Poland prepares to stand its ground with massive new civil defence programme
As it races to become NATO’s frontline fortress against Russia, Poland has launched large-scale civilian courses teaching survival skills during times of crisis. The programme is intended to help bridge the gap between the military and society while psychologically preparing civilians for war. Imag»»»
UK watchdog warns online platforms as Belfast riots go viral
Northern Ireland braced Wednesday for a potential second night of violence directed at immigrants, following unrest that UK authorities say was stoked by far-right activists on social media after a brutal Belfast stabbing. Britain's media regulator warned online platforms of possible legal conseq»»»
Chinese EV giant BYD quietly shelves plan for billion-dollar plant in Turkey
BYD (Build Your Dreams/Shenzhen/002594) has quietly abandoned work on its much touted project to build a $1bn factory in Turkey, Stella Li, an executive vice president at the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant, confirmed on June 10. The company, however, remains »»»
The return of the Silk Road as the “C6”, a key geopolitical link between Europe and Asia
There is a map that used to hang in the offices of Soviet central planners in Moscow, showing the five republics of Central Asia as a single administrative unit — roads pointing inward toward Russia, railways terminating at Russian junctions, pipelines flowing north. The region was designed, quite »»»
Timur Turlov’s Freedom Holding Corp: From a niche broker to a global fintech player
Who is Timur Turlov? Where did his billions come from? And how did he turn a small brokerage firm into a transnational financial ecosystem? Freedom Holding Corp. is a Kazakhstan-born international fintech company listed on the Nasdaq and valued at nearly $9 billion. In recent years, the company - w»»»
Parliament Bans Unjustified Price Increases, Requires Daily Online Price Disclosure
The National Assembly on Thursday banned economically unjustified increases in consumer prices and obliged certain retailers to publish their selling prices online on a daily basis. The measures were adopted through second-reading amendments to the Consumer Protection Act. Lawmakers stipulated that»»»
Supply chain disruptions are back at 2022 levels – Statista
Global supply chain pressures have risen again in recent months, returning to levels last seen during the height of pandemic-related disruptions, Statista reports. According to the Global Supply Chain Stress Index (GSCPI) published by the World Bank, shipping container capacity tied up due to delay»»»
The world's record heatwaves - Statista
According to NASA, there is “unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate”, Statista reports. Data from Copernicus, the European Earth Observation program for the European Space Agency, shows that July 22, 2024, was the world’s hottest daily global average temperature since t»»»
Rubio backs Trans-Caspian gas pipeline proposal in meeting with Turkmenistan’s top diplomat
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed Washington’s strong support for the decades-old idea of diversifying Turkmenistan's natural gas exports via a pipeline that would be constructed across the Caspian Sea, according to a US State Department statement released on May 29. The statement fol»»»
Middle East conflict and energy shock slow growth across EBRD regions
The economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East is expected to slow growth across emerging Europe, Central Asia and parts of Africa and the Mediterranean, as higher energy costs reignite inflation, weaken industrial competitiveness and strain already fragile public finances, the European »»»
South Korea’s Lee, EU leaders reject North Korea nuclear status - UPI.com
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (C) is walking with Ursula von der Leyen (R), president of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, ahead of their summit in Brussels on Wednesday. Photo by Yonhap SEOUL, June 11 (UPI) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung»»»
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan rank among top 20 countries with highest inflation - | 24.KG
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan ranked among the world’s top 20 countries with the highest projected inflation rates. The Telegram channel Geostatistics reports, citing forecasts by the International Monetary Fund. Based on the IMF’s World Economic Outlook data, Kazakhstan ranks 18th with projected infla»»»
Podar Pearl School, Al Meshaf and Pearl School, Al Dafna campuses win Diamond Category Award
Doha, Qatar: Podar Pearl School, Al Meshaf Campus and Pearl School, Al Dafna Campus have been conferred the prestigious Diamond Category Award by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), for the academic year 2025-2026. The award recognises the schools’ exemplary performance in the n»»»
Qatar Shell celebrates International Women’s Day with focus on inclusive leadership
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Shell marked International Women’s Day 2026 with an event at Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre, bringing together colleagues and external speakers under the theme ‘Powerful Together’ to explore how inclusion is strengthened through collective action across genders, organ»»»
Ashghal showcases BIM and GIS in advancing Digital Twin at Project Qatar 2026
Doha, Qatar: As part of its participation in Project Qatar 2026, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) organised a specialized session titled “Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Advancing Qatar’s National Digital Twin.” The session highlighted the latest di»»»
QIA takes part in ICEYE’s €1bn Series F funding round
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) announced yesterday its participation in the €1bn ($1.2bn) Series F funding round of sovereign intelligence company ICEYE, at a valuation of over €10bn (over $12bn). The new funding will support ICEYE’s global footprint efforts and expand the company’s »»»
Dubai Basketball fall in game 3, remain a win away from historic ABA League title
DUBAI: Game 3 of the 2025-26 ABA League Finals saw Dubai Basketball suffered an 84-70 defeat by Partizan in Belgrade on Wednesday night. Despite the loss, however, Dubai Basketball continue to lead the best-of-five finals series 2-1 and remain just one victory away from securing their first ABA Lea»»»
US Pocketed $15B Oil Windfall During Middle East Conflict
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States earned $8.28 billion from oil exports and $6.84 billion from refined product exports during the two months of the Middle East conflict, according to Sputnik calculations based on US Customs data. US oil exports rose to $10.71 billion (125.3 million barrels) in M»»»
Many European Companies Want to Return to Russian Market - Russia's Special Envoy
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia is receiving signals from many European companies about their desire to return to the Russian market, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Russian presidential special envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, s»»»
Ukraine needs €197bn to rebuild. EU budgets for only €89bn
Who is going to pay for rebuilding Ukraine after the war is over? Now the EU has raised a €90bn two-year loan to keep the country in the fight against Russia, attention has started to turn to what comes next. The European Commission (EC) has drawn up a draft recovery plan for 2028-2034 but it falls»»»
Viral video captures dramatic rescue of child hanging from window
Dubai: A dramatic rescue unfolded in East London after a young child was saved from a potentially fatal fall while dangling from a window ledge above a busy street. The incident occurred on Ilford High Road on June 9, drawing a large crowd of concerned onlookers. Video footage widely shared on soci»»»
UAE President receives US Ambassador to the UN, discuss regional stability and security
Abu Dhabi: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Ambassador Mike Waltz, Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations. The meeting discussed UAE-US strategic ties and ways to further strengthen cooperation across various fields in su»»»
India's many territorial disputes and their impact on its economic potential
For much of the 26 years since the beginning of the millennium, India has aimed at becoming a rising economic power by way of first becoming a service centered hub and gradually shifting towards becoming a centre of manufacturing. However, many of these ambitions have hit the wall of geop»»»
Azerbaijani fintechs catching up with banks, says industry head
Some fintech companies operating in Azerbaijan could surpass individual banks in certain service segments within two to three years, the chairman of the Azerbaijan Fintech Association (AzFina), Edgar Abdullayev, told Report in an interview. Abdullayev, who also serves as head of United Payment Azer»»»
Documents on Stoyan Mavrodiev's Extradition Sent to Serbian Embassy in Sofia, Says Justice Minister
The documents for the extradition of Stoyan Mavrodiev from Serbia to Bulgaria for criminal prosecution have been sent to the Serbian Embassy in Sofia, Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov told a briefing here on Thursday. In his words, the procedure follows strictly formal rules and there is no need f»»»
Business - Wall Street counts down to SpaceX IPO
Wall Street is counting down to what could be the biggest market debut in history, with SpaceX preparing to go public. The IPO is expected to value the company at $1.75 trillion and make founder Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire. Also, US inflation has surged to its highest level in three ye»»»
Taiwan Says Chinese Ships Entered Waters of Disputed South China Sea Island
Taiwan said Chinese ships entered the "prohibited" waters off a disputed island in the South China Sea for the first time on Thursday, condemning escalating "harassment" by Beijing. The two Chinese vessels "openly intruded" into the waters around the Taiwan-controlled Taiping Island and stayed for »»»
Vodafone Qatar launches ‘Business WiFi Pro’
Doha: Vodafone Qatar announced the launch of Business WiFi Pro, a managed WiFi solution designed to deliver enterprise-grade connectivity to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across Qatar. Business WiFi Pro is designed to simplify how businesses set up and operate their networks. The service»»»
Energy security takes centre stage as global risks reshape future of climate ambition
Doha, Qatar: As wars disrupt vital shipping lanes, sanctions redraw global energy trade flows, cyberattacks target critical infrastructure, and intensifying heatwaves, floods, droughts, and wildfires expose the growing fragility of energy systems worldwide, the foundations of the global energy orde»»»
Qatar Chamber, Australian Qatari Business Association review enhancing cooperation
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Chamber (QC) hosted a delegation from the Australian-Qatari Business Association (AQBA) yesterday headed by Roderick Croes, Chairman of the Association, in the presence of Qatar Chamber Board Member Mohamed bin Ahmed Al Obaidli. The meeting was also attended by Ali Bu Sherbak Al »»»
Strong Indian business presence at Project Qatar
Doha, Qatar: The Kerala Business Forum (KBF), an affiliated organisation of the Indian Business and Professionals Council (IBPC), Doha, under the aegis of the Embassy of India, is participating in Project Qatar 2026 with a dedicated pavilion comprising of 16 Indian-run companies from diverse and em»»»
EU’s new asylum regime begins amid delays, legal risks and fears of mass detention
New EU asylum rules come into force on Friday (12 June), spanning 10 legislative files that have taken years to develop, as far-right forces gain momentum amid a wider backlash against migration. The European Commission has framed the package as a major policy achievement, despite uneven implementa»»»
Qatar Airways to resume daily Philadelphia flights from August
Dubai: Qatar Airways will resume daily flights between Doha and Philadelphia from August 1, 2026, restoring a direct route to Pennsylvania’s largest city and expanding its North American network to 14 destinations. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The service will be op»»»
Vazrazhdane to Submit Bill for Ukraine Aid Ban and Veto of EU Sanctions against Russia
Vazrazhdane Floor Leader Kostadin Kostadinov said here on Thursday that his parliamentary group will submit draft bills to Parliament aimed at prohibiting the sale of and re-export of weapons to Ukraine. Speaking in Parliament, he claimed that the bills will be accompanied by a proposal to ban ever»»»
Sheikh Mohamed congratulates Modi on historic leadership milestone
Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has congratulated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he became the longest-serving democratically elected Prime Minister in India’s history. In a message posted on X, Sheikh Mohamed wished Modi continued success in leading »»»
Trump says Iran will “pay the price” for stalled negotiations
The Iranian military has been “completely defeated,” US President Donald Trump has claimed, warning Tehran it will “pay the price” for delaying a deal with Washington. The warnings came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced missile and drone strikes on American military fa»»»
Three Indian sailors dead after US hit ship off Oman: minister
New Delhi: Three Indian sailors on a commercial vessel hit by the United States off the coast of Oman are dead, New Delhi's shipping minister said Thursday. "It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello," Sarbananda Sonowal said in a statement, ref»»»
New book highlights advantages of ‘soft power’ in Middle East
CHICAGO: The authors of a new book on how the US helped stabilize Egypt through “soft power” argue that the strategy could have helped avoid much of today’s regional conflict. In an interview with Arab News, two of the three authors of “A Daring Enterprise: A US-Egyptian Partnership and the Case fo»»»
Hungary’s oil giant MOL and Serbia reach landmark agreement on NIS ownership
Hungarian energy company MOL and the Serbian government have reached a major agreement on the future ownership and governance of Serbia’s oil industry giant NIS, potentially paving the way for MOL to acquire the company’s Russian-controlled majority stake. The breakthrough comes after months of neg»»»
Emirates named Middle East’s best airline at 2026 APEX Awards
Dubai: Emirates has been named Best Overall Airline in the Middle East at the 2026 APEX Best in Airline Awards, after passengers rated the Dubai carrier highly across comfort, service, food, entertainment and connectivity. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The award was »»»
Sunny Beach-Central Retains Blue Flag Award for 2026 Summer Season
Sunny Beach-Central has retained its prestigious Blue Flag award for the 2026 summer season, the beach operator told BTA on Thursday. The beach regained Blue Flag status in 2019 under new management and has successfully renewed the award every year since. They emphasized that water quality is regul»»»
EDGE launches 'EDGE Europe' in Paris
The launch is anchored by two sites: a strategic head office in the prestigious Chaillot neighbourhood of central Paris, which will focus on leading government engagement, partnerships, and investment across the region, and an engineering and manufacturing hub in Bordeaux, driving design, integrati»»»
SCNS dismantles transnational drug trafficking group - | 24.KG
The State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) has dismantled a transnational criminal group involved in the trafficking of narcotic substances through an international drug transit route running from Afghanistan through Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to other CIS countries. A citizen of»»»
Iran and Ukraine Loom over G7 as France Accommodates Trump
Wars in the Middle East and Ukraine are set to dominate next week’s Group of Seven summit, as host France crafts an agenda aimed at projecting unity and avoiding confrontation with US President Donald Trump. The June 15–17 gathering in Evian-les-Bains, on the shore of Lake Geneva, brings together t»»»
France target third title with star-studded squad
Doha, Qatar: As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway, two-time world champions France are heading to the tournament with high expectations. The Les Bleus have built a reputation for consistently competing at the highest level and once again arrive as one of the favourites to lift football’s bigges»»»
Buildex26 opens in Damascus with exhibitors from 51 countries
Damascus, June 11 (SANA) The 24th edition of Buildex, Syria’s flagship construction and building materials exhibition, opened in Damascus on Wednesday, drawing hundreds of companies from around the world amid growing interest in the country’s construction and infrastructure sectors. The four-day ev»»»
Oil prices drop, stocks rise on Mideast hopes
LONDON — Stock markets mostly rallied Tuesday as investors returned to the AI trade, while easing Middle East tensions weighed on oil prices and the dollar.Bargain buying saw Seoul's Kospi stocks index rebound strongly after big losses Monday that had been sparked by prospects of a hike to US inter»»»
Law Enforcers Crack Down on Dangerous Driving
Law enforcers are launching a large-scale crackdown on dangerous driving, Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said in a Facebook post on Thursday. He reported a specialized information on a tipoff about the gathering of 94 powerful motorcycles and 11 sports cars at a filling station in Plo»»»
Award-winning film “Kurak” barred from screening in Kyrgyzstan - | 24.KG
A special screening of the feature film Kurak by directors Erke Dzhumakmatova and Emil Atageldiev, which was set to become the movie’s national premiere during the 4th Bishkek International Film Festival, has been canceled. According to the organizers, the reason was an official refusal by the stat»»»
Iran Says US Strikes Render Ceasefire 'Meaningless,' Talks on Funds Mechanism Still on Track
Iran's foreign ministry condemned on Thursday the latest US strikes on the country, saying the attacks rendered the nearly two-month ceasefire "practically meaningless.” In a statement, the ministry said "the illegal and criminal attacks perpetrated by the United States in recent hours not only con»»»