Dubai: The UAE is the world's most prepared and mature country in adopting artificial intelligence, Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Agentic AI Project Executive Committee, said as the government accelerates plans to embed AI across public services and operations»»»

Parliament divisions deepened over Bulgaria’s stance on the latest EU sanctions package against Russia, as the debate over the possible inclusion of Russian Patriarch Kirill moved beyond religion and into questions of national interest and geopolitical alignment. Opposition party GERB criticized th»»»

The Macedonia Foundation has announced that it is withdrawing its planned temporary blockade of border crossings between Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, scheduled for Sunday. The decision comes after official reactions from Bulgarian institutions and diplomatic concerns linked to rece»»»

Nikolai Denkov, chair of the parliamentary group of “We Continue the Change” (PP), warned that Bulgaria risks political and economic isolation from its European partners due to the current government stance on EU sanctions related to Russian Patriarch Kirill. Speaking to journalists in parliament, »»»

In the village of Bosteri, Issyk-Kul region, employees of the State Tax Service detected a large batch of tobacco products without excise stamps. During a raid carried out jointly with representatives of Uchkun OJSC, 3,751 packs of cigarettes were seized from illegal circulation. The cost of the di»»»

Alisher Mukazhan, Chairman of the Information Committee of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, spoke at the SCO Media Forum about the transformation of the media market, cooperation with major online platforms, and plans for the further development of the digital »»»

Hezbollah’s Islamic Resistance vowed on Friday to remain fully mobilized to confront any Israeli aggression, echoing a statement by late Secretary General Martyr Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah when he said: “And between us and you there is a battlefield, and [many] days and nights.” In a statement the Oper»»»

Hezbollah vowed to defend Lebanon's territory and people against Israeli attacks on Friday, accusing its foe of violating a ceasefire as fighting flared. "The Islamic Resistance will remain vigilant against any aggression. Its fighters will defend their land and people," the Iran-backed group said »»»

Russia's war economy is under increasing strain, but construction of the Navy's advanced nuclear-powered submarines continues unabated. The keel-laying ceremony took place at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk on 17 June, according to a statement published by the yard on VKontakte. Commander-in-C»»»

Eastern Africa is set to deepen cross-border power flows and accelerate decarbonisation after the World Bank Group approved a $1.6bn financing package for a new 10-year programme to integrate power markets and expand access to reliable electricity across the region. The Regional Energy Transmission»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe The Islamic Resistance remains vigilant against any aggression, with its fighters defending their land and people in a steadfast Karbala-Hu»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Operations Room of Hezbollah’s Islamic Resistance: Dozens of Israeli soldiers, officers have been killed or injured, many vehicles damaged »»»

Askar Akayev, Kyrgyzstan’s first president after independence, who fled the country during the March Revolution in 2005, said at the anniversary Issyk-Kul International Forum that current President Sadyr Japarov should be given additional time in office. He said the people of Kyrgyzstan are capable»»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the St. Petersburg State University of Economics. The award ceremony took place during his working visit to Russia. Following the ceremony, Kasymaliev delivered a guest lecture on Kyrgyzs»»»

Dubai: flydubai has been named the “Airline with the Best Connectivity in the Middle East” for the third time at the Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2026. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Dubai-based airline received the award at the 25th edition of the event,»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received US economist Jeffrey Sachs on Friday to discuss Serbia's economic prospects, and noted that Serbia had a historic chance to become a part of a common EU market. Sachs is in Belgrade for a forum hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of »»»

Israel's military said Friday it had struck Hezbollah targets in eastern Lebanon after an attack killed four of its soldiers. "A short time ago, in response to repeated ceasefire violations by Hezbollah, which continues to prepare and carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli soldiers, the army s»»»

The Israeli military said strikes were ongoing on Friday after four of its soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed in an attack on a tank in a village near the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh. An explosive drone attack wounded another five, it added. Israel then launched multiple »»»

The European Commission has given a positive preliminary assessment of Bulgaria's fourth request for funding under the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility, finding that the country has successfully completed most of the reforms and investments tied to the payment. The request, submitted in April,»»»

Continue the Change MP Velislav Velichkov warned on Friday that the Judicial System Act changes may fail to produce a new independent Supreme Judicial Council without political will. In a statement on changes to the Judicial System Act, Velichkov appealed to Progressive Bulgaria (PB), saying the tw»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanese Health Ministry: Israeli strike on Baalbek killed 3 people, injured 6 others in preliminary toll 19-06-2026 14:10 PM Latest News U»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe “And between us and you there is a battlefield, and [many] days and nights,” Operations Room of Hezbollah’s Islamic Resistance addresses Is»»»

KABUL/KARACHI: Afghanistan said on Friday it had launched airstrikes on hideouts of Islamist militants in two Pakistani provinces, an assertion swiftly rejected by Islamabad, months after the neighbors engaged in their worst conflict in years. The Taliban government’s defense ministry said in a pos»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine finds itself in a difficult position, with the situation on the frontline expected to become completely catastrophic soon, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. "The Kiev regime is in a very difficult position. The situation on the fronts will soon become comple»»»

BELGRADE - As part of a preliminary investigation into the death of a female student identified as M Z and the circumstances of a March 26 ignition of pyrotechnic devices inside the building of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, as well as into potential omissions regarding the safety of studen»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have taken control of the settlement of Yurkovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. "Over the past day, the settlement of Yurkovka in the Donetsk People's Republic has been liberated," the ministry said in a sta»»»

Just days after US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a landmark agreement aimed at ending months of war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the deal is facing its first major test. Negotiations that were supposed to begin in Switzerland have been postponed. Fight»»»

ISTANBUL: The Turkish government is tightening its grip on the opposition, with fresh arrests on Friday targeting elected officials from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) as it faces a deepening leadership crisis. Authorities carried out operations targeting CHP-run municipalities»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia would prefer to achieve its special military operation's goals through diplomacy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. "Russia would prefer to achieve the goals of the special military operation through diplomacy. That requires reliably guaranteeing security along »»»

Marseille, June 18, 2026 (TAP / Lasaad Mahmoudi) – The Tunisian Customs Administration has deployed officers aboard the ferries Tanit and Carthage to assist Tunisian expatriates in completing online procedures for obtaining vehicle circulation...»»»

DAMASCUS: Syria’s wheat production is expected to ​more than double this year, authorities said, bolstered by heavier rains and the state’s recapture of a northeastern breadbasket region from Kurdish forces — but demand has grown in parallel. The agriculture ministry estimates a harvest between 2.3»»»

Elevated levels of Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci have been found by the Regional Health Inspectorate at the Ofitserski Beach (or Officers' Beach) in Varna, the press office of the regional administration said on Friday. The monitoring of seawater in the bathing zone is traditionally c»»»

A new Physical Education and Sports Act is being drafted because the effective one is obsolete, Bulgarian Youth and Sports Minister Encho Keryazov said here on Friday. He addressed Parliament during Question Time, asked by Anna Bodakova MP of Democratic Bulgaria whether his ministry has taken steps»»»

The Macedonia Foundation will map the alleged Bulgarian business interests of North Macedonia Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and his circle of oligarchs, the foundation’s President Viktor Stoyanov said in Sofia on Friday. Stoyanov was speaking at a news conference at the BTA National Press Club »»»

THE HAGUE: International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan, who has been accused of sexual misconduct, has been suspended by Britain’s independent regulator for court lawyers. Khan had already been suspended on June 8 by the ICC’s governing body, prolonging a crisis at the war crimes ‌cour»»»

Israel's military said Friday its forces struck targets throughout southern and eastern Lebanon overnight into Friday as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area, threatening the nascent agreement between Iran and the United States to end their war. Talks planned for Friday in Switzerland be»»»

Kyrgyzstan has a unique opportunity to accelerate economic growth by investing in the human capital of children and young people. Tomas Lievens, managing partner of the human capital practice at Genesis Analytics, said during the presentation of the Generation 2025 study. According to him, investme»»»

European officials have for years painted an enticing picture of European integration for Ukrainians, but the reality is quite different, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) stated. Key points:Ukraine's prospects for European integration are significantly worse than those of MoldovaEuropean»»»

Trust in real estate professionals in 2026 is built mainly on accurate information, transparency, and predictability, according to the latest survey conducted by real estate platform Storia. Overall, the highest trust scores were recorded by notaries public, with 2.78 out of 5, and lawyers speciali»»»

London: Arsenal will kick off their Premier League title defence against promoted Coventry on August 21. The Premier League fixtures for the 2026-27 campaign were released on Friday, with the Gunners' home game against Frank Lampard's Coventry among the highlights in the opening round of matches. C»»»

JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said Friday that it had struck more than 80 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and killed dozens of its members in response to what it described as ceasefire violations. “Overnight, the IDF (military) struck more than 80 command centers, terrorists, launch positions, and addi»»»

Israel's military said Friday its forces struck targets throughout southern and eastern Lebanon overnight into Friday as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area, threatening the nascent agreement between Iran and the United States to end their war. Talks planned for Friday in Switzerland be»»»

Romania’s media market reached an estimated net value of €838 million in 2025, up 5.4% compared to the previous year, according to Media Fact Book 2026, an annual report by Initiative. For 2026, forecasts indicate a stable market evolution, against an economic and political backdrop that continues »»»

Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem affirmed that the 2026 Al-Ahram Commercial Vehicles (ACV) Show serves as an important platform for supporting the state’s efforts to deepen and localize domestic manufacturing and increase the local component ratio in the commercial vehicle industry. He noted that»»»

"The attitude to organ donation is a measure of the State's attitude to human life," Katya Paneva MP of Democratic Bulgaria said in a declaration read from Parliament's rostrum on Friday. "Today, more than 800 Bulgarian citizens are waiting for a transplant. For them, time passes differently – in m»»»

Continue the Change warned on Friday that Bulgaria risks political and economic isolation within the European Union if it follows through on a threat to block a new sanctions package against Russia over the inclusion of Russian Patriarch Kirill. The party's parliamentary group leader, Nikolay Denko»»»

Milan, Italy: A robot with expressive eyebrows that is designed to perform basic tasks to free up healthcare workers is being given a trial run by a hospital in Milan. Named "Alter-Ego", the 1.2-metre tall robot can stand in for a doctor working remotely, bring a patient a bottle of water or guide »»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police have released surveillance footage showing motorists and road users throwing waste from moving vehicles, as part of a renewed awareness campaign against unsafe and uncivilised driving behaviour. The video, produced in coordination with the Monitoring and Control Centre, »»»

President Sadyr Japarov signed a decree introducing amendments to the procedure for reviewing citizenship matters in the Kyrgyz Republic. The document amends the August 10, 2013 decree approving regulations on citizenship procedures and the Commission on Citizenship under the President. According t»»»

Following a mass food poisoning, a fine of 41,000 soms was imposed on a madrassa in Bishkek. The capital’s State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance Center informed 24.kg news agency. According to specialists, an investigation into the incident has been conducted. Preliminary reports indicate»»»