Bulgarian Armed Forces are conducting exercises to enhance operational interoperability, Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov said Friday at Cheshnegirovo Air Base during the Distinguished Visitors Day of the multinational special operations exercise Stealth Dagger 26. "We are in a period of inten»»»

Founder of NanoSpace research and educational center Ulan Salamatov told 24.kg news agency about plans to develop rocket engineering in Kyrgyzstan and eventually build the country’s own cosmodrome in At-Bashy district of Naryn region. According to him, the NanoSpace team is already developing civil»»»

Paris, France: ChatGPT and Claude are betting on Spain. Le Chat from France's Mistral reckons Les Bleus will clinch it. And China's DeepSeek and Qwen have a fondness for Argentina. The 2026 World Cup is the first with widely available generative AI chatbots, and fans and researchers alike are turni»»»

The reported Iran-US ceasefire memorandum, based on Tehran's previously disclosed 14-point proposal, is nearing completion but still requires final approval by Iran's competent authorities, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported. According to the report, the draft follows Iran's proposed two-stage»»»

BENGHAZI: A decade after fierce battles reduced much of the University of Benghazi to rubble, students at Libya’s oldest and largest university are once again looking to the future with optimism. After the 2011 uprisings that toppled and killed longtime ruler Muammar Qaddafi, the university founded»»»

Doha, Qatar: The International Media Office of the State of Qatar categorically rejected the allegations published by The Washington Post on June 12. Any suggestion that operational decisions relating to energy production were – or have ever been – made in coordination with Iran, for Iran’s benefit»»»

The International Media Office of the State of Qatar has categorically rejected allegations published by The Washington Post on 12 June, describing them as “entirely unfounded”. The claims suggested that operational decisions on energy production were coordinated with Iran or influenced by the conf»»»

Dubai: Thick smoke rose over the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tebnit on Friday after Israeli airstrikes hit buildings in the area, according to video footage circulating online and reports from the ground. The strikes are the latest in the escalating conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed»»»

Dubai's flagship carrier Emirates will screen every match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 live onboard its flights, allowing football fans to follow the tournament from take-off to touchdown. Emirates announced on Thursday, June 11 that passengers will be able to watch every FIFA World Cup 2026 match li»»»

BEIRUT: Hezbollah is confident that ‌Iran will insist on Lebanon being included in a deal with the United States, a leading Hezbollah politician said on Friday, as hopes grew for an agreement between Tehran and Washington.Hezbollah, founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, entered the region»»»

Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand, the eldest child of King Vajiralongkorn, died on Thursday after three years in a coma caused by a severe heart condition. She was 47. File Photo by Rungroj Yongrit/EPA June 12 (UPI) -- Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha, the eldest child of King Vajiralongkorn, died i»»»

Polish officials from the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party have urged the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia to rename a street honoring Stepan Bandera, the nationalist leader whose movement was responsible for the massacre of more than 100,000 Poles during World War II. Relations between Poland and Ukr»»»

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) and the Bulgarian Association of Recycling (BAR) signed a partnership agreement at the BTA National Press Club in Sofia. The agreement was signed by BTA Director General Kiril Valchev and BAR Board of Directors Chairman Zdravko Bikov. Valchev noted that with this agr»»»

The population remains unhealthy despite a significant increase in healthcare spending over the past five years, Health Minister Katya Ivkova told journalists on Friday. Presenting data for the 2021-2025 period, Ivkova said spending on hospital care increased by from BGN 2.6 billion in 2021 to BGN »»»

The Iran Cancer Center in Tehran has been launched even as the US and Israel kept raining bombs and missiles upon the Islamic republic. Despite the hardships caused by Western aggression and sanctions, Iranian doctors battle one of the worst diseases in the world using cutting-edge tech, advanced s»»»

Q Mobility has announced the timings and fees for Darb toll gates and Mawaqif parking services during the Hijri New Year holiday, with motorists set to benefit from free tolls and parking on Monday, June 15. The company said Darb toll charges at Sas Al Nakhl, Al Maqta, Rabdan and Al Saadiyat gates »»»

SAN CRISTOBAL: Pope Leo XIV renewed his support for migrants on Friday in the Canary Islands, saying “all of us are migrants” and urged newcomers to do their part to integrate, on the final day of a weeklong visit to Spain focused on migration issues. Calling integration a “reciprocal journey,” the»»»

The concessionaire of Burgas North Beach plans to build a zipline connecting the Sea Garden to the beach, creating a new tourist attraction for the city, Simeon Tsvetkov, a representative of the concessionaire company, told BTA on Friday. He emphasized that visitors would be able to ride from a hig»»»

Dubai: A long-awaited stroke of luck has given a Sharjah-based salesman the chance to create new memories with his family. Jinoy Kumar, a 42-year-old expatriate from Kerala, has won Dh500,000 in Big Ticket's series 287. The prize has been part of a combined Dh1.95 million in consolation prizes won »»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Sovereignty is Russia's absolute value, for which a huge price has been paid, Russian Ambassador to Washington Alexander Darchiev said on Thursday. "For us, sovereignty is an absolute value, for which a huge price has been paid," Darchiev said at a gala reception at the Russi»»»

OVERVIEW No single topic dominates Friday’s media. POLITICS Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov in an interview for Bulgarian National Television’s morning programme said that ammunition or weaponry cannot be provided if doing so would violate the law and reduce stocks below the required minimum leve»»»

Hungary’s new government has set its sights on introducing the euro as soon as possible, but economists warn that achieving this goal will require major economic adjustments. According to a new forecast by K&H Bank, the earliest realistic date for euro adoption is 1 January 2031, provided the count»»»

NAIROBI: There are many “blind spots” in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a World Health Organization expert said on Friday, suggesting the spread of the deadly disease may be much wider than official estimates. Congo said on Thursday the disease had spread to three new healt»»»

RIYADH: The liquidity levels of most Fitch-rated sukuk are improving, signaling a gradual stabilization in the Islamic bond market following disruptions caused by the Iran war, according to the credit rating agency. In its latest report, Fitch Ratings warned that sukuk liquidity has not recovered t»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that the text of the memorandum of understanding with the United States has been agreed upon on its main points. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that final points of the peace agreement between the United St»»»

Iran said it had yet to make a final decision on an agreement with the United States to end the war, despite U.S. President Donald Trump saying it had been approived and could be signed in the next few days. File photo by Behnam Tofighi/UPI | License Photo June 12 (UPI) -- Iran said it had yet to m»»»

Dubai: For Sharad Kumar Singh, buying Big Ticket entries has become part of his monthly routine. This month, that routine has paid off in a big way. The 44-year-old software consultant from Uttar Pradesh, India, has won Dh250,000 in Big Ticket's series 287, becoming one of five Indian expatriates w»»»

DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre said Thursday he hopes his side can deliver a strong World Cup showing after arriving in the US following an imposed quarantine period linked to the Ebola outbreak. The team, making their first appearance at the tournament since 1974, have relocated preparations abr»»»

Paris, France: Massive cuts to international aid have put the world's response to HIV "in peril", the UN's top AIDS official warned Friday, as a new report revealed the scale of disruption to HIV prevention efforts. Last year, the new administration of US President Donald Trump --- with help from t»»»

NAIROBI: A World Health ​Organization expert said on Friday that there were many “blind spots” in ‌the Ebola outbreak ‌in ​the ‌Democratic ⁠Republic ​of Congo, ⁠indicating that the full scale of the disease ⁠spread is not ‌yet ‌known. “There ​are ‌still many ‌blind spots in some areas that are high»»»

BANGUI: An Iranian woman is among around two dozens migrants set to arrive Friday in the Central African Republic on a deportation flight from the United States, lawyers said, in the latest example of the Trump administration’s widely criticized deals with African and Latin American nations to take»»»

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan: The death toll from clashes between police and members of a banned protest movement in Pakistan-administered Kashmir has risen to 20, according to an AFP tally on Friday based on official figures. Supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), an anti-government move»»»

Bulgaria ranks 35th out of 40 countries in the 2026 Wealth of Nations Index (WNI), remaining the lowest-ranked EU member state, according to data cited by the Institute for Market Economy (IME). The country recorded 546 points, an increase of 13 points compared to the previous year, but its overall»»»

The ambassadors of France, Germany and the UK have requested a meeting with Russia’s foreign ministry following an E3 London summit at which the three European leaders issued a five-point list of demands aimed at persuading Moscow to begin ceasefire negotiations over the war in Ukraine. Russian For»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia is not seeking conflict with NATO, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Alexus Grinkevich said. "I’ve watched the intelligence very closely... Russia is not looking for a conflict... They do understand the term ‘defensive alliance’, and they do understand that we »»»

The salaries of directors of some state-owned hospitals significantly exceed those of senior government officials despite poor financial performance and mounting debts at the institutions they manage, Health Minister Katya Ivkova told journalists on Friday at a press conference at her ministry. Pre»»»

Sixty days after Hungary’s election, the new Tisza government has launched an ambitious anti-corruption programme aimed at unlocking EU funds and exposing hidden wealth, while the defeated Fidesz movement struggles to come to terms with an unexpected loss. Simultaneously, battles over state institu»»»

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has strongly defended New Delhi’s decision to increase imports of Russian crude oil after the outbreak of the Ukraine war, arguing that the move was driven by energy security needs and helped stabilise global markets during a period of severe disrupti»»»

US President Donald Trump has cancelled planned strikes on Iran, saying talks with the Islamic Republic are moving forward with the country’s top leadership. The announcement came just hours after he again threatened to hit Iran “very hard.” Tensions between Washington and Tehran have surged in rec»»»

BAWI is an established provider in the field of railway infrastructure, with comprehensive expertise along the entire value chain – ranging from construction and modernisation services to specialised works and its own component production. The company employs around 240 people and generated output »»»

Dubai: For millions of migrant workers who leave home to build careers in the Gulf, one challenge often follows them across borders, social protection. While many countries have introduced programmes ranging from insurance schemes to worker welfare initiatives, these systems do not always connect w»»»

Doha, Qatar: The FIFA World Cup 2026 is already guaranteed to be unlike any previous edition of football’s biggest tournament. With a record 48 participating teams, 104 matches, three host nations and an expanded knockout stage, the tournament will rewrite several chapters of World Cup history. Yet»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale transaction value remained above $3.5 billion in the week ending June 6, driven by increased spending in the transport, construction, and eduction sectors, official data showed. According to the latest report by the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, total »»»

In order to stop the breakdowns and shock bills, an independent technical, financial, legal and regulatory analysis and audit of district heating company Toplofikacia Sofia EAD is needed, believes the Mayor of the capital, Vassil Terziev. His comment was made in connection with the decision of the »»»

Doha, Qatar: Lamine Yamal’s rise has been one of football’s most remarkable stories. At just 18 years old, the Barcelona winger has already established himself as one of the game’s brightest talents, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup presents another opportunity to showcase his extraordinary potential on»»»

TORONTO: Bosnia and Herzegovina know they are underdogs ​heading into their World Cup Group B opener against co-hosts Canada, coach Sergej Barbarez said on Thursday, but the Balkan nation will play with pride as they return to the tournament for the first time in 12 years. Bosnia will look to advan»»»

IRVINE: The long-awaited World Cup opener on home soil Friday promises to contain deep shades of red, white and ‌blue for the United States men’s national team. Manager Mauricio Pochettino might be from Argentina and goal-producing forward Folarin Balogun grew up in England after he was born in New»»»

A country in the region barred ‘Israel’ from using its airspace during its strikes on Iran earlier this week, despite having granted it access during previous rounds of fighting, the Kan public broadcaster reported on Friday. The decision caught ‘Israel’ off guard, the report said, as Tel Aviv had »»»

Doha, Qatar: The residential transaction volumes reached 1,582 during the first quarter (Q1) of this year showing that the activity remained resilient on an annual basis with transaction volumes increasing by 15% compared to Q1 2025. Qatar’s residential property market experienced a moderation in a»»»

US President Donald Trump voiced sympathy for ordinary Iranians living under what he described as a repressive regime. Trump highlighted the plight of Iranian civilians, noting their inability to resist the theocratic rulers and their fear of protesting due to the regime's firepower. “My message to»»»