Dubai: Just days after President Donald Trump fast-tracked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran, the accord is facing its first major challenge, with disputes over the Strait of Hormuz, renewed fighting in Lebanon and Trump’s threat to impose US tolls on shipping raising fresh questions ab»»»

Al-Futtaim BYD Saudi Arabia, the official distributor of BYD in the Kingdom, has announced the opening of its new showroom in Jazan, reinforcing the company’s commitment to expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia, bringing its new energy vehicle portfolio closer to customers and meeting demand throu»»»

Just days after President Trump hailed a 60-day peace agreement with Iran, elements of the deal appear to be unravelling. Tehran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, despite a provision in the agreement guaranteeing the safe passage of commercial vessels Iran says the pact's first pri»»»

One person was killed after two freight trains collided during shunting operations in Munich, Germany, in the early hours of Saturday. The fatal accident occurred hours after a similar rail collision left one passenger dead and dozens seriously injured in the UK. A video shared by one of the witnes»»»

TOKYO: CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority Dr. Hisham S. Aljadhey conducted a series of site visits to specialized medical and research centers in the US last week. The visits aimed to leverage global expertise in the latest technologies, as well as developments within advanced therapies and b»»»

African fashion is no longer merely a source of inspiration for major international fashion houses. Today, it is establishing its own codes, its own brands and its own ambitions. To mark the ‘Africa Now’ event held at Paris’ Galeries Lafayette, FRANCE 24 welcoms a key figures in this movement: Adam»»»

Switzerland could exclude Ukrainian men of military age from protections granted to refugees, the Alpine nation’s government has said. The Swiss Federal Council announced in a statement on Friday that it has started consultations with cantons on prolonging beyond March 2027 the S Status for some 66»»»

US President Donald Trump turned up the heat on a diplomatic row with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday, accusing her of repeatedly seeking a photograph with him at the G7 summit and blaming the clash between the two heads of state on tensions over Iran and NATO. US President Donald»»»

Bulgarians must preserve and carry into the future the unquenchable thirst for freedom, sacrifice, courage and selflessness embodied by revolutionary Todor Kableshkov, President Iliana Iotova said on Saturday in Koprivshtitsa. She was a guest at the 10th family reunion of the Kableshkov family, and»»»

Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday killed at least seven people, including two children, hours after reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement. The persistent fighting threatened an interim agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war in the Middle East. Could Israel' Net»»»

French police on Friday issued a last-minute ban on a rally by an Iranian opposition group planned for Saturday, citing a risk of violence. The National Resistance Council of Iran said its planned demonstration in Paris against executions by the Iranian regime was cancelled "after business hours" a»»»

As Colombia’s conflict has intensified in recent years, armed groups have flooded social media like TikTok with videos aimed at getting new recruits – particularly young people. The FRANCE 24 Observers team investigated the inner workings of this new recruitment method. Wads of cash, gold»»»

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency on Saturday, granting broader powers to deploy the military and clear road blockades after nearly two months of protests have paralysed the economy and fuelled demands for his resignation. Bolivia’s crisis intensified on Saturday as ​Pres»»»

Peru's presidential election looks like it will be decided by under a percentage point, and is one of the closest votes in the nation's history. The daughter of a former president, Keiko Fujimori is expected to win though her rival is alleging irregularities. Details by Daniel Quinlan.»»»

The iconic reflecting pool, which stretches between Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument on DC's National Mall has turned green due to proliferation of algae in the water. It comes as the pool was recently reopened following renovation work ordered by Donald Trump that saw it painted Americ»»»

Israel and Hezbollah agreed a ceasefire on June 19 after deadly exchanges between the two sides in Lebanon put the deal to end the Middle East war under strain. At least 20 people were killed in Lebanon in fresh strikes, as well four Israeli soldiers. In response, the far-right Israeli National Sec»»»

After two decades of delays, the colossal trans-Saharan gas megaproject to export Nigerian gas to Europe via Niger and Algeria is back in the spotlight with this month's announcement that construction of the Algerian section had rebegun. The pipeline, once completed, could fundamentally reshap»»»

Human Rights Watch has accused Bulgarian authorities of approving exports of surveillance technologies to countries with documented human rights concerns, raising new questions about the effectiveness of EU export controls on dual-use equipment. The claims are based on an analysis published by HRW,»»»

Share: File- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) speaks during a meeting with Lebanon’s Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad (2R) and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter (2L) at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. © AFP, Oliver Contreras The next round of Lebane»»»

Poland's nationalist President Karol Nawrocki said Friday that he was revoking the country's highest award from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after he infuriated Warsaw by naming a Ukrainian unit after a World War II insurgent militia that massacred Poles. Polish Prime Minister Donald»»»

S&P praised and expressed its understanding that the central bank kept out of its announced Capital reserves record most of the hot money ($8 billion until September 2017). Given the seriousness of the nature of this money and its possibility of exit at any time, accordingly the central bank does n»»»

CAIRO: A boat carrying dozens of migrant s bound for European shores capsized off the coast of Libya last week, leaving 51 people dead or missing, a monitoring group said on Friday. Ten migrants survived the shipwreck, which occurred on June 12 in the Mediterranean Sea, off the eastern part of the »»»

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has given the green light for Bulgaria’s removal from the grey list, Bulgaria’s Justice Ministry wrote on Facebook. According to a decision by the FATF, officially announced on Friday, Bulgaria has substantially completed its Action Plan for removal from the l»»»

BERLIN: A German court on Friday handed a three-year jail term to a man who published online "death sentences" with calls to kill politicians, said to include former chancellors Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz. The 50-year-old German-Polish man, partially named as Martin S., admitted to operating an »»»

The Obama museum and civic center has been inaugurated in Chicago. It tells the story and cements the legacy of the former president, championning the principles of democracy. All former US presidents attended the event, as well as several celebrities. The nearly 20-acre (8-hectare) campus includes»»»

In the lead-up to Colombia's presidential runoff, François Picard is pleased to welcome Renata Segura, Program Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Crisis Group. "What we're seeing in this election are two options that are very different from past elections," Segura exp»»»

The start of a new heatwave in France has prompted multiple schools to announce changes to their opening hours from Thursday onwards. As climate change makes high temperatures an annual – and increasingly early – phenomenon, France and other countries in southern Europe are debating »»»

DENPASAR, Indonesia: Authorities in Indonesia ‘s tourist island of Bali foiled an attempt to illegally trade 21 protected green sea turtles, police said on Friday. Bali police seized the live animals during a raid on the Pegametan coast of the island on June 10, after local residents reported suspe»»»

The news that the talks between US and Iran are postponed has cast a shadow over the EU summit, as EU leaders hoped that the memorandum of agreement would bring attention back to the conflict in Ukraine. But the Middle East is not totally set aside, with EU leaders set to discuss whether to severe »»»

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a video posted on X Friday that she was "frankly stunned" by US President Donald Trump's claim that she "begged" him for a photo during the G7 summit. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he was cancelling a visit to the US planned for June»»»

EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to talk about the bloc's next seven-year budget, set to go on for the next six months. The European Commission proposed last July a two-trillion-euro seven-year spending plan for the 27-country bloc -- which so-called frugal countries immediately made clear was t»»»

UAE-based Emirates Airlines is set to add four weekly services between Dubai and Accra from July 12, a new report by regional media noted. The new options take its growing Ghana operation to 11 flights a week, the airline said, as it continues to rebuild capacity. The expansion comes afte»»»

Airmen at Lackland Air Force Base train in 2018. The Air Force at the base in Texas is experiencing a severe flu outbreak among basic trainees. File Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force. June 19 (UPI) -- A major outbreak of flu has hit Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, less than two months after Se»»»

It is day two of the EU leaders' summit, where the bloc's next seven-year budget is being discussed. According to the European Commission's proposal, the 2028-2034 budget should ⁠be €2 trillion. But leaders are set to clash after both net contributors and beneficiaries criticised that initial propo»»»

British Prime ​Minister Keir Starmer ​urged Labour members to unite ​after ‌the Makerfield ⁠by-election victory that returned ‌rival Andy Burnham to parliament, ⁠warning against infighting as pressure ​grows over the party ‌leadership. Burnham's election clears the way for his expectede bid to oust»»»

The United States requested permission to keep its military aircraft stationed at Vasil Levski Airport in Sofia until July 30, but the Bulgarian government ultimately approved an extension only until June 30, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told lawmakers during parliamentary oversight proceeding»»»

Bulgaria has lost its earlier position as a leading voice in shaping the EU’s approach to enlargement in the Western Balkans, according to Maria Simeonova, director of the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Speaking to Bulgarian National Radio, she argued that the country wa»»»

Illegal construction is currently taking place in the Malyovitsa ski area, in the northwestern part of the Rila Mountain, and continues despite a ban by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, Regional Minister Ivan Shishkov told reporters in the parliamentary lobby on Friday. A plat»»»

Scotland fans have taken over Boston as they play their first World Cup since 1998, and are set to play Morocco in their second game of the tournament on June 19. The Tartan army has conquered the hearts of Bostonians, who will be sad to see them go: after their game against Morocco, the Scottish t»»»

Over the last decade, gun murders have jumped by nearly 90 percent in Canada. This increase is fuelled by a never-ending stream of illegal weapons acquired across the border in the United States. According to data from the Toronto Police, 88 percent of the guns seized in crimes last »»»

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, June 19: Papers discuss the worsening fuel crisis in Russia. Also: the Major Oak tree from the Robin Hood legend is dead. Finally, articles discuss mums who use cannabis and ask how much is actually too much. Radio Free Europe's headline says that Russia's fuel crisis is»»»

Israel’s military said on June 19 its forces struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area, threatening the nascent agreement between Iran and the United States to end their war. Israel and Hezbollah are not parties to the agreement, but Ira»»»

Talks ⁠that had ​been planned for ​June 19 between the United States and Iran ⁠in Switzerland were abruptly called off, as the Trump administration faces mounting criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. This comes after Iran delayed sending its delegation to Switzerland over Israel’s ongoing»»»

Ghana is taking the growing call for reparations over the transatlantic slave trade a significant step further towards concrete action. Weeks after the UN called it the 'gravest crime against humanity", leaders from around the continent and the Caribbean were in Accra for a conference on reparatory»»»

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has failed to stop the work of a committee investigating allegations of misconduct against him. If they are confirmed, he risks possible impeachment over scandals sparked by claims that he didn't declare millions of dollars he stashed into a sofa at his Phala»»»

In northeastern Ivory Coast, along the border with Burkina Faso, tension has become a permanent reality. The jihadist threat spreading from the Sahel is no longer the only concern. A new danger has emerged: the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland, or VDPs – auxi»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev's threat to veto a new EU sanctions package against Russia over the inclusion of Russian Patriarch Kirill drew sharp criticism from three opposition parties on Friday, while nationalist Vazrazhdane welcomed the move and urged the government to oppose the entire package. A»»»

Labour's Andy Burnham has won a by-election in northern England, fuelling speculation that he could mount a challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer’s popularity has cratered since he led the center-left Labour Party to a landslide election victory in July 2024. Labour is losing liberal vo»»»

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has congratulated Labour's Andi Burnham's win in the by-election that took place in the constituency of Makerfield on June 17, while saying he would fight any leadership challenge he is presented with. Burnham is Starmer's main rival, with many in Labour hoping that t»»»

Ottawa is expected to select a preferred bidder within 30 days for a submarine program that could be worth up to $40 billion Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (C), accompanied by South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (R) and Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan during their visit to Hanwha»»»