The Article 7 procedure launched against Hungary eight years ago on the basis of the Sargentini Report could be concluded in October, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Friday afternoon at a press conference following the two-day meeting of the European Council in Brussels. Magyar, who attended an»»»

US-funded research into disease-causing properties of anthrax, plague, tularemia Marburg, and Ebola was about developing biological agents "tailored to specific genetic profiles,” ex-CIA intelligence officer Larry Johnson tells Sputnik. The US has been running a covert military-biological program r»»»

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has accused Donald Trump of fabricating a story about her after the US president claimed she had “begged” him for a photo during this week’s G7 summit in France. According to a dubbed Italian-language version of a phone interview released by broadcaster La7 on »»»

Uzbekistan and South Korea have agreed to establish industrial clusters, expand infrastructure cooperation and elevate investment partnerships across multiple sectors based on a series of agreements and memoranda signed at the Uzbekistan-Korea Business Forum in Tashkent. The forum was held on »»»

A major institutional crisis appears to have erupted within Hungary’s Constitutional Court after seven judges reportedly withdrew from a case initiated by President Tamás Sulyok, forcing the court to remove the matter from its agenda. According to HVG, Constitutional Court President Péter Polt had »»»

CARACAS: Venezuelan opposition leader Dinorah Figuera told AFP on Friday she is traveling to the United States for meetings, a day after returning from years in exile to initiate dialogue with Venezuela’s interim government. The former parliamentarian, who has Washington’s backing to promote a demo»»»

Polling station officials count votes on Election Day in Medellin, Colombia,on May 31. Conservative businessman Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Sen. Iván Cepeda will face off in a runoff to determine the country's next president on Sunday. File Photo by Stringer/EPA June 19 (UPI) -- Colombia w»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut held on Friday a video meeting with the Director of the European Commission’s Directorate for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood Geert Jan Koopman to review the results achieved in the implementation of a Reform Agenda and define the next steps in the process. M»»»

VIENNA: A Saudi delegation, represented by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission and the Saudi Space Agency, participated in the 69th session of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, held in Vienna from June 10 to 18. The Kingdom’s participation reflects its commitment»»»

British Prime Minister Kier Starmer participates in a round table discussion at the G7 Summit in Evian, France, on Tuesday.Two men were sentenced Friday in arson attacks on properties that were formerly linked to the prime minister. Photo via Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/UPI | License Photo »»»

MOSCOW: Russia said on Friday it was open to dialogue with European countries but would not accept ultimatums, as signs increase that the EU may seek talks with Moscow after largely shunning contacts since the start of the war in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said common sense dictated t»»»

Dubai: Dubai Municipality invites investors, operators, and entrepreneurs to take part in shaping Al Mamzar Beaches, one of Dubai’s most attractive family beach destinations and a landmark addition to the emirate’s leisure and tourism landscape, redefining the beachfront lifestyle experience. For t»»»

Dubai: ClearTax UAE, a leading global tax compliance technology company and Federal Tax Authority (FTA)-approved Accredited Service Provider (ASP), released the UAE E-Invoicing Readiness Index 2026, a comprehensive nationwide study of more than 500 CFOs, Tax Directors and Financial Controllers. The»»»

With Romania playing an increasingly important role within Nestlé’s South-East Europe operations, Giuseppe Carella recently took over as the new Country Manager at a moment of strong momentum and growing regional relevance. Drawing on leadership experience across some of the world’s most complex ma»»»

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»»»

Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), a leading global professional services firm that combines operational, financial and transaction expertise to help organizations navigate complex business challenges, has announced the launch of its operations in Romania. The local team of the US-based firm includes experien»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has an opportunity to turn retirement savings into a new source of long-term capital that could deepen financial markets and support economic diversification, according to a report by BlackRock. The world’s largest asset manager said expanding funded retirement schemes could he»»»

Several European leaders have expressed optimism about Hungary’s new direction under Prime Minister Péter Magyar as he attended his first European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday. The meeting marked a historic moment, as Hungary was represented in the European Council by a prime minister other»»»

No single topic dominates Friday's media. POLITICS The Trud tabloid daily frontpages an article titled „The era of the Crusades is over“, quoting Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who on Thursday, ahead of a European Council meeting of EU heads of state or government, said that Bulgaria will veto the Eur»»»

Arab Finance: Schneider Electric has signed a partnership agreement with GIZ Egypt, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), to accelerate the growth of climate-tech startups in Egypt, according to a press release. Both sides will join forces to expand»»»

Ajman: Thumbay Medicity welcomed Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, UAE to its Ajman campus on Friday. It marked the Minister’s first visit to one of the region’s largest integrated hubs for medical education, healthcare and research, and it set the tone for a closer conversa»»»

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Friday presented his maiden State Budget, unveiling an economic roadmap centred on governance, welfare, investment and long-term growth. Holding the Finance portfolio alongside the Chief Minister’s office, Satheesan tabled the revised 2026»»»

The interim Prime Minister, Ilie Bolojan, the president of the PNL, had a phone conversation on Thursday with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, during which he stressed that Romania remains an active and responsible partner in building a strong and united Europe."A very goo»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) formalised a landmark five-year cooperation agreement, marking a significant step forward in the shared ambition of both organisations to elevate motorsport on the international stage»»»

Doha: Boston Consulting Group (BCG) recently announced the launch of BCG Platinion Qatar, establishing its specialized digital architecture and technology implementation practice in Doha. The expansion reflects BCG’s sustained confidence in Qatar as a platform for regional innovation and technology»»»

The possibility of introducing a wealth tax in Hungary has returned to the agenda, although key details remain unresolved, particularly regarding which types of assets would be included in the tax base. Depending on the final design of the rules, projected revenues vary significantly, with estimate»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the European Council meeting in Brussels, in what both sides described as a substantive discussion focused on energy security, bilateral cooperation and future industrial projects. According to the»»»

Doha: The Attorneys’ Admission Committee held a meeting yesterday chaired by Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Attorneys’ Admission Committee H E Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi, at the Committee’s headquarters in the Ministry of Justice. The committee r»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Municipality, H E Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiyah headed the State of Qatar’s delegation at the 39th Session of the General Assembly of the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development (AOAD), held yesterday via videoconference. The General Assembly reviewed nu»»»

Geneva: The State of Qatar reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to modernizing the national educational ecosystem in alignment with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education’s 2024-2030 strategy. The remarks were delivered by Third Secretary of the Human Rights »»»

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev spoke at an international conference in St. Petersburg on strengthening cultural ties and developing creative and cultural industries. He noted that issues of cultural cooperation and support for creative industries now go far be»»»

EU leaders agreed on Thursday to strengthen trade defences against a surge of Chinese exports that Brussels views as a threat to European industry, while maintaining “constructive dialogue” with Beijing. The move reflects growing concern over the EU’s dependence on China, as the bloc’s goods trade »»»

Russian artist and dissident Semyon Skrepetsky was famous for his audacious, even malicious, caricatures of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Skrepetsky was shot and killed on Tuesday in the eastern Polish town of Biała Podlaska at the age of 44.   Severa»»»

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hailed Russia’s ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as he hosted a summit intended to strengthen economic and political ties with the bloc. The leaders who took part in the meeting in Kazan agreed to further expand “strategic partnership»»»

On Thursday, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, denounced international calls for denuclearization, describing the country's nuclear weapons as its "core interests." File Photo Jorge Silva/EPA June 18 (UPI) -- The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday »»»

The ruling Socialist Party is set to convene an expanded meeting of its parliamentary group and government officials on Saturday at the Palace of Brigades in Tirana, according to information obtained by local media. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m., with party members informed throug»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) formalised a landmark five-year Cooperation Agreement, marking a significant step forward in the shared ambition of both organisations to elevate motorsport on the international stage»»»

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has confirmed that the country will block new sanctions against Russia, linking the decision to objections over proposals that would include Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in the restrictive measures. He argued that the war in Ukraine has expanded far beyond »»»

Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Delyan Peevski has filed a complaint with the prosecution service requesting an investigation into statements and actions by Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev. The complaint was submitted by MP Hamid Hamid in his capacity as Peevski's lawyer, according»»»

Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Delyan Peevski has filed a complaint with the prosecution service requesting an investigation into statements and actions by Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev. The complaint was submitted by MP Hamid Hamid in his capacity as Peevski's lawyer, according»»»

Bulgaria's government is making investment a national priority and a key tool for supporting municipalities and businesses, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry Alexander Poulev said on Thursday. Speaking at the National Meeting of Local and Central Executive Auth»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar held talks with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in Brussels on Thursday, describing the meeting as successful and highlighting what he called a shared commitment to bringing Hungary’s long-running Article 7 procedure to a close by the autumn. The »»»

Berlin, June 18 (SANA) The 29th Arab-German Business Forum opened on Thursday in Berlin, bringing together senior government officials, diplomats, and business leaders from across the Arab world and Germany to discuss expanding economic cooperation and investment opportunities. The opening session »»»

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov Thursday called preserving the European Union's cohesion policy. Speaking during a National Meeting of Local and Central Executive Authorities in Sofia, organized by the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB), he sai»»»

Geneva: The State of Qatar reaffirmed the importance of enhancing women's participation in peace and security efforts, stressing that women are a fundamental pillar in achieving sustainable peace and building more stable and prosperous societies. This came in a statement delivered by HE Permanent R»»»

No single topic dominates Thursday's news media. ECONOMY Speaking on Nova TV's morning show, former economy minister Nikolay Vassilev criticized the government, arguing that it had failed to present any meaningful ideas for the budget. He said annual spending needed to be reduced by some EUR 6 bill»»»

New Contracts Mark Latest Step in Egypt’s Capital-Market Modernisation Drive Cairo — The Egyptian Exchange (EGX) will launch stock futures contracts on shares of Commercial International Bank (CIB) and Talaat Moustafa Group Holding (TMG) on 18 June, expanding Egypt’s derivatives market and providin»»»

Doha: Invest Qatar, the country’s Investment Promotion Agency, in partnership with MEDEF International, the international arm of the Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF), successfully hosted a high-level investment seminar in Paris, aimed at strengthening bilateral economic relations and fos»»»

WASHINGTON: France’s move Tuesday to drop Palantir from its intelligence services is the latest sign of European unease with the American data-mining firm — a company that has grown from a CIA-backed startup into one of the most powerful technology players of the Trump era. - ‘Lord of the Rings’ - »»»

The World Bank Group's Board of Executive Directors has discussed a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Poland covering 2026 to 2031, designed to help the country build a more innovative, competitive economy, mobilise private investment, create better jobs and navigate its next stage of eco»»»