As French President Emmanuel Macron meets Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman amid efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, François Picard welcomes Dawud Al Ansari, a geopolitics and energy analyst. As diplomacy in the Gulf is once again being tested by renewed military tensions, Al Ansari»»»

Americans’ pride in their country's history or the way its democracy works has dropped noticeably over the past decade, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Americans have grown less proud of their country's history or the way its democracy»»»

The Syrian foreign ministry on Monday condemned Israeli incursions and bombardment in the country's south a day after Israeli forces advanced into the village of Abidin, where angry residents tried to block the road with stones to stop the patrol. The Israeli military has conducted at least 70»»»

Sub-Saharan Africa's transition to a low-carbon economy could generate between 3.8mn and 7.9mn direct and indirect jobs by 2030, rising to between 65.9mn and 84.5mn by 2050 if governments implement supportive policies and invest in workforce development, according to a report published on June 15 b»»»

The ASEAN summit held in Russia last week was one of the Kremlin’s biggest diplomatic successes since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite Western sanctions, a lack of progress on the battlefield, growing economic problems, and more frequent Ukrainian drone attacks, Putin was able to»»»

At least 36 civilians have been killed and more than 160 others injured in Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan, officials said. Pakistani forces launched a military operation along the border with Afghanistan overnight to Monday in response to multiple militant attacks across Pakistan. Overnight ai»»»

Debris from downed Ukrainian drones sparked a blaze at a major oil refinery in Russia on Sunday, according to local authorities. This comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country was “going through a difficult period”. In recent months, Ukraine has stepped up its long-range attac»»»

Bulgaria remains among the lowest-priced countries in the European Union, but the gap with the EU average continues to narrow, according to comparative price level data covering 2021-2025, the Institute for Market Economics reports. The indicators, which benchmark countries against the EU-27 averag»»»

Turkish police on Sunday detained at least 50 people, including a journalist, during a LGBT+ Pride event in Istanbul that went ahead despite a ban by local authorities. Homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, but since 2015, the annual Pride march has been almost systematically banned and supp»»»

Finance Minister Galab Donev has defended the 2026 state budget, describing it as a realistic reflection of Bulgaria’s public finances after years of accumulated obligations and unresolved structural issues. Speaking on bTV’s “120 Minutes,” Donev said the document does not conceal financial difficu»»»

Progressive Bulgaria has introduced three separate draft parliamentary decisions requesting that the National Audit Office carry out a comprehensive review of public finances across several key institutions and budget areas covering the period from 2020 to May 2026. The proposals were presented in »»»

The controversial Ukrainian businessman, Oleg Nevzorov, has released a video message addressed to partners and investors in the KYB Corporation, the company behind the so-called "illegal city" known as "Baba Alino" near Varna. In the statement, he insisted that "the company is operating as usual" d»»»

The Iran war has switched up government’s priorities and energy investments are now driven less by climate targets than by security concerns, as governments respond to the second major energy crisis in five years. Green goals have been downgraded as diversifying supply routes, strengthening electri»»»

Iran launched fresh drone and missile attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday after new US airstrikes, while warning it would completely halt negotiations and close the Strait of Hormuz if Washington continues its attacks. Iran again launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait o»»»

Turkish police on Sunday detained at least 50 people, including a journalist, during a LGBTQ+ Pride event in Istanbul that went ahead despite a ban by local authorities. Homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, but since 2015, the annual Pride march has been almost systematically banned and sup»»»

The United States and Iran will continue their talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, a US official said on Sunday, adding that both sides will stand down after recent clashes. This comes hours after Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri rejected a US–Israel–Lebanon framework deal, calling it»»»

AMMAN — The Jordan Industrial Estates Company (JIEC) has outlined plans to attract up to 530 industrial companies and generate around 21,000 jobs at the Zarqa Industrial Estate (ZIE), as part of efforts to position it as a leading green industrial hub in the Kingdom.The announcement came on Sunday »»»

Despite the signing of a new framework agreement on Friday aimed at ending the conflict, fighting has continued in Lebanon. On Sunday, the Israeli military said it had killed Hezbollah militants and struck a rocket launcher near Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, while the Iran-backed group rejected the»»»

Voting in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia closed on Sunday, with a turnout of 54.42 per cent, as citizens participated in the archipelago's first provincial elections since 2019. The results of the election, initially planned for 2024, will determine the balance of power in»»»

The first public protest against the government of Prime Minister Rumen Radev took place Saturday evening in front of the Council of Ministers building, with demonstrators demanding the cabinet's resignation and chanting "Resign!" and "This is not Moscow!" Hundreds of people gathered in the area ca»»»

Despite a fragile ceasefire, tensions between the United States and Iran remain high, with both sides accusing each other of violating the truce. Tehran says it has carried out a third consecutive day of retaliatory strikes against US military sites in the Middle East, while Washington has warned t»»»

Europol has identified Bulgaria as a key transit country along a migrant smuggling route running from Turkey toward Western Europe, according to a new report released today. The analysis outlines how criminal networks operating in the region used Bulgaria as part of a broader cross-border trafficki»»»

The US military launched a second wave of airstrikes against Iran on Saturday on President Donald Trump's orders after Tehran struck Bahrain and Kuwait, escalating tensions that threatened a fragile interim deal. The attack on Kuwait was the first since the accord, as a US-led maritime body expande»»»

Thousands of Vespa enthusiasts rode through Rome on Saturday as Italy celebrated the 80th anniversary of its iconic scooter. Created in the aftermath of World War II, the Vespa has evolved from an affordable means of transport into a global symbol of Italian design, lifestyle and cinematic glamour.»»»

This Saturday marks Budapest's first official Pride march since longtime LGBTQ rights opponent Viktor Orbán left office as prime minister. Thousands of people are expected to take part despite soaring temperatures. While this year's parade has been fully authorised, tensions remain. France 24 corre»»»

On June 24, Romania’s Chamber of Deputies quietly approved a controversial bill proposing the country’s unification with neighboring Moldova. For decades, Romanian nationalists have championed the slogan “Basarabia e România” – ”Bessarabia is Romania” – a phrase emblazoned on walls across Bucharest»»»

BANGUI: The Central African Republic has declared a cholera outbreak after confirming 24 deaths and 197 cases near the capital Bangui, according to the health minister. “The Ministry of Health... has today, June 26, 2026, confirmed a cholera outbreak in the health districts of Bimbo and Mbaiki,” so»»»

DUBAI: James Gunn’s “Superman” (2025) introduced audiences to a hopeful, emotionally grounded Man of Steel while sprinkling in just enough humor and spectacle to keep things fresh — the perfect start to the newly rebooted DC Universe. “Supergirl,” directed by Craig Gillespie and out this weekend in»»»

HOUSTON: Before the team buses had arrived at the NRG Stadium on Friday night, local media had billed Houston as Saudi Arabia’s “home away from home,” a city with deep economic, educational and cultural ties to the Kingdom. Yet by full-time, as the white-shirted Saudis lay prostrate after crashing »»»

Miami: The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has announced the provision of specialized services for fans with disabilities (the blind) at the FIFA World Cup 2026. These services are designed to enhance their ability to follow match play details through expanded resources aime»»»

Meyrin, Switzerland: The world's most powerful particle accelerator will Monday shutter operations for four years of renovations to dramatically boost its collision-capacity and the potential for unlocking one of the greatest mysteries of the Universe: dark matter. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) -»»»

Share: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on as State Department Counselor Daniel Holler, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh sign a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S.,»»»

BERLIN/MILAN: Germany and Italy endured sweltering conditions on Saturday as a heatwave linked to dozens of deaths in Western Europe spread eastwards after temperatures broke records above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Britain, France, Switzerland and Germany have all experienced rec»»»

Share: Nada Hamadeh Moawad, the Lebanese ambassador to the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Israel and Lebanon’s ambassadors to the U.S. Friday to announce a framework agreement that was described as a first step toward peace following months of conflict between Israel and the Le»»»

Los Angeles, United States: England and Portugal will aim to finish on a high as the World Cup group stages draw to a close on Saturday with the final places in the knockout rounds up for grabs. Both nations have been inconsistent in the opening rounds of the tournament, alternating between laboure»»»

Deputy Minister of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic Bakytbek Kadyraliev participated in the Xinjiang Silk Road Health Forum. According to the Ministry of Health’s press center, Bakytbek Kadyraliev delivered a report. «Today, our task is to build a system in which every patient, regardless of where the»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would remain in south Lebanon until Hezbollah disarms, shortly after the announcement in Washington of a framework agreement with the United States and Lebanon. "The most important thing is, first of all, that Israel remains in the security»»»

Iran on Saturday accused the United States of violating the peace deal agreed to end the Middle East war, after Washington launched strikes on Iranian territory and Tehran responded with attacks on U.S. targets in the Gulf. The trading of fire, which came after Washington accused Tehran of attackin»»»

East Rutherford, United States: Waving flags and dancing to booming Latin music, the Ecuador football fans were living the World Cup fever. "Let's get this party started!" an announcer declared. But instead of in the streets or a stadium, the crowd was rocking in one of America's biggest malls -- t»»»

Dubai: Bahrain said it was targeted by several Iranian drones early on Saturday, with the kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemning the attack “in the strongest terms” and describing it as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty. In a statement carried by the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the m»»»

Seattle: Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said he was optimistic about the health of Mohamed Salah despite the star striker's second-half exit during his country's 1-1 World Cup draw with Iran. The result meant Egypt qualified for the knock-out last-32 round at the World Cup by finishing second in Group G»»»

Washington: Washington on Friday released text of a trilateral framework between Israel, Lebanon and the United States aimed at ending hostilities that have been a violent second front of the Middle East war. The following are highlights of the 14-point agreement signed in the US capital: 'Lasting »»»

A new nationally representative survey by Market Links indicates a noticeable drop in public confidence in the government led by Rumen Radev. According to the study, trust in the cabinet has fallen by around 5 percentage points within a single month, reaching approximately 45%. The research was con»»»

DUBAI: Egypt has become the second Arab team to progress to the Round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup following their 1-1 draw with Iran at Seattle Stadium. The result, coupled with Belgium’s 5-1 win over New Zealand, left Egypt second in Group G with five points while Iran finished third with three po»»»

GUADALAJARA: Uruguay bowed out of the World Cup as goalkeeper Fernando Muslera’s howler gifted Spain a 1-0 win in Guadalajara to secure top spot in Group H. Alex Baena’s weak shot slipped through Muslera’s grasp for the only goal as Spain avoided a last-32 showdown against Argentina. The European c»»»

SEATTLE: Egypt coach Hossam ‌Hassan said Mohamed Salah would be assessed after the captain asked to be substituted during Friday’s 1-1 World ​Cup draw with Iran, leaving his fitness uncertain ahead of the knockout phaseSalah appeared visibly frustrated as he was replaced 12 minutes into the second »»»

VANCOUVER: With a flurry of of goals, Belgium finally found its footing at the World Cup. Leandro Trossard scored a pair of goals and Belgium overcame a slow start in the tournament to advance to the knockout round atop Group G with a 5-1 victory over New Zealand on Friday night. Belgium will face »»»

LOS ANGELES: England and Portugal will aim to finish on a high as the World Cup group stages draw to a close on Saturday with the final places in the knockout rounds up for grabs. Both nations have been inconsistent in the opening rounds of the tournament, alternating between labored performances a»»»

For generations, birdsong has been admired, recorded and studied. Understanding what it actually means has proved far more elusive. That may be starting to change. A scientist who spent more than 15 years studying zebra finches has won one of the world's largest prizes for animal communication rese»»»

True justice for the genocide of the Herero and Nama peoples remains unfinished, despite ongoing negotiations with Germany, Namibia’s Prosecutor General Festus Katuna Mbandeka told Sputnik. “No amount of money can compensate for the suffering and the lives that were lost,” the Prosecutor General un»»»