The Brave Boar 2026 exercise is in fact part of NATO’s plans for total domination in the Baltic region, retired Russian Navy Captain First Rank Vasily Dandykin tells Sputnik. Set in the Suwalki Gap – a 65km stretch of land that separates Kaliningrad region from Belarus, the exercise is meant to let»»»

Tunis, June 17 (TAP/ Meriem Khadhraoui) – Tunisia is preparing to scale up its wind energy sector with the planned launch of tenders for 2 GW of new capacity starting in 2026 (equivalent to enough energy to supply around 1.5 million households)....»»»

TUNIS, June 17 (TAP) - Every second, the equivalent of four football fields of healthy land is degraded, amounting to 100 million hectares each year, according to the United Nations, which is marking World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought...»»»

DUBAI: Eight months into a ceasefire that has failed to stop Israeli attacks or fully open Gaza’s borders, the 2.1 million Palestinians inside the besieged enclave are entering a summer that aid agencies warn could accelerate an already unfolding public health catastrophe. As summer temperatures so»»»

MOSCOW: Russia is introducing restrictions on flights by light ​private aircraft and drones in Moscow and surrounding regions, setting a minimum altitude requirement, aviation authority Rosaviatsiya said on Wednesday. Russia ‌has in ‌recent months ​been ‌regularly ⁠repelling Ukrainian ​drone attack»»»

The Department of Justice is trying to block a lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI. File Photo by Fazry Ismail/EPA June 17 (UPI) -- The Department of Justice is trying to quash a lawsuit against a power plant that supports an xAI data center and is arguing that the turbines are essential to national se»»»

The Council of Ministers Wednesday approved the allocation of up to EUR 10.2 million to the Central Election Commission (CEC), the Government Information Service reported. Part of the funds will be used to pay obligations related to the parliamentary elections on April 19, 2026, as well as to pay t»»»

KAZAN, Russia (Sputnik) - Ukraine committed a terrorist attack by striking bus with a Belarusian youth football team in Russia's Bryansk Region, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, acting governor Egor Kovalchuk said that Ukraine attacked a bus carrying a youth fo»»»

KABUL: Government workers in different parts of Afghanistan have started switching off their smartphones, following an order imposed Wednesday that they told AFP came from Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. A letter announcing the ban on smartphones for all government employees started circulati»»»

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that his country's negotiations with Israel in Washington were independent of the US-Iran deal to bring an end to the Middle East conflict. Lebanon and Israel have been holding direct talks in Washington since April, seeking to end the hostilities betwe»»»

JILJILIYA, Palestinian Territories Israeli settlers set fire to mosques in two West Bank villages on Wednesday, the local mayors said, while AFP journalists at the site saw signs of arson and vandalism. Israel’s military confirmed to AFP the arson and graffiti on the mosques, but did not identify t»»»

A purported draft of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding circulating online suggests that Washington could grant Tehran sweeping sanctions relief and access to frozen assets while leaving key nuclear issues to future negotiations. The 14-point list emerged on Tuesday as the administration of US»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Marko Djuric met on Wednesday in Belgrade with Slovenian Parliament Speaker Zoran Stevanovic to discuss bilateral relations, the situation in the region and the most important geopolitical issues. "The two officials mutually noted that relations between Belgrade and Ljubljana »»»

By Sherif Abdel Ghaffar I read an article for an expat who used to live in Egypt from 2002 till 2014, this writer apparently also started an English-speaking magazine in Egypt when she lived there. The article in so many words was bashing up the new capital city project in Egypt. I was filled with »»»

The Council of Europe's Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL) Wednesday said that it has closed the 5th evaluation round for Bulgaria. The country has implemented all 40 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations a»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s NHC Innovation, the digital and technological arm of the National Housing Co., signed three strategic partnership agreements with Huawei, Lenovo, and ByteDance in Shenzhen, China. The agreements come as part of the official visit to China by Minister of Municipalities and Hou»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index slipped on Wednesday, losing 30.65 points, or 0.28 percent, to close at 11,114.90. The total trading turnover of the benchmark index reached SR4.23 billion ($1.12 billion), with 72 stocks advancing and 182 retreating. Similarly, the Kingdom’s parallel »»»

Doha Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani received a phone call from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic HE Antonio Tajani. During the call, the two sides discuss»»»

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 »»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar's Cabinet has welcomed HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's participation in the G7 Summit in France, describing the invitation as recognition of the country's growing international role in promoting peace, development and regional stability. The Cabinet meeting, chaired»»»

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»»»

Doha The Cabinet has welcomed His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani's participation in the G7 Summit in France, describing the invitation as recognition of the country's growing international role in promoting peace, development and regional stability. The Cabi»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received a phone call from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic, HE Antonio Tajani. During the call, the two side»»»

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»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, met on Wednesday with Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to the State of Qatar, HE Alvaro Renedo Zalba. During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhan»»»

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»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Military Media Video Shows Islamic Resistance Drone Attack on IOF Vehicle in Majdal Zoun Town, South Lebanon 17-06-2026 15:40 PM Hezbollah »»»

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»»»