An Indian-founded global payments company has chosen Hungary as the base for its European expansion after receiving a key financial licence from the Hungarian National Bank (MNB). PAY TEN EU Kft., the Hungarian subsidiary of Pay10, has been granted an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence, all»»»

Sydney: New dawn-to-dusk drone patrols of Sydney's beaches spotted sharks 73 times in the first two days, forcing multiple closures, data obtained by AFP showed on Friday. Authorities launched the expanded drone programme on Wednesday to protect beachgoers after a spate of shark attacks in Sydney a»»»

RIYADH: The net profit of listed banks operating in the Gulf Cooperation Council region rebounded in the first quarter of 2026, posting a solid recovery after a decline in the previous three months, an analysis showed. According to the latest report by Kamco Invest, aggregate net profits for listed»»»

No single political party will be able to completely control Hungary’s public-service media, only part of Fidesz’s media empire will survive, and serious challenges await independent newsrooms. An earthquake – that is how the new media law, approved by parliament on 23 June, is being described in H»»»

Residents of Guam and the Northern Marianas boarded up windows and stocked up Friday as a monster weather system forecast to become a "super typhoon" approached the US Pacific territories. Just months after a previous major storm, cars queued at petrol stations, while residents thronged hardware st»»»

The school term is ending, the temperatures are rising and the airport is full. Peak summer has finally arrived. I’m still getting used to these sweltering weeks, despite growing up in Saudi Arabia (the UK has softened me up). I’m currently in the ‘how does it get even hotter than this?’ stage as w»»»

State Border Service of Kyrgyzstan reported the seizure of a large shipment of narcotics at the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. According to the agency, border guards from Leilek border detachment, acting on received information, observed an unidentified individual on the territory of Tajikistan throwing a la»»»

European authorities on Thursday said cases such as that of Gisele Pelicot (C) are not rare, with an international operation disrupting four online networks of men sharing videos, photos and information about during and sexually assaulting women, often their own partners. File Photo by Guillaume Ho»»»

JALUD: Palestinian Mohammad Salameh was building a home for his family in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where his recently ​engaged son was meant to start married life. Instead, before construction was complete, a group of Israeli settlers seized the property. Video filmed earlier in the week and»»»

Dubai: Turkish Airlines has resumed flights to Abu Dhabi as it restores more of its Middle East network following a temporary suspension of services. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Istanbul-based airline restarted Abu Dhabi flights on July 1, with services to Damm»»»

Colombo: Authorities in Sri Lanka arrested a former navy commander on Friday over allegations he illegally helped secure the recruitment and overseas training of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa's son. Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, 73, was taken into custody by the Bribery Commission ove»»»

Authorities in Sri Lanka arrested a former navy commander on Friday over allegations he illegally helped secure the recruitment and overseas training of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa's son. Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, 73, was taken into custody by the Bribery Commission over the 200»»»

La Guaira, Venezuela: In the Venezuelan resort town of La Guaira, a group of rescuers watched as sensors that once detected life under the rubble now showed nothing, as silence gave way to resignation. Friday -- the ninth day since the devastating double earthquakes that killed nearly 2,600 people »»»

After meeting Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Shaibani for the first time, Hezbollah ally and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Lebanon has no choice but to engage with Syria. "Lebanon cannot cooperate with Israel, and if it refuses to deal with Syria, the Lebanese will be left with no choice but t»»»

A 26-year-old woman was found dead in a hotel room in Hyderabad in the early hours of Friday after allegedly dying by suicide while on a video call with a friend, according to media reports. The woman, identified as Renuka from Alwal, was found inside a room at Hotel Grand Lodge near MD Lines. Acco»»»

Dubai: The UAE has reaffirmed that delivery riders cannot be compelled to work during the country's midday summer work ban, while expanding a nationwide network of more than 12,000 air-conditioned rest areas to protect workers from extreme heat. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mo»»»

Gold bar and dollars Andrew Naylor, Head of Middle East and Public Policy at the World Gold Council, stated that the direction of gold in the coming period will be determined by several factors, most notably global interest rate expectations—particularly the Federal Reserve’s decision expected next»»»

Air quality in Sofia remains within the legal limits following the fire at a waste treatment facility that caused a strong smell of burnt plastic across several parts of the city, the Environment Ministry said here Friday. The Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (RIEW) explained that whi»»»

Peshawar, Pakistan: A bus veered off a road and fell more than 20 metres into a ravine in western Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 40 people, officials said. "A passenger bus travelling from Quetta to Peshawar plunged into a deep ravine in the mountainous Dana Sar area... 40 people have been co»»»

Hungary has revoked the political asylum previously granted to Polish opposition politicians Zbigniew Ziobro and Marcin Romanowski, as well as to Ziobro’s wife, according to an announcement by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. Writing on X on Thursday, Sikorski said Poland had received wri»»»

MELBOURNE: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday condemned senators who blocked changes to a world-first social media ban for children, saying tech giants would use the delay to destroy incriminating documents that could be used as evidence against them. The government this week intr»»»

Dubai: Dubai's property market opened trading on Friday with transactions worth nearly Dh900 million, driven by the sale of four land plots and a luxury villa, highlighting continued demand for premium real estate. According to the Dubai REST app, four land plots in City of Arabia were sold for a c»»»

Damascus, July 3 (SANA) Chinese Ambassador to Syria Shi Hongwei said China stands ready to create new opportunities for the world, including Syria, through its development strategy, according to an article published in the Syrian state-owned daily Al-Thawra Al-Souria. The article, titled “After 105»»»

AI company 1001 has raised $30 million in a Series A funding round to expand its sovereign artificial intelligence platform designed for critical infrastructure across the GCC. The investment round was led by Lux Capital, with participation from PIF-owned Sanabil Investments, Hanabi and 9Yards. Exi»»»

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's proposals for additional reductions to the American military presence in Europe were rejected by the administration of President Donald Trump, US media reported, citing sources. Hegseth had intended to announce the additional reductions in June at a meeting with N»»»

Integrated Transport Centre (AD Mobility) and Q Mobility have issued a joint advisory on social media, calling on motorists to avoid parking in undesignated areas near mosques. The authorities warned that improper parking can obstruct worshippers, pedestrians and emergency vehicles, particularly du»»»

Russia and Ukraine exchanged one of the largest waves of long-range attacks of the war overnight, with Moscow launching a combined missile and drone assault on Kyiv while Russian authorities said they had intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow and other regions, reported the Kyiv»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy privately asked former commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi whether he intended to run in a future presidential election and urged him to avoid a potentially divisive contest, the Ukrainska Pravda news outlet reported, citing sources familiar with the meeting»»»

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Friday that he would formally oppose the European Union's proposed 21st package of sanctions against Russia, arguing that his decision was driven by Bulgaria's national interest. Responding to a question from Yordan Ivanov of the Democratic Bulgaria parl»»»

RIYADH: The UAE’s non-oil private sector continued to expand in June, despite recording its weakest growth in more than five years, as the S&P Global Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 50.8. The slowdown, from 52.6 in May. came as geopolitical disruptions, cautious client spending and intense compe»»»

Ankara, July 3 (SANA) Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Israel was a “reckless gang” undermining the international order, according to Anadolu Agency on Thursday. Speaking to CNN Türk, Fidan said Israel was, in his view, a state that commits massacres and injustice, adding that it was gover»»»

A bus veered into a ravine in western Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 40 people, officials said. "A passenger bus travelling from Quetta to Peshawar plunged into a deep ravine in the mountainous Dana Sar area... 40 people have been confirmed dead and 11 others injured," said Sanaullah Sherani,»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatari player Khaled Al-Jumaat won the Hyatt Plaza Open Blitz Chess Championship for Under-16 players, which concluded at Hyatt Plaza Mall after a one-day event organised by the Qatar Chess Federation. The FIDE-rated tournament attracted 65 players and was played over seven rounds usin»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar produced a strong second-half comeback to defeat hosts India 65-56 in the opening game of the third window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 Asian Qualifiers in Ahmedabad yesterday. The victory gave Qatar a valuable start in Group D, which also features Lebanon and Saud»»»

Dubai: Etihad Airways is marking 20 years of flying to France, two decades after launching its first service between Abu Dhabi and Paris in June 2006. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The route started with six flights a week when Etihad was still a young airline, opera»»»

French support for the American Revolution began well before the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. King Louis XVI saw the rebellion in North America as an opportunity to weaken his British rival and avenge past defeats. FRANCE 24 looks back at how European colonial rivalry and Enlightenm»»»

Doha, Qatar: Colombia will be looking to live up to expectations as favourites, but Ghana are determined to spoil their attempt when the two teams meet at the Kansas City Stadium for a place in the Round of 16. The match kicks off at 4.30am Qatar time tomorrow. The South Americans topped Group K, f»»»

Doha, Qatar: History will be made in Dallas today. When Australia and Egypt meet in the Round of 32, one nation will celebrate a milestone never achieved before, a first-ever knockout victory at the FIFA World Cup. Both teams have already made history, and now they have the chance to make even more»»»

Federal and local authorities have been investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen at her Arizona home on Jan. 31, 2026, around 9:45 p.m. Photo courtesy Pima County Sheriff's Department/UPI July 3 (UPI) -- A California man has pleaded guilty to sending phony ransom requests»»»

A bomb went off at a cafe in central Damascus on Thursday, killing at least five people and wounding 16, Syrian authorities said. The blast took place near the capital's Palace of Justice, a key government building, sparking scenes of panic in the busy area. An AFP correspondent saw ambulances weav»»»

Months after the killing of Iran's supreme leader at the start of its war with the United States and Israel, mourners will hold a dayslong funeral and burial for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The mourning period will see Khamenei's body carried through cities in both Iran and neighboring Iraq. I»»»

Industrial producer prices in Romania overall - domestic market and external market - increased by 12.1% in May 2026 year-on-year, according to provisional data published on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).In annual terms and by major industrial groups, the largest price incr»»»

Viorel Pasca, head of the "Dumbrava - Dumnezeu Poarta de Grija" Association, said on Thursday that out of roughly 400 residents housed in the facilities of the charity, only about 100 had any income, and even those were "small, modest amounts", insisting that maintenance costs were covered by donat»»»

The City Hall of Baia Mare is counting on the conclusion of a public-private partnership with Chinese companies in the immediate future, Mayor Doru Dancus announced on Thursday in a social media post.The mayor pointed out that his expectation comes after the visit of the ambassador of the People's »»»

The High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) accuses the government of putting pressure on the judiciary after acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced that he would notify the Constitutional Court to resolve a constitutional conflict over unpaid salary arrears in the Justice system.In a rele»»»

Doha, Qatar: Defending champions Argentina will look to keep their flawless FIFA World Cup title defence on track when they face tournament debutants Cape Verde in the Round of 32 at Miami Stadium tomorrow. The match kicks off at 1am Qatar time, with Lionel Messi returning to familiar surroundings »»»

The National Revenue Agency (NRA) has uncovered 70 violations during the first three days of its summer inspection campaign along Bulgaria's Southern Black Sea coast, with the failure to issue fiscal receipts emerging as the most common offense. The campaign began on Monday, and by Wednesday inspec»»»

DUBAI: The US asked countries in the Middle East to warn Iran that Israel could target two of Tehran’s senior negotiators during sensitive ceasefire talks earlier this year, according to a report in The New York Times. Washington feared Tel Aviv might attempt to assassinate Iranian Foreign Minister»»»

Damascus, July 3 (SANA) Damascus, July 3 (SANA) The Syrian Oil Company has begun implementing a project with Saudi energy services company ADES to develop and operate several gas fields in the central province of Homs, as part of efforts to increase domestic gas production and strengthen the countr»»»

Iran has launched the first phase of vast funeral ceremonies for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, with foreign dignitaries and religious figures converging on Tehran’s Grand Mosalla to pay tribute in a display of national unity and international solidarity. The body of Ayatollah Seyye»»»