US-Iran negotiations scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday have been postponed, one day after the signing of a memorandum of understanding outlining a roadmap toward peace. Israel has said it will not comply with the terms of the document and has continued military operations in Lebanon.»»»

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»»»

DUBAI/BAGHDAD: Iraq is preparing to export crude oil and naphtha through ports in Syria, Syrian and Iraqi energy officials and refinery sources said after the Iran war cut off its main Gulf shipping routes. The move would broaden an arrangement that has seen Iraq export fuel oil through the Mediter»»»

GENEVA: The US-Iran framework deal agreed this week to end the Middle East war largely fails to address the situation of long-suffering Iranians, United Nations rights experts said Friday. The memorandum of understanding signed this week by US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Maso»»»

Paris, France: Need some good news on a Friday after a long week? The Earth may not be engulfed by the expanding fireball of the dying Sun, which has long been assumed to be our home planet's ultimate fate, according to scientists. Don't worry: this is not expected to happen for another five billio»»»

Paris, France: More than half of France's population were dealing with scorching temperatures on Friday, according to AFP's calculations, with hundreds of schools adapting their timetables to keep students out of boiling classrooms. Nearly 36 million French people -- more than one in two -- were af»»»

Dubai: The UAE is set to experience its longest day of the year on Sunday as the summer solstice marks the official start of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing nearly 14 hours of daylight and signalling the approach of the region's hottest period. The summer solstice will occu»»»

Israel and Hezbollah have agreed a ceasefire that begins 4pm Friday Beirut time, a U.S. official said Friday, after deadly new exchanges in Lebanon put the deal to end the Middle East war under strain. The truce was brokered by U.S. and Qatari mediators following talks with Israel and Iran, the off»»»

In a move set to expedite the remittance landscape, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) is gearing up to introduce the “Instapay” application, facilitating money transfers from Egyptians living overseas. This initiative, expected to launch within the next two months, aims to streamline the remittance p»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday a statement released by the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade regarding the "sonic cannon" case had fully laid bare a monstrous and detailed plan to cause mass panic, street clashes and a civil war in Serbia t»»»

The first of at least twelve demolition orders for multi-family houses in the Baba Alino area near Varna has already been issued, Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev told journalists here on Friday. He said the first orders concern buildings constructed using four “tolerance certificates” that are suspecte»»»

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel on Friday of wanting "permanent war" following remarks from its far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir saying "all Lebanon must burn" after four Israeli soldiers were killed there. "This is not a rant by a random genocidal lunatic»»»

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»»»

Cocktail 2 review: Glossy romance with Sicily sheen, but shallowDirector: Homi AdjaniaCast: Kriti Sanon, Rashmika Mandanna and Shahid Kapoor★★★Dubai: When I watched director Homi Adajania's Cocktail back in 2012, I remember walking out with mixed feelings. It was glossy, entertaining and undeniably»»»

ROME: The Italian government on Friday slammed US President Donald Trump’s claim that Premier Giorgia Meloni had “begged” for a photo with him during the recent G7 summit, a pushback that suggested the longtime US ally had had enough of Trump’s boasting. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abru»»»

Revolut users in Hungary can now receive their salaries directly into their Revolut accounts following the official launch of the fintech giant’s Hungarian branch. According to a notification sent to customers, the Lithuanian neobank has introduced local Hungarian bank accounts and Hungarian IBANs,»»»

US Vice President JD Vance says he doesn’t know if he’ll be headed to Geneva on June 19 where he was due to attend a signing ceremony for an initial deal to end the war in Iran. But an agreement has already been signed by Donald Trump and Iranian officials, so Vance said that further negotiations c»»»

The U.S. has "relayed" to Iran that Israel will not further escalate its attacks in Lebanon as the Trump administration seeks to get high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran back on track, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. Asked whether the U.S. would provide those guarantees, the source said:»»»

Dubai: The UK’s decision to ease its travel advice for the UAE is expected to give a boost to tourism bookings, business visits and investor confidence, several industry representatives, including travel agents and business leaders, told Gulf News. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques»»»

The US-Iran agreement is far more than an understanding to end a months-long war that thrust the Strait of Hormuz back to the forefront of global concern. It marks a pivotal moment—one that forces a re-examination of the Middle East’s political, security, and economic landscape and raises questions»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Finance shared its latest advisory on the UAE Retail T-Sukuk with Gulf News, providing details on who can invest, how to apply, subscription dates, minimum investment amounts and what happens after purchase. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Th»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has a feeling that the United States may change its approach to the settlement in Ukraine again, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday. "We have no concerns. We have a feeling that there may be a change of approach again, as happened after the meeting in An»»»

In a declaration read by Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov in Parliament on Friday, the parliamentary group demanded comprehensive information on recent negotiations with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan regarding the waters of the Arda, Tundzha»»»

US Vice President J.D. Vance has criticized Israeli hardliners opposed to US President Donald Trump’s Iran deal, warning that the country cannot “kill” its way out of every security problem. Vance’s comments came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to withdraw troops from the count»»»

Labour's Andy Burnham won the Makerfield parliamentary by-election on Friday, defeating Reform UK candidate Rob Kenyon and returning to Westminster after years as Manchester mayor. The victory strengthens Burnham's position as a potential successor to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as speculation gro»»»

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»»»

Andy Burnham, the new Labour Member of Parliament for Makerfield surrounded by supporters on Friday as he celebrates winning the seat in Greater Manchester. Burnham, who has served as the region's mayor since 2017, beat Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon by more than 9,000 votes. Photo by Adam Vaugh»»»

This is the sun’s time to shine: Sunday is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Sunday is the solstice, marking the start of astronomical summer north of the equator. It’s the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the shortest day of the year and winter will start. The»»»

Parliament divisions deepened over Bulgaria’s stance on the latest EU sanctions package against Russia, as the debate over the possible inclusion of Russian Patriarch Kirill moved beyond religion and into questions of national interest and geopolitical alignment. Opposition party GERB criticized th»»»

The Macedonia Foundation has announced that it is withdrawing its planned temporary blockade of border crossings between Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, scheduled for Sunday. The decision comes after official reactions from Bulgarian institutions and diplomatic concerns linked to rece»»»

Qalibaf, Araghchi: ‘Leader’s Word Is Our Red Line’ in US Talks Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have jointly vowed to treat the directives of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei as their unwavering compass in upcoming negotiations wit»»»

MONTEVIDEO (Sputnik) - The Panama Canal will invest about $8.5 billion to develop its infrastructure to mitigate geopolitical risks, Boris Moreno, the canal's vice president for operations, told Sputnik. "We estimate investments at about $8.5 billion," Moreno said. The money will be spent on a numb»»»

Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov Friday said that the United States had requested that its military aircraft stationed at Vasil Levski Sofia Airport remain there until July 30, but after an assessment, it was decided to allow them to stay only until June 30. Stoyanov spoke during Question Time in »»»

Bulgaria will receive nearly EUR 1 billion under its Recovery and Resilience Plan after a positive European Commission assessment, Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov said here Friday. Pekanov was speaking at a briefing at the Council of Ministers. He said the European Commission’s assessment show»»»

Continue the Change MP Velislav Velichkov warned on Friday that the Judicial System Act changes may fail to produce a new independent Supreme Judicial Council without political will. In a statement on changes to the Judicial System Act, Velichkov appealed to Progressive Bulgaria (PB), saying the tw»»»

Bans on social media for teenagers might seem like a protective measure, but without trust, family accountability, and overall digital literacy, they often backfire. Instead of disappearing from the internet, kids gravitate toward less visible and secure internet spaces, resorting to VPNs, anonymou»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine finds itself in a difficult position, with the situation on the frontline expected to become completely catastrophic soon, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. "The Kiev regime is in a very difficult position. The situation on the fronts will soon become comple»»»

Just days after US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a landmark agreement aimed at ending months of war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the deal is facing its first major test. Negotiations that were supposed to begin in Switzerland have been postponed. Fight»»»

ISTANBUL: The Turkish government is tightening its grip on the opposition, with fresh arrests on Friday targeting elected officials from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) as it faces a deepening leadership crisis. Authorities carried out operations targeting CHP-run municipalities»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia would prefer to achieve its special military operation's goals through diplomacy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. "Russia would prefer to achieve the goals of the special military operation through diplomacy. That requires reliably guaranteeing security along »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Department of War has asked the US Congress to allocate additional $80 billion to cover expenses related to operation in Iran, as well as other costs, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the discussions. Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg v»»»

DAMASCUS: Syria’s wheat production is expected to ​more than double this year, authorities said, bolstered by heavier rains and the state’s recapture of a northeastern breadbasket region from Kurdish forces — but demand has grown in parallel. The agriculture ministry estimates a harvest between 2.3»»»

Abu Dhabi: Private schools in Abu Dhabi will not be permitted to prevent students from sitting examinations because of unpaid or overdue tuition fees, under regulations reaffirmed by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK). ADEK said schools must follow a defined set of procedure»»»

THE HAGUE: International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan, who has been accused of sexual misconduct, has been suspended by Britain’s independent regulator for court lawyers. Khan had already been suspended on June 8 by the ICC’s governing body, prolonging a crisis at the war crimes ‌cour»»»

Kyrgyzstan has a unique opportunity to accelerate economic growth by investing in the human capital of children and young people. Tomas Lievens, managing partner of the human capital practice at Genesis Analytics, said during the presentation of the Generation 2025 study. According to him, investme»»»

Italy and France have plenty of investment plans on the table. New energy work, factory upgrades, transport projects, defense sites, warehouses, and construction jobs all need steady equipment. Money matters, but it does not move soil, install machines, or keep production lines running. That is whe»»»

European officials have for years painted an enticing picture of European integration for Ukrainians, but the reality is quite different, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) stated. Key points:Ukraine's prospects for European integration are significantly worse than those of MoldovaEuropean»»»

Trust in real estate professionals in 2026 is built mainly on accurate information, transparency, and predictability, according to the latest survey conducted by real estate platform Storia. Overall, the highest trust scores were recorded by notaries public, with 2.78 out of 5, and lawyers speciali»»»

London: Arsenal will kick off their Premier League title defence against promoted Coventry on August 21. The Premier League fixtures for the 2026-27 campaign were released on Friday, with the Gunners' home game against Frank Lampard's Coventry among the highlights in the opening round of matches. C»»»