Warsaw, PolandAP —  Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has returned Poland’s highest state honor, after the Polish president stripped him of the award as a politically charged dispute over World War II history resurfaced. Ukrainians believed the order “was meant for the Ukrainian People and our army,” Zelensky wrote in a social media post explaining the gesture. “Today, I sent the Order back to the President of Poland. I believe the future will confirm the respect Ukrainians deserve.” The message published on X is accompanied by photos of the Polish order and a postal receipt that it was about to be mailed to the Polish presidential office. President Karol Nawrocki decided to strip Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle over the Ukrainian leader’s decision to name a military unit after a Ukrainian paramilitary organization accused of massacring Poles during WWII. Former Polish President Andrzej Duda bestowed the award on Zelensky...

Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty held a trilateral meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the Four Regional Parties’ Meeting hosted by Cairo. The meeting was held as part of ongoing consultations and coordination among the three countries on regional issues of common interest. According to the official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tamim Khallaf, the talks featured an exchange of views on a number of regional files, foremost among them developments in the Gaza Strip, the situations in Sudan and Libya, recent developments concerning the Iranian file, and developments in the Horn of Africa. The three ministers underscored the importance of maintaining joint coordination and consultations to support regional security and stability and to strengthen efforts to resolve ongoing crises. Source link

The Egyptian Association for Tourism and Archaeological Development announced that the Karnak Temples will witness rare solar phenomena during the summer solstice, highlighted by the noon sun aligning almost vertically over the complex to mark the official start of summer. Additionally, the Temple of Amun at Karnak will feature a sunset alignment, where the solstice sun sets directly through its corridors. To capitalize on the growing global trend of archaeo-astronomy tourism, Ayman Abu Zeid, head of the association, emphasized the need for enhanced international promotion, suggesting that Karnak’s unique summer solar events be prominently featured at global tourism exhibitions. Furthermore, he proposed extending the temple’s daily operating hours until 7:00 PM rather than the current 6:00 PM closing time, a measure that would allow visitors to experience the solstice sunset firsthand while exploring the archaeological site during cooler evening hours. E Source link

Hot weather-drinking water Sunday, June 21 marks the summer solstice, officially signaling the astronomical beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere with the longest day and shortest night of the year 2026. While the Northern Hemisphere begins summer as the sun aligns directly over the Tropic of Cancer, the Southern Hemisphere experiences the exact opposite, marking the start of winter with its shortest day of the year. Spanning from June 21 to September 22, this summer season is projected to bring higher-than-average temperatures driven by the El Niño phenomenon. However, occasional rainfall is also anticipated in some regions during the month of August. Source link

Persistent fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon is threatening a tentative deal reached between the United States and Iran to end their war. Their memorandum of understanding includes a ceasefire in Lebanon that would protect Iran’s long-time ally Hezbollah from Israeli strikes, so long as it doesn’t fire at Israel. The fighting has already led to the postponement of US-Iran talks that would begin the difficult process of resolving long-term issues like Tehran’s nuclear program and sanctions. With fighting continuing in southern Lebanon, and the status of negotiations uncertain, here’s how we got here: Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shiite Islamist movement with one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East, has engaged in conflict with Israel for decades, after establishing itself as a force in Lebanon in the 1980s. It has long been committed to Israel’s destruction and has built up a powerful arsenal of...