On June 24, Romania’s Chamber of Deputies quietly approved a controversial bill proposing the country’s unification with neighboring Moldova. For decades, Romanian nationalists have championed the slogan “Basarabia e România” – ”Bessarabia is Romania” – a phrase emblazoned on walls across Bucharest»»»

From 1 July, new EU customs rules will take effect in Hungary, making low-value imports from outside the bloc more expensive. Goods ordered from platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress with a value below €150 will incur a €3 customs charge, according to Szilvia Linczmayer, spokesperson for the»»»

Dubai: For Jayakrishnan Kannan, a 31-year-old rigger from Kerala working in Saudi Arabia, buying a Big Ticket has become a shared tradition with friends. This week, that tradition has paid off when their group won Dh25,000 in Big Ticket's third weekly e-draw for June. Kannan has been one of four wi»»»

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»»»

Dubai: After years of participating in Big Ticket draws with friends, Abu Dhabi resident Ilanzhsuriyan Vijayakumar has decided to buy a ticket on his own for the first time. The decision has paid off, with the 45-year-old architect winning Dh25,000 in Big Ticket's third weekly e-draw for June. Orig»»»

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»»»

Two months ago, during a meeting between President Sadyr Japarov and residents of Osh, a medical worker reported that the city’s ambulance station building had become outdated and no longer met modern standards, and requested the construction of a new facility. The Osh City Hall reported. Following»»»

U.S. wireless carrier AT&T Inc (T.N) said on Monday it would buy Straight Path Communications Inc (STRP.A), a holder of licenses to wireless spectrum, for $1.25 billion in an all-stock deal. The No.2 U.S. carrier said it would offer $95.63 per share, a premium of 162.1 percent to Straight Path’s Fr»»»

BOSTON, Massachusetts: Germany may not ‌be too worried by their 2-1 loss to Ecuador on Thursday as they had secured top spot in Group E beforehand, but it was a timely wake-up call ​ahead of the World Cup knockout stage for the four-time world champions. Germany made it out of their group for the f»»»

As Europe confronts increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, the conversation around climate adaptation is shifting from environmental policy to public health, education, and social infrastructure. Haxie Meyers-Belkin is pleased to welcome Caradee Wright, Chief Specialist Scientist at the »»»

Quito: Ecuador President Daniel Noboa declared Friday a holiday after the national team reached the World Cup knock-out stages by beating four-time champions Germany 2-1 in their final group match. "Thank you to the players and to the coach (Sebastian Beccacece) who, in spite of the critics, insult»»»

LONDON: As governments move to tighten rules around children’s access to social media, Saudi users appear to be sending a different message: not rejection, but growing caution, selectiveness and a demand for stronger guardrails. In the Arab world, the discussion has become more visible following re»»»

The Cabinet is calling off all "outrageous public procurements" and a crash barrier contract for some EUR 500 million is among them, Prime Minister Rumen Radev told journalists on Friday, taking an opportunity to attack his predecessors. "We are ending all outrageous public procurements, we are end»»»

June 25 (UPI) -- An Australian snake catcher called to remove a large python from a resident's bedroom ended up rounding up a massive spider in the same room. Stuart McKenzie of Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 was called out to a Queensland home on a report of a large snake in a resident's bedro»»»

As negociations are underway to end the war launched by Israel and the United Stated against Iran, talks have lagged over the subject of Iran's nuclear programme. The UN's nuclear chief emphasized Friday the need for a "very strong verification system" to ensure the country does not develop nuclear»»»

Sharjah: The UAE has moved its Electronic Invoicing System (EIS) from planning into practical testing, with the Ministry of Finance launching the pilot phase of the system’s five-corner model. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The pilot phase, announced during an awarene»»»

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»»»

Doha, Qatar: Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ), Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Faisal Al-Thani, met with Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to the State of Qatar, H E Badreddine Abdullah Mohammed Ahmed. During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to enhance trade and »»»

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 »»»

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»»»

The implementation of the consolidated general budget as of May 31, 2026, ended with a significantly narrowed deficit of RON 35.94 billion, or 1.75% of GDP, as against RON 64.23 billion (3.35% of GDP) in May 2025, informs the Ministry of Finance.After the first four months of 2026, the government d»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Social Development and Family H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi has described the issuance of the unified system for voluntary work law across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states as an important milestone in strengthening coordination and integration among member st»»»

Geneva: Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar in Geneva H E Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah, participated in the Fifth States’ Consultation on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Peace, held yesterday at the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva.»»»

Manama, Bahrain: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani yesterday participated in Manama in the joint ministerial meeting of Their Highnesses and Excellencies GCC foreign ministers, with the participation of Secretary of State of the U»»»

Hungary’s property market has attracted growing international attention in recent years. From elegant apartments in central Budapest to lakeside homes near Balaton and charming countryside properties, foreign buyers are increasingly exploring opportunities in the country. Compared with many Western»»»

East Rutherford, United States: Ecuador upset Germany to squeeze into the last 32 of the World Cup on Thursday while the Netherlands, Japan and the Ivory Coast advanced safely as the draw for the knockout rounds began to take shape. The Netherlands wrapped up their first round campaign with a 3-1 v»»»

Dubai: If you lived in Dubai in the late 2000s or early 2010s, chances are you woke up to Malavika Varadan's voice. For nearly 13 years, she was one of the UAE's best-known radio hosts, chatting effortlessly with listeners, interviewing celebrities and becoming a familiar part of people's morning r»»»

PHILADELPHIA: Nicolas Pepe scored twice as Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2-0 on Thursday to reach the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time ever and bring the tiny Caribbean country’s run at the tournament to an end. Former Arsenal forward Pepe, now playing in Spain for Villarreal, opened the sco»»»

EAST RUTHERFORD, United States: Ecuador kept their World Cup campaign alive as Gonzalo Plata’s winner completed a memorable come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Germany to send them through to the last 32 on Thursday. Leroy Sane controversially fired Germany ahead less than two minutes into the Group »»»

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»»»

FLORIDA, USA: It’s halftime at the World Cup. Take a break, everyone. Wednesday marked the midpoint of the 104-match tournament — technically, just past the midpoint, with 54 matches now in the books and 50 remaining before a World Cup champion are crowned in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19»»»

TUNIS: Tunisia’s humiliating exit from the 2026 World Cup after two heavy losses against Sweden and Japan delt a blow to Eagles of Carthage fans, who say it laid bare years of dysfunction within the football federation. The team, which had made history in 1978 by becoming the first African nation t»»»

Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and German Ambassador to Bulgaria Irene Maria Plank discussed opportunities to expand military-technical cooperation between the two countries. They talked about projects for Bulgaria to acquire IRIS-T air and missile defence systems, prospects for additional finan»»»

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Dr Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa CDC, said the Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo is "serious" but not "out of control". He warned that "no one is safe" if it is not stopped at the source and argued that the West would already have a vaccine if the disease had struck t»»»

At least 101 million Europeans will experience temperatures above 35C on Thursday, as Spanish and French authorities begin to tally the deaths linked to the heatwave. At least 101 million Europeans were forecast to swelter in temperatures of over 35C on Thursday, as scores of people were thought to»»»

Africa's key oil and gas producers could cut methane emissions at relatively low cost using existing technologies, with Algeria and Nigeria offering the largest opportunities for reductions, according to a new report by Carbon Limits for the Clean Air Task Force (CATF). The study assessed Algeria, »»»

The Latin American Association of Zoos and Aquariums warned the region's illegal wildlife trade is increasingly shifting to social media. File Photo by Attila Kovacs/EPA June 25 (UPI) -- The Latin American Association of Zoos and Aquariums on Thursday launched a regional campaign to combat illegal »»»

PARIS: Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, fresh from a spat with US leader Donald Trump, was set Thursday to meet French President Emmanuel Macron Thursday to tighten ties. One of Europe’s most prominent right-wing leaders will arrive in the resort of Antibes on the French Riviera for her first»»»

The unrelenting heatwave pummeling France has turned the iconic zinc roofs of Paris into a nightmare and a health hazard for people living directly underneath in often cramped attic dwellings that retain the searing heat and are impossible to ventilate. Before the heat struck, Amelie Kenney could b»»»

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has been accused by leading American AI-developer Anthropic of "illicitly" seeking to harvest the abilities of its Claude chatbot. Photo by Jessica Lee/EPA June 25 (UPI) -- AI firm Anthropic sought the assistance of Congress to crack down on alleged clandestine effo»»»

The Bulgarian government presented its draft budget for 2026 on Wednesday, setting a deficit of 5.7% of GDP, the highest figure in three decades, and immediately drew fire from opposition parties who accused the cabinet of repeating the same fiscal practices it once condemned. Deputy Prime Minister»»»

  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»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron will aim to build on a nascent rapprochement with Italy's Giorgia Meloni when they meet for a bilateral summit on the French Riviera on Thursday, just days after Meloni's erstwhile ally Donald Trump mocked her for supposedly "begging" him for a photograph »»»

EAST RUTHERFORD, USA: Co-hosts the United States and Germany will bid to complete perfect World Cup group stage campaigns on Thursday, while the Netherlands and Japan look poised to join them in the last 32. The US have clinched top spot in Group D with a game to spare after wins over Paraguay and »»»

U.S. gasoline prices decreased an average of 49 cents a gallon in the last month as expectations rose for an end to the war with Iran. But they're not falling fast enough for President Donald Trump. Trump, who wants to stave off the economic fallout of the war ahead of midterm elections, is now poi»»»

JEDDAH: The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will begin a new chapter in electric motorsport when the revolutionary GEN4 era makes its competitive debut under the lights of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in December. Formula E and the FIA have confirmed the provisional calendar for the 2026-27 sea»»»

Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Minister of Health Zsolt Hegedűs visited Budapest’s Uzsoki Street Hospital on Thursday to assess ongoing upgrades to the healthcare facility’s cooling systems as Hungary prepares for an extreme heatwave. Péter Magyar shows progress in hospital air-conditioning modern»»»

Paris, France: Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, fresh from a spat with US leader Donald Trump, was set Thursday to meet French President Emmanuel Macron Thursday to tighten ties. One of Europe's most prominent right-wing leaders will arrive in the resort of Antibes on the French Riviera for h»»»

Budapest’s campaign to regulate short-term apartment rentals is continuing, with Józsefváros (District VIII) becoming the second district of the Hungarian capital to introduce strict limits on Airbnb-style accommodation. The district council has approved a new regulatory concept that would impose r»»»

Dubai: UAE motorists will finally see some relief at the pump in July after four consecutive months of fuel price increases, as global oil prices drop sharply from the highs triggered by the Middle East conflict. The case for lower fuel prices next month is stronger than at any point since the war »»»