BETHLEHEM: When Mohammed Adnan Sbeih, also known as Abu Amous, began building a home for his family, he believed years of sacrifice would finally provide the stability he had worked so hard to achieve. Instead, 4 years of continuous labor, decades of savings, and mounting debt were erased within ho»»»

SpaceX's next-generation Starship is stacked on the pad atop the new Super Heavy V3 booster at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. SpaceX rescheduled its 13th flight test for Monday. Photo courtesy SpaceX | License Photo July 17 (UPI) -- SpaceX announced Friday that it has rescheduled its 13th launch of»»»

Beijing: A landslide in southwest China killed at least eight people and left 34 missing on Friday, local authorities said, with Chinese President Xi Jinping urging comprehensive inspections as rescue efforts were ongoing. The landslide happened around 9:10 am local time (0110 GMT) in Chongqing's P»»»

A powerful earthquake struck the southern Mexican Pacific coast on Friday, prompting residents to evacuate buildings in neighbouring Guatemala and El Salvador – and triggering an alert from the US Tsunami Warning System. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. A powerful magnitude »»»

TAPACHULA, México: A strong earthquake struck the southern Mexican Pacific coast on Friday, right on the border with Guatemala, and was felt from Mexico City to El Salvador. Authorities have not immediately reported any severe damage or casualties in any country. The US Geological Survey (USGS) rep»»»

VENICE: The billionaire US ambassador to Italy faced protests when he arrived in Venice on Friday aboard his luxury yacht as part of a coastal diplomacy tour marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. Activists described hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta’s arrival as an unwelcome displ»»»

Two South African soldiers died on Friday after falling down a mine shaft during an operation targeting illicit mining, a police spokeswoman said. The deaths are the first military fatalities since President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed troops in March to bolster police operations against crime and ill»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has condemned in the strongest terms the hostile Iranian attack targeting the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that this hostile attack constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq and the Kur»»»

Fernando Jorge (L) and Serguey Torres of Cuba, and teams of Russia and Poland compete during semifinal men's canoe double (C2) 1000m semifinal at the Lagoa Stadium during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August 2016. File Photo by Orlando Barria/EPA July 17 (UPI) -- Nine mem»»»

RAFHA: The hottest period of summer in Saudi Arabia has begun, with several weeks of peak annual temperatures expected in most regions of the Kingdom. Barjas Al-Fulaih, of the Afaq Society for Astronomy, said this part of the season, which runs from mid-July until early August, is traditionally kno»»»

France's ​main ​gambling sector regulator said ⁠on Friday it had ‌instructed the ‌country's ​internet service providers to ​block access ​to ​the Polymarket ​website, one of a number of online prediction markets that allow people to bet on the outcome of future events. The move aims to enforce»»»

The Israeli parliament, the Knesset, voted to dissolve Friday ahead of the October 27 election. File Photo by Debbie Hill/ UPI | License Photo July 17 (UPI) -- Israel's parliament, the Knesset, voted to dissolve on Friday after pushing through controversial legislation favorable to Prime Minister B»»»

The Grand Mosque of Paris, built in 1926 in the Latin Quarter as a tribute to Muslim soldiers who died for France during World War I, marks its 100th anniversary this year. French historian Benjamin Stora traces its little-known role as a geopolitical bridge – not only between France and Alger»»»

After over a year and a half of the ongoing conflict, Russia has handed over more than 18,500 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, while Ukraine has returned just 569 in exchange, according to data from the Russian Ministry of Defense. Russia's peak transfers - up to 1,200–1,245 bodies at a time - »»»

The strengthening of parliamentary contacts and economic cooperation was the focus of talks between Parliament Chair Mihaela Dotsova and the President of the Landtag of the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Thomas Strobl, Parliament's press centre said on Friday. Germany is an important pa»»»

Bulgarian leaders denied any split in the country’s position on Ukraine on Friday as the government and opposition parties clashed over the Kyiv Declaration and Bulgaria’s relationship with the Coalition of the Willing. Prime Minister Rumen Radev and President Iliana Iotova said the document requir»»»

Tunis, July 17 (TAP) – The Tunisian Confederation of Citizen Enterprises (CONECT) has expressed concern over the impact of scheduled power outages on businesses across various sectors and regions, citing the direct and indirect losses resulting from...»»»

WASHINGTON: The World Cup final between Argentina and Spain on Sunday will be refereed by Slavko Vinčić of Slovenia, two years after he was in charge of a Champions League final. FIFA announced the pick late Thursday. It’s the second straight World Cup final where Argentina, now the defending champ»»»

The education system in areas under Houthi control is facing a fresh wave of criticism as the group launched the new academic year during the summer. The Houthis are accused of limiting the distribution of school supplies and cash assistance to their supporters and to the families of fighters kille»»»

The Guadalupe River rises to the top of a bridge near Boerne, Texas, Thursday. Severe flooding affected parts of south-central Texas and the Texas Hill Country, with a dangerous flood wave moving down the Guadalupe River. Photo by Dustin Safranek/EPA July 17 (UPI) -- Two people are dead in flooding»»»

Sharjah Police have released dramatic surveillance footage of a serious road accident caused by a sudden lane change, warning motorists that a split-second decision behind the wheel can have devastating consequences. The video, captured by the force's advanced traffic monitoring system, shows a sil»»»

Police used an excavator to gain access to a house linked to fentanyl distribution in Sofia's Fakulteta borough, where a 42-year-old woman was arrested with dozens of fentanyl doses, according to a Friday briefing by Deputy Chief of the Third Police Precinct, Commissioner Stanislava Todorova. She s»»»

A 42-year-old woman was detained in Sofia's Krasna Polyana district during a specialized police operation targeting drug distribution. Police officers found dozens of doses of fentanyl during the action, Sofia police deputy chief Commissioner Stanislava Todorova said. According to her, the operatio»»»

JERUSALEM: Two former heads of government from the Elders group of international figures founded by Nelson Mandela on Friday warned of the potential disappearance of the Palestinian territories and called for an end to what they called Israeli “impunity.” The call from former Ireland president Mary»»»

Donald Trump is reviving his long-running claims about the security of US elections. In a primetime address, the president accused China of what he called the largest election data breach in history. He also released documents he says reveal foreign interference, despite intelligence officials sayi»»»

Pakistani-born Shabir Ahmed, a rape gang ringleader recently released in the UK after serving a prison term for dozens of child sex offenses, committed his crimes because of his upbringing in England, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday. The 73-year-old, who first en»»»

Artificial intelligence is no longer simply a technological race. It is becoming a question of how the world chooses to govern one of the most transformative innovations of the modern era, who benefits from it, and whether its advantages remain concentrated in the hands of a few companies or are sh»»»

China has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Beijing masterminded the theft of 220 million American voter files to meddle in the 2020 election. Trump’s explosive remarks came ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Washington in late September and amid a tentative trad»»»

LONDON: West Ham United ‌captain Jarrod Bowen has pledged his future to the club as they prepare for life in the second-tier Championship following relegation from the Premier League, the England forward said in an interview published on Friday on the team’s website. The 29-year-old was part of the»»»

Russia’s international reserves edged up to $722.4bn in the week ending 10 July, according to the Central Bank of Russia, extending a recovery after a sharp fall in late June. (chart) The stockpile increased by $700mn, or about 0.1%, from $721.7bn a week earlier. It remains well below this yea»»»

Ukraine’s lawmakers approved chairman of the national gas company Naftogaz’s board, Serhii Koretskyi as the new Ukrainian Prime Minister on July 16 in anticipation of intense winter attacks by Russia. Zelenskiy announced a surprise government reshuffle at the weekend, after asking Ukraine’s Prime M»»»

Nestlé will cease production at its Diósgyőr factory by the end of 2026 after a sustained decline in demand for seasonal chocolate products, the company has announced. The decision affects the plant that specialises exclusively in manufacturing hollow chocolate figures, including the familiar choco»»»

Nvidia slipped below Apple early Friday as the world's most valuable publicly traded company due to the latest selloff in semiconductor shares. Shares of Nvidia were down more than four percent as worries about the valuation of artificial intelligence equities dogged the market, giving the company »»»

Abu Dhabi: National Ambulance provided emergency medical care to 58,781 patients and responded to 73,624 emergency incidents during the first six months of 2026, highlighting the growing demand for emergency services across the UAE. According to operational figures released by National Ambulance, i»»»

WASHINGTON - Ahead of the launch of US-Serbia strategic dialogue, Serbian FM Marko Djuric said in Washington Serbia and the US would on Friday also sign MoUs on cooperation the energy sector and education. "Today's discussions will focus on a series of topics - besides the ceremonial and formal ope»»»

Abu Dhabi: e& has completed the sale of its entire stake in Vodafone Group, securing total consideration of Dh21.9 billion, equivalent to $5.95 billion. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The group transferred 3,944,743,685 Vodafone shares to BNP Paribas Financial Markets»»»

Comprehensive work is needed on the regulation on motorway crash barriers, because mechanical replacement, without delving into the problem in depth, may have no effect, said Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Shishkov during Friday's question time in Parliament. Shishkov was respo»»»

Hristo Emilov Dikanski was appointed deputy foreign minister, the Council of Ministers press service said on Friday. The appointment was made by order of Prime Minister Rumen Radev. Deputy Foreign Minister Ivanka Tasheva was appointed in May. The other holder of the post is Deputy Foreign Minister »»»

Dubai: Brent crude may need a prolonged disruption through the Strait of Hormuz or clear evidence of tightening global inventories to break above $90 a barrel, despite heading for its biggest weekly gain since April. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The global benchmark»»»

TUNIS, July 17, 2026 (TAP) – The Finance and Budget Committee of the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) met on July 16 to examine three draft laws submitted under an expedited procedure, all linked to the phosphate and chemical sectors.The...»»»

Closer international cooperation is needed to counter terrorism and organized crime, Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said, as quoted by the Ministry of Interior, at an international forum titled “The Resurgence of Political Terrorism”, organized by the U.S. Department of State. "The wo»»»

Andy Burnham was on Friday elected leader of the Labour party clearing the way for him to become the UK Prime Minister next week following the departure of Keir Starmer. Burnham has risen to leadership on a pledge to thwart the rise ‌of the populist Reform UK and said he would "give hope back"»»»

A day at Lake Balaton is becoming increasingly expensive for many families, with beach admission fees often overtaking accommodation costs as the biggest holiday expense. For a family of four, a full day at a paid beach can easily cost HUF 10,000–15,000, prompting many visitors to seek out the lake»»»

MP Georg Georgiev of GERB-UDF told reporters in the National Assembly on Friday that the Kyiv Declaration of July 15 is a concluding document and does not bear physical, handwritten signatures. Georgiev, who is also former foreign minister, was commenting on a controversy over whether Bulgaria's cu»»»

Dubai: Moving to a new country often begins with excitement to new opportunities, new surroundings, and the promise of a different future. But behind many expatriate stories is a challenge of building a life from the beginning. For Egyptian expat Ahmed Youssef, that challenge came at a time when th»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has been officially declared the leader of the Labour Party and will now be able to become the UK's prime minister, Home Secretary and Chair of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee Shabana Mahmood said on Friday. Mahmood confirmed at a par»»»

RIYADH: Artificial intelligence can now create images that are nearly impossible to distinguish from traditional photographs. But if no camera ever captured the scene, what makes it a photograph? The question is becoming increasingly relevant as AI-generated images blur the boundaries between photo»»»

In the Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Bulgaria (part of the 2026 Rule of Law Report, released on Friday), the European Commission found that one recommendation in the 2025 Rule of Law Report is fully implemented, some progress has been achieved on two recommendations, limited progr»»»

Britain has called on FIFA to sanction Argentina after its players celebrated knocking England out of the World Cup with a banner asserting Buenos Aires’ claim to the Falkland Islands. The defending champions beat England 2-1 in Wednesday’s semifinal to set up a final against Spain. After the final»»»

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the country’s first hydrogen-powered train on Friday, making the country one of just a handful which have adopted the zero-emissions, clean fuel technology. Developed by state-owned Indian Railways, the blue trainset uses hydrogen fuel cells t»»»