Customs officers seized 1,064,020 cigarettes near the Ruse and Vidin border crossings over the last ten days, the Ruse Customs Territorial Directorate said on Wednesday. Most of the tobacco products carried valid Bulgarian excise stamps but were being transported in breach of the Excise Duties and »»»

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»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Al-Manar correspondents across southern Lebanon and Bekaa reports Israeli drone activity in Iqlim Al-Tuffah, Western Bekaa and Baalbek 17-0»»»

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»»»

Chairman of the National Agency for Virtual Assets and Blockchain Technologies under the President of Kyrgyzstan, Farkhat Iminov, held a meeting with the founder of Vietnam’s ROX Group, Tran Anh Tuan. According to the agency, the parties discussed prospects for cooperation in the fields of virtual »»»

Copenhagen: Danish company Clever is trying something it believes is clever indeed: it has done away with bosses to foster creativity and boost group performance. At its Copenhagen headquarters in a former industrial district, Denmark's leading operator of electric car charging stations has no hier»»»

Poland, which is regularly targeted by Russian hybrid attacks, takes the threat of war with Moscow very seriously. The country now spends nearly 5 percent of its GDP on defence, and aims to train its civilians too, so they will know how to react if war breaks out. To this end, it has introduced a p»»»

STRASBOURG/VENICE - In a follow-up opinion, the Venice Commission has welcomed the implementation of seven out of nine key recommendations contained in its Urgent Opinion on amendments to Serbian laws governing the judiciary and the prosecution, and noted that the Serbian authorities had moved swif»»»

Unmarked police vehicles have begun operating across Plovdiv, the Trakia highway, and key regional roads in Bulgaria, as authorities step up efforts to curb aggressive driving and serious traffic violations. The vehicles, which carry no external police markings, allow officers to observe road behav»»»

A 50-year-old man has died in the town of Iskar after being attacked over an unpaid restaurant bill of €33.50, according to bTV. Two individuals have been detained in connection with the incident, which occurred during the town’s holiday celebrations, but questions remain over the official account »»»

Gravediggers in a southern Lebanon village prepare tombs for the dead in Israeli strikes during the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, near those killed in the previous conflicts between the foes. In front of recent graves bearing three huge portraits in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, Shourouk Hariri, 32, wept for»»»

Welzy Securities Brokerage, a subsidiary of Act Financial, has announced the appointment of Walaa El-Hendy as Head of Brokerage and Executive Board Member, as part of the company’s strategy to strengthen its brokerage operations and support its expansion plans in the Egyptian capital market. El-Hen»»»

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has directed the implementation of a Dh300 million expansion project for University Hospital Sharjah, aimed at doubling the facility's capacity and enhancing healthcare services in the emirate. Abdula»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Iran he was ready to resume military action if Tehran did not abide by its obligations, two days ahead of the signing of an accord to end the war between the foes. "If they (the Iranian side) don't behave, we'll go right back to dropping bombs right s»»»

In May, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) prevented the import of 43 consignments totalling more than 277 tonnes of goods from third countries following official veterinary and phytosanitary inspections carried out at the country's eight border inspection posts, the agency announced on Wednes»»»

Global Witness has alleged that more than 2,000 tonnes of conflict coltan smuggled from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has entered global supply chains via Rwanda, potentially reaching major electronics manufacturers and consumer brands despite international traceability and due dil»»»

Local authorities in Karakol have announced that a decision on increasing public transport fares is expected soon after a morning strike by minibus drivers disrupted services in the city. As previously reported, on June 17, minibus drivers refused to service their routes, demanding a revision of th»»»

Media outlets in Kyrgyzstan can also take advantage of the benefits provided by the presidential decree exempting the creative sector from taxes. According to Almambet Shykmamatov, Chairman of the State Tax Service, the decree applies to «services for the production, placement, and distribution of »»»

Azerbaijan's crude oil exports fetched an average of $79.5 a barrel in the first quarter of 2026, 7.15% higher than a year earlier and well above the $65 a barrel assumed in this year's state budget, according to Central Bank of Azerbaijan data reported by Report.az. The gap between the realised pr»»»

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan secured a decisive parliamentary election victory that strengthens his pro-European agenda, but an analysis published by Carnegie Politika says a resilient pro-Russian opposition could still slow his efforts to advance peace with Azerbaijan and deepen ties wi»»»

ISTANBUL: Turkish state broadcaster TRT has removed a commentator from its World Cup roster after he mixed up Iran and New Zealand teams. TRT said in a statement late on Tuesday that the commentator, identified by Turkish media as Murat Ekrem Çimen, had been withdrawn from the World Cup broadcast t»»»

MANILA: As two-year-old conjoined twins Olivia and Gianna Manuel prepare for separation surgery on Thursday, their parents are filled with hope that it will give them a childhood and life like other children. Born in Nueva Ecija in the central Philippines in April 2024, the girls are joined from th»»»

TIRANA: A coastal development project in Albania linked to Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is facing growing opposition from environmental advocates which has led to daily protests in the capital, Tirana. The government says the development on the Adriatic coast would be transformational fo»»»

Patria Bank (BVB: PBK), a Romanian bank focused on supporting local entrepreneurial businesses and listed on the Regulated Market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange, announces the signing of a renewable energy supply agreement with Alive Capital, an integrated energy services and supply platform. Thro»»»

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that under-16s will be banned from social media, and adults will have to verify their identity to use major platforms. Critics say it’s an opportunity for Starmer to fulfil his long-term goal of introducing digital ID by the back door. Starmer annou»»»

Jeffrey Epstein attempted suicide at least three times before his death in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019, according to the New York Times. Investigators reportedly found multiple nooses in his cell after his death, a report detailing the convicted sex offender’s final days in federal custody has re»»»

Geneva, June 17 (SANA) Qatar condemned continued Israeli attacks on Syria, Palestine and Lebanon, describing them as a flagrant violation of international law and a direct threat to regional security and stability. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah, Qatar’s permanent representative to the United Nations O»»»

A capability demonstration day of the multinational air exercise Thracian Blade 2026 took place at Chesnegirovo Air Base on Wednesday. The exercise involves personnel and equipment from the air forces of Bulgaria, Austria, Belgium, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Hungary and Switzerland. Units from the»»»

Around 15,000 people living with HIV/AIDS have been registered in Kyrgyzstan. Deputy Minister of Health, Gulbara Ishenapysova, said during a parliamentary session. According to her, 14,000 of those registered are Kyrgyzstanis. She noted that the primary route of transmission remains sexual contact »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held phone talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and discussed the preparations for the signing of the Iran-US memorandum, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. "The head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry informed about »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Gaza Health Ministry: 5 martyrs and 8 injuries were moved to hospitals during the past 24 hours 17-06-2026 14:09 PM Latest News Urgent News»»»

Leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah Movement Sayyed Abdul Malik Badreddine Al-Houthi, extended his warmest congratulations and blessings to the Yemeni people, its fighters stationed on the front lines, and the entire Muslim Ummah on the occasion of the new Hijri year 1448 AH. In a statement issued on the »»»

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that Israeli attacks on Lebanon “must stop completely.” During a phone call, the two ministers discussed the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU), along with regional and bilateral issues, Iranian Foreign Mini»»»

Foreign Buyers Shift Toward Mid-Caps as Stronger Fundamentals Continue to Support Egyptian Assets Cairo — Egyptian equities closed mixed on Tuesday as investors rotated away from selected large-cap stocks while continuing to accumulate positions in mid-cap and financial shares, reinforcing a broade»»»

Moscow supports a deal between the United States and Iran to end the Middle East war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Iranian counterpart during a phone call on Wednesday, insisting that Israel must also comply. "The Russian minister expressed support for the understandings reached »»»

Doha, Qatar: Plan your weekend getaway activities with an exciting lineup of live shows, family-friendly activities, and thrilling sporting events. Treat yourself to a weekend of refreshing fun and make the most of your time in Qatar. Find out more about the various activities! Tamer Ashour Live in»»»

Dubai: The UAE and wider Gulf economies are expected to bounce back strongly in 2027 after absorbing the impact of regional conflict, with GCC GDP forecast to expand by 8.1 per cent. This would happen as energy trade routes normalise, tourism demand returns and business confidence improves, accordi»»»

Dubai: Oil prices could take 4 to 8 weeks to stabilise even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens on Friday, as tanker backlogs, elevated insurance costs, low inventories and doubts over the ceasefire continue to keep a risk premium in energy markets. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & »»»

Israel and Lebanon are nearing a permanent ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States, following significant progress in recent talks held in Washington, Israel's Channel 12 reported overnight. According to the report, the details of the agreement are currently being finalized, and the Leban»»»

Hezbollah Military Media released on Wednesday video showing a drone strike targeting an Israeli armored personnel carrier in the southern Lebanese border town. The one-minute video depicts the strike, dated June 14, showing an FPV drone dubbed “Ababil” carrying out a direct strike on an Israeli Na»»»

Elon Musk’s Grok AI has become an integral part of America’s war machine, and its data centers must be treated like munitions production plants in future conflicts, according to a sworn declaration by the Pentagon’s artificial intelligence chief. The statement about Grok was submitted as part of an»»»

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited Haiti on Tuesday as gang violence deepens a humanitarian crisis, with more than one in 10 Haitians displaced. The United Nations said 2,300 people have been killed and 100 kidnapped this year, while 1.5 million have been forced from their homes, includi»»»

The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has just completed a day long visit to Haiti. The trip was designed to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis, worsened by gang violence, in the country, with Guterres first visiting he headquarters of a new gang suppression force. He didn'»»»

Georgia Republicans delivered a split decision for Donald Trump in runoffs, opting for the president’s preferred U.S. Senate candidate but rejecting his choice for governor - although Trump's endorsement still weighs heavy in ruby-red states. Among Democrats, the primaries hinge on longstanding div»»»

A $300 billion reconstruction fund financed by the Gulf states, waiving sanctions on Iranian oil and a 60-day ceasefire extension to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme are all reportedly part of the memorandum of understanding agreed upon by Washington and Tehran this week. Follow our liveblog for al»»»

Israeli forces carried out airstrikes on several areas in south Lebanon on June 17 despite an agreement on a peace deal in the Middle East war that includes Lebanon. But the contents of the deal have yet to be revealed, although the US has confirmed Israel will not have to withdraw to the internati»»»

In tonight's edition: Senegal lose to two-time champions France at the World Cup as Les Bleus win 3-1 in their group stage clash. Also, Africa CDC warns the Ebola crisis in DR Congo has the potential to become the worst ever of its kind. Plus it's been 50 years since thousands of young South Africa»»»

The third and final day of the G7 summit focuses on AI and social media, with CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic and European rival Mistral meeting leaders for lunch on Wednesday. French President Emmanuel Macron has invited his US counterpart Donald Trump to a private dinner at the lavish Palace of Versa»»»

The world's largest museum is having a hard time securing investments to upgrade its decaying infrastructure, the Louvre's new director Christophe Leribault told a Senate committee Wednesday. The museum has been hit by a series of public scandals including a water leak, a large-scale ticket fr»»»