WASHINGTON: The US government on Thursday announced sanctions against several Lebanese officials it said were aligned ‌with Hezbollah and ‌members of ‌the sanctioned ⁠Alaa Hassan Hamieh ⁠business network for obstructing Lebanon’s peace process and delaying the disarmament of Hezbollah. The ⁠US Trea»»»

GUADALAJARA, Mexico: It’s number-crunching time when it comes to formations at the World Cup. Every team start with a goalkeeper in front of the net, but then it’s up to the 48 coaches to try to arrange their lineups to optimize their players and match up effectively with opponents. On paper, the l»»»

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a Texas man can't be prosecuted for being a regular user of marijuana and owning a gun. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court said Thursday that a Texas man can't be prosecuted under a law that bans regular use»»»

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced legislation Thursday that would give the public $1,000 annually for a 50% stake in the largest AI firms in the country. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced legislation Thursday that would give the»»»

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said he would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels on Thursday on the sidelines of the European Council meeting. Radev arrived in Brussels to take part in the meeting of EU heads of state or government and spoke to Bulgarian journalists. Radev sai»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday that the 60-day time frame for US-Iran negotiations aimed at striking a final deal starts today. "I would say the 60-day period officially started today ... So, yes, the deal started yesterday, we're going to start the 60-day clock »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received on Thursday a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping in which the Chinese leader noted that he attached great significance to development of Sino-Serbian relations and that, during Vucic's recent visit to China, he had been impressed by the S»»»

On Thursday, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, denounced international calls for denuclearization, describing the country's nuclear weapons as its "core interests." File Photo Jorge Silva/EPA June 18 (UPI) -- The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday »»»

Peruvian President José María Balcázar confirmed Wednesday that Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru during the first half of November. File Photo by Jose Sena Goulao/EPA June 18 (UPI) -- Peruvian President José María Balcázar confirmed Wednesday that Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru during the first half of N»»»

The ruling Socialist Party is set to convene an expanded meeting of its parliamentary group and government officials on Saturday at the Palace of Brigades in Tirana, according to information obtained by local media. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m., with party members informed throug»»»

Tunis, June 18 (TAP) - Acting on behalf of and for the account of the Tunisian State, the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) concluded on June 16, 2026, a financing facility worth $500 million (equivalent to TND 1,471 million) with the African...»»»

TORONTO: Egypt midfielder Emam Ashour scored the fastest goal in the first round of group-stage games at 2026 FIFA World Cup. Data captured by the “Connected Ball” technology inside the official Adidas tournament ball revealed that his strike against Belgium reached a speed of 123.4 kph, surpassing»»»

LOS ANGELES: Mexico and South Korea will aim to punch their ticket to the World Cup knockout rounds on Thursday when they meet in Guadalajara knowing a win would guarantee a last 32 berth. The Group A rivals head into the fixture at the Estadio Akron fresh from respective victories over South Afric»»»

GDANSK: Veteran coach Ismail Kartal has returned to Fenerbahce ​for a fourth managerial spell, the Turkish Super Lig side said on Thursday. Fenerbahce said in a statement to Turkiye’s ‌Public Disclosure ‌Platform (KAP) that ​they ‌had ⁠appointed ​65-year-old Kartal ⁠on a one-year contract. Kartal, »»»

LONDON: Britain on Thursday said it was no longer advising against non-essential travel to some Gulf states including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, after the United States and Iran reached an interim agreement this week to end their ‌war. In late ‌February and early March ​Britain ‌ha»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) formalised a landmark five-year Cooperation Agreement, marking a significant step forward in the shared ambition of both organisations to elevate motorsport on the international stage»»»

Morristown, United States: Neymar will not travel with the Brazil squad for Friday's second World Cup group game against Haiti as he continues his recovery from a calf injury. The 34-year-old has only returned to training with the national team this week and missed the five-time World Cup winners' »»»

There is no better testament to the work of the Interior Ministry, said Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev in a Facebook post, referring to a complaint filed by Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Delyan Peevski against him. Earlier in the day, the MRF announced that a lawyer for leader D»»»

Israeli leaders are privately fuming about the US-Iran deal, seeing the initial agreement as a form of capitulation. This comes as a final blow to the increasingly fraying relationship between Netanyahu and Trump, previously thought thought to be iron-clad. FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky tells us mor»»»

As the Strait of Hormuz reopens and talks between the US and Iran start up again, how are Gulf states emerging from the Middle East war? Previously thought of as the safe haven of the Middle East, the surprise US-Israeli attack on Iran has left them reeling, and triggered a search to diversify defe»»»

A wide range of premium mango varieties grown in Sharjah's Eastern Region will take centre stage later this month at the fifth edition of Khorfakkan Mango Festival, an event aimed at promoting local agriculture, tourism and food security. The three-day festival, which will begin on June 26 at Expo »»»

French President Emmanuel Macron courted his US counterpart Donald Trump at the G7 on Wednesday by opening the gilded gates of Versailles, a move that underscored his trademark blend of symbolism and diplomacy. While allies hailed the summit's success, analysts said Macron still faces the challenge»»»

Polish police on Thursday detained a suspect in the daylight killing of a Russian artist known as ‌Semyon Skrepetsky, who was known for his unsparing caricatures of prominent political figures in the Kremlin. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the man was using a Georgian passport. A ⁠suspect in »»»

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has confirmed that the country will block new sanctions against Russia, linking the decision to objections over proposals that would include Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in the restrictive measures. He argued that the war in Ukraine has expanded far beyond »»»

After the sharp surge in rural and suburban real estate prices in 2025, Bulgaria’s market is now entering a cooling phase, with data indicating a gradual slowdown and even slight declines in some segments, according to industry reports cited by BGNES. The earlier price surge, fueled in part by expe»»»

Russia’s income inequality reached its highest level since 2007 in 2025, with the official Gini coefficient rising to 0.422 from 0.410 in 2024, according to Kommersant daily citing Rosstat. As followed by IntelliNews, demographics and equality were main national goals in the economic platform prese»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has maintained its leading position in the global ranking of the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook’s cybersecurity index for 2026. The country’s National Cybersecurity Authority, or NCA, said in a statement that this top ranking was a reflection of the support provided by King»»»

Fiscal decentralization, regional development, investment, infrastructure, social services and the absorption of European Union funds were among the key topics discussed at a National Meeting of Local and Central Executive Authorities in Sofia on Thursday. The forum highlighted both the challenges »»»

The Philippines is a unique nation. It has more than 116.8 million people inhabiting a huge land area (300,000 km2), 10 times bigger than Belgium, spread across 7,641 islands. The country has nearly four times the population of Canada, living across vastly different geographic and developmental cha»»»

New Delhi In a significant boost to India's higher education credentials, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has secured the 118th position in the QS World University Rankings 2027, emerging as the country's highest-ranked institution for the second consecutive year. The prestigious glo»»»

Tunis, June 18 (TAP) - Lawyers who rallied on Thursday outside the Courthouse in Tunis called on the authorities to engage in dialogue to improve the public justice service and better meet the expectations of litigants.At the call of the Bar...»»»

On the sidelines of the MIPIF International Luxury Real Estate Exhibition in Moscow, and in conjunction with the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, one of the world’s largest economic forums, Adel Al-Mari, chairman of Darco Real Estate, and Dr. Omar Al-Qahtani, board member and chief exec»»»

BELGRADE - The board of directors of the ABA basketball league announced on Thursday the regional competition would feature 20 clubs next season, including Cibona Zagreb, which will return to the fold after a one-season absence, and Slovan Bratislava, which will make a debut. In view of the expansi»»»

Doha A delegation from the Russian Ministry of Defense visited the General Directorate of Coasts and Borders Security as part of efforts to strengthen security cooperation between the State of Qatar and the Russian Federation. The delegation was welcomed by the Director General of Coasts and Border»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon has received assurances from Syria that it will not interfere in Lebanese affairs, Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri told Arab News on Thursday, rejecting suggestions that Damascus could play a role in confronting Hezbollah as fighting between Israel and the group continues. Mitri’s»»»

Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Delyan Peevski has filed a complaint with the prosecution service requesting an investigation into statements and actions by Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev. The complaint was submitted by MP Hamid Hamid in his capacity as Peevski's lawyer, according»»»

NASA has tapped Relativity Space, a 3D-printing rocket startup led by former Google executive Eric Schmidt, to deliver the Aeolus Mars orbiter mission, targeting a launch in 2028. China's Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission is well on track for the same launch window.The contrast is striking: NASA»»»

WARSAW: Polish authorities have arrested a man suspected of fatally shooting in broad daylight a Russian activist critical of President Vladimir Putin and believe there is a likely link to a foreign intelligence service, top officials said Thursday. The killing is the latest act which Polish author»»»

Education Minister Georgi Valchev on Thursday warned of widening disparities across Bulgaria's education system, describing the growing gap between high-performing schools and those failing to provide adequate preparation as one of the sector's most serious challenges. Speaking at the National Meet»»»

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Vice President for Banking Matteo Patrone and Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Economy, Investments and Industry Minister Alexander Poulev opened EBRD's Tech Sofia technology hub on Thursday. EBRD Tech Sofia will support the institution's »»»

BELGRADE - The Independent State of Samoa has confirmed its participation in Specialised EXPO 2027 Belgrade, the EXPO 2027 enterprise announced on Thursday. Samoa is the 139th country to have confirmed its participation in the event. As one of the most authentic Pacific states, under the theme of R»»»

Doha, Qatar: Within Education City, the arts are embedded across galleries, public spaces, academic institutions, architecture, and everyday experiences to inspire learning, spark connection, and deepen understanding of the world. And as this landscape continues to grow, Qatar Foundation has launch»»»

LONDON: Two men, including ‌one who worked as a British immigration officer, were jailed on Thursday after being convicted of spying on prominent pro-democracy dissidents now based in Britain on behalf of Hong Kong, and ultimately China. Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, 66, and Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 41, who»»»

LuLu Hypermarket was officially recognized as a key success partner by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development at the closing ceremony of the Social Security Beneficiaries Empowerment Forums. The high-profile event, held under the patronage of the ministry, celebrated nationwide deve»»»

RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia’s fashion sector expands, designers are increasingly drawing inspiration from the Kingdom’s diverse landscape and heritage. This was evident at the Arts and Skills Institute’s 13th cohort showcase, held under the theme “Beyond the Horizon,” where emerging designers reinterpr»»»

Bulgaria's government is making investment a national priority and a key tool for supporting municipalities and businesses, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry Alexander Poulev said on Thursday. Speaking at the National Meeting of Local and Central Executive Auth»»»

Bulgaria's social system is coming under increasing strain as the country's demographic challenges deepen, Labour and Social Policy Minister Natalia Efremova said on Thursday. Speaking at a National Meeting of Local and Central Executive Authorities in Sofia, organized by the National Association o»»»

Bulgaria supports in principle an EU proposal to create a unified corporate legal framework, known as the "28th regime", but insists on additional safeguards against abuse and opposes the possibility of establishing companies with zero capital. This transpired from remarks by Deputy Justice Ministe»»»

Doha, Qatar: President of the Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Doha Diamond League Mohammed Issa Al Fadala confirmed that preparations have been completed for the event, which will kick off Friday at the Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium at Qatar Sports Club. »»»

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a meeting of fellow NATO defense ministers in Brussels on Thursday that the Pentagon would be launching a review of U.S. forces deployed in Europe as part of a reboot of the alliance -- but that they would be consulted. Photo by Olivier Hoslet/EPA June 18 (U»»»