ALAVERDI - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday a visit to the Alaverdi St George monastery, with which he concluded a three-day official trip to Georgia, would remain one of his most beautiful memories from the country. Vucic, who was accompanied on the visit to the monastery by hi»»»

Dubai: The Dubai Financial Market (DFM) has crossed a market capitalisation of Dh1 trillion, with its General Index reaching 6,115.97 points, the Dubai Media Office announced Wednesday. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The milestone comes as UAE markets recorded gains f»»»

LOS ANGELES: England begin their bid to end a 60-year wait for a trophy when they take on Croatia in their World Cup opener on Wednesday while Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play in a record-equalling sixth tournament. Portuguese great Ronaldo, 41, has a tough act to follow after his old nemesis Lione»»»

Dubai: Motorists are heading into a busy evening rush, and according to Google Maps, congestion is building across northern Dubai and along the approaches to the Sharjah border as the working day ends. Real-time conditions can be tracked on Google Maps and Waze, both of which update congestion and »»»

Bulgaria has presented its position over the arson of Bulgarian diplomatic cars in Skopje in all possible formats, Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova told journalists on Wednesday before a meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy. The Bulgarian State, and the Foreign Ministry in par»»»

NYON - Serbian football club Partizan Belgrade were on Wednesday drawn to play the winner of the tie between Luxembourgish side Una Strassen and San Marino's La Fiorita in the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, with Zeleznicar Pancevo to face Portuguese outfit Braga. The draw ceremony »»»

GAZA: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief has launched an economic empowerment project for vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities in Deir Al-Balah in the Gaza Strip. The launch was attended by representatives from the UN Development Programme, the UN Population Fund, and the UN Office for the Co»»»

RIYADH: The chandelier-lit halls of Riyadh’s Four Seasons Hotel sparkled this week with an exhibition of some of the world’s finest gemstones. The “Jewels of the World” exhibition brought with it fine jewelry and displays of high-end craftsmanship. More than 100 of the world’s most celebrated jewel»»»

Dubai: Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President said discussions about any new regional arrangements must acknowledge Iran's direct aggression against the UAE and other GCC countries. Writing on X, Gargash was responding to comments by former Arab League Secretary-General »»»

Hungarian police have appealed to the public for assistance in tracing 45-year-old British businessman John Robert Joseph Tovell, whose whereabouts remain unknown after he left a nightclub in the early hours of the morning in the Erzsébetváros district. Businessman disappears after night out Accord»»»

Doha The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced that it has closed a restaurant for 15 days, effective from last Sunday, after it was suspected of being linked to cases of food poisoning. In a statement, the ministry said that following reports circulating about suspected food poisoning cases a»»»

Dubai: The UAE Ministry of Finance has launched the country’s first Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk programme, allowing citizens and residents to invest in government-backed Sharia-compliant securities. A T-Sukuk is a type of Sharia-compliant government investment certificate. The “T” stands for Treasury,»»»

Dubai: Arada has started the pre-launch phase of 100 Avenue Road, a 172-apartment residential development in London’s Swiss Cottage, marking the UAE-headquartered developer’s first London product after its acquisition of Regal last year. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances»»»

GENEVA: UN experts on Wednesday expressed grave concern for two Britons convicted in Iran of espionage who are now on hunger strike in jail. Craig and Lindsay Foreman were sentenced to 10 years in prison in February on espionage charges, which they deny. Their family said a failed appeal hearing th»»»

HAMBURG: Jordan’s state grain buyer purchased about 60,000 metric tons of animal feed barley in an international tender on Wednesday, European traders said. The barley was bought ‌from trading ‌house Olam at ‌an estimated $252 ⁠a ton cost ⁠and freight (c&f) included to be shipped in the first half »»»

Dubai: Eighteen months ago, Claire Francis received the news that every family dreads. The head of physical education at Nord Anglia International School in Dubai had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. In an instant, life became a blur of hospital appointments, major surgery, chemotherapy, radi»»»

DUBAI: Arab celebrities have been taking their football fandom to Instagram as supporters across the region rally behind the national teams competing at the FIFA World Cup. Among the most prominent voices is Palestinian Chilean singer Elyanna, who has enjoyed a particularly high-profile tournament.»»»

LONDON: Police in France are exploiting broad powers to issue spot fines against Arab youth as a new form of racial profiling, a new report has warned. Published on Wednesday by Human Rights Watch, (RE)CLAIM and Maison Communautaire pour un Developpement Solidaire, the 60-page report documents a co»»»

A joint operation in Sofia, Stara Zagora, Pernik, and Aytos on Tuesday led to the dismantling of a criminal group involved in migrant smuggling, which had been operating in the country since August 2025, Deputy Prosecutor General Desislava Petrova told a news briefing here on Wednesday. Eight peopl»»»

Genoa: The new Africa and Gulf Area of the Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad is taking shape. It is a coordination body that brings together the Italian Chambers operating in Angola, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Mozambique, Qatar, South Africa and Tunisia. This was announced by the m»»»

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s ​bribery commission has arrested Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, police said on Wednesday. Rajapaksa ‌was arrested ‌by ​the ‌Commission ⁠to ​Investigate Allegations of ⁠Bribery and Corruption and he was granted bail after being presented to ⁠t»»»

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Tuesday that negotiations concerning Lebanon were being conducted independently by the Lebanese state and were not tied to any external agreements. Speaking to a delegation of Maronite bishops from the diaspora, Aoun said Lebanon had received assurances that i»»»

President Joseph Aoun stressed Wednesday that any settlement for the war in Lebanon will take place through the Lebanese state and not at its expense. "The assurances we have received, and what we insist upon, is that Lebanon's path in the negotiations is independent, although we are certainly in f»»»

Washington: US President Donald Trump is facing criticism over a proposed reconstruction and investment fund for Iran that could be worth up to $300 billion, with opponents arguing it resembles arrangements he fiercely criticised under former president Barack Obama, according to a CNN analysis. The»»»

The family-focused franchise is expanding from streaming into apps, films and licensing, with annual revenue potentially exceeding $58 million. 1 of 2 | Children's entertainment characters Baby Shark at Seoul City Hall in Seoul. Photo by YONHAP /EPA June 16 (Asia Today) -- Bebefinn, a fast-growing »»»

Tommy Schmidt assembled the world's largest Lego brick sausage, measuring 6 feet and 6.7 inches long. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records June 16 (UPI) -- A German man assembled 65,000 Lego bricks into the shape of a bratwurst and bun to break the Guinness World Record for the largest Lego bri»»»

The Commission on Protection of Competition (CPC) has cleared Sofia Municipality to provisionally implement new sanitation contracts in Zones 3 and 4, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said at a City Hall briefing on Wednesday. The CPC decisions, issued on Tuesday, cover Slatina, Poduyane and Izgrev, as w»»»

Bulgaria’s state gas supplier Bulgargaz has proposed a higher natural gas price for July, suggesting a rate of 37.70 euros per megawatt hour (MWh), excluding transmission, access charges, excise duty, and VAT. The proposal has been submitted to the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) and »»»

Bulgaria recorded an annual inflation rate of 6.3% in May 2026, according to revised data from Eurostat using the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP). The figure marks the highest level since September 2023 and places the country among the top inflation performers in the European Union, seco»»»

Sub-Saharan Africa's economic expansion is expected to slow modestly in 2026 as higher energy costs, weaker external demand and constrained fiscal space offset gains from structural reforms and improved trade access, according to the World Bank's latest Global Economic Prospects report. The World B»»»

Arab Finance: Egypt’s El Nasr Automotive Manufacturing Company and the Chinese central state-owned automobile manufacturer FAW have signed a partnership to manufacture a range of vehicles under the “Nasr” brand, as per a statement. The signing ceremony took place at the government headquarters in t»»»

ALAVERDI - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday a visit to the Alaverdi St George monastery, with which he concluded a three-day official trip to Georgia, would remain one of his most beautiful memories from the country. Vucic, who was accompanied on the visit to the monastery by hi»»»

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday said his country had been cooperating “under the radar” with Somaliland for years, as he met with the breakaway African state’s president. In December, Israel became the first country to recognize the independence of Somaliland since it »»»

DUBAI: For nearly three decades, Pixar’s “Toy Story” films have managed something few franchises ever achieve: consistency. Across five films, the series has rarely missed a beat, delivering stories that are funny, emotionally resonant and surprisingly insightful about growing up, letting go and fi»»»

Trump threatened Tuesday to block renewal of warrantless surveillance unless it was attached to his voter ID bill in a spat with Congress over key security and law enforcement nominations. Photo by Yoan Valet/EPA June 17 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would not approve any r»»»

RIYADH: World Sea Turtle Day, celebrated annually on June 16, highlights Saudi Arabia’s role in protecting this threatened marine species. Ras Baridi Beach, about 70 km north of Yanbu, is the Kingdom’s most important and well-known sea turtle nesting site. The day was established in 2000, marking t»»»

World-renowned Chinese writer and Nobel Prize laureate in Literature Mo Yan has arrived in Kyrgyzstan. He will participate in the Issyk-Kul — 40 International Forum. The guest of honor was welcomed at Manas International Airport by Kyrgyzstan’s State Secretary Arslan Koichiev and Deputy Minister of»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Adylbek Kasymaliev, addressed the plenary session of the 5th Tashkent International Investment Forum, where he declared the country’s readiness to expand cooperation in the mining, energy, transport, and logistics sectors. «A new space of»»»

Frankfurt, Germany: Replica World Cup shirts of several German players were temporarily unavailable due to a shortage of the letter "V" following high demand from fans, Adidas said Wednesday. The sportswear giant, which supplies kits for the German team, said supporters flocking to snap up shirts o»»»

Dubai: Revolut has received Stored Value Facilities and Retail Payment Services licences from the Central Bank of the UAE, clearing a major regulatory step before the global fintech launches its local product offering. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The approval follo»»»

Nivea Sun, a leading sun care brand from Nivea, has announced a strategic partnership agreement with Six Flags and Aquarabia Qiddiya City, two world-class entertainment destinations redefining thrills and water adventures in Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030. As per the collaboration, Nivea Sun has be»»»

RIYADH: The design of a major astronomical discovery and tourism project in AlUla has been approved by the Royal Commission for AlUla’s board of directors, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. AlUla Manara will be a world-class observatory with a visitor and research center located 70 km n»»»

RIYADH: The King Salman Center for Disability Research has launched the AI Hackathon for People with Disabilities as part of the upcoming 7th International Conference on Disability and Rehabilitation in Riyadh. The initiative coincides with the Kingdom’s designation of 2026 as the Year of Artificia»»»

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has launched “Dubai-It”, a new initiative aimed at embedding Dubai’s distinctive work culture of rapid execution, excellence and results-driven delivery across government inst»»»

The Culture, Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Department of Plovdiv Municipality Wednesday welcomed a delegation from Kreativ EU (Knowledge & Creativity European University), Plovdiv Municipality said. Deputy Mayor Plamen Panov and Assoc. Prof. Marusya Smokova-Stefanova greeted the guests, who too»»»

The European Commission (EC) published on Wednesday the fourth State of the Digital Decade 2026 report, which evaluates progress made by the EU in its digitalisation across the board, including in critical infrastructures, digitalisation of business, digital skills, and digitalisation of public ser»»»

Arab Finance: Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy has mulled over expansion opportunities in hotel investment across Egypt's tourist destinations with Misr Italia Properties, as per a statement. During a meeting with Karim El Assal and Mohamed Elassal‏, CEOs and Managing Directors of M»»»

NYON - Serbian football champions Red Star Belgrade were on Wednesday drawn to play the winner of the tie between San Marino outfit Tre Fiori and Northern Ireland's Larne in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. Red Star will play the first leg away from home on July 21 or 22. The retu»»»

Dubai: Global banks could see profit pools fall by $170 billion by 2030 unless they move faster on AI, data and digital-first operating models, according to a new DIFC report that describes the industry’s biggest structural shift since the 2008 financial crisis. Sign up for our daily business newsl»»»

Dubai: Telegram founder Pavel Durov has criticised India's temporary ban on the messaging platform, arguing that the move has "punished" more than 150 million users in the country without preventing the spread of leaked examination materials. In a post on his Telegram channel on Tuesday, Durov said»»»