whose results were made public Friday. One and a half months after the Radev cabinet took office, the first visible signs of waning public enthusiasm for the new government and the majority party supporting»»»

Doha, Qatar:The FIFA World Cup group stage has delivered drama, surprises and unforgettable moments, but few fixtures have generated as much anticipation as Norway’s clash with France today. When the draw placed The Vikings and Les Bleus in the same group back in December, football fans immediately»»»

With funding from Ukrainian intelligence services, a 17-year-old recruited teenagers across Russia, orchestrating plans to carry out mass killings across the country, many involving the use of IEDs and homemade bombs, the FSB says. The network is responsible for organizing at least 15 criminal acts»»»

Hungary’s OTP Bank has achieved a major international breakthrough, entering the world’s top 400 most significant publicly listed companies for the first time, according to the 2026 Forbes Global 2000 ranking. The Hungarian financial institution placed 398th, marking a new record-high position for »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah’s Sheikh Qassem addresses political authority in Lebanon: We extend our hand; the resistance remains strong, and we stand with yo»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah’s Sheikh Qassem: There will be no normalization or concessions to ‘Israel,’ which must withdraw defeated and humiliated 26-06-202»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Sheikh Qassem says political authority in Lebanon must reconsider its course in two directions: unifying its stance against the Israeli agg»»»

Al Arish: The UAE Floating Hospital in Al Arish in the Arab Republic of Egypt has performed four specialised surgeries for patients from the Gaza Strip under ''Operation Chivalrous Knight 3'', as part of its ongoing medical and humanitarian efforts to provide specialised treatment and healthcare to»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) and the Qatar Financial Information Unit (QFIU) signed a mechanism to regulate the registration of reporting entities supervised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on the “Ekhtar” platform. This comes as part of efforts to strengthen c»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s second successive FIFA World Cup group-stage exit may have brought a disappointing end to their campaign in North America, but head coach Julen Lopetegui believes the tournament has laid another important foundation for the future of Qatari football. Al Annabi bowed out after a»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index ended the week down 2.18 percent, losing 229.11 points to close at 10,281, weighed down by declines across all sectors. The industrial sector posted the biggest loss, falling 3.29 percent, followed by telecommunications at 2.44 percent and transport»»»

Doha, Qatar: Julen Lopetegui has defended Akram Afif following Qatar’s World Cup exit, insisting the national team’s biggest star remained one of Al Annabi’s most influential players despite finishing the tournament without a goal or an assist. The Spanish coach rejected criticism of the 29-year-ol»»»

ABU DHABI: Fans attending UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev v Rountree Jr. on Saturday, July 25, will experience the action at one of the world’s most celebrated venues after Etihad Arena was ranked the No.3 UFC venue globally in the 2026 USA Today Sports Readers’ Choice Awards. The recognition comes as Et»»»

Russian air defenses intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones in a major nighttime attack on 12 Russian regions as well as the Russia-held Crimean peninsula, the Black Sea and the Azov Sea, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Friday. It appeared to be one of the biggest drone attacks on Russian regions and the »»»

CARACAS: A senior American military official has arrived in Venezuela’s capital Caracas to oversee US relief efforts in the aftermath of powerful twin earthquakes that killed at least 235 people, the US military said on Friday. “US Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarrard arrived in Caracas, Venezue»»»

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia know all about World Cup shocks. From Saeed Al-Owairan’s mazy solo winner against Belgium in 1994 to Salem Al-Dawsari’s memorable strike against Argentina in 2022, the Green Falcons have provided some of the tournament’s most iconic underdog moments. But this Saturday, Georgios »»»

Riyadh, June 26 (SANA) Saudi Aramco, has resumed crude loading at its Ras Tanura terminal in the Gulf after a near four-month suspension due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, according to vessel-tracking data. Data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) cited by Reuters showed two Very L»»»

TOKYO (Sputnik) - The IAEA intends to begin inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities in the near future, Director General Rafael Grossi said on Friday. "We have not started this process of verification … We have barely initiated conversations with Iran so as to determine what are the modalities. An»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Hezbollah’s Sheikh Qassem: Israeli presence in Lebanon is part of an expansionist project toward ‘Greater Israel,’ while the resistance is »»»

Doha, Qatar: Ministry of Justice and the Diplomatic Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation in training, professional development, and scientific research, as part of efforts to develop national expertise and pr»»»

Rome: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Majed Mohammed Al Ansari participated in the Mediterranean and Gulf Summit organized by the Italian Institute for International Affairs in Rome, Italy. Dr. Al Ansari spoke during two main sessions,»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Public Prosecution, represented by the Institute of Criminal Studies, organised yesterday a scientific and awareness seminar to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The seminar was attended by a number of prosecutors along with specialists from var»»»

Tunis, June 26 (TAP) – Tunisia recorded 15,253 drug-related cases involving 27,338 people in 2025, according to figures presented to Parliament's General Legislation Committee.During a hearing on Thursday, Interior Ministry officials said 89% of...»»»

Hezbollah overnight accused Israel of a "flagrant" ceasefire breach, saying it launched a drone and killed three civilians in southern Lebanon. The group said the strike was a "direct attack" on "civilians," while Israel had earlier said it had killed fighters from Hezbollah ranks. Hezbollah said i»»»

New York City's rent board on Thursday approved New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's proposal for rent-freezes on one-year and two-year leases. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- New York City's rental board has approved Mayor Zohran Mamdani's two-year rent-freeze proposal»»»

Abu Dhabi Police and Civil Defence teams are responding to a fire that broke out on Friday morning at the carpet market near Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi. Emergency crews were deployed to the site shortly after the incident was reported, with authorities working to bring the situation under control and »»»