Dubai: UAE borrowers waiting for cheaper mortgages, car loans and business finance may have to wait longer after the Central Bank of the UAE kept its Base Rate unchanged at 3.65%. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The decision, announced on June 17, followed the US Feder»»»

DUBAI: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan voiced cautious optimism over a newly reached memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran, aimed at ending the current conflict and opening the door to broader diplomatic progress in the region. Speaking at a session ho»»»

Dubai: The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, but borrowers hoping for relief received a clear warning after nearly half of policymakers signalled support for at least one rate hike later this year. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The decisi»»»

Finland has lifted its ban on the import, storage, and deployment of nuclear weapons after parliament approved government-backed amendments to the Nuclear Energy Act. The amendments remove the existing prohibition on the transit of nuclear weapons through the country’s territory and also allow thei»»»

Manila: After a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Mindanao on June 8, 2026, the first day back to school, something extraordinary emerged. It looked like the sea had "disappeared". Residents along parts of Sarangani and Davao Occidental in the southern Philippines now see beaches dramaticall»»»

A new EY forecast warns that global tensions, especially the Middle East conflict, will slow eurozone growth to just 0.5 percent in 2026 before a gradual recovery. Poland is expected to keep outpacing its neighbours, with 2026 GDP growth projected at 3.6 percent on the back of strong domestic deman»»»

The World Bank Group's Board of Executive Directors has discussed a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Poland covering 2026 to 2031, designed to help the country build a more innovative, competitive economy, mobilise private investment, create better jobs and navigate its next stage of eco»»»

Toronto, Canada: Ghana scored a dramatic 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening World Cup Group L clash in Toronto on Wednesday. Caleb Yirenkyi bundled in the winning goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time, sending thousands of Ghanaians in Canada's largest city into a frenzy and settling an o»»»

Mexico City: Colombia beat World Cup debutants Uzbekistan 3-1 on Wednesday thanks to an inspired performance from Luis Diaz at the Estadio Azteca in the Group K game. The Colombians went ahead when Daniel Munoz volleyed in Diaz's superb pass after 40 minutes but Abbosbek Fayzullaev equalized before»»»

Washington, United States: US President Donald Trump and Iran's president signed a deal Wednesday, June 17, 2026, meant to end the Middle East war, with Tehran agreeing to dilute its enriched uranium in return for large-scale economic relief. Trump put his signature to the memorandum of understandi»»»

Lawmakers in the Zhogorku Kenesh of Kyrgyzstan introduced a bill that would allow parents to give their children double surnames at birth registration. The proposed amendments would be made to the law on civil status acts. The initiative was introduced by MPs Dastan Bekeshev, Seid Atambayev, Bolot »»»

As fuel prices at filling stations are expected to fall 10–15 forints below the protected price level later this week, the government decided at its Wednesday meeting to initiate amendments to the relevant legislation in Parliament and phase out the protected fuel price system, Prime Minister Péter»»»

Finnish lawmakers voted to overturn a Cold War‑era ban on nuclear weapons, allowing NATO allies to import, transport and store nuclear devices on Finnish territory. Finland insists it has no plans to become a nuclear state itself – but the change allows NATO's nuclear deterrent to be deployed in th»»»

Dubai: Dubai’s planned Gold Line is beginning to influence the investment case for some of the city’s busiest residential districts, with brokers and developers expecting the biggest lift in communities where property demand has grown faster than public transport access. Sign up for our daily busin»»»

Russia attacked Kyiv with missiles and Ukrainian drones hit Moscow’s refinery as both countries exchanged strikes hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with US President Donald Trump and European leaders. A Reuters witness heard explosions in Kyiv and authorities in the northeastern Ukrain»»»

SEOUL: South Korean police have questioned an executive of Starbucks operator Shinsegae in their investigation of a flopped promotional campaign that evoked a deadly 1980 crackdown, the group told AFP on Thursday. Starbucks Korea, which operates more than 2,000 stores nationwide under a licensing a»»»

Euro news reported that London’s murder rate has surpassed New York for the first time after a man in his twenties was attacked and stabbed to death after leaving a bar in the southern borough of Wandsworth on Sunday. Attacks reveal a worrying trend. According to a report from Britain’s Sunday Time»»»

A B-52 Stratofortress, similar to the one seen here, crashed Monday in California, killing eight people on board. U.S. Air Force officials identified the eight victims on Wednesday. File photo courtesy U.S. Air Force June 17 (UPI) -- U.S. Air Force officials identified Wednesday the eight crew memb»»»

Dubai: As the UAE's summer break approaches and schools across the country prepare for the 2026–27 academic year, leading education providers are in the thick of teacher recruitment and many have already secured the bulk of their hires. With international schools following the British, American, an»»»

Dubai: Commuters are facing another busy morning on Dubai's roads, with traffic building across key highways from Sharjah into the emirate as rush-hour volumes continue to rise, according to Google Maps. Motorists travelling from Sharjah towards Dubai are experiencing delays on Sheikh Zayed Road (E»»»

Central Asia used to be thought of as sitting at the “navel of the world,” about as far away from everywhere as it was possible to be. Today that perception has changed as once again the region finds itself at the centre of things and a key link between east and west. Uzbekistan is the most populou»»»

Armenia's economy has entered a new phase following the establishment of peace with Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on June 16, linking stronger fiscal revenues, rising investment and demographic shifts to the 2025 peace process. He said the agreement reached last year marked a stru»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s environmental authorities and conservation bodies marked World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on Wednesday by highlighting major achievements in land restoration, vegetation recovery and biodiversity protection, according to reports carried by the Saudi Press Agenc»»»

Cuba's former president Raul Castro on Wednesday backed sweeping economic reforms proposed by the government to revive the crisis-hit economy amid a longstanding US embargo. The measures would expand private investment, attract capital from Cubans abroad and reduce the state's role, with lawmakers »»»

Senior US officials on Wednesday disclosed the contents of a draft memorandum of understanding with Iran, ending days of secrecy ahead of a planned signing ceremony on Friday. The document outlines an immediate ceasefire, steps toward lifting US sanctions, the restoration of commercial shipping and»»»

The Central Bank of Oman will issue a silver commemorative coin marking the FIFA World Cup 2026. The bank said the coin was produced in cooperation with football's world governing body FIFA and minted to high technical standards using 99.9 per cent pure silver. Get updated faster and for FREE: Down»»»

State Republicans on Wednesday rejected Gov. Brian Kemp's call to consider redrawing the state's district maps. File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo June 17 (UPI) -- Georgia Republicans on Wednesday rejected GOP efforts to redraw the state's congressional and legislative maps amid a wid»»»

Share: President Trump defended a memorandum of understanding (MOU) released Wednesday that ends the war with Iran, even as he suggested it may not be “permanent” during a press conference from the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Évian-les-Bains, France. The president noted other G7 members backed th»»»

Saudi Arabia has reduced the maximum number of instant work visas available to newly established businesses to five, as part of measures aimed at regulating recruitment and encouraging compliance with labour market requirements, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development's Qiwa platform»»»

Fujairah: Marking World Sea Turtle Day, the Fujairah Environment Authority has announced the successful hatching of 93 hawksbill turtles at Al Fuqait Reserve, underscoring ongoing efforts to protect endangered marine species and preserve coastal biodiversity. The authority confirmed that the succes»»»

President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran Wednesday that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and waives US-backed sanctions on the country, immediately allowing Iran to sell its oil freely in a major concession from Washington, according to details release»»»

DAMASCUS: Syrian security forces have arrested 10 remnants of the deposed Assad regime in a series of operations across the country, the latest in an ongoing campaign reported by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) to pursue former officials accused of crimes and abuses committed during the former g»»»

TORONTO, Canada: Ghana scored a dramatic 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening World Cup Group L clash in Toronto on Wednesday. Caleb Yirenkyi bundled in the winning goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time to settle an attritional battle between the two sides.»»»

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin hosted leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Wednesday as Russia seeks to bolster business and other ties with the nations of the regional bloc. The two-day meeting, being held in Kazan, is set to consider ways to expand Russia’s “strategic partne»»»

Dubai: UAE travellers are increasingly looking beyond popular social media destinations and seeking new experiences this summer, with flexibility and personalisation becoming bigger factors in holiday planning. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.According to recent resear»»»

Kyiv came under attack from missiles in the early hours of Thursday, according to AFP journalists in the Ukrainian capital. After an alert, the journalists heard the sound of a missile and two explosions, and saw people running in the direction of shelters. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download»»»

PARIS: Donald Trump explained the appeal in one sentence: “Versailles is not gold leaf — Versailles is the real deal.” For Emmanuel Macron, that was precisely the point. On Wednesday night, the French president threw open Louis XIV’s palace to his US counterpart for a private reception, show and di»»»

Israel has moved to reduce the powers of Palestinian authorities in Hebron, one of the most volatile cities in the occupied West Bank, in a step Palestinians say violates a decades-old agreement and advances annexation. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Tuesday that Israel has “abolish»»»

During 111 days of fighting, the US military has left Iran's oil facilities, fully-laden crude oil tankers and much of its infrastructure intact. They were deliberate moves. The US naval blockade and devastating strikes left much of Iran's military weakened and its economy reeling. And if the emerg»»»

Jackson Lahmeyer, a Republican candidate for the House of Representatives in Oklahoma, dropped out of the race Wednesday after President Donald Trump rescinded his endorsement and supported Lahmeyer's opponent. File Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo June 17 (UPI) -- Shortly after Presid»»»

WASHINGTON: The interim deal between the United States and Iran is supposed to usher in a two-month period that would address the most divisive issue between the longtime adversaries — Tehran’s nuclear program. Preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear bomb is a key reason that President Donald Trum»»»

ARLINGTON, United States: Harry Kane scored twice in the first half as England eventually saw off Croatia 4-2 to launch their World Cup title assault in Texas on Wednesday. Jude Bellingham, immediately after half-time, and substitute Marcus Rashford with five minutes to go ensured a winning start f»»»

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Jamaica is in discussions with the United States to accept third-country deportees, a move that would add the island nation to a growing number of Caribbean countries working with the Trump administration on its immigration agenda. Jamaica's National Security Minister Dr. Horace »»»

Tribune News Network Vancouver Upbeat Qatar will look to build on their opening day resilience when they face Canada in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B tie at BC Place on Thursday (Friday 1am Doha Time). Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui’s side showed character in their 1-1 draw with Switzerland, sta»»»

Tribune News Network Ramallah, Palestine Thousands of vulnerable Palestinian children are set to benefit from an innovative sport-for-social-good programme delivered by Palestine: Sports for Life under the Circle In initiative, co-funded by Qatar Foundation (QF), Education Above All (EAA) Foundatio»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Tourism officially launched the fourth edition of the Qatar Tourism Awards during a press conference on Wednesday, opening applications and inviting tourism and hospitality businesses, institutions, and professionals from across the sector to submit their entries. Ap»»»

Ashraf Siddiqui Doha A condolence meeting for renowned Urdu poet Bashir Badr was organised by Bazm-e-Alig, Doha, recently. Badr passed away on May 28, 2026 at the age of 91. The event, organised by the Indian community forum of Qatar- based old students of Aligarh Muslim University, brought togethe»»»

Satyendra Pathak Doha HONOR is targeting stronger growth in Qatar and the wider GCC region with the launch of its latest flagship foldable smartphone, the HONOR Magic V6, an AI-powered device that combines an ultra-slim design, advanced durability, record-breaking battery performance and seamless c»»»

QNA Doha The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has announced that it has closed a restaurant for 15 days, effective from last Sunday, after it was suspected of being linked to cases of food poisoning.In a statement, the ministry said that following reports circulating about suspected food poisoning »»»

Arlington, United States: Harry Kane scored twice in the first half as England eventually saw off Croatia 4-2 to launch their World Cup title assault in Texas on Wednesday. Jude Bellingham, immediately after half-time, and substitute Marcus Rashford with five minutes to go ensured a winning start f»»»