The 2026 draft budget is "drip irrigation for people and businesses and a waterfall of euros for circles of companies in construction and energy, and for the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC)," Continue the Change leader and former finance minister Assen Vassilev said at a Thursday press conference on»»»

Former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov has sharply criticized Bulgaria’s draft 2026 state budget, describing it as a policy direction that sacrifices long-term stability for short-term political convenience. In a commentary published on his Facebook profile, Gyurov argued that the proposal r»»»

People pump gas at a gas station in Washington, D.C., on May 30. The core personal consumption expenditures rose at a 3.4% annual rate in May, setting the highest mark for inflation growth since October 2023. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 25 (UPI) -- The core personal consumption ex»»»

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»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has announced plans to remove President Tamás Sulyok from office through a constitutional amendment, which will be the biggest political movement since the change of government. PM Magyar will remove Sulyok whatever it takes Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Ma»»»

Tunis, June 25, 2026 (TAP) - Thirteen awards honouring companies, investors, entrepreneurs and business stakeholders making remarkable contributions to Tunisia's economic, social and environmental development were presented during the opening...»»»

Dubai: Oman Air will launch a new daily direct service between Muscat and Abu Dhabi from July 9, adding another connection between two GCC capitals. The new route will provide travellers with direct flights between Oman and the UAE capital, while also offering onward connections through Abu Dhabi’s»»»

Economist Preslav Raykov warned that inflation in Bulgaria could accelerate to around 8% in the coming months, while stressing that the country must quickly bring its budget deficit below 3% after entering the EU's excessive deficit procedure. Speaking to NOVA News, he said achieving that target wi»»»

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»»»

Bulgaria is seeking to deepen economic ties with Poland and attract more Polish investment, with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry Alexander Pulev stating that Sofia aims to develop its economy along the lines of the Polish model. Speaking in Gdansk during a me»»»

GDANSK - Serbian Minister for European Integration Nemanja Starovic attended the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdansk on Thursday, noting that Serbia consistently supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all internationally recognised states. "It was emphasised at the conference»»»

  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»»»

Russia is reportedly in talks with Kazakhstan to import petrol as the Kremlin seeks to ease fuel shortages amid drone-hit refinery outages. Reuters reported the situation on June 24, citing industry sources. Shutdowns at several large refineries in central Russia, in the wake of stepped-up Ukrainia»»»

Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed the federal government, through the U.S. Postal Service, will provide states with information on who is an eligible voter and then refuse to mail ballots to those it deems ineligible. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 25 (UPI) -- The U.»»»

Dubai: Drivers across Dubai and Sharjah are facing a slow Thursday evening commute, with congestion building on major routes across both emirates. Sheikh Zayed Road (E11)The main artery connecting Dubai's key districts is showing significant slowdowns this evening, particularly between Dubai Marina»»»

Russia is reportedly in talks with Kazakhstan to import petrol as the Kremlin seeks to ease fuel shortages amid drone-hit refinery outages. Reuters reported the situation on June 24, citing industry sources. Shutdowns at several large refineries in central Russia, in the wake of stepped-up Ukrainia»»»

Malaysia has locked in an expansive geopolitical energy deal with Russia, CNN Indonesia reports. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has announced that Russia has officially guaranteed Malaysia a stable, continuous supply of crude oil, natural gas, and diesel for the next 20 years. The supply p»»»

Power outages, train delays, and melting roads – the current heatwave is straining France's infrastructure. Electricity provider EDF says it has had to reduce its nuclear power output, but that it still has enough capacity to meet demand. Also in the show: the UN's International Maritime Organizati»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi held a phone call on Thursday with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela HE Yvan Gil. During the call, they discussed cooperation relations between the»»»

It began with a simple question: how do we see the student who never shows up in any spreadsheet? Today, UAE-based AnaAkhtar — the first Arabic platform purpose-built to support the school counsellor — presented the outcomes of two years of field implementation and validation, spanning private scho»»»

SelfDrive, the Middle East’s leading digital mobility platform, announced a significant expansion of its operations across Saudi Arabia. Effective immediately, the company has bolstered its Car Rental in Riyadh and Car Rental in Jeddah, marking a strategic move to provide enhanced, technology-enabl»»»

Tunis, June 25 (TAP)- The 22nd edition of the Tunisia Investment Forum, organised by the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency FIPA-Tunisia, got underway Thursday in Tunis on the theme "Tunisia, Renewed Dynamics, New Opportunities."For the first...»»»

Dubai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Thursday flagged off 300 new government buses, procured at an estimated cost of Rs127.21 crore, in a major boost to the state's public transport network. The new fleet comprises 164 diesel buses and 136 eco-friendly, low-emission CNG buses that co»»»

Ankara: More than 10,000 historic artefacts were seized at the Istanbul home of two people who have been placed under arrest, Turkish police said Thursday. "An operation was carried out by our anti-smuggling directorate and two individuals were arrested. Our cultural heritage constitutes our countr»»»

Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev told the parliamentary Committee on Culture and Media on Wednesday that Andriyana Tatarova had been removed from her position as Executive Director of the National Palace of Culture congress centre in Sofia, but stressed that her dismissal does not absolve her of res»»»

Peer-to-peer education is highly effective in preventing drug use, said Marissa Lee, Special Agent in Charge of US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Europe, during an event in Varna on Thursday marking 10 years of cooperation between the city’s Prevention Directorate and the DEA. Lee emphasized»»»

The CIS Film Forum Central Asia+ has been opened in Almaty. Representatives of the film industries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are participating in the forum. Over the course of two days, screenings of films from participating countries across various»»»

TUNIS, June 25 (TAP) – Prime Minister Sarra Zaafrani Zenzri on Thursday presented an economic assessment marked by improved growth indicators and renewed attractiveness for international investment. Opening the 22nd edition of the Tunisia Investment...»»»

More than 300 women, 100 young volunteers, and over 100 partner organizations took part in the Rada Says No national anti-domestic violence project, project manager Maria Koleva said at a press conference here Thursday. The campaign's symbol, the Rada doll, carries a QR code linking to the "Help Me»»»

Unity and solidarity within NATO remain the most important guarantee of Europe's security, and Bulgaria continues to fulfill its responsibility to strengthen collective defence - that was the overall message of the meeting between Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and the Commander of Allied Joint »»»

Dubai: Dubai’s hotel sector is expected to see visitor numbers recover before room rates return to pre-war highs, according to Accor. The company’s regional leadership said that like other regional markets, Dubai had been affected by the recent disruption to travel demand but expects international »»»

Washington Bureau Chief for Asharq News Hiba Nasr said Thursday that the U.S. is seeking more than a statement of intent. "Following Secretary Rubio’s comments on Lebanon, I’m told the U.S. is pushing for something that goes beyond a mere Statement of Intent," Lebanese journalist Nasr posted on the»»»

Dubai: Dubai's most anticipated summer festival is back. Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) 2026 runs from 2 July to 30 August, bringing 60 days of shopping, entertainment, dining, and family experiences across the city under the theme "Make it a Dubai Summer." Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Est»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Acting on directives from the security establishment, Netanyahu relocated to a secure, undisclosed location: Israeli media 25-06-2026 16:07»»»

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Brigadier General Esmail Qaani issued a direct warning to ‘Israel’ on Thursday, advising the Zionist entity to withdraw from southern Lebanon immediately or face a future forced exit. “Leave Lebanon today by your own free will,” Qaani sa»»»

Two powerful earthquakes have struck Venezuela within a minute of each other, causing multiple casualties and widespread damage in and around Caracas. The rare back-to-back tremors, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, are the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century. The US, China and the Eu»»»

The Fiscal Council supports the government's proposal to gradually align social security contribution rules for civil servants and magistrates with those applying to other employees but opposes compensating them through higher salaries, the Council said in a press release on Thursday. Under the 202»»»

The Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) will withhold support the draft 2026 Public Social Insurance Budget Act for now, BIA Vice President Mariya Mincheva told reporters on Thursday before a meeting of the National Social Security Institute’s Supervisory Board. The draft reflects the parameters»»»

Oman's Coast Guard has rescued four crew members after a wooden merchant vessel began sinking off the coast of Muttrah in Muscat Governorate, the Royal Oman Police said on Thursday. The Coast Guard Command responded swiftly after receiving a report that the vessel was taking on water while sailing »»»

Shahat, Libya: In eastern Libya, a small group of passionate archaeologists are striving to safeguard the ancient ruins of Cyrene and Apollonia -- sites first targeted by jihadist groups, then ravaged by Storm Daniel. The UNESCO-listed ruins were once at the heart of a unique network of Greek colon»»»

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 »»»

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, June 25: UK papers discuss the Nottingham maternity care scandal. Next: is there going to be another heatwave in Europe this summer? Also: the Euclid telescope took extraordinary photos of the Milky Way. Finally, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's upcoming wedding is getting b»»»

DUBAI: Elated students took to Lebanon’s streets to celebrate after the cabinet agreed to exempt them from official exams on Thursday. Official Baccalaureate exams were cancelled, ministers said, “due to the exceptional circumstances and difficult security conditions the country is facing”. The dec»»»

BEIRUT: An Israeli ​drone strike on a car in southern Lebanon killed ‌two ‌people ​on ‌Thursday, ⁠medical ​and security sources ⁠said. It is the second consecutive day ⁠such ‌an event ‌occurred, after ​a ‌similar ‌strike on Wednesday killed at ‌least two people despite a ceasefire, ⁠Lebanese ⁠secur»»»

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 »»»

Bulgaria’s government is preparing to shut down the Commission on Files, a long-standing body responsible for reviewing and disclosing links between public figures and the former State Security services. The move is included in the transitional and final provisions of the draft 2026 state budget, w»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev used his address at the High-Level International Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine in Gdansk to reaffirm Bulgaria’s support for Ukraine’s long-term reconstruction, while stressing that ending the war remains the most important prerequisite for rebuilding the country. »»»

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»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Foreign actors are trying to sow discord between member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), reignite dormant conflicts and provoke new tensions, CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev said on Thursday. "The CIS border perimeter is subjected to systemic destab»»»

RIYADH: A new holistic health resort set to open at the Red Sea’s Amaala project will use traditional wellness therapies in a luxury setting, its CEO told Arab News. Jayasom cofounder and CEO Karen Campbell said: “A hallmark of what we want to do is to create a very bespoke experience based on some»»»