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,»»»

Dubai: Thousands of Lebanese civilians crossed the Qasmieh bridge between Tyre and Sidon as they fled southern Lebanon following renewed Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 18 people, according to local reports. The escalation triggered panic, with long queues of vehicles moving north toward sa»»»

Kerstin KleinFlorida tourism is declining among international visitors from Europe and Canada. Domestic travel remains strong, but high-spending overseas tourists are missing—raising questions about political impact. https://p.dw.com/p/5FHu3AdvertisementFlorida’s Gulf Coast is seeing a noticeable d»»»

A Hungarian-registered tourist bus carrying 27 young passengers and their accompanying adults caught fire while travelling through Austria on Thursday. According to Austrian public broadcaster ORF, the incident occurred on the S6 expressway in the province of Styria near Hönigsberg. More than 30 pe»»»

Anna TillackA real estate project in Albania has throngs of protesters taking to the streets. The company behind it belongs to Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. He's building a luxury resort in a nature reserve. https://p.dw.com/p/5FISLAdvertisementThousands are protesting in Albania against a con»»»

Abu Dhabi, June 19 (SANA) Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said on Friday it has instructed customers to resume loading crude oil shipments from its ports in the Arabian Gulf, citing improved maritime conditions following a recent U.S.-Iran agreement. According to Reuters, ADNOC said in a not»»»

1/12A Kashmiri bride and groom sit inside a beautifully decorated wedding tent in Srinagar.AFP2/12A henna artist applies intricate designs to a bride's hands during her wedding celebrations in Srinagar.AFP3/12A Kashmiri bride sits inside a beautifully decorated wedding tent during her marriage cere»»»

SEOUL (Sputnik) - The South Korean Navy conducted live-fire four-day drills this week in waters off the country's western and southern coasts to enhance combat readiness, the Yonhap news agency reported on Friday, citing the country's navy. The exercises began on Tuesday and involved around 20 surf»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the European Council meeting in Brussels, in what both sides described as a substantive discussion focused on energy security, bilateral cooperation and future industrial projects. According to the»»»

Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov said Bulgaria has so far received just over half of the funds under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, with the country now working under tight deadlines to secure the remaining payments. Speaking to municipal leaders, he noted that Bulgaria’s absorption rate sta»»»

Romanian tourism demand for Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast has shown signs of slowing, although industry representatives say there is no evidence of a major decline in visitor numbers. Romania remains one of Bulgaria’s most important source markets, supported by geographic proximity, transport links, a»»»

About 100 guerrillas surrendered their weapons in southern Colombia on Thursday under a peace deal with leftist President Gustavo Petro, AFP learned. Some 99 rebels from the National Coordinating Committee of the Bolivarian Army laid down arms in Putumayo province ahead of Sunday's presidential run»»»

The FIFA World Cup may be under way in the United States, but in New York on Thursday, all eyes were on basketball. Tens of thousands of fans packed the streets of Manhattan to celebrate the NBA champion Knicks as the team paraded through the city under tight security. FRANCE 24’s Juliette Montilly»»»

Co-hosts Mexico became the first team to secure a place in the World Cup knockout stage after a 1-0 victory over South Korea at a jubilant Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday. Luis Romo scored shortly after halftime, capitalising on a goalkeeping error, to seal Mexico's second straight win and confirm »»»

The US lifted its blockade of Iranian ports on Thursday after US President Donald Trump and Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian signed an interim peace deal to end the US-Israeli war on Iran. But uncertainty surrounded Friday's planned talks in Switzerland as both sides prepared for negotiations on Te»»»

EU leaders agreed on Thursday to strengthen trade defences against a surge of Chinese exports that Brussels views as a threat to European industry, while maintaining “constructive dialogue” with Beijing. The move reflects growing concern over the EU’s dependence on China, as the bloc’s goods trade »»»

Former US President Barack Obama opened his presidential center in Chicago on Thursday, calling for the defense of democracy in a star-studded event attended by three former presidents. “I hope this center will serve as an affirmation of how precious our democracy truly is,” Obama said, a»»»

Tens of thousands of New Yorkers packed Manhattan on Thursday for a heavily secured victory parade celebrating the New York Knicks' NBA Finals triumph, turning the city into a sea of blue and orange. Fans chanted "Let's go Knicks" as the procession moved through packed streets, with some paying hun»»»

How can Europe better support tech startups? It’s a question being asked at Vivatech, Europe’s biggest event for innovation and technology. Business Editor Kate Moody has been speaking to Eleonore Crespo - co-founder and co-CEO of Pigment, a business planning platform that helps firms make strategi»»»

Can quantum computing change the way we solve problems? The emerging technology can tackle situations that are out of reach for classical computers, in industries including healthcare and finance. At the 10th annual VivaTech festival, Kate Moody visits IBM's Quantum System Two chandelier, and speak»»»

WASHINGTON, United States — US Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh recently vowed wide-ranging reforms at the central bank, as its rate-setting committee held rates steady but projected a rate hike by year-end to counter surging inflation.The Fed decided to hold rates steady at 3.50 to 3.75 per cent »»»

PARIS, France — A French-flagged LNG tanker left the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, a tracking platform said, as an agreement to end the US-Iran war paved the way for the key passage's reopening.The liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel Mraikh, owned by the Nantes-based subsidiary of N»»»

The death rate in US immigration detention centres have more than doubled during President Donald Trump's second term, a Reuters analysis found, as authorities expanded arrests. Advocates linked the rise to overcrowding and strained medical services. A Vietnamese man with cardiovascular problems co»»»

Israel is reacting in disbelief after Washington and Tehran inked an agreement meant to end the war. The initial deal re-opens the Strait of Hormuz - but only starts a 60-day negotiating clock to address Iran's nuclear program. Israelis across the political spectrum have called the deal a disaster»»»

Rewatch US Vice President JD Vance defends the Iran-US deal from Washington as the memorandum of understanding faces increasing criticism.»»»

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Vali Nasr, professor of Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University and former adviser to the US State Department, explained that "the war is ending in Iran's favour" and that "the outcome is definitely not favourable to Israel". "It's very difficult not to »»»

The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is at the heart of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the United States and Iran. Under the terms of the deal, the US will immediately lift its blockade of Iranian ports. The Islamic Republic, for its part, will reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and cha»»»

Surprise! A stroke of a pen over dinner at Versailles pre-empting plans for that big Friday signing in Switzerland of an interim agreement between the United States and Iran. Coming off the G-Seven in France, we’ll ask why Donald Trump suddenly decided to get it over with and whether the regio»»»

Traditional foods are making a strong comeback in Zimbabwe's second-largest city. Growing health awareness and nostalgia are fuelling demand for indigenous dishes. Restaurants serving traditional dishes are multiplying and attracting everyone from healthy diners to Zimbabweans coming home from abro»»»

A second spring heatwave sweeping France killed a 30-year-old man near Paris on Thursday and forced transport disruptions and school adjustments nationwide. Authorities warned the intense, prolonged spell would peak early next week with temperatures reaching up to 40°C in some areas. A 30-year-old »»»

One of the world's largest arms fair is wrapping up in Paris. Earlier in June, stands were banned from showing or promoting offensive weapons. A dozen Israeli stands were closed down as a result of a failure to comply to this rule. FRANCE 24's Shirli Sitbon tells us more.»»»

Russian artist and dissident Semyon Skrepetsky was famous for his audacious, even malicious, caricatures of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Skrepetsky was shot and killed on Tuesday in the eastern Polish town of Biała Podlaska at the age of 44.   Severa»»»

US Vice President JD Vance spoke at a White House press briefing on the interim agreement with Iran on Thursday, saying that some ​12.5 ‌million ⁠barrels ‌of oil have flowed ⁠through the Strait of ​Hormuz following ‌the overnight signing of ‌a memorandum ​of understanding between the United States »»»

The US has announced it is going to cut down on NATO crisis forces and will be reviewing its presence in Europe as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth lashed out against European NATO allies. The United States is piling on the pressure ahead of a NATO summit in July as it seeks to make sure that alli»»»

The US-Iran deal was initially meant to be signed in Switzerland on Friday before US President Donald Trump decided to sign it in the palace of Versailles at a state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron Wednesday night. But Switzerland has confirmed that talks on the implementation of the d»»»

Israeli leaders are privately fuming about the US-Iran deal, seeing the initial agreement as a form of capitulation. This comes as a final blow to the increasingly fraying relationship between Netanyahu and Trump, previously thought thought to be iron-clad. FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky tells us mor»»»

As the Strait of Hormuz reopens and talks between the US and Iran start up again, how are Gulf states emerging from the Middle East war? Previously thought of as the safe haven of the Middle East, the surprise US-Israeli attack on Iran has left them reeling, and triggered a search to diversify defe»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron courted his US counterpart Donald Trump at the G7 on Wednesday by opening the gilded gates of Versailles, a move that underscored his trademark blend of symbolism and diplomacy. While allies hailed the summit's success, analysts said Macron still faces the challenge»»»

France has entered a heatwave, as the mercury climbs into the high thirties across parts of the country - up to ten degrees higher than normal for the time of year - with an orange level heat alert declared in twenty-six departments in central and eastern France, leaving people and businesses takin»»»

Polish police on Thursday detained a suspect in the daylight killing of a Russian artist known as ‌Semyon Skrepetsky, who was known for his unsparing caricatures of prominent political figures in the Kremlin. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the man was using a Georgian passport. A ⁠suspect in »»»

Explosions were seen across Moscow on June 18 as Ukraine targeted the capital with a large-scale drone attack. Nearly 200 drones were fired at the city forcing the airport to halt flights and evacuate passengers. It's part of Kyiv's plan to choke Russia's war machine by hitting deeper into its terr»»»

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has confirmed that the country will block new sanctions against Russia, linking the decision to objections over proposals that would include Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in the restrictive measures. He argued that the war in Ukraine has expanded far beyond »»»

After the sharp surge in rural and suburban real estate prices in 2025, Bulgaria’s market is now entering a cooling phase, with data indicating a gradual slowdown and even slight declines in some segments, according to industry reports cited by BGNES. The earlier price surge, fueled in part by expe»»»

From boosting productivity to transforming recruitment and consulting, artificial intelligence is changing the way companies operate. Speaking to FRANCE 24 at VivaTech in Paris, EY executive Jad Shimaly explains where AI is delivering results and what it could mean for the future of »»»

With France's Emmanuel Macron and India's Narendra Modi championing the idea of tech sovereignty, French startup BeeAlp is trying to build a circular smartphone designed and manufactured in Europe. CEO Olivier Dufour joins FRANCE 24 to discuss the company's subscription model, Europe's industrial a»»»

The Three Lions began their World Cup campaign with an upbeat win against Croatia. Thomas Tuchel's tactics saw them get ahead and win 4-2 after the two sides were level at halftime. Meanwhile Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by the Democratic Republic of Congo in the latest upset of a team consider»»»

In the US, the Memorandum of Understanding to end the war in Iran has been met with mixed reactions. While loyalists of President Donald Trump have hailed the deal, many - including from his own party - have been sharply critical of it, with one senior Republican Senator calling it "the worst forei»»»

Since the signing of the peace deal between Iran and the US, fighting in Lebanon has dropped. But according to Lebanese media, Israeli strikes on south of the country did kill at least five people. Whether the deal will lead to peace in Lebanon remains unclear.»»»

If you've spent any time in France recently, you'll have noticed it has got warmer, especially in French cities. How is climate change impacting France? Why do cities suffer more and what are big urban areas doing to combat the effects of climate change? Also, why are the French so resistant to air»»»

Parliament has given final approval at second reading to legislation allowing the government to raise Bulgaria’s borrowing ceiling by up to EUR 3.8 billion ahead of the adoption of the 2026 state budget, expanding the executive’s fiscal room for deficit financing and other obligations. The measure »»»