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 New Caled»»»

Burkina Faso's military junta on Friday cut diplomatic ties with former colonial power France, accusing Paris of acting against its interests and backing subversive networks and militants in the Sahel. The move deepens the ruling authorities' break with Western allies since Captain Ibrahim Traore s»»»

An intense heatwave that scorched western Europe this week spread into central and eastern parts of the continent on Saturday, bringing record temperatures from Denmark to Switzerland and Germany. The extreme heat disrupted transport, strained hospitals and renewed concerns over the growing impact »»»

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»»»

AMMAN — Chairman of Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA) Ayman Alawneh and Mexican Ambassador Jacob Prado González discussed prospects of expanding economic, trade, and investment relations.Alawneh stressed enhanced economic relations between Jordan and Mexico, and a need to translate the close »»»

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.»»»

Etihad Airways has launched its inaugural flight to Dhaka, operating a sold-out Boeing 777 service from Abu Dhabi on 26 June, marking a key expansion in its South Asia network. The new route is designed to strengthen trade and cargo connectivity between the UAE and Bangladesh while meeting sustaine»»»

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»»»

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.,»»»

Dubai: Overseas Filipinos hoping to improve their career prospects can get free advice from human resources professionals at a community outreach programme organised by the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai tomorrow, June 28. The initiative, titled “Sagip: A Community Outreach Programme,” will »»»

LONDON: The UK interior ministry has announced it will create new legal routes for asylum seekers, including allowing community organizations to sponsor refugees based on a similar system in Canada. The system will come into place later this year, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said late Friday, wi»»»

The Embassy of Djibouti in Riyadh hosted an official reception at the Cultural Palace in the Diplomatic Quarter to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Djibouti. Djibouti gained independence on June 27, 1977, ending over a century of French colonial rule. The cere»»»

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»»»

The search for a missing 17-year-old girl in Pattaya ended in one of the darkest ways imaginable. Her body was found inside a black suitcase left beside railway tracks behind Pattaya Floating Market. Hours later, Thai police arrested a 46-year-old Australian man at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, w»»»

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»»»

US President Donald Trump threatened Friday to impose 100 percent tariffs on European countries that implement a digital services tax, even if it means canceling existing trade agreements. US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened a 100 percent tax on imports from any country that imposes a ta»»»

From 1 July, new EU customs rules will take effect in Hungary, making low-value imports from outside the bloc more expensive. Goods ordered from platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress with a value below €150 will incur a €3 customs charge, according to Szilvia Linczmayer, spokesperson for the»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has introduced tighter anti-money laundering regulations requiring travellers entering or leaving the Kingdom to declare gold bullion, precious metals, gemstones and jewellery valued at SAR40,000 ($10,700) or more, lowering the previous declaration threshold from SAR60,000. Unde»»»

Dubai: Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, has welcomed the US-sponsored framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, saying it is an important step towards restoring Lebanon's full sovereignty and reinforcing the authority of the state. In a post on X, Gargash said the ag»»»

Washington: John Bolton, who served as Donald Trump's national security advisor before becoming an outspoken critic of the US president, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of retaining classified documents. Asked by federal Judge Theodore Chuang if he was guilty, the 77-year-old veteran diplomat re»»»

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»»»

Representatives of the political authority in Lebanon have reached a US-brokered deal with the Israeli enemy on late on Friday, sparking protests across Beirut and its southern suburb, Dahiyeh. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that a preliminary framework has been agreed upon b»»»

First published in Respekt. A portrait of the Danish prime minister who has found an unusual recipe for keeping her country on a liberal course. When, around the turn of the year, Politico drew up a ranking of politicians who would have the greatest impact on events in Europe this year, the podium »»»

Washington: President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a rendering of a new limited-edition US passport to mark the country's 250th anniversary of independence - featuring his stern-faced likeness. "The U.S.A.'s New Passport, which says, 'Welcome, but be good!'" Trump said in a post on his Truth Soc»»»

Doha, Qatar: The mortal remains of eight more Indian nationals who lost their lives in the Ras Laffan incident were repatriated to India on Friday, June 26, 2026. The Embassy of India in Doha announced the repatriation in an early morning post on Saturday, adding that the mortal remains of four of »»»

Vancouver: Belgium defeated New Zealand 5-1 to book their place in the knockout rounds of the World Cup on Friday, securing their first win of the tournament to finish on top of Group G in Vancouver. A double strike from Arsenal's Leandro Trossard and goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and A»»»

A light aircraft has crashed into the 109-storey CITIC Tower in Beijing, forcing the evacuation of the city's tallest skyscraper, according to media reports. The 528-meter (1,732-foot) tower, also known as China Zun, dominates the skyline of the Chinese capital’s central business district. Videos c»»»

Houston: World Cup debutants Cape Verde will face reigning champions Argentina in the knockout rounds after drawing 0-0 with Saudi Arabia on Friday to extend their fairytale journey. The stalemate in Houston and Spain's 1-0 win over Uruguay meant the team ranked 67 finished runners-up behind Spain »»»

An international contest for akyns-improvisers is planned to be held in Italy. The initiative was discussed during a meeting between Kyrgyz Ambassador to Italy Ermek Omuraliev and Director of the Kyrgyz National Manas Theater, Nurbek Talantbekov. According to the Ministry of Culture, the meeting fo»»»

A wildfire that started in Beaver, Utah, has prompted the National Weather Service to issue warnings about its potential spread. Photo by Google Maps June 26 (UPI) -- The National Weather Service on Friday evening issued its first Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning in the history of Salt Lake Cit»»»

DUBAI: Iraq bowed out of the 2026 World Cup on Friday with a 5-0 loss to Senegal at Toronto Stadium that left them bottom of Group I with no points from their campaign. The result rounded off three heavy defeats in which Iraq conceded 12 goals and scored only one. Senegal now sit on three points in»»»

The rise of AI chatbots has triggered a technological gold rush unlike anything the internet has seen in decades. Companies are racing to build smarter models, faster assistants, and more human-like conversational systems. Behind that race sits one uncomfortable truth: these systems were built on a»»»

LONDON: European allies need to ‌overhaul their war-fighting capabilities for a new era of combat, senior military officials from the region said, while warning of the potential threat Russia poses. Speaking at a defense conference ​in London this week, NATO’s deputy supreme allied commander in Eur»»»

ABIDJAN: Burkina Faso’s ruling junta on Friday severed diplomatic ties with former colonial ruler France, accusing Paris of persistently acting against its interests. The military regime led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, in power since a coup in September 2022, is pursuing a policy repressive toward c»»»

President Donald Trump on Friday threatened a 100% tariff against any country that levies digital services taxes, which he considers to be an attack on U.S. companies. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose a 100% tariff on»»»

⁠US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday a framework agreement between ‌Israel ⁠and Lebanon ‌following talks held ⁠in Washington. Nada Hamadeh, ambassador of Lebanon to the United States described the framework as "a first step on the road of restoring Lebanese sovereignty and terri»»»

Lebanon, Israel and the United States on Friday signed a trilateral framework agreement aimed at paving the way for a peace deal between the two long-time Middle East adversaries. The agreement -- which officials said includes a pilot effort in which Lebanese soldiers will take control of two areas»»»

June 26 (UPI) -- A Federal Emergency Management Agency official who claims he was once teleported to a Waffle House has been ousted from the agency, unnamed sources familiar with the situation told media outlets Friday. Gregg Phillips, who was appointed to lead the Office of Response and Recovery i»»»

Abu Dhabi: Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, said the country's position on regional developments was reflected "clearly and transparently" during Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan's telephone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, reaffirming the UAE's suppo»»»

Washington: Lebanon and Israel have signed a US-brokered framework agreement following several days of negotiations in Washington, marking what American officials described as an initial step towards peace. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two sides had reached the agreement after talks i»»»

MAKKAH: As Saudi Arabia expands saffron cultivation across regions including AlUla, Tabuk and Al-Baha, scientists are exploring ways to improve the productivity and quality of one of the world’s most valuable crops. Prof. Salim Al-Babili, associate vice president for research for plant science at K»»»

KINSHASA: The Ebola epidemic has claimed more than 300 lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a little over one month after it was declared, health authorities said on Friday. The deadly viral disease, which spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, can cause severe bleeding and organ »»»

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha was awarded the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, one of Pakistan's highest civilian honors, during a meeting with Ahmed Farooq, Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, on Thursday in Riyadh. During the meeting, the two men discussed»»»

France and Italy have pushed back against an EU proposal to ban Russian servicemen and veterans from entering the bloc, warning that the measure is legally unclear and difficult to enforce, Bloomberg has reported, citing diplomatic sources. Moscow has denounced the proposal as “paranoid,” while cri»»»

People enjoy the beach at the Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Sea off Muscat, Oman, in May. President Donald Trump accused Iran of violating the cease-fire Friday. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has attacked ships in th»»»

Lebanon, Israel and the United States on Friday signed a trilateral framework agreement aimed at paving the way for a peace deal between the two long-time Middle East adversaries. The agreement -- details of which were not announced -- is the result of five rounds of talks in Washington aimed at en»»»

Sharjah: In Khorfakkan, a mango is never just a mango. It is the result of months of care, irrigation, patience, and planning. It is also a competition entry, a source of income, a family project, and, for many growers, a livelihood rooted in the land. From today, June 26, that story has unfolded p»»»

The disruption to global energy markets caused by the conflict in the Middle East has triggered an unexpected resurgence in coal demand, as energy security fears outweigh Climate Crisis commitments. Coal prices and consumption both rose following disruptions to natural gas supplies from the Gulf, r»»»

The EU has effectively separated the accession trajectories of Ukraine and Moldova, with each country now expected to advance towards membership at its own pace after the opening of the first negotiating cluster, reported European Pravda. The shift reflects a more explicitly “merit-based” approach »»»

US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to slap a 100 percent tariff on European countries that impose a digital services tax, adding that existing trade deals would be scrapped. "Any Country that imposes such a Tax will immediately be met with a 100% TARIFF on any and all Goods sent to the »»»