Washington: John Bolton, who served as Donald Trump's national security advisor before becoming an outspoken critic of the US president, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of retaining classified documents. Asked by federal Judge Theodore Chuang if he was guilty, the 77-year-old veteran diplomat re»»»

Pontelagoscuro, Italy: Seawater is seeping into Italy's longest river as the waterway starts to run dry in the heatwave, hitting a farming heartland that produces the milk for Parmesan cheese. The Po River has never fallen this low so early in the year, raising fears of a devastating drought in Jul»»»

VANCOUVER: With a flurry of of goals, Belgium finally found its footing at the World Cup. Leandro Trossard scored a pair of goals and Belgium overcame a slow start in the tournament to advance to the knockout round atop Group G with a 5-1 victory over New Zealand on Friday night. Belgium will face »»»

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»»»

From the moment the referee blew the opening whistle of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the players were not the only ones competing. During the 39-day competition, billions of dollars will be wagered across smartphone apps, betting platforms, and data centres scattered across the globe. In London, a fan »»»

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»»»

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela: More than 50,000 people were missing Friday after twin earthquakes in Venezuela, the United Nations' aid chief told AFP as international rescue teams and sniffer dogs arrived to join a desperate search for survivors. Interim president Delcy Rodriguez said the death toll was no»»»

In Brief Mongolia’s dependence on Russian fuel gives it short-term supply stability but leaves it structurally exposed. Russia’s temporary petrol export ban spared Mongolia through bilateral arrangements, underscoring the strength of the relationship while revealing the risks of relying on Moscow. »»»

BELGRADE - In 2025, budget spending for research and development activities in Serbia totalled 42.4 bln dinars, which was a 8.9 pct increase relative to the year before, according to figures released by the national statistical office RZS on Friday. The funds allocated for research and development »»»

The Central European University (CEU) could once again offer degree programmes in Budapest, nearly eight years after relocating its US-accredited courses to Vienna. University representatives say CEU is preparing to become a dual-campus institution, with accredited programmes operating in both Aust»»»

In Brief Mongolia’s dependence on Russian fuel gives it short-term supply stability but leaves it structurally exposed. Russia’s temporary petrol export ban spared Mongolia through bilateral arrangements, underscoring the strength of the relationship while revealing the risks of relying on Moscow. »»»

BELGRADE - In 2025, budget spending for research and development activities in Serbia totalled 42.4 bln dinars, which was a 8.9 pct increase relative to the year before, according to figures released by the national statistical office RZS on Friday. The funds allocated for research and development »»»

Dubai: A small aircraft crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper on Friday, damaging the upper floors of one of China's most recognisable landmarks and prompting a major security response in the heart of the capital. The aircraft, described by witnesses as roughly the size of a car, slammed into t»»»

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»»»

In a statement to Al-Ahram, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tariq Al-Mulla said that Egypt production of natural gas increased by 60 percent since the beginning of 2016, rising from 3.8 billion cubic feet per day to 5.1 billion cubic feet per day. Al Mulla added that the increase came f»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3883 dinars for one euro on Friday, which is a slight change relative to Thursday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is steady against the euro m-o-m, down by 0.2 pct y-o-y and down by 0.1 pct relative to»»»

La Guaira, Venezuela: Rescuers used heavy machinery and their bare hands on Friday in a race to save survivors of deadly twin earthquakes in Venezuela that killed at least 235 people, hurt thousands and flattened scores of buildings. International rescuers and aid have begun arriving to help a nati»»»

ING Bank Romania is launching the Business Bonus Deposit, a new savings product designed for small and medium-sized businesses and mid-corporate clients, which combines a competitive interest rate of 5.1% per year with the flexibility to access funds at any time without losing accrued interest. Thi»»»

A clear majority of Hungarians would support replacing the forint with the euro, according to a new Medián survey, with around three in four respondents backing the introduction of the common European currency. The findings also reveal political divisions, as supporters of the opposition Fidesz par»»»

Russia's brief fiscal reprieve from the Gulf war is already coming to an end. A surge in oil prices in the last months looked like it would bail the Kremlin out which is increasingly struggling to pay for the war in Ukraine. But those hopes look short lived as oil prices are already dropping just a»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

Defence Minister Radu Miruta announced on Thursday that the contract for the acquisition of the first Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) - Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) systems, intended to protect against aerial threats, was signed, with a value exceeding 2 billion euro."After years in whic»»»

A new European Commission convergence report published this week confirms that Poland still does not meet four of the five Maastricht criteria required to adopt the euro. The two most glaring failures are an elevated public finance deficit and long-term interest rates averaging 5.4 percent against »»»

The US Supreme Court on Thursday sided with Bayer in a ruling expected to block thousands of lawsuits claiming its Roundup weedkiller caused cancer by failing to carry adequate warning labels. The decision hands a victory to President Donald Trump's administration but drew backlash from allies in t»»»

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković urged Canadian business leaders on June 23 to view Croatia as a gateway to Central Europe, highlighting the country’s economic growth, investment-grade credit ratings and expanding energy infrastructure. Croatia and Canada have strong potential to deepen eco»»»

A framework agreement between Washington and Tehran has already pulled oil prices lower, but Erste Group's quarterly outlook warns the inflationary scar tissue from the conflict will outlast the crisis itself across the eurozone, the US and emerging markets alike. The third quarter of 2026 looks se»»»

Global index provider MSCI has upgraded Bulgaria’s capital market to frontier market status from standalone, marking a step up in its classification and potentially boosting investor interest. The decision, part of MSCI’s 2026 annual market classification review, reflects improvements in the access»»»

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a law in Hawaii that required people licensed to carry a concealed firearm to seek permission to do so on private property. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 25 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a Hawaiian law tha»»»

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, center, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, left, European Council President Antonio Costa, second from right, and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, second from left, pose for a group photo at the opening session of the Ukraine Recovery Co»»»

AMMAN — Jordan's Industrial Production Index (IPI) rose by 0.04 per cent during the first four months of 2026, driven by stronger mining and electricity production, while the Industrial Producer Price Index (PPI) fell by 0.34 per cent, according to the Department of Statistics (DoS) data released o»»»

Turkmenistan's modern multi-billion-dollar Caspian Sea container port of Turkmenbashi is said to be operating at only 25-30% of its potential due to bureaucratic obstacles facing carriers. The dire operating rate at the eight-year-old Turkmenbashi International Seaport was outlined by Jasurbek Chor»»»

LONDON: The former grand mufti of Syria and a staunch supporter of the Bashar Assad regime, Ahmad Hassoun, appeared in court in Damascus on Thursday, charged with war crimes. Hassoun, 77, was the country’s grand mufti from 2005 until 2021. He appeared before the Fourth Criminal Court for the first »»»

  Ukraine's expanding drone campaign against Russia's oil industry is testing the Kremlin. Can it keep the domestic economy functioning after more than four years of war as its cash cow industry takes a painful pounding. Successful strikes against the Kapotnya refinery in southeast Moscow earl»»»

Biarritz, France: A section of cliff collapsed in the French beach resort of Biarritz on Wednesday, killing one woman and leaving a diver missing, local authorities said. The collapse came at around 8:20 pm (1820 GMT) near the Miramar beach, which was packed with swimmers seeking respite from a pun»»»

On June 25, 2026, the Zhogorku Kenesh (the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan) concluded the first session of its 8th convocation. According to Speaker Marlen Mamataliev, a total of 182 bills were introduced during the session. Of these, 145 were passed, and 94 have already been signed by the President. The »»»

This week marks the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum – an event that has reshaped British politics over the past decade and may well continue to do so into the future. Brexit had its origins in Britain’s complex relationship with the EU and its predecessor organization, the European Econo»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3998 dinars for one euro on Thursday, which is a slight change relative to Wednesday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is steady against the euro m-o-m, down by 0.2 pct y-o-y and down by 0.1 pct relative»»»

Minister of Planning and Economic Development Ahmed Rostom said that the Egyptian economy recorded a growth rate of five percent during the third quarter of fiscal year 2025/2026, compared with 4.8 percent in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal year, exceeding expectations that growth »»»

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev defended the government’s position on Bulgaria’s public finances, arguing that the country’s placement under the European Union’s excessive deficit procedure should not be viewed as an extraordinary or alarming development. Responding to a ques»»»

Houston: Cristiano Ronaldo declared “I’m back” and said those “attacking” him should never write him off after making FIFA World Cup history in a 5-0 defeat of Uzbekistan on Tuesday in Houston. The 41-year-old, under pressure to deliver after a barren recent run at major tournaments, pounced after »»»

Doha, Qatar: Germany and Ecuador meet in their final group-stage match with very different objectives. Germany have already secured their place in the knockout rounds and will look to complete a perfect group campaign by finishing top of the standings. Ecuador, meanwhile, know that only a victory w»»»

MEXICO CITY: Mateo Chávez and Julián Quiñones scored in a six-minute span early in the second half, and Mexico beat the Czech Republic 3-0 on Wednesday night to win all three of its World Cup group-stage matches for the first time. The 22-year-old Chávez, in his first World Cup, opened the scoring »»»

Hungary’s Monetary Council cut the key interest rate by 25 basis points to 6%, as widely expected. This is the second rate cut of the year, following the first in February. The move had been anticipated because the inflation rate remained below the Hungarian National Bank‘s 2–4% target range at 1.8»»»

Dubai: Kunal Shah’s appointment to lead WhatsApp has added a new name to the growing list of Indian-origin executives running some of the world’s most influential companies. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Until recently, Shah was best known within India’s startup and »»»

European leaders met Wednesday in Berlin ahead of next month's NATO summit in Ankarai to discuss European defence and security guarantees for Ukraine, following tensions with the United States and among the main European members. European leaders reaffirmed on Wednesday ⁠their commitment to ​a stro»»»

Coal-fired power plants across the Western Balkans emitted sulphur dioxide at more than six times legal limits in 2025, with dust pollution reaching its worst level since current emissions rules came into force eight years ago, according to a report published on June 23 by environmental watchdog Ba»»»

AMMAN — Oasis500 and SM Capital, a venture capital and investment advisory firm specialising in fintech, artificial intelligence, and strategic infrastructure, have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening investment linkages between the Mediterranean, the Middle »»»

A framework agreement between Washington and Tehran has already pulled oil prices lower, but Erste Group's quarterly outlook warns the inflationary scar tissue from the conflict will outlast the crisis itself across the eurozone, the US and emerging markets alike. The third quarter of 2026 looks se»»»