ROME: World leaders are “feeding” wars instead of the hungry, Pope Leo said on Monday, telling the UN food aid agency that global priorities were badly skewed. Leo, who has been more outspoken on political issues in recent months, urged governments to increase their spending to combat hunger and no»»»

Paris, France: Thirteen people died by drowning in searing temperatures in France over the weekend, with the heatwave set to intensify from Monday across much of Europe, forcing warnings and special measures. The latest hot spell that has left the continent sweltering has seen outdoor events cancel»»»

London, June 22 (SANA) Oil prices declined on Monday in global markets after the conclusion of U.S.–Iran talks in Switzerland, which were described as positive, and following reports that Tehran secured exemptions for oil and petrochemical exports, easing concerns over potential supply disruptions.»»»

RIYADH: Makkah and Madinah’s hospitality sectors demonstrated resilience in early 2026, weathering regional travel disruptions as the Kingdom continues to expand accommodation capacity for religious visitors, according to Knight Frank. The consultancy’s Saudi Hospitality and Religious Tourism Repor»»»

Abu Dhabi: New business licences issued in Abu Dhabi rose by 21 per cent in the first three months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, officials announced Monday. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Abu Dhabi Registration Authority (ADRA), the business reg»»»

Doha, Qatar: Director of Projects Affairs at the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), Eng. Khalid Saif Al Khayareen affirmed Ashghal's commitment to implementing the ban on work in open areas during the specified period from 10am until 3:30pm from June 1 to September 15 of each year, while monitoring »»»

The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic announced the launch of an automated information system (AIS) «Single Window» starting July 1, 2026. As part of efforts to digitize public services and improve transparency and convenience for citizens, the »»»

OMV Petrom, the largest integrated energy producer in South-Eastern Europe, has commissioned a new aromatics unit at the Petrobrazi refinery, following an investment of around EUR 140 million. The project will allow the company to expand its production capacity for feedstocks used in the petrochemi»»»

Not a single topic dominates Monday’s news media. The coverage focuses on the presidential race, with parties weighing possible candidates before the autumn 2026 election, Bulgaria’s position on the EU’s planned new sanctions package against Russia, and the pressure on public finances. Other major »»»

Seoul: A Korean Republic court sentenced a former justice minister to 25 years in prison on Monday for his role in ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol's brief and disastrous declaration of martial law in 2024. Park Sung-jae was found guilty of involvement in "insurrection" by the Seoul Central District Cour»»»

Dubai: HSBC has launched its Tokenised Deposit Service in the UAE, giving eligible corporate and institutional clients a new way to move money instantly across domestic and cross-border accounts. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The service allows companies to transfer »»»

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said partnerships between the Egyptian private sector and investors from sisterly countries reflect growing confidence in the Egyptian economy and underscore the market’s ability to attract more high-quality investments that support sustainable development goals. Mad»»»

Dubai: The United States and Iran have agreed to establish a direct communication line for the Strait of Hormuz as negotiators wrapped up a second day of talks in Switzerland aimed at securing a broader agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme and regional security issues. The mechanism, announced b»»»

Dubai: For thousands of aspiring doctors, Sunday was meant to be a second chance. Instead, for at least three students in Bengaluru, it ended in heartbreak at the gates of their examination centres. As candidates across India appeared for the NEET-UG re-test, traffic congestion allegedly linked to »»»

Seoul: A South Korean court sentenced a former justice minister to 25 years in prison on Monday for his role in ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol's brief and disastrous declaration of martial law in 2024. Park Sung-jae was found guilty of involvement in "insurrection" by the Seoul Central District Court, »»»

A bomb threat was reported at the Government House on the Old Square in Bishkek on June 22, prompting the evacuation of employees from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan and the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, which are currently located in the building. Officials from both ministries »»»

More than 15 reports of alleged explosive devices at government facilities were received in a short period of time in Bishkek, the Main Internal Affairs Department of Bishkek reported. Following the alerts, police cordoned off the affected areas, evacuated staff and visitors, and deployed investiga»»»

RIYADH: Oman’s consumer prices rose 3.8 percent year on year in May, with transport and miscellaneous personal goods and services recording the sharpest increases, official data showed. According to the National Center for Statistics and Information, the average inflation rate for the January-May p»»»

Dubai: Emirates passengers travelling to or through Dubai this summer can get a complimentary stay at the five-star JW Marriott Marquis, along with access to hundreds of city discounts through My Emirates Pass. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The airline has launched a»»»

A boarding school incident has escalated into a national scandal after it emerged that a 15-year-old pupil was repeatedly struck in the stomach by a monk serving as prefect at the St Anthony Franciscan Grammar School and Boarding House in Esztergom. The boy was reportedly dragged towards the shower»»»

Watt Unit, in collaboration with its partner Schneider Electric, has modernised the Băneasa Drinking Water Treatment Station by implementing an integrated industrial automation and advanced SCADA monitoring solution. The project contributes to increasing operational reliability, process safety, and»»»

This photo, taken Monday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul as South Korean stocks closed above the 9,100-point mark on a semiconductor rally and optimism over a U.S.-Iran deal. Photo by Yonhap South Korean stocks finished at an all-time high Monday on a continued rally in semiconductor »»»

Former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae appears for his trial on charges of playing a key role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law bid at the Seoul Central District Court on Monday. Photo by Yonhap Former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday after a di»»»

Others are looking for something more exclusive. They use their bank more often, want greater cashback rewards, invest regularly, or simply have different expectations from their banking relationship. For them, Salt Bank is introducing Salt Everyday and Salt Premium, two plans that build on the Sal»»»

Dubai: Most filmmakers, after delivering the biggest Malayalam blockbuster of the year, would probably have Mohanlal, Mammootty and every major Indian star on speed dial. But acclaimed South Indian filmmaker Chidambaram S Poduval did something stranger. Instead of cashing in his Manjummel Boys good»»»

Thus, the average monthly instalment on the mortgage needed to buy a one-bedroom apartment in Bucharest, completed at least 30 years ago and located outside semi-central areas, currently accounts for approximately 40% of the net average wage recorded locally. The Ipotecare.ro analysis considered th»»»

ROME: The leaders of Europe’s top military powers will meet Wednesday in Berlin, Italy said on Monday, as Europe aims to play a bigger role in trying to end the Ukraine war. The government said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni would attend the meeting with her British, French, German and Polish counte»»»

President Joseph Aoun discussed Monday in a phone call with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Senior Advisor to the U.S. President Jared Kushner, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the Lebanon ceasefire, after the U.S. and Iran agreed to set up a "de-conflict»»»

Mamyrzhan Rakhimov, Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic in Batken region, inspected the construction of Beles Resort tourist complex, which is being built in Beles Gorge, part of the city of Sulyukta in Batken region. The head of the region noted the importance of»»»

The Snow Leopard EcoFest Chon-Kemin 2026 environmental festival will be held on July 11, 2026, at the hippodrome in the village of Shabdan in Chon-Kemin Valley. The Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kyrgyz Republic announced. This year’s festival theme is «Snow Leopard: Eco-Education — the Found»»»

Dubai: 10X Properties successfully hosted a Private Investor Business Meet at the iconic Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, reinforcing its commitment to driving investment opportunities across the region. The exclusive gathering brought together investors, real estate professionals, and industry leaders fr»»»

Dubai: For decades, Dubai has been admired for achieving what many thought impossible.It transformed itself from a regional trading hub into a global city, built one of the world’s most advanced infrastructure networks, created an economy that attracts talent and investment from every continent, an»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3946 dinars for one euro on Monday, which is a slight change relative to Friday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is steady against the euro m-o-m, down by 0.2 pct y-o-y and down by 0.1 pct relative to t»»»

South Korea's military on Monday called North Korean border fortification work along the Military Demarcation Line a violation of the armistice agreement that ended fighting in the Korean War. This June 2023 photo shows a South Korean military guard post near Paju. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | Lic»»»

Hong Kong: Oil prices fell Monday on optimism over US-Iran talks, with mediators flagging a "roadmap" to a final agreement, while equities were mixed. The negotiations finally got underway Sunday in Switzerland with teams led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran's Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Trader»»»

The entry into the local market comes at a time when Romania is becoming one of the key markets in Southeast Europe for the development of battery storage capacity, the accelerated integration of renewable energy, and the growing need for flexibility in the energy system. ADEX Energy brings proven »»»

Two people were arrested in Bulgaria on June 18 during a special operation by Bulgarian and Romanian authorities targeting a fuel card skimming ring, the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC) reported on their Facebook page. Five addresses and one vehicle were searched in Sofia »»»

A 31-year-old Austrian citizen was injured in an incident at the Veliki Preslav National Historical and Archaeological Reserve near the northeastern town of Shumen, said the Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry. At around 3:40 a.m. on Sunday, the man fell about three metres from an old sto»»»

The Sofia City Court has remanded in custody a Chinese national charged by the prosecution service with espionage, the press office of the prosecution service said on Monday. According to the prosecution, between an unspecified date in July 2025 and June 18, 2026, in Sofia, the defendant attempted »»»

RIYADH: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts expects its Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio in Saudi Arabia to expand to six brands by 2028, as the global hospitality group expands alongside the Kingdom’s tourism ambitions, a top official revealed. Alongside the three establishments already open – Six Sense»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday his resignation as Labour Party leader. "Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to »»»

Remember Taurusgate? When several German officers, including its former air force head, were caught making insane and childish plans for plastering Russia with German missiles but from Ukraine? That and the amateurish manner in which these grand strategists in prankster mode let themselves be caugh»»»

DUBAI: Supermodel sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid paid tribute to their father, Mohamed Hadid, on Father’s Day, sharing family photographs and heartfelt messages celebrating the Palestinian-American businessman and former Olympian. Bella, 29, posted a series of images on Instagram highlighting some of»»»

TOKYO: The number ‌of Japan-related vessels remaining in the Gulf has fallen to 37 from 45 at the start of ​the Iran war, with seven ships having transited the Strait of Hormuz and one transferred to a non-Japanese operator, according to the Japanese Shipowners' Association.Once safe passage has be»»»

BURGENSTOCK: Following a first round of talks in Switzerland between Tehran and Washington toward ending the Middle East war, Bern said Monday that conditions were set for technical discussions to follow immediately. Teams led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf opened»»»

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday after fewer than two years in office in a term characterised by policy U-turns and deep public unpopularity. "Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of t»»»

Bishkek celebrated the International Day of Yoga on June 21. The event took place near the monument to Kurmanjan Datka. According to the press service of the Bishkek City Hall, the event was attended by representatives of the municipality, the Embassy of India in Kyrgyzstan, the United Nations, cit»»»

The State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) reported the arrest of a suspected member of Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami, a religious extremist organization banned in Kyrgyzstan. According to the security service, on June 17, investigative and operational measures were carried out as pa»»»

In 2026, at least 67.2 percent of participants in Kyrgyzstan’s Nationwide Testing surpassed the traditional threshold of 110 points. Chinara Batrakeeva, director of the Center for Educational Assessment and Teaching Methods, said on Birinchi Radio. According to her, the average score this year is 1»»»

The Ministry of Health of Kyrgyzstan continues to monitor the sanitary and epidemiological situation in areas of Batken, Osh, and Talas regions affected by mudflows on June 19–21. According to the ministry, sanitary and epidemiological service specialists are conducting preventive and anti-epidemic»»»