RIYADH: Venture capital across the Middle East and North Africa has been trapped in a paradox: more money, more international attention and more government-backed ambition, yet still a market that looks small beside the economies it is meant to help transform. Startups in the region raised $3.8 bil»»»

MUSCAT: Qatar advanced to the semifinals of the Second West Asia Men's Volleyball Championship, currently underway in Muscat, Oman. The team secured the second victory of the tournament by defeating Kuwait in straight sets in Group A. The tournament runs through July 22. Qatar's players sealed the »»»

Nairobi: Kenya temporarily shut down the presidency's website on Saturday after what local media reported was a cyberattack that included a ransom demand. Media reports said hackers had altered the site's homepage with messages critical of President William Ruto. They had also demanded five bitcoin»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has outlined the qualities his Tisza Party wants in Hungary’s next president, saying the ideal candidate would have no party-political background or affiliations. In a Facebook post published after President Tamás Sulyok signed the constitutional amendment endi»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei: Repeated violations of the MoU have shown that the American president’s signature is worthless and that domination»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Ayatollah Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei: The US breach of the memorandum of understanding once again proved that the American president’s signatu»»»

BEIRUT: The Israeli military said ​it struck a Hezbollah cell near Tebnit in southern Lebanon ‌on ‌Saturday ​after soldiers ‌identified ⁠a ​Hezbollah drone in ⁠the area. The air force located fighters that ⁠had been ‌operating drones ‌and ​taking ‌cover ‌near Israeli troops, the military said in a »»»

NEW YORK: France ‌captain Kylian Mbappe paid an emotional tribute to Didier Deschamps ahead of the coach’s final match in charge, saying the players had failed to give him the ending he deserved at the World Cup after 14 years at the helm. “Today is your last dance. You, who have given us so much. »»»

Ankara: Turkey's interior ministry said on Saturday that authorities had arrested 119 people across the country accused of links to the Islamic State group. "(The) 199 suspects were arrested in a police operation carried out in 30 provinces against the Daesh terrorist organisation," including in Is»»»

CAIRO: In the labyrinthine alleyways of Cairo’s Garbage City, recycling specialist Peter Romany finds himself fielding calls from factories scrambling for plastic to plug supply shortfalls caused by the Iran war. The 25-year-old is among the hundreds of recyclers and manufacturers across Egypt bene»»»

NEW YORK: FIFA President Gianni Infantino deemed the World Cup a success on Friday, saying the tournament achieved its mission of uniting people from all corners of the globe. Infantino spoke at the United Nations as part of a daylong session there about how the game can be a catalyst for youth men»»»

Iranian women hold an image of supreme leader Ayatolla Mojtaba Khamenei as Iranian officials, military commanders, families of war victims and their supporters gathered at Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran on Sunday. On Saturday, Khamenei called the United States "The Great Satan." Photo by Behnam Tof»»»

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories: A 17-year-old Palestinian footballer died on Saturday, a week after he was shot during an attack by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, according to officials and relatives. Dozens of mourners dressed in black carried the body of Fadi Hamdallah al-Nassan -»»»

A cold front will sweep across Hungary on Sunday, bringing thunderous weather, strong winds and a marked drop in temperatures, according to Hungary’s national meteorological service, HungaroMet. Nationwide weather warnings remain in force A first-level weather warning has been issued for the entire»»»

Vientiane: Laos authorities said on Saturday they could not determine blame or the cause of the deaths in 2024 of six tourists previously linked to methanol-tainted alcohol because their families had refused to allow autopsies. Two Danish citizens, an American, a Briton and two Australians died fol»»»

Dubai: Several participants have walked away with cash prizes in the latest UAE Lottery Lucky Day draw held on Saturday. In Lucky Day Draw No. 260718, the winning numbers in the Days section were 13, 8, 10, 30, 31, 22, while the winning number in the Months section was 2. Three lucky participants h»»»

Two US service members have been killed, while another is unaccounted for, after Iranian forces struck American military facilities in Jordan with ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones, the Pentagon has reported. According to a statement released by the US Central Command on Saturday, the casualti»»»

Gaza: Five Palestinians were killed Saturday, including three children, and others were wounded after Israeli fighter jets bombarded an apartment in the Al-Nasr neighborhood, west of Gaza City, Palestinian medical sources said. Today, the death toll from the war of annihilation that the Israeli occ»»»

LONDON — Britain's economy rebounded slightly in May with growth of 0.1 per cent thanks to expansion in the services sector, official data showed last week as Britain awaits a new prime minister.Gross domestic product (GDP) had contracted by 0.1 per cent in April as the US-Iran war pushed up inflat»»»

NEW YORK — Wall Street stocks fell decisively last week, joining most global markets in retreating on continued weakness in artificial intelligence shares and rebounding oil prices.Tech shares have been under pressure in recent days on questions about their lofty valuations following Nasdaq's surge»»»

Share: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday left Beirut for Washington, where he is expected to meet president Donald Trump at the White House , the Lebanese presidency said It will be the first trip to Washington by a Lebanese head of state since former President Michel Suleiman met former U»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Iran Affirms Agreement Process Suspended After US Breached Commitments 18-07-2026 20:30 PM Iran flagIran has suspended implementation of it»»»

DHAKA: There are rooftops draped in blue and white and murals of Lionel Messi everywhere — but this is not Argentina, it is Bangladesh where football-crazy fans are again celebrating their unique bond with the South American giants. The craze for Argentina has endured for decades in a country of 17»»»

Poland’s food-processing industry increased real sold production by 5.4% y/y in 2025, more than twice the growth rate of manufacturing overall. The sector accounts for about 21% of Poland’s manufacturing output and remains strongly export-oriented. Agri-food exports reached €58.4 bn in 2025, genera»»»

The National Bank of Poland kept its reference rate unchanged at 3.75% in July, but a rate cut later in 2026 remains possible. According to the Polish Economic Institute, the decision will depend mainly on the conflict in the Middle East and its effect on energy prices. The NBP expects inflation to»»»

JEDDAH: For most people, the human eye is simply a feature of the face. For Saudi photographer Ashraf Habib, it is a canvas of extraordinary beauty. “The Gate of Sights” exhibition, which concludes on Saturday at Galleria Center in Jeddah, is dedicated to iris photography and is an extension of the»»»

Kuwait said on Saturday that an Iranian attack hit a water and electricity plant one day after a similar strike damaged another plant. Tehran launched attacks on US military sites hosted by several of its Gulf neighbours in response to a seventh night of US strikes on Iran overnight on Friday. Morg»»»

The US is on the path to revolution because President Donald Trump has betrayed Americans by putting foreign interests ahead of those of his own country, journalist Tucker Carlson has said. In an interview on Bloomberg’s The Mishal Husain Show aired on Friday, the conservative commentator – once am»»»

US President Donald Trump’s social network Truth Social will start selling investors early access to posts from prominent accounts, most likely including his own, the holding company has announced. Critics argue that the move could create an unprecedented new way for the president to profit from hi»»»

The EU is set to use a multibillion-euro antitrust fine imposed on Google to help ease pressure on the bloc’s budget after years of increased military spending and aid for Ukraine. The US tech giant has paid €4.6 billion ($5.4 billion), including interest, after losing a years-long legal battle ove»»»

Seven people have been arrested following a coordinated international operation targeting an organized criminal network accused of smuggling migrants through Bulgaria to other European Union countries. The action involved law enforcement authorities from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and the Netherland»»»

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said former foreign minister Peter Szijjarto's appointment at Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD would not affect the government's relationship with the company, but raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest, Index.hu wrote after Magyar's July 16 pre»»»

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has signed the 17th amendment to Hungary’s Fundamental Law, confirming that his own presidential mandate will end the day after the legislation is officially published in the Hungarian Gazette. Sulyok announced the decision on his Facebook page on Saturday. The amen»»»

Bulgaria and Ukraine are close to signing an agreement on natural gas transit, according to Petar Vitanov, chairman of the Progressive Bulgaria parliamentary group. Speaking on BNT's Panorama program, Vitanov said the deal is being prepared between the two countries' state gas companies, Bulgargaz »»»

Damascus, July 18 (SANA) Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned on Saturday the renewed Iranian attacks targeting the territories of the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the Kurdistan Region of the Republic o»»»

US House Democrats were divided into a near-even split by a vote this week over whether to cut military aid to Israel, which was defeated through almost total opposition from the Republican party. Ahead of November's midterm elections, the vote reflects a sharp erosion in support for Israel among l»»»

After a leak of confidential documents revealed how Russian agents have been placing hundreds of articles in French-speaking media outlets in West and Central Africa, FRANCE 24 travelled to Dakar, Senegal, to investigate this secret operation. "When you read articles like this, you definitely get t»»»

Police in India have forcibly taken an activist to hospital after a 20-day hunger strike protesting the country's examination system. The case has drawn widespread attention and renewed debate over education reforms and the handling of public protests. France 24 correspondent Navodita Kumari report»»»

Japan's parliament on Friday enacted changes to imperial succession rules, allowing male distant relatives to rejoin the imperial family and women to retain royal status after marrying commoners. The legislation, however, keeps the ban on female emperors despite opinion polls showing broad public s»»»

NEW DELHI: Authorities in India’s capital Delhi moved social activist Sonam Wangchuk to hospital against his wish on Saturday, after his condition worsened on the 21st day of a hunger strike launched to demand the resignation of the federal education minister. Wangchuk, 59, had been fasting since J»»»

NEW YORK: For some fans following this World Cup, the calculation has been ‌simple: support whoever is playing against Argentina. Across the tournament, that has meant wearing the green of Algeria, the blue of Cape Verde, or the red of Switzerland. Even the often maligned England got a boost in glo»»»

WASHINGTON: Iraq has announced its readiness to play a mediating role between the United States and Iran as part of a diplomatic effort aimed at ending the war and paving the way for renewed dialogue, with Baghdad expressing its willingness to help bridge differences, particularly on economic issue»»»

RIYADH: Iraq increased oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and the Ceyhan pipeline in July, Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair said, as Baghdad sought to recover revenue lost during the disruption of its main export route. Average shipments through the two outlets reached about 1.5 million b»»»

DOHA: Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has paid a glowing tribute to HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in an article under the title ‘Yuba’ – My dear father. The full article reads as follows. “المقياس قطر (The measure is Qatar)” There is no liter»»»

An Iranian woman walks next to a huge anti-United States billboard featuring President Donald Trump in a coffin, accompanied by a sentence in Persian that reads: "We kill Trump" displayed at the Enghelab Square in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday. Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA July 18 (UPI) -- The United»»»

Manila: A Philippine vlogger was shot dead while her partner was wounded Friday morning after unidentified gunmen opened fire on them in Caloocan City in the northern Philippines, according to local media reports on Saturday. Police said the victim died from a gunshot wound to the head, while her p»»»

Ghana's rural banking sector has grown into a GHS26bn ($2.2bn) industry with 147 licensed institutions serving more than 8mn customers, Bank of Ghana Governor Johnson Asiama said, Citi News reported on July 17. The figures land as the central bank overhauls a 50-year-old financial inclusion model w»»»

RIYADH: Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi on Saturday condemned Iran’s recent attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, describing the strikes on civilian infrastructure as “war crimes.” He also said Iran’s actions “constitute a highly dangerous escalation, a grave vi»»»

Ukraine just got a new Prime Minister, Serhii Koretskyi, an oil and gas man that cut his teeth as an oil trader in the private sector before going to run Ukraine’s two biggest energy companies: Ukrnafta and Naftogaz. This is very good news. He is not a Zelenskiy loyalist and doesn’t really have any»»»

Bolivia has become the third Andean country this year to discover its own citizens fighting – and dying – in Russia's war on Ukraine. Prosecutors in La Paz opened a criminal investigation on July 14 into a recruitment network accused of luring Bolivian men abroad with fake construction jo»»»