Russian Z-blogger Viktor Vasilyev, who was previously accused of recruiting mercenaries to fight in the war in Ukraine, has been released in Kyrgyzstan. Ekho reported, citing the Telegram channel Mash, which is close to Russian security forces. According to the outlet, Vasilyev was released on June»»»

From June 27 until July 12, foreign military personnel and equipment will transit through Bulgaria as part of NATO's Alliance Wall Exercise, the Defence Ministry's press service said. Convoys carrying troops and military equipment from the armed forces of France and Poland will use Bulgaria's natio»»»

Support for Hungary joining the eurozone is exceptionally high, at around 70–75%, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said at a press conference in Budapest on Friday following talks with Kyriakos Pierrakakis, president of the Eurogroup, the finance ministers' body of the eurozone. He stressed that meeting»»»

Houston: World Cup debutants Cape Verde will face reigning champions Argentina in the knockout rounds after drawing 0-0 with Saudi Arabia on Friday to extend their fairytale journey. The stalemate in Houston and Spain's 1-0 win over Uruguay meant the team ranked 67 finished runners-up behind Spain »»»

Hungary’s temporary fuel price cap comes to an end on Saturday, with motorists once again paying market prices for petrol and diesel. The government says the measure is no longer necessary as global energy markets have stabilised, although new legislation leaves the door open for price controls to »»»

RIYADH: Startups across the Middle East and North Africa region secured multiple funding rounds and attracted several notable acquisitions across diverse sectors last week, highlighting the region’s continued appeal to global investors. This momentum builds on a record-breaking 2025, when MENA star»»»

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov sent a telegram of condolences to Acting President of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez over the devastating earthquake that caused numerous casualties and widespread destruction. The presidential press service reported. «I received with deep sorrow the news that a str»»»

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia exited the World Cup at the group stage for the third tournament in a row, after a goalless draw with Cabo Verde at Houston Stadium on Friday. For their African opponents, it was a historic evening as they progressed to the knockout stages at the first finals they have ever qual»»»

Dubai: Indian expatriates travelling home for the holidays are getting some relief after a short drop in airfares on UAE-India routes, as airlines restore capacity and more flights return to the market. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Travel agents said fares, which ha»»»

Below is the full text of the Israel-Lebanon framework agreement brokered by the Trump administration as published by Axios journalist Barak Ravid: TRILATERAL FRAMEWORK BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE STATE OF ISRAEL, AND THE REPUBLIC OF LEBANON The Government of Israel and the Government»»»

PHILADELPHIA, USA: Ghana star Antoine Semenyo says his team needs ‌to “gang around the referee” more often after his side’s potential penalty shot against England on Tuesday went unreviewed. The Black Stars earned a historic 0-0 draw against the Three Lions in Group L. With a win or draw against Cr»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held separate telephone calls with his Jordanian and Omani counterparts on Friday to discuss the latest developments in the region and ongoing diplomatic coordination. During a call with Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign A»»»

The TSA said on Friday that it expects roughly 18.7 million people to be screened at U.S. airports during the July 4 holiday week, with more than 3 million people expected to travel on July 2 alone. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- The Transportation Security Administr»»»

RAMALLAH: The Central Committee of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, known as Fatah, held a meeting chaired by Deputy Chairman Hussein Al-Sheikh to discuss the latest political developments and internal organizational affairs. During the meeting, the committee reviewed current political»»»

Tyler Robinson, 22, of Utah, is shown in his mugshot on Sept. 12, 2025. The prosecutor in his case was found to be in contempt of court Friday for speaking to the press. UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- The Utah prosecutor in the case against Tyler Robinson for the alleged murder of conservativ»»»

Citizens gathered in Sofia and other Bulgarian cities on Friday to express their dissatisfaction with what they described as the long-term inaction of institutions and to honour the memory of all children who have died in road traffic accidents. Demonstrations were called in front of palaces of jus»»»

The National Council for Tripartite Cooperation (NCTC) will hold an extraordinary sitting at the Council of Ministers building on Monday to discuss the draft 2026 State Budget Act, the draft 2026 Public Social Insurance Budget Act and the draft 2026 National Health Insurance Fund Budget Act, the Ca»»»

Nearly four months after the U.S. airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran, which killed more than 150 people, including 120 children, Amnesty International USA’s National Director for Government Relations & Advocacy, Amanda Klasing, said: “It’s been four months since the»»»

Chair of the House Oversight Committee James Comer, R-Ky., speaks to the press before a closed-door interview with Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates on June 10. The committee interviewed billionaire investor Leon Black Friday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- Former Apollo Gl»»»

Oslo: From oil workers to healthcare staff, even children in daycare, all of Norway is getting in on a viral trend to support their team in the World Cup: pretending to row aboard a longship, flags in hand. The "Viking row" draws on old Norwegian rowing traditions tied to life around fjords, lakes »»»

GREENBELT, United States: Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on Friday to illegally retaining classified information, sealing a deal with federal prosecutors that could allow him to avoid a prison term. Bolton, who became an outspoken critic of Presiden»»»

John Bolton, a former national security adviser to US President Donald Trump who has since become one of his most vocal critics, pleaded guilty Friday to withholding classified documents related to national defence. Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE announced the success of a new mediation effort between Russia and Ukraine that resulted in the exchange of 320 prisoners, with 160 Russian and 160 Ukrainian captives released. The latest exchange brings the total number of prisoners swapped through UAE-mediated efforts between t»»»

LONDON: A total of about 115 vessels and 2,500 seafarers have been evacuated from the Strait of Hormuz since Tuesday, the head of the UN maritime body said Friday. International Maritime Organization secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez gave the update after the IMO on Thursday suspended its efforts»»»

The Bulgarian Navy destroyed a drifting drone in the Black Sea seven nautical miles east of the coastal village of Kranevo, the Navy Headquarters in Varna reported on Friday. The information about the presence of an unmanned aerial vehicle in the sea off Kranevo was submitted earlier in the day by »»»

The Bulgarian Navy destroyed a floating drone in the Black Sea, the Navy Headquarters in Varna reported on Friday. The information about the presence of an unmanned aerial vehicle seven nautical miles east of Kranevo, on the Black Sea was submitted on Friday by the Border Police Directorate. The re»»»

The National Council for Tripartite Cooperation (NCTC) will hold an extraordinary sitting at the Council of Ministers building on Monday to discuss the draft 2026 State Budget Act, the draft 2026 Public Social Insurance Budget Act and the draft 2026 National Health Insurance Fund Budget Act, the Ca»»»

Taleb al-Abdulmohsen was sentenced to life in prison for driving into a German Christmas market and killing 6 people. Pool Photo Filip Singer/EPA June 26 (UPI) -- The man convicted of driving his car into a German Christmas market killing six people and injuring more than 300 was sentenced to life »»»

Rossiya Segodnya intends to set up a Pakistani editorial center, expand its nationwide correspondent network, and roll out Urdu-language social media channels, Director-General Dmitry Kiselev said. Coverage is expected to focus on foreign policy issues and domestic developments.The organization als»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has called for a more inclusive approach and collective security in the region during the Gulf-Mediterranean Summit in Rome this week. Representing the Kingdom at the summit, Minister Plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Manal Radwan emphasized that the region’s c»»»

Tunis, June 26 (TAP) - The first edition of the "Energy Efficiency Grand Prize" will be officially launched at a press conference to be held on June 29 at the headquarters of the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Commerce and Handicrafts (French:...»»»

As Keir Starmer prepares to leave the UK’s highest office after less than two years, the media has lined up to explain why he failed to deliver on the enormous hype he received as opposition leader, and during his initial months in office. A repeated trope has been that Starmer was a “decent man,” »»»

Bulgaria should become a party to the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents, also known as the Tromso Convention, in order to broaden transparency, Access to Information Programme (AIP) Executive Director Alexander Kashumov said on Friday while presenting the organization's a»»»

Arab Finance: Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG Holding) has entered into a strategic partnership with SOKNA to provide a comprehensive, organized, and dignified cemetery experience in Egypt, according to an emailed press release. This collaboration integrates the group’s extensive experience in real esta»»»

Georgian Dream's repeated invocation of Georgia's strategic transit importance to fend off Western criticism is built on a temporary advantage tied to Russia's war in Ukraine that could evaporate once the conflict ends, Kornely Kakachia, director of the Tbilisi-based Georgian Institute of Politics,»»»

Hungary’s new government has confirmed its ambition to join the eurozone by around 2030, with Prime Minister Péter Magyar arguing that adopting the euro would bring greater economic stability and prevent future governments from repeating what he described as the fiscal mistakes of Viktor Orbán’s ad»»»

Director of the State Civil Aviation Agency of Kyrgyzstan Daniyar Bostоnov and U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Bishkek Lesslie Viguerie discussed the possibility of launching cargo flights. The sides reviewed prospects for developing Kyrgyzstan — USA cooperation in civil aviati»»»

King Charles III salutes members of the Brtish armed forces at the annual Trooping the Color at Horseguards Parade in London on June 13. On Thursday he became the first ever monarch to reveal how much tax he pays. Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- Britain's King Charles II»»»

Rainbow flags are expected to flutter across Seattle's stadium on Friday when Iran meets Egypt in the World Cup Group G match as the city marks its annual Pride parade. The two countries last year asked for Pride-themed celebrations to be cancelled, a request FIFA denied. Players and officials of b»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, June 26: Papers discuss the scientific and political aspects of the earthquakes in Venezuela. Next: a new study sheds light on who makes the most money after university in the UK. Finally, we look at a heatwave headline that will make you giggle. International media discuss w»»»

MAGDEBURG: A German court on Friday convicted a Saudi psychiatrist and sentenced him to life in prison for driving an SUV in a deadly rampage through a crowded Christmas market in 2024. Taleb Jawad Al-Abdulmohsen, 51, killed six people and injured more than 300 when he sped the vehicle through the »»»

Abu Dhabi: Abdulaziz Mohammed Al Mulla, Director General of the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), has reaffirmed the Authority's commitment to increasing reliance on Emirati talent within the tax system. He said the FTA is implementing an integrated strategy to expand the pool of qualified national tax »»»

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 »»»

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»»»