News
Iranian and Egyptian officials discuss nuclear programme amid IAEA concerns
Iranian diplomats held discussions with Egyptian officials in Cairo on June 2 about Iran's nuclear programme alongside the head of the UN nuclear watchdog.
White House orders pause on new Iran sanctions amid nuclear talks
The White House has reportedly instructed a halt to the imposition of new sanctions against Iran, a move interpreted as a significant shift in Washington's strategy amid ongoing nuclear negotiations with Tehran.
First Flydubai flight lands in Damascus as Emirates announces July resumption
UAE carrier Flydubai resumed flights to Syrian capital Damascus on June 1, with the first service in 12 years hiatus.
Syria resumes trading at Damascus Securities Exchange after six-month suspension
Damascus Securities Exchange resumes trading after 6-month suspension following Syria's political transformation. Finance Minister says reopening signals economic recovery and private sector leadership.
PiS-backed Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Karol Nawrocki, a political newbie backed by the radical right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, has won Poland’s presidential election, official results showed on June 2.
Hungarian central bank books €2bn loss in 2024
The Hungarian National Bank incurred a HUF789bn (€1.95bn) loss last year, according to the annual report of the central bank. While still substantial, this represents a sharp improvement from the record deficit of HUF1.76 trillion in 2023.
Ukraine’s audacious Operation Spiderweb drone attack destroys nuclear bombers deep inside Russian territory
Operation spiderweb unleashed a swarm of Ukrainian drones, launched from trucks, that destroyed a third of Russia’s nuclear-capable long-distance bombers, parked on the runway thousands of kilometres from the front line.
Kosovo Chamber of Commerce sues over abrupt electricity market liberalisation
Lawsuit follows protest by businesspeople demanding a transition period before full liberalisation.
Indonesia's Batam raises COVID-19 alert level as virus surges in Singapore, elsewhere
The Batam municipal government in Indonesia’s Riau Islands has heightened its COVID-19 alert status following a notable rise in cases in neighbouring Singapore, a key regional transit hub just across the strait.
Thousands of Indonesian pilgrims denied Hajj as Saudi Arabia suspends special visa issuance
Thousands of Indonesian pilgrims hoping to perform Hajj using the furoda visa have been left stranded after Saudi Arabia halted the issuance of these special visas for the 2025 pilgrimage season.
Moody's affirms Hungary's rating but flags risks of fiscal slippage and loss of EU funds
Moody's has reaffirmed Hungary's sovereign credit rating at Baa2 with a negative outlook in its latest scheduled review on 30 May, keeping the country just one notch above the lowest investment-grade category.
_1748816069.jpg)
UPDATE: late poll has turned Poland’s presidential race on its head, with populist Nawrocki now in front
A late poll, combining exit poll data with some official results, put Karol Nawrocki ahead with 50.7%, while Rafal Trzaskowski trailed at 49.3%, a 1.4 percentage point gap, shortly before midnight Poland time on June 1.
Israel and Turkey open round-the-clock direct line to avoid undesired engagements in Syria
Israelis, meanwhile, said to want to ensure their jets stay off Turkish radar in order to keep Syrian airspace 'dark' for any potential Iran bombing mission.
Rafał Trzaskowski ahead in Polish presidential election by margin too narrow to call winner, exit poll shows
Trzaskowski has secured 50.3% of the vote compared with Nawrocki’s 49.7%, with turnout at a high 72.8%. While the margin is razor-thin, election authorities are expected to confirm the result by tomorrow.
MOL to take majority stake in Hungary's leading engineering university
Hungary's MOL is set to take majority ownership in the state-owned company running Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary's most prestigious engineering institution, for HUF50bn (€120mn).
Thousands of Bulgarians rally against euro adoption
Protesters waved Bulgarian and Russian flags and chanted ‘Freedom for the Bulgarian lev, death to the euro’.
Canal Istanbul land allegedly stolen from under noses of Kuwaiti investors
Forging of signatures said to have enabled illicit takeover of plot that could jump in value with delivery of megaproject.
Georgia’s Ivanishvili refuses to meet with US ambassador to hear message from Trump
US-Georgia relations soured in late 2024 after Washington froze its Strategic Partnership with Georgia in response to the authorities’ use of violence to disperse protests.
Czech Justice Minister Blažek resigns after revelations his ministry accepted CZK1bn in bitcoins from drug dealer
Pavel Blažek’s resignation comes just four months before the October elections, which the opposition ANO party is widely expected to win.
Taliban: Making an investment pitch
A lot may have changed, but the Taliban can’t escape recent history.