Meta ordered to pay $567 million in New Mexico child safety case

A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay $567 million and implement sweeping new safeguards for young users of Facebook and Instagram, delivering the largest additional financial penalty yet imposed on the tech company in the child-safety litigation.

Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agree to establish secretariat for Mecca Joint Defense Agreement

Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have taken the first formal steps to institutionalize their new mutual defense arrangement, agreeing to establish a permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia

US Army selects 5 companies for $2.2 billion Nuclear Microreactor Program

The U.S. Army has selected five companies to develop nuclear microreactors at five military installations, committing up to $2.2 billion in government funding as Washington seeks to strengthen military energy resilience and reduce dependence on vulnerable power grids.

Asia

China launches World AI Cooperation Organization with 29 founding nations

Twenty-nine countries have signed an agreement establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), creating a new intergovernmental body headquartered in Shanghai

EU and South Korea expand partnership with Digital Trade pact and enhanced Security cooperation

European Union and the Republic of Korea have agreed to deepen cooperation across trade, security, defense, technology, and supply chain resilience,

Uzbekistan begins construction on first integrated nuclear power plant with Russian support

Uzbekistan has officially launched construction of its first nuclear power plant with Russian support, marking a major milestone in the country's long-term energy strategy.

Turkmenistan hosts IAEA workshop to strengthen Nuclear Security cooperation

Experts from Asia and Europe gathered in Turkmenistan for the first International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) interregional workshop on materials outside regulatory control

Europe

Europe sizzles as heat records are smashed in Germany, Denmark and Czech Republic

Central Europe bore the brunt of an intensifying heatwave on as Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and the Czech Republic recorded unprecedented temperatures

France places one-third of country under Red Heatwave Alert as extreme temperatures disrupt daily life

France has placed more than a third of the country under its highest heatwave warning as an intense and prolonged spell of extreme temperatures grips the nation

EU and South Korea expand partnership with Digital Trade pact and enhanced Security cooperation

European Union and the Republic of Korea have agreed to deepen cooperation across trade, security, defense, technology, and supply chain resilience,

Trains in Switzerland are running over solar panels and the results are promising

A Swiss startup says the world’s first removable solar power plant installed between active railway tracks has successfully met its initial safety and performance targets, raising the prospect of turning thousands of kilometers of rail infrastructure into a new source of renewable energy.

Middle East

Full text of 14-point preliminary US-Iran agreement

U.S. President Donald Trump signed the preliminary deal with Iran in France on June 17, 2026, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the document in Tehran

Trump says US-Iran peace deal scheduled to be signed on Sunday

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that a framework...

Hajj 2026: Over 1.7 million Muslims gather in Saudi Arabia amid regional tensions and scorching heat

More than 1.7 million Muslims from around the world gathered in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, undertaking one of Islam’s most sacred obligations amid regional tensions and soaring temperatures.