News
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.
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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.
Estonia’s Eurovision singer’s Espresso Macchiato teasing Italians goes wild
After finishing third in this year's Eurovision Song Contest, Estonian artist Tommy Cash has seen his hit single Espresso Macchiato break into both the Billboard Global 200 chart in the United States and the UK Top 40.
Lithuania hands over probe into American soldiers’ deaths to US authorities
Lithuania handed over the investigation into the deaths of US soldiers at the Pabrade military training area to American authorities, Chief of Defence Raimundas Vaiksnoras said.
Iran will continue uranium enrichment "to spite enemies," says Tehran prayer leader
Tehran's interim Friday prayer leader has said Iran will continue uranium enrichment activities despite international pressure from Western countries.
COVID is back - a new "NB.1.8.1" strain is spreading across continents
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is back. Reports from health authorities around the world have detected a new highly contagious strain of the virus that has been spreading through Asia and has now reached Russia.
China launches international mediation organisation in Hong Kong
China has launched a new international mediation organisation in Hong Kong on May 30, signed by 31 countries
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Bolivia's $2bn lithium deals with China and Russia suspended by court ruling
A court in Potosí halts $2bn lithium projects with Russia’s Uranium One and China’s CBC in Bolivia, home to the world’s largest lithium reserves, over legal and environmental concerns tied to direct lithium extraction plans.