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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

Oman's top diplomat said no transit fees would be imposed in the Strait of Hormuz Thursday after Muscat and Tehran, which border the key waterway, had earlier said they were discussing service "costs". Badr Albusaidi said "future arrangements regarding the Strait do not entail the imposition of any»»»

The Supervisory Board of Bulgaria's National Social Security Institute (NSSI) approved the draft Public Social Insurance Budget Act for 2026, the Institute said on Thursday. The draft reflects the parameters of the social insurance policies planned for the current year and now proceeds to the next »»»

Manama: Oman's top diplomat said no transit fees would be imposed in the Strait of Hormuz Thursday after Muscat and Tehran, which border the key waterway, had earlier said they were discussing service "costs". Badr Albusaidi said "future arrangements regarding the Strait do not entail the impositio»»»

Dubai: Every investment opportunity comes with a trade-off. At one end of the spectrum sit traditional bank deposits, valued for safety, liquidity and capital preservation. At the other end sit equities, private markets and alternative investments, where higher returns often come with higher volati»»»

The Supervisory Board of Bulgaria's National Social Security Institute (NSSI) approved the draft State Social Security Budget Act for 2026, the Institute said on Thursday. The draft reflects the parameters of the social insurance policies planned for the current year and now proceeds to the next st»»»

Egypt is considering innovative debt swap agreements aimed at promoting clean energy and human development. During an interview at the World Economic Forum, Egypt’s Minister of Finance, Ahmed Kouchouk, revealed ongoing discussions with international partners to implement these swaps, though specifi»»»

The youth team of Ilbirs Football Club (Kyrgyzstan) took part in the international MADCUP tournament, which was held in Spain. Before the competition, the team completed a full training camp in El Puerto. The tournament, held from June 19 to 24, attracted over 800 teams from over 40 countries, beco»»»

Three years after one of the worst natural disasters in modern Turkish history, Hatay is once again inviting the world to its table. Daily News Hungary was among a group of international journalists, content creators and experts invited to attend the second edition of Sofra ve Miras (“Table and Her»»»

Doha, Qatar: Summer has well and truly arrived in Qatar, bringing with it rising humidity levels — particularly during the early morning and dawn hours. But that doesn't mean the fun has to stop. From indoor escapes to cool outdoor venues, there is plenty on offer for families and visitors looking »»»

Doha, Qatar: The United Arab Emirates expanded its visa-on-arrival program to include nationals of six countries and their accompanying family members. Under the new decision, nationals of the Republic of Indonesia, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the Kingdom of Thailand, the Republic of the Ph»»»

Budapest’s campaign to regulate short-term apartment rentals is continuing, with Józsefváros (District VIII) becoming the second district of the Hungarian capital to introduce strict limits on Airbnb-style accommodation. The district council has approved a new regulatory concept that would impose r»»»

Caracas, Venezuela: Offers of support and condolences poured into Venezuela on Thursday after two powerful earthquakes left at least 32 dead and hundreds injured. US, China 'willing' to help "The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have le»»»

Wolf Theiss has released the 11th edition of its Guide to Generating Electricity from Renewable Sources in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe for 2026, bringing updated insights into the legal and regulatory frameworks governing renewable electricity generation across 16 jurisdictions. The »»»

Dubai: Thousands of residents and visitors are taking part in Dubai Mallathon 2026, a unique summer fitness initiative that transforms some of the emirate’s largest shopping malls into indoor walking and running tracks. Running from June 15 to September 15, the event encourages people of all ages t»»»

Berlin: A heatwave sweeping Europe was starting to peak in Germany on Thursday, with several open-air events cancelled and temperatures expected to top 40C through the weekend. Large parts of the country are already under "severe to extreme heat stress" with temperatures soaring to around 37C, the »»»

Auchan Romania has published its sixth Sustainability Report, covering 2025, marking a year of significant progress in reducing its environmental impact, supporting local producers, and developing an organisational culture based on responsibility and involvement. In the year in which the company ma»»»

RIYADH: Qatar’s property price index hit a record 244.56 points in May as strong transaction activity and mortgage lending continued to support the real estate market. The index rose 8.7 percent from a year earlier and 1.28 percent from April, according to data released by the Qatar Central Bank. T»»»

Washington, June 25 (SANA) Oil prices extended losses on Thursday, falling to their lowest levels since late February as easing concerns over Middle East supply disruptions and expectations of higher crude exports weighed on the market. Brent crude futures for August delivery fell $1.22, or 1.65%, »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday extended condolences to the families of the victims of deadly earthquakes in Venezuela. "It was with deep sadness that I received the news of the devastating earthquake that struck Venezuela. On my own behalf and on behalf of the citizens of»»»

PoliticsGermanyClimate change: Heat wave costs the German economy billionsSabine KinkartzNever before has a June been as hot in Germany as in 2026. This has consequences not only for people and nature, but also for businesses. Heat reduces productivity and causes illness, while cooling is expensive»»»

BEIRUT: Shiite Muslims around the world on Thursday marked Ashoura, a holy day symbolizing sacrifice and martyrdom that holds special significance for many this year after months of war in Iran and Lebanon.Ashoura commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the »»»

Dubai: An 18-year-old NEET aspirant allegedly died by suicide in Maharashtra’s Hingoli after reportedly finding the re-examination held on June 21 difficult. Before taking the extreme step, he recorded a 33-second video apologising to his mother and saying, “Sorry, Mom.” Also Read: India's NEET cri»»»

New Delhi: Amazon will invest an incremental $48 billion in India between 2026 and 2030, significantly raising its commitment to one of its fastest-growing markets, Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy announced on Thursday after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The latest announcem»»»

Dubai: Two schools from the UAE have been named among the world's top 10 shortlists in the World’s Best School Prizes 2026, earning international recognition for initiatives focused on student wellbeing and community engagement. Applied Technology School (ATS) Sharjah and Nord Anglia International »»»

BEIRUT: Senior Israeli and Lebanese officials denied on Thursday that there had been any ​Israeli withdrawal from occupied southern Lebanon, after a US official said Israel had pulled some of its troops back in a good faith gesture toward Lebanon’s government. Israel and Lebanon have been discussin»»»

HEADLINES The dominant topic across print, online, television and radio coverage on Thursday is the draft 2026 State Budget presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab Donev. Coverage focuses on the planned 5.7% deficit, the projected increase in public debt, the absence of maj»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Meteorology Department has warned of strong winds and high seas today, June 25, 2026, with blowing dust expected in some areas during the daytime. The strong winds are expected to continue into early Friday morning, with rough sea conditions offshore at the beginning of the d»»»

Washington, United States: President Donald Trump jolted Republicans during a fiery appearance at the US Capitol on Wednesday, scrapping a housing bill signing ceremony and clashing behind closed doors with a party rebel who challenged him over the Iran war. Trump had been expected to sign the bipa»»»

SINGAPORE: China’s state-owned refiners are considering resuming Iranian oil ​purchases, but competing alternative supplies and falling domestic fuel demand will temper their interest, said several industry sources.Any purchases would be the first since 2019 when Sinopec and PetroChina bought Irani»»»

A worker collects used plastic bottles at a waste facility ahead of World Environment Day in Karachi, Pakistan, on June 4. Photo by Shahzahb Akber/EPA June 25 (UPI) -- As global concern over plastic pollution intensifies, a growing share of the problem is tied not to where waste is discarded, but w»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi University (ADU) has been ranked among the top 301–400 institutions globally in the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, out of 1,603 participating universities worldwide. The university also improved its national standing, ranking joint sixth among 12 par»»»

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday warned that Iranian tolls on ships passing the Strait of Hormuz would spread to other waterways, risking "total chaos". "International waterways do not belong to any nation state. This is a foundational principle in the world today, without which the »»»

The main challenge is not just the size of the deficit, but the vicious budgeting model imposed in recent years – a model based on a continuous increase in public spending, without the necessary connection with labour productivity and the real capabilities of the economy, Progressive Bulgaria’s Flo»»»

MANAMA: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday warned that Iranian tolls on ships passing the Strait of Hormuz would spread to other waterways, risking “total chaos.” “International waterways do not belong to any nation state. This is a foundational principle in the world today, without whic»»»

This photo, taken Thursday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul as South Korean stocks soared by more than five percent on a tech rally driven by Micron's earnings report. Photo by Yonhap South Korean stocks soared by more than 5 percent Thursday, briefly topping the 9,000-point level agai»»»

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, seen here as Kansas' secretary of state in 2016 with Donald Trump. entered a consent decree Wednesday to end his state's so-called Dream Act. Pool File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI | License Photo June 25 (UPI) -- Kansas has joined the Trump administration in asking»»»

The Israeli military said Thursday that a soldier was killed the previous day in southern Lebanon, where clashes with Hezbollah militants have been reported despite a ceasefire. Master Sergeant Basil Sweid, 32, a driver, "fell during operational activity", the military said. A spokesman told AFP th»»»

The government approved on Thursday the launch of negotiations and the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Serbia to facilitate the exchange of information on the Djerdap 3 pumped-storage hydropower project, with Romania set to support its development under conditions that reflect the int»»»

Ukrainian amputees affected by the war are receiving custom-made prosthetic limbs in Budapest in as little as 24 hours thanks to a major international humanitarian initiative that combines Saudi funding, Hungarian expertise and volunteer medical teams. The programme, launched by Saudi Arabia’s King»»»

Electrica has signed an EPC contract for the development of the "Satu Mare 3" photovoltaic project, with an installed capacity of approximately 62.5 MWp, the contract value being approximately 27.9 million euros, excluding VAT, the company informs in a press release."Electrica announces the complet»»»

Electrica Energy Company was designated the winner of the public tender for the cogeneration project in Craiova, the company informed in a report submitted to the Bucharest Stock Exchange."Electrica informs investors and shareholders that it was designated the winner of the public tender procedure »»»

Democratic Bulgaria insists that the Finance Minister withdraw the proposed draft budget and revise it, MP Ivaylo Mirchev told reporters in Parliament on Thursday. The party is calling for a budget deficit of no more than 3% and no additional spending. “This budget lacks any meaningful reforms, and»»»