United Kingdom

British Prime Minister Theresa May promised on June 21 to listen more to businesses' concerns about Brexit as Queen Elizabeth formally opened parliament by announcing the government's program for the next two years.

Samir the rhino, one of the most popular members of Darıca Zoo in Kocaeli, has enjoyed a manicure and skin care session before the start of the Bayram holiday. Health and skin care for Samir is very important for the 2.5-ton rhino, which knows English commands as it came from England, according to zoo officials.

There used to be two states, two democracies that one could always trust: the United States and Britain. In the eyes of Greece, a country locked somewhere between Western Europe, the Balkans and the Middle East, these two democracies carried particular significance.

Europe is slowly turning a corner as a wave of anti-European Union movements peters out, Donald Tusk told EU leaders in a letter published before he will chair their two-day summit starting on June 22.

The winners of the 34th Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Contest, organized by the Aydın Doğan Foundation and considered to be the Oscars of the cartoon world, were announced on June 20. The three winners have focused on the refugee crisis in their works. 

Russia has been making a concerted bid to create four neutral or pro-Russian states in the Western Balkans - but the results have been mixed, according to the London-based think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, IISS.

Turkey on its own can help expand economic growth in the European Union, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said on June 20. 

"An updated Turkey-EU Customs Union agreement is most important for us," he said at a fast-breaking (iftar) dinner held by the Foreign Economic Relations Board.

The Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders, Mustafa Akıncı and Nikos Anastasiades, will meet in Crans-Montana, Switzerland on June 28. The meeting comes after strong pressure from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Gueterres to hold another conference in order to bring the two parties closer to a breakthrough with the participation of three guarantor countries: Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom.

Flickr/ Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

Billionaire investor George Soros says Brexit is a "lose-lose proposition" for the United Kingdom and the European Union. Soros is best known for bringing the Bank of England to its knees by short-selling the pound.

American coffeehouse chain Starbucks said on Tuesday it would employ 2,500 refugees in its European stores by 2022. It is a part of a global program to provide jobs for refugees announced in January.

The company said the European jobs would be part of Starbucks' commitment to hiring 10,000 refugees around the world.