India ends restrictions on commercial gas after supply from Mideast eases
New Delhi, India: India has removed restrictions on supplies of commercial liquified petroleum gas imposed during the Middle East regional tension when energy supplies were hit by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. India, the world's most populous country, is the second-largest importer of LPG, m»»»
Aoun welcomes French, Italian efforts to form coalition to succeed UNIFIL
President Joseph Aoun welcomed on Friday France and Italy's efforts to set up a multinational coalition to succeed the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, whose mandate expires at the end of the year. In a statement, Aoun called the initiative "a sincere expression of the international commitment t»»»
Media Review: June 26
HEADLINES The dominant topic across Bulgarian media on Friday is the debate over the 2026 draft budget, public-sector pay, personal social insurance contributions for state employees, and the sustainability of public finances. Coverage focuses on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab »»»
Europe heatwave changes UAE holiday plans: Why travellers are now looking north
Dubai: Europe’s summer appeal for UAE travellers is facing a new challenge as record-breaking heat pushes holidaymakers to reconsider where and when they travel. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.A record-breaking heatwave is sweeping Europe, with the Netherlands issuing»»»
Qassem says Israel must 'unconditionally' leave Lebanon
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem on Friday said Israel has "no option" but to unconditionally withdraw from Lebanese areas it occupies, and he rejected any normalization in ties between Lebanon and Israel. "Israel has no option but to withdraw completely from every inch of our Lebanese land... Is»»»
Ferrari’s Hamilton faces Mercedes in Austria hoping to turn F1 win into a title shot
The Formula 1 title race is turning into the ultimate battle of youth against experience. On one side, Lewis Hamilton, who at 41 just became F1’s oldest race winner since 1970. An eighth world title would make him the oldest champion since 1957. On the other, Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old Italian»»»
Lopetegui sees bright future for Qatar despite early exit
Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s second successive FIFA World Cup group-stage exit may have brought a disappointing end to their campaign in North America, but head coach Julen Lopetegui believes the tournament has laid another important foundation for the future of Qatari football. Al Annabi bowed out after a»»»
Gulf FMs say Iran proxies, missiles must be addressed for 'lasting' peace
The Gulf's top diplomats said on Thursday that dealing with Iran's proxies and missiles was key to lasting peace, and that any trade and investment with Tehran would be reversible and contingent on it respecting its deal with the U.S. "The Ministers further emphasized that lasting regional peace an»»»
Non-government loans up 1.6% in May 2026
The outstanding balance of non-government loans granted by credit institutions increased by 1.6% in May 2026 compared with the previous month (1% in real terms), reaching 465.042 billion lei, according to a press release issued by the National Bank of Romania (BNR).Loans denominated in lei, which a»»»
Qatar welcomes GCC unified law for voluntary work as step towards regional coordination
Doha, Qatar: Minister of Social Development and Family H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi has described the issuance of the unified system for voluntary work law across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states as an important milestone in strengthening coordination and integration among member st»»»
Qatar participates in meeting of GCC Directors of Drug Control Agencies
Riyadh: Qatar participated in the 38th meeting of the Committee of Directors of Drug Control Agencies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which was held Thursday at the GCC General Secretariat headquarters in Riyadh, on the sidelines of the Gulf Anti-Drug Week. The Ministry of Interior»»»
Parliamentary Tourism Committee Chair Meets with Ambassador of Moldova
Parliamentary Tourism Committee Chair Rositsa Kirova met with Ambassador of Moldova to Bulgaria Emil Jakota, the Committee said in a press release on Friday. The sides discussed opportunities for deepening cooperation in the field of tourism, as well as Bulgaria’s support for Moldova’s EU integrati»»»
GCC, US reaffirm strategic partnership, welcome Qatar-Pakistan mediation roles
Manama, Bahrain: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani yesterday participated in Manama in the joint ministerial meeting of Their Highnesses and Excellencies GCC foreign ministers, with the participation of Secretary of State of the U»»»
Egypt-European Union ink deal
Egypt and the European Union (EU) signed last Sunday a memo of understanding to improve efficiency in water and agricultural sectors. The memo aims at offering EU’s technical and financial assistance to improve water resources management mechanism in Egypt. Water Resources Minister Hossam Moghazi, »»»
John Achkar: ‘My whole purpose is to build trust with the audience’
DUBAI: Lebanese comedian John Achkar is still slightly stunned by what his latest milestone represents for stand-up in the Arab world. His hour-long Arabic stand-up special, “Aam Jarrib” — or “Tryin’” — which began streaming on MBC Shahid on May 27, is, according to a press release, the first full-»»»
Arab teams at World Cup 2026: Tunisia boss Renard has ‘no regrets’ despite World Cup flop
KANSAS: Herve Renard said Thursday he had no regrets about taking on the job as Tunisia’s emergency coach at the World Cup despite the North African nation’s catastrophic campaign. Tunisia were beaten 3-1 by the Netherlands in Kansas City on Thursday, following a 5-1 defeat against Sweden and a 4-0»»»
Dutch march into World Cup knockouts as group winners
Kansas City: The Netherlands overcame sorry Tunisia 3-1 on Thursday to top World Cup Group F, avoiding a tricky encounter with Brazil in the last 32. Ronald Koeman's men flew into a two-goal lead in soggy Kansas City thanks to some shoddy defending from the North African side. First, Ellyes Skhiri »»»
UK'S King Charles breaks precedent to reveal £30m paid in taxes since 2022
London: King Charles III has paid more than GBP30 million ($39.6 million) in personal taxes since becoming monarch in September 2022, Buckingham Palace announced Thursday, in the first such disclosure by a reigning British sovereign. The palace, which had confirmed at the weekend that it would make»»»
Weather update: UAE to stay hot and dry with misty mornings ahead
Dubai: The UAE is set for several days of warm, mostly fair weather, with humid conditions bringing the possibility of mist and fog during the night and early morning, while temperatures are expected to peak at up to 45°C inland on Friday. According to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), Frid»»»
U.S. Army contracts for critical minerals processing at military bases - UPI.com
The Red River Army Depot, which is on the border of Texas and Arkansas, is one of several U.S. Army bases in the United States that is set to see processing and development of critical minerals facility as part of the Trump administration's push to bring rare Earth minerals manufacturing back on sh»»»
Crude oil price spikes after Iran drone strike on Singapore-flagged container ship in Hormuz
Oil prices swung in mixed directions Thursday as traders digested a reported IRGC drone attack on a Singapore-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, rekindling fears of renewed disruption in the vital waterway just as flows were beginning to normalise. Murban crude, the Abu Dhabi benchmark»»»
PM PARTICIPATES IN GCC-US JOINT MINISTERIAL MEETING
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani participated in the joint ministerial meeting of GCC foreign ministers, with the participation of Secretary of State of the United States of America Marco Rubio in Manama on Thursday. The meeting a»»»
PM and Saudi foreign minister review efforts to enhance regional stability
QNA Manama Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud on the margin of the joint meeting of the GCC foreign ministers, with the United States»»»
MoI launches awareness exhibition marking Int’l Day Against Drug Abuse
QNA DOHA The Ministry of Interior (MoI), represented by the General Directorate of Drug Enforcement, launched an awareness exhibition marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse, held this year under the theme ‘An Aware Community... A Safe Nation’. The event coincides with the Arab and GCC Wee»»»
EU-Qatar Dialogue reinforces cooperation on food security and sustainable trade
Ashraf Siddiqui The European Union Delegation to the State of Qatar recently hosted the EU-Qatar Breakfast Dialogue in Doha, bringing together government officials, regulators, industry leaders, and food sector stakeholders to strengthen collaboration on food security, sustainable trade, and regula»»»
Qatar participates in GCC Directors of Drug Control Agencies, GCC Anti-Drug Strategy panel meetings
QNA Riyadh Qatar participated in the 38th meeting of the Committee of Directors of Drug Control Agencies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which was held at the GCC General Secretariat headquarters in Riyadh on Thursday, on the sidelines of the Gulf Anti-Drug Week. The Ministry of In»»»
Drug threat no longer limited to traditional smuggling methods: GCC-CICCD Director
QNA Doha Director of the GCC Criminal Information Center to Combat Drugs (GCC-CICCD), Colonel Mohammed Abdullah Al Khater, said that the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, observed annually on June 26, is an important occasion to renew the commitment to protecting societi»»»
Apple announces price hikes for MacBooks, iPads amid global chip squeeze - UPI.com
Apple on Thursday announced that it is raising prices on its MacBook Neo, MacBook Air and iPad line-ups because of the skyrocketing cost of memory used in the devices. File Photo by Patrick Seeger/EPA June 25 (UPI) -- Apple announced on Thursday that it is raising prices on several laptop and table»»»
UN envoy says Jeddah deal can still anchor future Sudan peace talks, as fears grow over El-Obeid
NEW YORK CITY: The 2023 Jeddah agreement brokered by Saudi Arabia can still serve as a foundation for future Sudan peace talks, the UN’s special envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, said on Thursday, even as he voiced alarm over an intensifying offensive by the Rapid Support Forces around the city of E»»»
Israeli forces accused of extrajudicial killings in West Bank
RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Prisoners Society said on Thursday that Israeli forces killed two Palestinian men during detention operations in the Jenin and Salfit governorates. The society identified the two men as Mohammed Nazem Zayed, 29, from Jenin, and Mustafa Al-Khatib, 32, from Salfit. In a stat»»»
EU sends $3.6 billion to Ukraine as first part of support loan - UPI.com
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, center, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, left, European Council President Antonio Costa, second from right, and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, second from left, pose for a group photo at the opening session of the Ukraine Recovery Co»»»
Strait of Hormuz ship evacuation halted after vessel attack
DUBAI: A UN maritime agency has paused the evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz after the British military said a vessel was hit Thursday by a projectile off the coast of Oman. The head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said the plan to move stranded ships through the str»»»
GCC, US reaffirm alliance after Iran deal, back Syria and Gaza plan
Dubai: Foreign ministers from the GCC countries and the US reaffirmed their strategic partnership on Thursday and welcomed mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan that helped secure a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. In a joint statement issued after the GCC-US Ministerial»»»
Military-Technical Cooperation Discussed with Germany
Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and German Ambassador to Bulgaria Irene Maria Plank discussed opportunities to expand military-technical cooperation between the two countries. They talked about projects for Bulgaria to acquire IRIS-T air and missile defence systems, prospects for additional finan»»»
MOI launches awareness exhibition marking International Day against drug abuse
Doha: The Ministry of Interior, represented by the General Directorate of Drug Enforcement, today launched an awareness exhibition marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse, held this year under the theme "An Aware Community... A Safe Nation". The event coincides with the Arab and GCC Weeks »»»
Easyjet rejects latest takeover bid but leaves door ajar
LONDON — British no-frills airline EasyJet rejected on Thursday a fourth informal takeover proposal from a US private equity firm, but left the door open to possible talks on a higher offer.EasyJet said the latest offer from Castlelake of 6.50 sterling pounds per share, still totalling about 5 bill»»»
US and Iran clash over Hormuz transit fees
The US and Iran have clashed over Tehran’s move to levy a toll on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Washington has insisted that Tehran cannot impose transit fees, while Iran argues it can levy charges for services provided. Iran intends to introduce a system of maritime fees in the strait, af»»»
EU commission cites ‘no overriding public interest’ to keep Gaza reports secret, on day UN calls out genocide
On the same day that the UN human rights office called out genocide in Gaza, the European Commission told me there was no public interest in releasing 17 documents on funding reports it wants to keep secret on the enclave. The refusal was signed on Tuesday (23 June) by Michael Karnitschnig, the act»»»
‘Like working in a kettle’: France’s overcrowded prisons swelter under historic heatwave
The deadly heatwave sweeping France has once again exposed the structural problems of the country’s chronically overcrowded prisons, with groups of three or four detainees crammed into airless cells built to hold a lone prisoner. Analysts and prison staff alike have criticised a penal system that c»»»
Poland, Ukraine strike conciliatory tone at reconstruction conference
A landmark conference on Ukraine's post-war reconstruction opened on Thursday in Poland without President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is snubbing the event over a diplomatic row with ally Warsaw and weeks of squabbling over historical differences. Kyiv sent Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko instead »»»
Saudi foreign minister holds talks with Rubio
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have discussed the US-Iran agreement during talks on Thursday. The two officials met during a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Bahrain attended by Rubio. Their conversation covered progress made in nego»»»
Antonelli welcomes Mercedes upgrade as Russell says beware Hamilton
Spielberg bei Knittelfeld: Formula One leader Kimi Antonelli said Thursday that a Mercedes upgrade would help him bounce back from a first defeat of the year but team-mate George Russell warned that Lewis Hamilton was back to his 'beautiful best'. Russell, a 28-year-old Briton, was the pre-season f»»»
Gulf foreign ministers: Iran proxies, missiles must be addressed for lasting peace
MANAMA: The Gulf’s top diplomats said on Thursday that dealing with Iran’s proxies and missiles was key to lasting peace, and that any trade and investment with Tehran would be reversible and contingent on it respecting its deal with the US. “The Ministers further emphasized that lasting regional p»»»
Israeli Military Reverses Decision to Leave 2 Areas in Southern Lebanon – Reports
DOHA (Sputnik) - The planned withdrawal of Israeli troops from two areas in southern Lebanon did not take place, a Lebanese military source told the Qatari television channel Al Araby on Thursday. Earlier on Thursday, Israeli news website I24 reported, citing a US source, that Israel started withdr»»»
Lebanon cancels end-year high school exams over security concerns
Dubai: Lebanon has cancelled this year's official secondary school examinations, known as the baccalaureate, because of the country's deteriorating security situation, Education Minister Rima Karami said on Thursday. Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Karami said all students registered for the nati»»»
Oman confirms Strait of Hormuz will remain toll-free
DUBAI: Oman confirmed on Thursday that no transit fees would be imposed on ships using the Strait of Hormuz as part of any planned changes to managing the waterway. Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi’s comments came after his country and Iran said this week that they were discussing “costs” for marit»»»
Top Saudi institutions to tackle diabetes under new deal
RIYADH: Top Saudi medical institutions have come together to support diabetic patients and improve outcomes for those living with the chronic illness. Diabetes is one of the Kingdom’s most significant public health challenges in the Kingdom, with many patients receiving care across Ministry of Heal»»»
Graduates at Qatar School for Science and Technology for Boys reflect on their school journey
DOHA: The Qatar School for Science and Technology for Boys’ fifth graduation ceremony was held on June 23, marking a notable celebration of the outstanding achievements of 56 graduates who have been admitted to prestigious universities in Qatar and abroad. The graduating class marked a significant »»»
Amer Holding names Dalia El Kordy as Chief Commercial Officer Arab Finance For Information Technology
Arab Finance: Amer Group Holding has appointed Dalia El Kordy as the group's Chief Commercial Officer, in line with its commitment to strengthening its leadership structure and supporting its strategic growth and expansion plans for the coming period, according to a press release. El Kordy has more»»»
Russia and Pakistan Step Up Counter-Terrorism Cooperation
The meeting of the Russian-Pakistani Working Group in Islamabad should be seen not as a one-off event, but as part of a longer trajectory, a military analyst said. The 12th meeting of the Russian-Pakistani Working Group on Countering International Terrorism was recently held in Islamabad. Sultan M.»»»