A $300 billion reconstruction fund financed by the Gulf states, waiving sanctions on Iranian oil and a 60-day ceasefire extension to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme are all reportedly part of the memorandum of understanding agreed upon by Washington and Tehran this week. Follow our liveblog for al»»»

The third and final day of the G7 summit focuses on AI and social media, with CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic and European rival Mistral meeting leaders for lunch on Wednesday. French President Emmanuel Macron has invited his US counterpart Donald Trump to a private dinner at the lavish Palace of Versa»»»

The world's largest museum is having a hard time securing investments to upgrade its decaying infrastructure, the Louvre's new director Christophe Leribault told a Senate committee Wednesday. The museum has been hit by a series of public scandals including a water leak, a large-scale ticket fr»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron plays host to President Donald Trump at a lavish dinner Wednesday night at the Palace of Versailles to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence. This is the fourth time the French leader has chosen Louis XIV’s sumptuous palace as a venue to»»»

France is bracing for another heatwave this week after enduring its hottest spring on record. In Paris, a city not made to withstand heatwaves, the urgent demand for a place to cool off has pushed city officials to open the iconic Canal Saint-Martin, lifting a long-standing ban on swimming.»»»

A Bulgarian researcher at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences' National Museum of Natural History, Svilen Cheshmedzhiev, is among the authors of an international research making the first comprehensive genetic assessment of the Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) across its range. Scientists and en»»»

Fourteen people will stand trial in France over the deaths of 31 migrants in the deadliest recorded small-boat disaster in the English Channel, prosecutors said on Tuesday. The defendants are accused of links to people-smuggling networks involved in the November 2021 sinking, which left four others»»»

The decision by a Russian warship to fire warning shots near a British yacht in the English Channel on Tuesday was "reckless", UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday. The British defence ministry described it as an "isolated incident" with no suspected link to the boarding by British command»»»

The G7 summit is wrapping up in the French city of Evian, with the agenda dominated by questions of tech sovereignty and protection of minors on social media. All G7 members are in favour of a social media ban for teenagers, with the UK already introducing one and France thinking of introducing one»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev has outlined a government push to increase economic productivity and improve transparency in public spending, emphasizing both stronger fiscal discipline and higher value creation across the economy. Speaking at the start of a cabinet meeting, Radev highlighted the rollou»»»

Bulgaria has indicated that it is opposing elements of the European Union’s 21st sanctions package against Russia, according to reporting by Politico citing two diplomatic sources. The package, presented by the European Commission on June 9, is currently under discussion among member states and is »»»

Bulgarian parliamentary groups strongly condemned the arson attack on the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje, describing it as a serious violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and an act driven by hatred. The statements were delivered in parliament, with lawmakers framing the incident »»»

Border crossings between Bulgaria and North Macedonia are set to be temporarily blocked in a coordinated protest against what organizers describe as pressure and repression targeting people with Bulgarian identity in the neighboring country. The action is scheduled for Sunday, June 21, and will las»»»

Bulgarian lawmakers voted to freeze their own pay, ending the system of quarterly automatic adjustments tied to public sector wages. The decision was adopted in parliament with a large majority and no plenary debate, effectively locking MPs’ salaries at current levels. A total of 193 MPs supported »»»

Iran will immediately take steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once a tentative deal with the U.S. to end the war is signed and will be allowed to sell its oil without restrictions, according to leaked copies of an interim agreement that officials say broadly matches the document. The accord, due »»»

BOSTON: Generations of Boston families played and picnicked on the grassy, sloping lawns of the Bunker Hill Monument. Musket balls and other artifacts from one of the American Revolution’s most consequential battles were buried just below their feet the whole time. Inspired by a centuries-old map, »»»

ISTANBUL: Turkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was set for a tug-of-war after backers of its ousted leader petitioned on Wednesday to hold fresh elections to replace his court-appointed replacement. An Ankara court in May annulled the CHP’s 2023 leadership election, citing alle»»»

U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said that the expectd agreement between the United States and Iran could lead to a broader regional peace deal involving Gulf states, Israel and Lebanon, provided Tehran complies with the terms of any future agreement. Asked whether Lebanon and Hezbollah would be in»»»

After a spring marked by repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on military facilities and warships in St Petersburg, the Russian Ministry of Defence appears to be abandoning plans for any major public events to mark this year's Navy Day. “You understand, there’s no time for that,” a naval commander told»»»

Doha, Qatar: ​With reference to reports circulating about suspected cases of food poisoning in one of the restaurants, the Ministry of Public Health clarified that it has dealt directly with a number of reports in this regard and as a precautionary measures has ordered the closure of the restaurant»»»

Dubai: Alaan, the UAE's leading spend management platform, today launched a business bank account with built-in intelligence, powered by ruya. With this launch, Alaan becomes the first fintech in the region to combine corporate cards, domestic and cross-border supplier payments, invoice automation,»»»

The term ‘Axis of Defiance’ was once associated with a number of Arab states opposed to any peace agreement with Israel, particularly after the defeat of 1967. However, as political alignments evolved, the concept gradually transformed. Over time, its meaning progressively narrowed to the ‘Axis of »»»

Only a small number of bloggers in Kyrgyzstan earn income from advertising and pay taxes, the head of the State Tax Service, Alambet Shykmamatov, said at a meeting in Bishkek where tax reform, specifically tax exemptions for the creative sector, were discussed. He noted that after criticism of the »»»

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE) announced that the UAE’s private sector workforce expanded by 2.5% during the first quarter of 2026, while the number of skilled workers increased by 1.5% over the same period. According to data released by the Labour Market Obser»»»

Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova attended the opening of the Golden Harvest Lovech 2026 Campaign in the village of Drenov near Lovech on Wednesday. According to the head of State, the harvest tradition is passed down from generation to generation and reflects the Bulgarian people's rapport with th»»»

GERB-UDF MP Georg Georgiev, in a declaration read out from the parliamentary rostrum on Wednesday, on behalf of the GERB–UDF parliamentary group, said that the attack on Bulgaria’s diplomatic mission in the Republic of North Macedonia is not merely an attack against a single state, but an attack ag»»»

The Chinese engineering company China Nerin Engineering Co., Ltd. has been selected as the EPC contractor for the construction of key production facilities at Togolok gold deposit. According to the Chairman of the Board of Kumtor Operating Company Kanimet Toktosunov, the company was chosen through »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Deputy Amir His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani received the credentials of two new ambassadors to the State of Qatar at his office in the Amiri Diwan on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. His Highness received the credentials of HE Dr. Tauisi Minute Taupo, Ambassador of Tuvalu,»»»

RIYADH: Investment-grade bond and sukuk spreads in the Gulf Cooperation Council have returned to levels seen before the US-Iran conflict as easing geopolitical tensions reduced risk premiums, although borrowing costs remain elevated, Fitch Ratings said. The yield spread between the S&P GCC Sukuk In»»»

TEL AVIV: There is no ​Israeli military presence in Somaliland and no talks for Israel to open a base there, ‌Somaliland’s ‌Defense ​Minister ‌Mohamed ⁠Yusef ​Ali told Reuters ⁠on Wednesday. Speaking on the sidelines of a business conference in ⁠Tel Aviv, he said ‌Israel ‌was ​training ‌Somaliland’»»»

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the digital world, deepfake technology has emerged as one of the most significant cybersecurity and misinformation challenges of our time. The ability to generate highly realistic images, videos, and audio recordings has created new risks for governme»»»

The government ordered an immediate internal investigation at the tax and customs authority NAV, the Anti-Terrorism Centre and other agencies involved in the so-called “gold convoy” case, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Facebook on Wednesday. The seized Ukrainian assets. Photo: MTI/Magyarország»»»

Bishkek Mayor Aibek Dzhunushaliev reviewed the Elebesov Street reconstruction project, which will be part of a large-scale road infrastructure upgrade in Dordoi market area. According to the municipality, a 1.5-kilometer section is planned for reconstruction. Upon completion, the street will be wid»»»

The Jalal-Abad Garrison Military Prosecutor’s Office detained former State Committee for National Security (SCNS) employee Azamat Dyikanbaev. A criminal case has been opened against him under the article «Fraud using official position.» According to the supervisory authority, Dyikanbaev has been pl»»»

Ajman: Ajman is seeking to attract more visitors from Germany and strengthen cultural ties with Europe after senior officials from the emirate met senior officials ff the German government and business community to explore new avenues of cooperation. Mahmood Khaleel Alhashmi, Director General of th»»»

MANILA: A leadership standoff in the Philippine Senate ended Wednesday with the removal of an ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte as leader of the chamber, which will soon start the impeachment trial of his daughter, incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte. With 13 of 24 senators backing him, Sh»»»

The White House has informed supporters that President Donald Trump has accomplished his goals in the war with Iran despite the details of an initial agreement remaining unclear and negotiations on Tehran's nuclear program still to be held. In a series of talking points sent to Trump supporters and»»»

SAN FRANCISCO: Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran, the United States government revealed in a legal briefing seen Tuesday by AFP. The June 15 brief defends the gas turbines used by a giant data center belonging to the trillionaire’s company xAI, which are»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian dinar's official median exchange rate against the euro is 117.3867 dinars for one euro on Wednesday, which is a slight change relative to Tuesday, the National Bank of Serbia said. The dinar is steady against the euro m-o-m, down by 0.1 pct y-o-y and down by 0.1 pct relative »»»

BELGRADE - The US Department of the Treasury issued on Tuesday a new specific license to the Serbian oil company NIS that allows it to continue operations until July 1, 2026, the company has announced. "This licence allows for the maintenance of business operations, contracts and other agreements i»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iranian Tankers Punch Through US Naval Blockade with 4.8M Barrels 17-06-2026 12:34 PM Iranian supertankers have successfully broken the nea»»»

Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday hailed a deal on ending the Middle East war announced between Iran and the United States as the result of “encouraging work in dialogue and negotiation.” The United States and Iran agreed this week to a deal to end the conflict and Leo expressed his “gratitud»»»

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s main opposition leader said her tour of the United States aimed at mustering support for her stance on China “exceeded expectations,” without detailing any tangible outcomes. Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun returned to Taipei this week to sharp questions over the island’s »»»

SAN FRANCISCO: Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran, the United States government revealed in a legal briefing seen Tuesday by AFP.The June 15 brief defends the gas turbines used by a giant data center belonging to the trillionaire’s company xAI, which are »»»

Dubai: An Indian technology professional who had built a promising career in the United States was among 12 people killed when a skydiving aircraft crashed and burst into flames shortly after take-off in Missouri, authorities said. Sai Karthik Varma Datla, 24, from Andhra Pradesh, died along with t»»»

Countries seeking to join the EU could face major limits on their ability to dissent against Brussels’ decisions after accession, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has warned. The EU is looking to speed up the admission of new states amid concerns that growing economic problems and global politica»»»

Vancouver, Canada: The Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Canada HE Tariq Ali Faraj Al Ansari affirmed that the Qatari diplomatic mission secured all its logistical and service capabilities to provide comprehensive support to the Qatari national football team and the Qatari fans who will travel to»»»

Kinshasa: In 1976, young Congolese doctor Jean-Jacques Muyembe was sent to a remote village to look into a mysterious illness and found himself confronting Ebola, a deadly virus the world did not yet know. Just back in the Democratic Republic of Congo after studying in Belgium, he had been called t»»»

JILJILIYA, Palestinian Territories: Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque in a West Bank village on Wednesday, the local mayor said, while AFP journalists at the site saw signs of arson and vandalism. The incident comes amid an increase in attacks against Palestinian communities by settlers in the »»»

This photo, taken Wednesday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul as South Korean stocks extended their winning streak for a fifth straight day on a semiconductor rally. Photo by Yonhap South Korean stocks extended their winning streak for the fifth consecutive session Wednesday on semicond»»»