‘Unprecedented spike’ in new synthetic drugs: UN watchdog

EU to refuse military-age Ukrainian men refugee protection

France pledges 130 mln euros to cool schools

World sends rescuers, aid as Venezuela reels from quakes

'Very strong' nuclear verification needed in Iran after war: IAEA head

UN halts evacuation plan for trapped sailors after attack on ship in Hormuz

Venezuelans search for survivors after quakes kill at least 235

Desperate Venezuelans raced on June 26 to find and rescue loved ones trapped alive beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings after two major earthquakes that killed at least 235 people.

Swedish gov't to take direct stake in new nuclear reactors

Sweden's government said on June 25 that it was taking a direct majority stake in a company planning to build three small modular reactors (SMRs), the country's first new nuclear reactors in half a century.

France intercepts Russia-linked tanker off Sicily

France detained a Russia-linked oil tanker off the coast of Sicily this week, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday, in the latest such seizure aimed at combatting Moscow's sanctions-busting "shadow fleet".

Iraq urges OPEC to raise its quota

Iraq may reconsider its membership in OPEC if the producer group does not raise the country’s oil production quota, Bloomberg reported on June 25, citing Iraq’s Oil Ministry.

Rubio warns Hormuz tolls would ‘spread like contagion’

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on June 25 warned that Iranian tolls on ships passing the Strait of Hormuz would spread to other waterways, risking “total chaos.”

US immigration custody death rate at decade high: rights groups

The rate of people dying in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody has reached its highest level in over a decade amid U.S. President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigrants, rights groups said on June 25.

Heat wave linked to 212 deaths in Spain

A record heatwave that has gripped much of Europe could be linked to 212 deaths in Spain between June 21 and 24, according to estimates from a public institute. The MoMo monitoring system compiles daily death statistics in Spain and compares them with the levels foreseeable based on historical records.

Many feared death after twin quakes in Venezuela

Powerful twin earthquakes have killed at least 32 people and hurt hundreds in Venezuela, the nation’s leader said on June 25, with dozens of buildings collapsed or heavily damaged in a hard-hit area near the capital.

US, Iran at odds over key issues as Rubio tours Gulf

The United States and Iran on June 24 remained at odds on several issues, including transit fees for the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear inspections, despite signs of progress in Switzerland talks, as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio kicked off a tour of Gulf states.

EU faces fierce criticism over talks with Taliban

Taliban delegation held talks with the EU in Brussels on June 23 on stepping up the return of failed asylum-seekers to Afghanistan, in an unprecedented visit fiercely criticized by rights advocates.

Putin says ready to negotiate with Ukraine on Istanbul deal

Russia is ready for negotiations with Ukraine based on the Alaska and Istanbul agreements, President Vladimir Putin said on June 23.

Mamdani-backed candidates sweep primaries in New York

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani waded into Democratic U.S. House primaries to boost three progressives over establishment-backed candidates. All of them won on June 23, defeating two incumbents and essentially ensuring that two self-described democratic socialists will be elected to Congress in their deep blue districts.