GENEVA — The AI boom has helped drive investments in intangible assets such as software, data and research to a record high in 2025, the United Nations' patent and innovation agency said Wednesday.These investments, which encompass research and development, software and data, brands, design and org»»»

MASSACHUSETTS, USA: France coach Didier Deschamps says that their appeal of star Michael Olise’s controversial World Cup yellow card during their Round of 16 win over Paraguay was denied by FIFA on Wednesday. “There was no change when it comes to Olise’s yellow card. We received FIFA’s decision thi»»»

The process of excluding Russia from international sporting competitions constitutes a form of political “insanity,” not principles or logic which can be explained to a reasonable person, legendary Soviet and Russian football coach Gadzhi Gadzhiyev told Sputnik. That was the trainer’s reaction to t»»»

The IMF downgraded global growth prospects for the second time this year, saying it expects the global economy to grow by just 3 percent in 2026. In January, this projection had still stood at 3.3 percent, Statista reports. While the downgrade is slight, it still conveys the multiple risks to the g»»»

Two men detained over the killing of Anastasiia Berezovska — among them a serving military intelligence officer — Ukrainian media report, deepening the mystery around the attack on Vadym Iermolaiev. The woman sought by Interpol over the attempted assassination of the sanctioned Ukrainian businessma»»»

A Polish member of the European Parliament has publicly torn up a flag of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) – whose fighters massacred up to 100,000 ethnic Poles in one of World War II’s worst atrocities – during a debate on Kiev’s bid to join the EU. On Tuesday, Ewa Zajaczkowska-Hernik, a member »»»

A 75-year-old German man was arrested on Wednesday near the village of Iskra, in Bulgaria's southeastern Karnobat Municipality, during a joint operation by Bulgaria's General Directorate Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC) and the German authorities targeting an organized criminal group involved in c»»»

Europe faces an estimated €70bn annual bill to adapt to climate change, but as deadly heatwaves and wildfires intensify across the continent, questions remain over who should pay. The European Parliament approved €144.1m in aid to Spain, Romania and Cyprus this week to recover from wildfires, flood»»»

BERLIN: A Berlin court on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a German doctor to life in prison on charges of murdering 15 of his patients who were under palliative care, in a case involving allegations he torched the homes of victims to try to cover up the crimes. The 41-year-old doctor, who has onl»»»

Munich, Germany: German police said several people had been wounded and a suspect arrested in an attack at a secondary school in the southern German state of Bavaria on Wednesday. The perpetrator appeared to have deliberately targeted the school in a suspected "rampage", a police spokeswoman told A»»»

Something unusual happened in Berlin recently. Executives from some of Europe's oldest financial institutions sat in a room and listened — carefully, and with something approaching humility — to people from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan explain how business gets done. Not as a charitable ex»»»

European NATO countries, plus Canada, attending the alliance's annual summit in Turkey agreed Wednesday to spend $50 billion over the next 10 years to develep new ground-based "deep precision strike capabilities" as part of a drive to take over responsbility from the United States for their own def»»»

A Hungarian suspect has been identified as part of a major international investigation into online criminal networks accused of drugging and raping women, according to the Hungarian National Police Headquarters (ORFK). The investigation is being carried out under Project Medusa, a Europol-coordinat»»»

The EU’s new restrictive migration policy on return hubs last month (17 June) drew in votes from unexpected corners of the European Parliament, splitting liberals and socialists into uncharacteristic camps. Most European lawmakers voted in favour of the new regulation that drew widespread support f»»»

In a 147-14 vote with one abstention on Wednesday, Parliament re-elected for a second term Antoan Gechev as head of the State Intelligence Agency. He will have a term of five years from June 17, 2026. He was backed by Progressive Bulgaria, GERB-UDF and Vazrazhdane. Democratic Bulgaria voted against»»»

Bulgaria ranked among the European Union's most seasonal tourism markets in 2025, with nearly half of its annual tourist activity concentrated in the height of summer. According to Eurostat data, 43% of all overnight stays in Bulgarian accommodation facilities were recorded in July and August, plac»»»

Doha: Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo said he wouldn’t make any decisions about his international future in the heat of the moment, but Portugal’s exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026 seems to have made things clear about his career. A stoppage-time strike from substitute Mikel Merino sent Spain »»»

ANKARA: President Donald Trump surprised NATO leaders he is meeting with in Turkiye by launching a series of strikes on Iran late Tuesday and revoking a license that allowed Tehran to sell its oil on the world market, a major twist for a summit that had been aimed at showcasing how alliance members»»»

An online feud between France captain Kylian Mbappe and Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla has escalated into threats of legal action after the French footballer called the lawmaker a “despicable woman” in response to what he described as racist remarks. The dispute began on Saturday after France »»»

A parcel bomb exploded in Monaco on June 30 seriously injuring three people. On Tuesday, police in Ukraine announced they found the suspect dead and arrested two other people. Photo by Sebastien Nogier/EPA July 7 (UPI) -- The main suspect in a Monaco bombing was found dead Tuesday in Ukraine. The p»»»

Ukraine’s state-backed Mirotvorets database of alleged “enemies of the state” has blacklisted Polish presidential chief-of-staff Zbigniew Bogucki, calling him an “anti-Ukrainian propagandist.” Bogucki responded by declaring himself an enemy of “Banderism” and Kiev’s “historical lies.” Tensions betw»»»

JERUSALEM: Germany’s foreign minister on Tuesday urged Lebanese authorities to confront Hezbollah and reassert state control over the country’s south, where the militant group has been engaged in hostilities with Israeli forces. During a visit to Jerusalem, Johann Wadephul, who backed Israel’s grou»»»

The European Parliament massively voted to initiate a review against the far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) political group on Tuesday (7 July), while separately France’s nationalist leader Marine Le Pen was found guilty misappropriation of EU funds. During the plenary in Strasbourg, MEPs »»»

The body of the Ukrainian woman suspected of planting a parcel bomb in Monaco last week was found near Kyiv, the local newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported Tuesday. Ukraine's prosecutor general's ‌office later confirmed the body was found and said they also detained an employee of ​Ukraine»»»

Ankara: US President Donald Trump and his Nato counterparts are gathering in Turkey on Tuesday for a two-day summit that comes at a turning point in the organisation’s history as the United States steps back from its traditional security role in Europe. Ahead of the meeting in Ankara, Trump has ins»»»

Germany is rearming amid an economic recession with thousands of jobs slashed across industrial and service sectors. In these tough economic conditions, the Bundeswehr is now one of the country's most attractive employers for young people. Applications rose by 23 percent in January 2026 alone. Behi»»»

Imagine a Hollywood movie. It’s a thriller about a big bad secret. One of those that have far-reaching, even earth-shaking political stakes attached to them; the sort of ‘this-changes-everything’ information that, if revealed, can topple governments, break up alliances, and redefine friends and ene»»»

BusinessGermanySick leave: Germany rising but not the worst in EuropeNik MartinSick leave in Germany has hit a new record, with workers taking an average of nearly 20 days off per year. As Chancellor Merz cracks down, how does the country's absenteeism compare to other countries? https://p.dw.com/p»»»

United States President Donald Trump is heading to Ankara where NATO will hold its two-day annual summit starting Tuesday. File Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo July 7 (UPI) -- Leaders of the Western world's premier military alliance will gather in Ankara on Tuesday for the start of this ye»»»

RIYADH: Saudi utility giant Acwa has received an exclusive government mandate to export green hydrogen and its derivatives produced in the Kingdom to international markets, including green ammonia, green methanol and green fuels. In a statement, Acwa said the mandate positions the company as a key »»»

BusinessGermanyHow Volkswagen ended up with a huge workforceNik MartinThe struggling German carmaker plans to cut up to 100,000 jobs from its 630,000-strong workforce. How did VW's headcount get so bloated, and will the cuts be enough to survive the Chinese EV onslaught? https://p.dw.com/p/5GIWoVW »»»

Mine-clearing operations are among the most dangerous tasks at sea. Now, despite the 60-day ceasefire under the US-Iran memorandum, a British- and French-led naval mission to clear sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz has drawn an immediate warning from Iran. This exposing the fragility of a ceasefi»»»

The 36th NATO Summit, being held in Ankara this week on 7-8 July, takes place at a time of major geostrategic developments and crunch decisions about the future of the North Atlantic alliance. War in Ukraine, the Gulf, the Middle East and North Africa, alongside military operations in South America»»»

Toronto: Alberta and Ontario proposed a pipeline Monday to carry western Canadian oil east and eventually to Atlantic export terminals as Canada seeks new markets beyond the United States, reviving a project that was abandoned nearly a decade ago. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the proposed 3,»»»

Dubai: Global investors are keeping faith in the Gulf despite recent regional tensions, with new surveys, bank research and equity flow data pointing to confidence in the region’s economic outlook and trade recovery. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.A new investor poll »»»

A growing share of European industry is under threat from China’s economic expansion, according to a report by Poland’s Centre for Eastern Studies and the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers. The report says China’s state-backed industrial policy creates unequal competition, costing the EU around »»»

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny speaks during an anti-Vladimir Putin rally on March 5, 2012. International observers blamed Navalny's 2024 death on Epibatidine. File Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo July 6 (UPI) -- The British government on Monday announced sanctions for seven Russians and»»»

Berlin: The German cabinet approved the government's 2027 budget proposal today, which includes higher spending and increased new borrowing, amid a wave of sharp criticism. The draft budget allocates total expenditures of 555.5 billion Euros, up from 525.5 billion Euros in the current year's budget»»»

BERLIN — The German cabinet Monday approved a budget for next year that sets out vast new outlays for defence but drew criticism for cutting spending on climate action and aid.The plans, which still need to be approved by parliament, envisage Europe's biggest economy spending more than projected ju»»»

VIENNA: A Syrian ex-general and a former police officer were handed eight-year jail sentences by a Viennese court on Monday for torturing opponents of ousted leader Bashar Assad.The trial is the latest to see suspects from the Syrian civil war tried in European courts under the legal tool of univer»»»

Los Angeles: The United States face the biggest day of soccer in their history on Monday as they play Belgium in what will be a spicy encounter for a place in the World Cup quarter-finals after an intervention by Donald Trump further fired up the Belgians. They are furious US star striker Folarin B»»»

Is it possible to live in such a way that you can slow ageing without spending millions of dollars on it? According to Martin Helstáb, it is. The Hungarian art teacher and biohacker has developed a lifestyle that, according to measurements, sees his body age by just 0.62 years annually. His aim is »»»

Linevo, the award-winning product, is an innovative glass railing system that offers a completely different approach to architectural design, featuring a continuous glass surface with no visual interruptions and no visible profiles. The solution integrates existing technologies, such as laminated g»»»

It’s not every day that an EU member state has the opportunity to push back in favor of freedom. At least not without elections. But a German court did have that chance – and promptly blew it on behalf of European citizens everywhere. Back in 2022 when the Ukraine war was ramping up, the European C»»»

Berlin: Former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp on Monday slammed FIFA's decision to overturn US striker Folarin Balogun's suspension, which reportedly took place after an intervention from US President Donald Trump. Balogun was set to miss Monday's last-16 knockout clash with Belgium having picked up »»»

According to the European Statistical Office (Eurostat) shows that the European Union recorded a current account surplus of 113.4 billion euros (2.4% of GDP) in the first quarter of 2026, after a surplus of 99.2 billion euros (2.1% of GDP) in the previous three months and a surplus of 104.9 billion»»»

North Korea's new ambassador to Austria has assumed the post, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday. This September 2023 photo shows a North Korean flag at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. File Photo by Yonhap North Korea's new ambassador to Austria has assumed the post, as he presented his cr»»»

European Retail Banking Radar, Kearney's latest study, now in its 18th edition, shows that Europe is entering a period of normalization following the exceptional conditions of 2023–2025. For Romania, however, the challenge extends beyond the normalization of interest rates. It comes at a time when »»»

Istanbul, Turkiye: Ankara hopes its hosting of an upcoming NATO summit will cement its rise as a key European security partner, building on the rapid growth of its defence industry despite resistance from some allies. The two-day summit opens on Tuesday with the Defence Industry Forum -- once a sid»»»

According to the mayor and a former MP, increasingly aggressive, trance-like drug users are becoming more dangerous due to a new drug in Budapest, yet the crisis cannot be resolved through policing alone. András Pikó and András Jámbor are urging the government to act on the worsening drug situation»»»